Suffolk and Ipswich League

Suffolk and Ipswich Football League

Country	England
Founded	1896
First season	1896–97
Divisions	9
Level on pyramid	Levels 11–16
Feeder to	Eastern Counties League
Promotion to	Eastern Counties League Division One
Relegation to	Lowestoft & District League St Edmundsbury League
Domestic cup(s)	Suffolk Senior Cup Winners (Lakenhead)
Current champions	Crane Sports (Senior Division) (2015–16)
Website	suffolkandipswichleague.co.uk

The Suffolk and Ipswich Football League is a football competition based in Suffolk, England. The league has a total of nine divisions; the Senior Division, divisions 1–5 and three reserve divisions. 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 Senior Division champions may apply for promotion to the Eastern Counties League Division One. Clubs from the league to progress up the pyramid include Whitton United, Sudbury Town, Hadleigh United, Woodbridge Town, Needham Market, Walsham-le-Willows, and Debenham LC.

The champion club in the St. Edmundsbury Football League is able to seek promotion to the Suffolk and Ipswich League competition but to date few clubs have taken up this opportunity.

The league is affiliated to the Suffolk County Football Association.

The league was established in 1896 at the initiative of F C H Gibbons. 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. A meeting on 10 September 1896 was attended by officials from 18 clubs:

The league started in October that year, but without Ipswich Town. The top division was known as Division One until 1950, when it became the Premier Division. It was re–named Senior Division in 1978.

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