Shropshire County Premier Football League

Shropshire County Premier Football League

Founded	1950
Folded	2012
Country	England
Divisions	Premier Division Division One
Number of teams	30 (2011–12)
Level on pyramid	13 and 14
Feeder to	West Midlands (Regional) League Division Two
Domestic cup(s)	Premier Division Cup Division One Cup Ron Jones Memorial Cup SFA: Challenge Cup Junior Challenge Cup Commander Ethelston Charity Cup
Last champions	Newport Town (2011–12)

The Shropshire County Premier Football League was an English association football league based in the county of Shropshire. The league, usually known as the Shropshire County League, was founded in 1950 and in the final season had two divisions which sat at levels 13 and 14 of the English football league system. It was dissolved in May 2012 and all member clubs transferred to a new, larger Mercian Regional Football League for the 2012–13 season. ^{[1] [2]}

Clubs who won this league were promoted to the West Midlands (Regional) League ^[3] (all champions 2008–2012 were), although on occasion teams (such as Shifnal Town in 1993) instead moved into the Midland Football Combination. The champions of the 2011–12 season – the final season for the league – were Newport Town.

Teams from the Telford Combination were sometimes promoted into the league, as Impact United did in 2008 and Ketley Bank United in 2009. ^[4] Teams from the Shropshire Alliance were also able to be promoted into the league, as Rock Rovers did in 2011, however the Alliance folded with its last season being 2010–11. ^[5]

The grounds of several teams in the league, most notably Brown Clee, were featured in David Bauckham's book Dugouts, which noted the high frequency of dugouts with lockable doors which are also used for storage, a feature seemingly unique to clubs in Shropshire. ^[6]

All scores of the league's Saturday afternoon games were read out on BBC Radio Shropshire, around an hour after full-time.

2011–12 season

Premier Division

A total of 14 teams took part in the Premier Division in the 2011–12 season, an increase of two from the previous season. 2010–11 champions Haughmond had been promoted to the West Midlands (Regional) League, no team had been relegated from the Premier Division, while 3 teams had come up from Division One: Wellington Amateurs Reserves, Church Stretton Town and Whitchurch Alport Reserves.

Morda United won the Premier Division Cup, beating Ludlow 3–0 in the final. ^[7]

Church Stretton v Newport in the 2011–12 season, at Russell's Meadow – fixed posts around the pitch and dugouts are ground requirements for teams in the Premier Division.

Team name Home ground 2010–11 finish 2010–11 season points Broseley Juniors Birchmeadow, Cockshutt Lane, Broseley 12th 22 Church Stretton Town Russell's Meadow, Church Stretton 10th 36 Dawley Villa Doseley Road, Dawley, Telford 11th 30 Ellesmere Rangers Reserves Beech Grove, Ellesmere 8th 36 FC Hodnet Hodent Social Club, Hodnet 7th 41 Impact United Grainger Drive, Leegomery, Telford 14th 5 Ketley Bank United Ketley Recreation Ground, Bank Way, Ketley Bank, Telford 2nd 51 Ludlow Town The SBS Stadium, Ludlow 6th 42 Morda United Weston Road Ground, Morda 3rd 45 Newport Town Shuker Field, Barnmeadow Road, Newport 1st 55 Shifnal United Idsall Sports Centre, Shifnal 9th 36 Telford Juniors Doseley Road, Telford 5th 43 Wellington Amateurs Reserves School Grove, Oakengates, Telford 4th 44 Whitchurch Alport Reserves Yockings Park, Black Park Road, Whitchurch 13th 18

Division One

With the demise of the Shropshire Alliance football league, a total of six teams transferred from the Alliance to the County League: Hopesgate United, Ludlow Town Reserves (they played in the Alliance as Ludlow Town Colts), Oswestry Lions, Prees United, Rock Rovers (2010–11 Alliance champions) ^[5] and Weston Rhyn. Further, a reserve team of Shawbury United were formed and joined the County League in this division, and Wrockwardine Wood Juniors were promoted from the Shropshire Minor League (they played previously as Oakengates Rangers U18) skipping the Telford Combination. Atlas changed their name to Allscott, and completed the season as the division champions.

