| History Of The League Part 1 |
PART 1
From early beginnings to the end of the 1980s
The Early Days
The Women’s Football Association was formed in 1969, but the FA did not recognise women’s football nor allow them to play on Association grounds until 1970. The first women's match in the area was held at Chelwood Horse Show in 1971. It was this match and subsequent charity matches that led to the formation of the Women’s Western League. The exact year that the league was formed is uncertain as records have been lost, but the first documented League Cup final took place on April 14 1974. Bath City running out 1-0 winners against Warminster.
Warminster LFC were founder members along with Bath and several clubs from the Bristol area. In the 1973/74 season the league consisted of ten teams:
Bath
Bristol
Bristol Bluebirds
Compton Wanderers
Eastville Farmborough
Melksham
Stroud
Swindon St Joseph's
Warminster
The following season saw 5 teams leave, Compton Wanderers, Farmborough, Melksham, Stroud and Swindon but Brislington, Devizes and Chippenham joined, leaving just eight teams. In 1976 Welsh clubs joined the league for the first time and it was divided into two divisions:
Division One Division Two
Bath
Brislington
Bristol Avon
Bristol City
Chard
Newport
Plymouth
Warminster Bristol Bluebirds
Cardiff
Chippenham
Corsham
Dursley
Llanedeyrn
Top Rank
thereby necessitating a lot more travelling, the shape of things to come! Ever since then clubs from Wales have played an important part in the league's history. That season Warminster finished as Division One champions with Chippenham winning Division Two.
Bath City Ladies 1976
The Eighties
By 1980, due to various teams disbanding, the Western League had reverted to one division of 9 teams - Warminster again finishing champions ahead of Twerton, St. Catherines, Llanedeyrn, Frome, Exeter, Noel Trigg, Barry and Top Rank. By 1983, Warminster were unbeaten in the Western League during which time they had won eight league titles, until they folded, after one season in the Home Counties League in which they were Second Division champions.
St Catherine's 4-1 Frome
In the first half Frome produced their best football to date and should have scored in the first minute but Sally Rundle's shot was saved.
An own goal put Frome behind, but Sally Rundle soon put them back on level terms again.
A lethargic Frome started the second half and series of mistakes left St Catherine's winners with three clear goals
Match report 1980, at St Mathias College, Fishponds, Bristol.
The departure of Warminster, Twerton and Plymouth and the demise of Top Rank saw the league reduced to just seven clubs in 1982/83 (Cardiff, Newport and Barry from Wales, Cope Chat from Gloucestershire, Frome Town, St Catherines from the Bristol area and Exeter Ladies).
Western League Table 1982/83
P
W
D
L
F
A
Pts
Cardiff 12
11
0
1
48
4
22
Exeter 12
10
1
1
86
8
21
Newport 12
6
1
5
33
29
13
Frome 12
4
1
7
24
24
9
St Catherine's 12
4
1
7
21
43
9
Cope Chat 12
3
0
9
30
61
6
Barry 12
2
0
10
4
77
4
Pat Sowden Trophy winners: Cardiff. League Cup winners: Exeter
In 1986 Taunton LFC had their first period in league football whilst Keynsham became the form team for the next few years changing their name from St Catherines and building a strong squad including several ex-Warminster players. The Western League became stronger still when in season 1988/89 Plymouth rejoined together with Truro from Cornwall and Tongwynlais from South Wales. The league that season consisted of Barry, Cardiff, Crewkerne, Frome, Exeter, Pilgrims, Taunton, Tongwynlais, Truro.
| | The History Of The League Part 2 |
PART 2
The Nineties and several re-organisations
When the Women's Football Association decided to regionalise women's football, the new South West Regional Women's Football League was formed incorporating from season 1990/91 the South West and Western Leagues into its two divisions. This first season saw Bristol (formerly Keynsham) win the league championship and cup treble (Pat Sowden plus Division One Cups) with Cardiff league runners-up. Torquay United won Division Two and Taunton the Division Two Cup.
The following season Bristol again won the League Championship and joined the National League Division One (South) for season 1992/93, although they were forced to disband in 1994.
The WFA went bankrupt in 1993 and in order to preserve women's football, the Football Association took over the running of the game. This meant that women's football was at last on a par with that of the men's game with a common set of rules and regulations.
