The Essex and Suffolk Border Football League is a football competition based in England. The league has a total of four divisions headed by the Premier Division which sits at step 7 (or level 11) of the National League System. The top club may apply for promotion to Division One of the Eastern Counties League.
All member clubs compete in the Border League Knock-Out Cup. The league is affiliated to the Essex County FA and Suffolk County FA.
History
The league was officially founded in 1911,[1] although the league includes records of the Colchester Borough League (founded 1893) and Colchester & District League (founded 1903) in its history.[1] Founder members of the Border League in the inaugural 1911–12 season included Clacton Town, Colchester Town, West Bergholt and West Mersea.
Over the last 100 years the league has seen many changes in its status with many clubs progressing to a higher level. The overlying trend has been the migration of the larger clubs and their replacement by smaller clubs with more basic facilities. For much of the last 20 years the Border League has run 4 divisions which included a significant proportion of reserve teams. The league lost several members in 2005–06 when the reserve teams of the Eastern Counties League clubs left for their own competition. There is a high representation of village teams but a new trend has emerged with the acceptance of Barnston from Division Three of the Essex Olympian League and Newbury Forest from the Romford and District Football League in the London Borough of Redbridge.
Member clubs 2018–19
Great Bentley
Hedinghams United
Lawford Lads
Sudbury Athletic
The league has 60 teams spread over four divisions for the 2018–19 season:
Premier Division
- Alresford Colne Rangers
- Brantham Athletic Reserves
- Brightlingsea Regent Reserves
- Dedham Old Boys
- Earls Colne
- Gas Recreation
- Great Bentley
- Hatfield Peverel
- Hedinghams United
- Kelvedon Social
- Lawford Lads
- Little Oakley Reserves
- Tiptree Heath
- West Bergholt
- White Notley
- Wormingford Wanderers
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Division One
- Alresford Colne Rangers Reserves
- Barnston
- Belle Vue Social
- Boxted Lodgers
- Bradfield Rovers
- Brantham Athletic 'A'
- Bures United
- Colne Athletic
- Cressing United
- Gas Recreation Reserves
- Flitch United
- Holland Reserves
- Little Oakley 'A'
- Tiptree Jobserve
- Tiptree Park
- West Bergholt Reserves
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Division Two
- AFC Sudbury Reserves
- Boxted Lodgers Reserves
- Cavendish
- FC Clacton Reserves
- Harwich Rangers
- Hatfield Peverel Reserves
- Lawford Lads Reserves
- Long Melford Reserves
- Mersea Island
- Ramsey & Mistley
- Rowhedge
- Stanway Pegasus
- Tavern
- Tollesbury
- Wormingford Wanderers Reserves
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Division Three
- Barnston Reserves
- Bradfield Rovers Reserves
- Colne Engaine
- Dedham Old Boys Reserves
- Elmden Rovers
- Gosfield United
- Great Bentley Reserves
- Harwich & Parkeston Reserves
- Hedinghams United Reserves
- Kelvedon Social Reserves
- Oyster
- Shrub End
- Tiptree Heath Reserves
- Tiptree Park Reserves
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Among the clubs that have left the Essex & Suffolk Border Football League to compete at a higher level are:
List of champions and cup winners
Season |
Senior Division |
1893–94 | St Peter's Institute |
Season |
Senior Division |
Division II (Junior) |
1894–95 | Colchester Town | Colchester United |
1895–96 | | Colchester United |
1896–97 | | Colchester Casuals |
1897–98 | | Colchester Albions |
1898–99 | Royal Irish Fusiliers | Colchester Albions |
1899–1900 | | New Town Athletic |
1900–01 | Colchester Crown | New Town Athletic |
1901–02 | Colchester Crown | St Leonards |
1902–03 | Colchester Crown | Colchester Rovers |
1903–04 | 2nd Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment | Manningtree United |
1904–05 | 2nd Bn. Norfolk Regiment | Albion Rovers |
1905–06 | 2nd Bn. K.O.S.B. | Albion Rovers |
1906–07 | 4th K.R.R.C. | Colchester Athletic |
1907–08 | Colchester Town | Colchester Excelsiors |
Season |
Senior Division |
Division II (Junior) |
Division II (Section B) |
1925–26 | 2nd Bn. Leicestershire Regiment | 11th Field Brigade R.A. | Wimpole Road Wesleyans |
1926–27 | 2nd. Bn. Rifle Brigade | Severalls Athletic | Colchester Town 'A' |
1927–28 | 2nd. Bn. Rifle Brigade | Wimpole Road Wesleyans | Stanway Rovers |
Season |
Senior Division |
Division I (Junior) |
Division II (Junior) |
Division III |
1928–29 | Harwich & Parkeston | 4th Div. Royal Corps Signals | Great Bentley | Clacton Athletic |
Season |
Senior Division |
Division I (Junior) |
Division II (Junior) |
1929–30 | 2nd. Bn. Rifle Brigade | 4th Div. Royal Corps Signals | Paxmans Athletic |
1930–31 | 4th Div. Royal Corps Signals | Heybridge | Clacton Rovers |
1931–32 | Harwich & Parkeston | – | Great Bentley |
Season |
Senior Division |
Division I (Junior) |
Division II (Junior) |
Division III |
1932–33 | Harwich & Parkeston | 2nd Bn. K.S.L.I. | Parkside Rangers | 1st Colchester Scouts |
1933–34 | Harwich & Parkeston | – | 2nd Bn. K.S.L.I. Reserves | Colchester Old Scouts |
1934–35 | 1st Bn. Lancashire Fusiliers | – | Clacton Athletic | 5th Inniskilling D.G. Reserves |
1935–36 | Critall Athletic | – | Walton Town | Frinton Juniors |
1936–37 | Critall Athletic | – | Great Bentley | 9th Company R.A.M.C. |
1937–38 | Critall Athletic | – | Parkeston Railway | 7th Field Company R.E. |
Season |
Senior Division |
Division I (Junior) |
Division II (Junior) |
1938–39 | Hoffman Athletic | Butlin's Athletic | 9 Company R.A.M.C |
Season |
Premier Division |
Division One |
Division Two |
Division Three |
2013–14 | Gas Recreation | Alresford Cone Rangers Reserves | Gas Recreation Reserves | Team Brantham |
Season |
Premier Division |
Division One |
Division Two |
2014–15 | West Bergholt | Hatfield Peverel | Cinque Port |
2015–16 | Coggeshall Town | Wormingford Wanderers | Cressing United |
Season |
Premier Division |
Division One |
Division Two |
Division Three |
2016–17 | Little Oakley | Dedham Old Boys | Great Bentley | Flitch United |
2017–18 | Gas Recreation | Great Bentley | Tiptree Heath | Colne Athletic |
Source: Essex & Suffolk Border League |
External links
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National teams | |
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League competitions | Level 1 | |
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Levels 2–4 | |
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Levels 5–6 | |
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Levels 7–8 | |
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Levels 9–10 | |
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Cup competitions | FA cups | |
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League cups | |
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County cups | |
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Others |
- Reserve and youth football
- Defunct leagues
- Defunct cups
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Lists | |
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