The number of teams in Division One therefore increased from 11 in the previous season to 16. With the large number of teams in the division, the Division One Cup and the Ron Jones Memorial Cup competitions did not take place this season.

A number of teams use grounds of higher-league clubs, especially the reserve sides; shown here is Park Hall, home ground of TNS.

Team name Home ground 2010–11 finish 2010–11 season points Allscott Allscott Sports & Social, Allscott 1st 71 Bishops Castle Town Community College, Bishop's Castle 9th 41 Brown Clee Hall Meadow, Cleobury North 10th 36 Clee Hill United Cleobury Mortimer Leisure Centre, Cleobury Mortimer 16th 15 Hanwood United Reserves Hanwood Recreation Ground, Hanwood 4th 57 Hopesgate United Minsterley Playing Field, Minsterley 14th 23 Ludlow Town Reserves The SBS Stadium, Ludlow 15th 18 Meole Brace Church Road, Meole Brace, Shrewsbury 12th 31 Oakengates Athletic Hadley Learning Centre, Telford 3rd 61 Oswestry Lions The Venue, Park Hall, Oswestry 8th 50 Prees United Prees Cricket and Recreation Club, Brades Road, Prees 7th 51 Rock Rovers Sports Village, Sundorne, Shrewsbury 6th 53 Shawbury United Reserves Springfield Recreation Ground, Sutton Farm, Shrewsbury† 11th 35 Weston Rhyn Weston Rhyn Playing Fields, Weston Rhyn 2nd 63 Wrockwardine Wood Juniors Oakengates Leisure Centre, New Road, Wrockwardine Wood 13th 28 Wroxeter Rovers Unison Sports Club, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury 5th 53

†Began the season playing at RAF Shawbury's "Dawsons Rough" pitch, but moved to Springfield in October 2011. ^[8]

2010–11 season

Premier Division

Haughmond were the Shropshire County Premier Football League Champions 2010–11 (the side came 2nd in the previous season), and the side also won the Ron Jones Memorial Cup. ^[9] By chance the final match of the season took place between the teams at first and second place (Haughmond and Ellesmere Rangers Reserves) and decided the League Champion. Ludlow Town came third in the league, while Dawley Villa finished bottom with just 9 points. FC Hodnet won the Premier Division Cup, beating Haughmond in the final. ^[10]

Ludlow Town joined the County League this season, having voluntarily dropped three levels from the West Midlands (Regional) League's Premier Division, because of financial difficulties.

Team name Home ground 2010–11 finish 2010–11 season points Broseley Juniors Birchmeadow, Cockshutt Lane, Broseley 8th 23 Dawley Villa Doseley Road, Dawley, Telford 12th 9 Ellesmere Rangers Reserves Beech Grove, Ellesmere 2nd 49 FC Hodnet Hodent Social Club, Hodnet 5th 39 Haughmond Sports Village, Sundorne, Shrewsbury 1st 53 Impact United Grainger Drive, Leegomery, Telford 9th 17 Ketley Bank United Ketley Recreation Ground, Bank Way, Ketley Bank, Telford 7th 29 Ludlow Town The SBS Stadium, Ludlow 3rd 44 Morda United Weston Road Ground, Morda 11th 16 Newport Town Shuker Field, Barnmeadow Road, Newport 4th 41 Shifnal United Idsall Sports Centre, Shifnal 6th 34 Telford Juniors Doseley Road, Telford 10th 16

Division One

Wellington Amateurs Reserves were the Division One 2010–11 season champions, while Church Stretton Town came second, and Clee Hill United finished bottom with just 7 points. Wellington also won the Division One Cup, beating Bishop's Castle in the final. ^[11]

Team name Home ground 2010–11 finish 2010–11 season points Atlas Allscott Sports & Social, Allscott 5th 31 Bishop's Castle Town Community College, Bishop's Castle 7th 30 Brown Clee Hall Meadow, Cleobury North 9th 24 Church Stretton Town Russell's Meadow, Church Stretton 2nd 37 Clee Hill United Cleobury Mortimer Leisure Centre, Cleobury Mortimer 11th 7 Hanwood United Reserves Hanwood Recreation Ground, Hanwood 8th 24 Meole Brace Church Road, Meole Brace, Shrewsbury 10th 14 Oakengates Athletic Hadley Learning Centre, Telford 6th 30 Wellington Amateurs Reserves School Grove, Oakengates, Telford 1st 45 Whitchurch Alport Reserves Yockings Park, Black Park Road, Whitchurch 3rd 32 Wroxeter Rovers Unison Sports Club, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury 4th 31