Bristol Rovers v Cardiff Institute at Eastville Park, Bristol 1993
In 1994 the league decided to regionalise its lowest divisions making a Division Two with North and South sections. This assisted, new clubs in particular, by limiting the amount of travelling required. In 1995 Bristol City were the first south-west Club to reach the semi-finals of the FA Women's Challenge Cup. They won the Division One Championship and Cup and the Pat Sowden Trophy treble that season, but narrowly missed promotion to the FA Women's Premier League (the former National League). The 1995/96 Division One and Division Cup Champions were Barry Town, who took both titles for the first time. Bristol City and Sherborne retained the Pat Sowden Trophy and Division Two Cup respectively, whilst Bath City won the Division Three Cup for the first time. The Division Two, Three (South) and Three (North) league championships were won by Frome, Barnstaple Town and Cam Bulldogs respectively, all for the first time.
The next season saw Barry Town retain the Division One championship and they followed that great success by winning the play-offs for a place in the Southern Division of the FA Women’s Premier League. Sherborne came second in their first season in Division One and also took the Division One Cup as well. Cam Bulldogs won the Division Two Championship and promotion for the second consecutive season and were joined in the top flight by second placed Truro City. Cam also beat Truro in the final of the Division Two Cup. In Division Three the Southern Championship was won by Elmore Eagles meaning that Bath City lost out for the second consecutive season on goal difference. They were also defeated by Elmore in the Division Three Cup Final. The Northern title was won by Gloucester Greyhounds.
Barry Town celebrate promotion to the FA Women's Premier League in 1997
In preparation for the formation of the new Combination Leagues, the league was forced to change the name of Division One to the Premier Division and make it consist of 12 teams for the 1997/98 season. This resulted in clubs having to play midweek matches under floodlights in order to complete the season. Elmore Eagles and Bath City were promoted from Division Three straight into the Premier Division and were also joined by Freeway from Bristol with no team suffering relegation from the old Division One.
With a large discrepancy in the playing strengths of the remaining teams, the league reverted back to Divisions One and Two, with no regions. New club Newport Strikers were placed straight in Division One on the strength of their previous record in Wales. Other new clubs for 1997 were South Bristol Wanderers, Bristol Pioneers and City of Gloucester. The University of Wales Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Bridgwater Town, Dorchester, Cam Bulldogs Reserves and Yate Town Reserves all left the league.
Cam Bulldogs celebrate their cup final victory over Truro at a soggy Clevedon Town in 1997.
At the end of a long season Cardiff County won the Premier Division Championship and with it a place in the Premier League play-offs, although they failed to gain the desired promotion. They had an unbeaten record and Bath City, in their first season in the top division, were runner’s up. Cable Tel pushed the other two all the way but eventually finished third but took the Pat Sowden Trophy from Cardiff 1-0 in the final. All three booked their place in the new South West Combination League together with Saltash Pilgrims, Sherborne and Bristol City. New clubs Newport Strikers and South Bristol Wanderers won Divisions 1 and 2 respectively, and took their own Divisional Cups as well.
The FA's re-structuring continued in 1998 with the formation of a new tier between the regional leagues and the FA Premier League (the Combination leagues). This meant that our league lost 6 clubs to this new level. Gloucester FA formed a county league and we lost City of Gloucester and Cam Bulldogs Reserves to it. However, fresh blood replaced old friends lost, with Cogan Coronation (from Penarth), Bristol Rovers Reserves, Bristol City Reserves, Cardiff County Reserves, Cinderford Town Reserves, Chiseldon, Keynsham Town and Plymouth Activate all joining for the new season.
The 1998/99 season saw Newport Strikers win the Premier Division Championship and gain promotion to the Combination league with Frome Sportshouse as runner’s up. In the new Combination League, Cardiff County were its first champions and became the first team to win automatic promotion to the FA Women’s Premier League.
The following season saw the league revert back to a regional format with a Division One (North) and (South), in keeping with the FA's pyramid structure. Okeford United were promoted from the Dorset County League and started in Division One (South) which they won comfortably. A closer fought Division One (North) saw Cardiff City Reserves take the title and promotion on the last match of the season. Yate Town and Cogan Coronation had pushed them all the way, but eventually lost out.
Cogan Coronation squad in 1999
In the Premier Division Clevedon won another close fought battle. Any one of four other teams, Elmore Eagles, South Bristol Wanderers, Cinderford Town and Newton Abbot could have been the eventual champions and were in the hunt until the last few weeks. Clevedon also won the Pat Sowden Trophy defeating Frome Sportshouse 3-0 in the final.
In the league's first major sponsorship deal, the Division One Cup was sponsored by Bristol Soccerworld. Okeford United completed a good first season in the league by defeating Bristol Rovers Reserves 5-1 in the final.
Past members of the league Barry Town won promotion to the elite of women's football, the FA Premier League, National Division. Furthermore, Newport Strikers won the South West Combination League at the first attempt and also promotion to the FA Premier League.
| | History Of The League Part 3 |
PART 3
Into the new century and more re-structuring
For the start of the 2000/2001 season the league were forced back to just a single Division One as there were only 23 entries. Dorchester, Marjons and Chalford all joined from County Leagues.
