The Suffolk and Ipswich Football League is a football competition based in Suffolk, England. The league has a total of six divisions; the Premier Division, Championship and Division 2-5. Only first teams of member clubs are permitted to play in the Premier Division and Championship. Divisions 2-5 contains teams, Reserve and 'A' teams of member clubs. Reserve teams must have one full division separating them and their first team counterpart; Reserve and 'A' teams may not be in the same division but do not require separation. Teams are arranged in to their divisions at the Annual General Meeting
The Senior Division is at step 7 (or level 11) of the National League System. The league was founded in 1896 as the Ipswich & District League changing its name in 1978.
The Ipswich and District League was established in 1896 at the initiative of Frederick Gibbons, the secretary of St Lawrence Works.[1] Gibbons placed an advert in the East Anglian Daily Times stating that he intended to launch a football league for Ipswich and the surrounding area.[2] The inaugural meeting on 10 September 1896 was attended by officials from 18 clubs including Brantham Athletic, Ipswich Town and Orwell Works. Local MP Daniel Ford Goddard, who became the league's first president, promised to provide a trophy for the league, and the league commenced in October with two divisions of eight clubs.[1] Although Ipswich Town had opted not to join, several other clubs that had not attended the initial meeting did, including Felixstowe Town, Stowmarket and Woodbridge Old St Mary's.[1]
Divisions between the Amateur Football Association (AFA) and the Football Association (which had created a split in the Suffolk County Football Association) led to a small number of clubs leaving the league (which was affiliated to the AFA) in 1910 and setting up a rival FA Ipswich & District League.[3] More clubs left the AFA version of the league in 1911, which ran with just twelve clubs across its two divisions.[3] Although 21 clubs attended the league's annual general meeting in August 1912 and it was initially agreed to have ten clubs in Division One and eleven in Division Two, seven of the clubs elected to Division One walked out of the meeting.[3] the 1912–13 season saw ten clubs compete in the AFA version of the league and 14 in the FA version, a situation that continued in 1913–14.[3] Although the dispute between the AFA and FA were resolved in 1914, resulting in rival leagues merging to form a three-division competition, the outbreak of World War I saw the league abandoned in September 1914.[3]
When the league resumed in 1919 it had grown to five divisions. Division One was renamed the Premier Division in 1950, with a new Division One created above the sectional Division Twos.[4] By 1971 the league had expanded to ten divisions.[5] In 1978 the league was renamed the Suffolk & Ipswich League and the Premier Division became the Senior Division.[6]
For the 2025-26 season, the Senior Division was renamed Premier Division and Division 1 was renamed to Championship.[7]
2024–25 members
Premier Division
AFC Kesgrave | Bacton United 89 | Coplestonians | Debenham L.C. | East Bergholt United | Grundisburgh | Haughley United | Henley Athletic | Leiston St Margarets | Old Newton United | Saxmundham Sports | Sporting 87 | Stowupland Falcons | Tattingstone United | Trimley Red Devils | Whitton United | Wickham Market
Bacton United 89 Reserves | Coplestonians Reserves | East Bergholt United Reserves | Elmswell Community | Framlingham Town 'A' | Halesworth Town Development | Haughley United Reserves | Henley Athletic Reserves | Occold | Samuels | Sporting 87 Reserves | Stonham Aspal | Trimley Red Devils Reserves | Wenhaston United
Division Three
AFC Kesgrave Reserves | Benhall St Mary | Grundisburgh Reserves | Hadleigh United Brettsiders | Hope Church | Ipswich Exiles | Laxfield | Old Newton United | Ransomes Sports Reserves | Sporting 87 'A' | Stowupland Falcons Reserves | Whitton United Reserves
Division Four
AFC Kesgrave 'A' | Bramford United | Brooks Hall Rovers | Capel Plough Reserves | Cockfield United Reserves | Coplestonians Development | Elmswell Community Reserves | Kesgrave Kestrels Reserves | Kirton Athletic Reserves | Redgrave Rangers Reserves | Saxmundham Sports Reserves | Woolverstone United Reserves
Division Five
AFC Kesgrave ‘A’ | Benhall St. Mary Reserves | Bildeston Rangers Reserves | Coddenham Athletic | Debenham L.C. Reserves | East Bergholt United ‘A’ | Henley Athletic Reserves | Kirton Athletic Reserves | Leiston St Margarets Reserves | Stanton Reserves | Stowupland Falcons Reserves | Thurston Reserves | Wenhaston United Reserves | Woolverstone United Reserves
Division Six
Achilles Reserves | Bacton United 89 ‘A’ | Benhall St Mary Reserves | Brooks Hall Rovers Reserves | Claydon Reserves | Coldham Hall | Kesgrave Kestrels ‘Development’ | Mendlesham | Thurston Reserves | Witnesham Wasps Reserves
Teams from the league are entered into 4 of the County's 5 County Cup competitions.[8]
Suffolk Senior Cup: Premier Division sides
Suffolk Senior Reserve Cup: Division 2 to 5 sides
Suffolk Junior Cups: Championship and Division 2 Sides
Suffolk Primary Cup: Division 3 to 5 sides
They compete against other sides that are affiliated to Suffolk FA but play in other leagues. These leagues include Cambridgeshire County, Anglian Combination, Essex & Suffolk Border, Lowerstoft & District1 and Central & South Norfolk1.
1No teams from this league enter the Senior Cup
League Cups
The league also runs a league cup, known as the Morrison Freight Cup. It has previously been known as the Bob Coleman Cup, Omnico Cup and the McNeil League Knock–Out Cup/[2]
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