League champions

Season Champions [12] 1950–51 Lilleshall Miners 1951–52 Donnington Wood 1952–53 Donnington Wood 1953–54 Donnington Wood 1954–55 Sankeys Wellington 1955–56 Market Drayton Town 1956–57 Sentinel 1957–58 Donnington Wood 1958–59 Sankeys Wellington 1959–60 Sankeys Wellington 1960–61 Donnington Wood 1961–62 Oswestry Villa 1962–63 Oswestry Villa 1963–64 Donnington Wood 1964–65 Donnington Wood 1965–66 Sankeys Wellington 1966–67 Snailbeach White Star 1967–68 Donnington Wood 1968–69 Snailbeach White Star 1969–70 Roden Rovers 1970–71 Belle Vue Old Boys

Season Champions [12] 1971–72 Donnington Wood 1972–73 Snailbeach White Star 1973–74 Donnington Wood 1974–75 Donnington Wood 1975–76 Shifnal Town 1976–77 Broseley Athletic 1977–78 Broseley Athletic 1978–79 Oakengates Town 1979–80 Snailbeach White Star 1980–81 Snailbeach White Star 1981–82 Snailbeach White Star 1982–83 Wellington Amateurs 1983–84 Broseley Athletic 1984–85 Morda United 1985–86 Morda United 1986–87 Morda United 1987–88 Champion Jockey 1988–89 Wellington Amateurs 1989–90 Shifnal Town 1990–91 Albrighton United 1991–92 Little Drayton

Season Champions [12] 1992–93 Shifnal Town 1993–94 Meole Brace 1994–95 Tibberton United 1995–96 Oakengates Town 1996–97 Star Aluminium 1997–98 Shawbury United 1998–99 Shawbury United 1999–2000 Belvidere 2000–01 unknown 2001–02 Belle Vue Old Boys 2002–03 Hanwood United 2003–04 Ellesmere Rangers 2004–05 Broseley Juniors 2005–06 Hanwood United 2006–07 Hanwood United 2007–08 Hanwood United 2008–09 Wem Town 2009–10 St Martins 2010–11 Haughmond 2011–12 Newport Town

Shropshire Alliance

The Shropshire Alliance's logo

The Shropshire Alliance was a football league for Shropshire-based teams that ran from the mid-1970s to 2011. It was formed by the merger of the Shrewsbury and West Shropshire Leagues, which were formed in the late 1940s. At its height it comprised three divisions, but the number of teams fell and by the end of the 2010–11 season only 8 teams remained. It was decided in 2011 to fold the league, and 6 of the member teams came over to the Shropshire County League (one of which, Rock Rovers, were the final season's champions and would have been promoted to the County League in any case). The 2010–11 season was therefore the final season. ^[5] Being a feeder to the County League, the Shropshire Alliance was effectively at level 15 of the English football pyramid.

See also

• Mercian Regional Football League
• Shropshire Football Association
• Shropshire#Football

References

1. FA Full Time Dissolution of the Shropshire County Premier Football League
2. Shropshire Star Big shake-up of Shropshire football league system (10 March 2012)
3. History page on the WMRL's website ^[Usurped!]
4. Shropshire Star
5. Shropshire Star Sadness as football league wound up (6 July 2011)
6. Bauckham, David (2006). Dugouts. New Holland. ISBN   1-84537-478-9.
7. The FA (Full-Time League Websites) Morda United 3 – 0 Ludlow Town
8. Shawbury United Reserves Latest News – 13 October 2011
9. BBC News Haughmond win Shropshire Premier League
10. The FA (Full-Time League Websites) Haughmond 1 – 2 FC Hodnet
11. The FA (Full-Time League Websites) Bishops Castle Town 1 – 2 Wellington Amateurs Reserves
12. Official website