The season was the worst on record for the number of matches postponed, due to the weather, when 48 inches of rain fell in the region during the period. All of the cup competitions had to be abandoned without a ball being kicked.
On the pitch Newton Abbot were the runaway winners of the Premier Division with a 100% record. They left the other teams competing for the runner's up spot from an early date. Ross Town eventually beat off the challenge of Elmore Eagles and South Bristol Wanderers for that honour. The relegation battle from the Premier Division was fought over by the remaining teams. Yate Town always looked out of their depth and succumbed early, but the other place was not settled until the last but one match of the season. In it, Bath City managed a surprise victory over Elmore Eagles, to send Frome Sportshouse down. It was the first and last time that Frome had been in the relegation zone all season.
The Division One title was a three sided battle all season between Chalford, Marjons and Dorchester, all newly promoted sides from county leagues. Dorchester were the first to lose ground and Chalford eventually succeeded over Marjons for the championship, both teams gaining promotion to the Premier Division.
Bristol & West struggled again at the other end of the table and ended up with the wooden spoon. This was one time too much for the brave Bristol side and they resigned to join the Gloucester County League. Only two teams applied for promotion from county leagues, Torbay Ladies from Devon and Cheltenham Saracens from Gloucestershire. With Gloucester Greyhounds resigning during the season, the league was set to start with no more teams in 2001 than in the previous year.
Bristol & West v Cogan Coronation, February 2001
Former league club Bristol Rovers were promoted to the AXA Women's Premier League, but unfortunately another, Cardiff City were relegated back to the Combination League.
However, shortly after the AGM in June the league lost two more clubs. Swindon Town Reserves, transferred from the Southern League by the FA, resigned just a week later. Bristol Rovers first team gained promotion to the AXA Women's Premier League and moved their reserves to the Reserve Division. With only two county league champions out of five seeking promotion to the league, it once again faced a new campaign with fewer clubs than in the previous one.
More problems were encountered before the new season was very old. Shirehampton (formerly South Bristol Wanderers) never kicked a ball and Barnstaple Town folded after just three matches. This left the Premier Division with just nine clubs and no relegation at the end of the season.
During 2001 the Football Association decided to consult all leagues with the intention of, once again, to re-structure women's football. The league sent two representatives to FA headquarters in Soho Square to make representation.
The working party reported in February 2002 and recommended breaking the league up into a South Western League covering Cornwall, Devon and Somerset and a western league consisting of clubs from Dorset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. This would increase the number of regional leagues to 12 and give:
Automatic promotion and relegation to and from the Combination Leagues (3 up and 3 down)
Regional Leagues would operate on two levels only (a Premier Division and two regionalised Division Ones
County leagues to be established in every county
The teams from Somerset expressed grave concern at this plan as it would increase their travelling considerably, rather than decrease it and representatives from Devon and Cornwall also expressed doubts whether county-based teams from their area would join such a regional league.
The proposals were later thrown out by the combination leagues who did not like the idea of relegating 3 clubs from 12 and so they working party went back to work to re-consider the options.
Exeter City, although facing a backlog of matches all season following a good FA Cup run, eventually won the Premier Division and the Pat Sowden Trophy. They took their place in the Combination League and were replaced by relegated Cheltenham Town. Torbay Ladies, in their first season were champions of Division One and they gained promotion together with Keynsham Town. In order to make up the numbers Cogan Coronation were also promoted after three higher placed clubs turned down the invitation.
The 2002/03 season began with three new clubs promoted from County Leagues, Ashdown Rovers, Alphington (formerly Exeter Saints) and Bristol City Reserves. Ross Town however left to pursue a career in the West Midlands League and Okeford United resigned to join the Dorset County League.
Barry Town's glorious run in the top flight ended unfortunately, with relegation from the National Division. To make matters worse, after just one disappointing season a flood of players left the club and they were forced to disband. It shows how fickle players can be these days and it is regretful that such a fate awaited this great Welsh club after such triumphs. It is hoped that they will be able to reform at some point and build again for the future.
Bristol City won the South West Combination to make it 4 wins out of 4 for former league teams. They were promoted to the FA Premier League Southern Division. Former league members Newport County announced plans to turn semi-professional and compete next season as Merthyr Tydfil. They were joined by Bristol Rovers who will also play next term as a semi-professional side.
Highridge United in action against Frome United in 2002
Forest Green Rovers, after being runner-up the season before, won the Premier Division championship for 2002/03 and took promotion to the South West Combination. After a brave fight, Cogan Coronation were relegated to Division One. Due to a fluke of geography no team was relegated from the Combination League and with Oldland Abbotonians resigning, the Premier Division was reduced to eight clubs. However, in order to restore it 10, the league agreed a one down three up scheme, whereby the two runners-up from the regionalised Division One would play off for the third promotion place.
Forest Green Rovers
Premier Division Champions and Pat Sowden Trophy winners.
Dorchester Town and Frome Town moved up to the Premier Division. Forest Green Rovers also took the Pat Sowden trophy after defeating surprise finalists, Highridge United. The Avenue Stadium, Dorchester proved the be the best ever venue for the final, Dorchester Town being superb hosts. The Bristol Soccerworld Cup was won by Frome Town, which gave captain Dawn Prior her first ever winner's medal after a long career in women's football.
Frome Town
Division One Runner-up and Bristol Soccerworld Cup winners 2003
Portsmouth became the first former Southern League club to win the South West Combination (after five seasons) and a place in the FA Premier League. Cardiff City had to settle for second place and another try next season. Bristol Rovers became the second former league club (after Barry Town) to gain a place at the summit of women's football, by winning promotion to the National Division of the FA Premier League.
Regionalisation again!
Thanks to a concerted effort by the management committee, enough new teams entered for the 2003/04 season to divide Division One into southern and northern sections. No less than nine new teams joined namely, Clevedon Town 'A', Bristol Rovers 'A' and Frome Town Reserves from the Wiltshire County League, Bristol Manor Farm and Gloucester City (Gloucester), Caldicot Town (South Wales), Weymouth (Dorset), Plymouth Oak Villa (Devon) and Newquay (Cornwall).
In another innovative move, the Annual General Meeting agree to pay money towards the expenses of Division One clubs, in order to encourage more to join. With the Premier Division reduced to just eight clubs due to the resignation of Oldland Abbotonians and no team being relegated from the combination league, it was decided to relegate just one club and promote three! The third club would be the winner of a play-off final between the two runners-up on the regionalised Division One.
Season 2003/04 therefore, kicked with great enthusiasm, with the league having more than for many seasons. clubs for several years. However, Caldicot Town, regretfully, never kicked a ball in the league, as they were barred by the FA of Wales from competing. Yate Town too did not last long, which left just eight teams in Division One (North) as in the other two divisions.
Newquay were the club of the season, if not of the entire history of the league. They not only won the Division One (South) championship and the Bristol Soccerworld Cup but also the Pat Sowden trophy. In doing so they were the first team in the 30 year history of the league to win this competition from outside of the top division.
Newquay secure their unique victory in the Pat Sowden Trophy
final against Frome Town
Team Bath won the northern section and in an exciting finale to the season newcomers Plymouth Oak Villa and Gloucester City met in the play-off final, which the Devon club won 5-3.
Action from the play-off final between Plymouth Oak Villa and Gloucester City
Keynsham Town, third the previous season took the Premier Division title and promotion to the South West Combination. Buckfastleigh Rangers were runner-up for the second consecutive time. Cardiff City Reserves missed out by finishing bottom and being relegated to Division One (North).
Regionalisation in doubt again
With the committee taking its eye off the ball, being inactive in promoting the league to new teams, all of the previous year's good work was nearly lost and doubt cast over the regionalisation of Division One. Cogan Coronation, Bristol City Robins and Clevedon Town 'A' all left at the end of the season. True, Central (an Exeter based team) from the League Devon, Chippenham Town and the University of Bristol took their places, but with two more teams being promoted up than relegated down to Division One this left just 7 teams in each section. Keynsham Town Reserves were accepted into the southern section but Bristol Manor Farm had to be moved as well to make an equal number in each. A move that upset the club so much they almost resigned as well.
The biggest shock was when newly promoted Plymouth Oak Villa resigned and just as much as when the AGM voted that Gloucester City should replace them in the Premier Division. With 10 clubs already in the top flight because Exeter City and Yeovil Town were relegated from the South West Combination, this vote was surprising as it made 11 clubs in the Premier Division.
Season 2004/05 starts with 25 clubs, just one up from the previous one. The structure is shaking with just four truly southern teams in Division One (South). However with more teams being relegated from the Premier division than promoted to it ( 3 down two up), to make 10 teams in 2005/06, Division One should be numerically stronger in a year's time, if no more clubs are forced to resign.
And what about that working party on national re-organisation? Well it changed its mind completely and decided to reduce the number of regional leagues to 8, rather than increase it to 12. A decision which left this league mostly unaffected. The full proposals can be seen here.
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