Corsham Print
Wiltshire Senior League
History of Senior Football Leagues in Wiltshire
1894 – Original Wiltshire League Formed
The first Wiltshire Football League was formed in 1894, three years after the Swindon & District League had been established and three years before the Trowbridge & District League came into being.
Initially the clubs connected with the new league were Bradford, Calne, Chippenham, Corsham, Devizes, Melksham, Swindon Athletic, Trowbridge Town and Warminster. Swindon Wanderers had decided not to partake. Trowbridge Town, who had been assumed would be part of the league, remained in the Bristol & District League but entered an "A" side in that initial season. The initial members were therefore Bradford-on-Avon, Calne, Chippenham, Corsham, Melksham, Southbroom (Devizes), Trowbridge and Warminster. The article below from the Warminster and Westbury Journal of Saturday 3rd March 1894 gives some of the background of this new league.
The first Wiltshire Football League was formed in 1894, three years after the Swindon & District League had been established and three years before the Trowbridge & District League came into being.
Initially the clubs connected with the new league were Bradford, Calne, Chippenham, Corsham, Devizes, Melksham, Swindon Athletic, Trowbridge Town and Warminster. Swindon Wanderers had decided not to partake. Trowbridge Town, who had been assumed would be part of the league, remained in the Bristol & District League but entered an "A" side in that initial season. The initial members were therefore Bradford-on-Avon, Calne, Chippenham, Corsham, Melksham, Southbroom (Devizes), Trowbridge and Warminster. The article below from the Warminster and Westbury Journal of Saturday 3rd March 1894 gives some of the background of this new league.
Corsham would be the inaugural champions, winning the league on goal average over Southbroom, helped by an emphatic 17-1 win over Calne in their final game. It has been possible to trace all of the league results for that first season and also the final league table, both are shown below.
The Wiltshire League continued to operate with little change, save for teams coming and going, until after the Second World War with the first real change of note taking place in Season 1956-57.
1956-57 – Formation of Wiltshire Premier League (later renamed Combination)
Season 1956-57 saw a major change in the structure of football in the county of Wiltshire with the creation of a new senior division, the Wiltshire Premier League which ran as a rival to the Wiltshire League. The change was prompted by the payment of players, an issue that to this day divides opinion in the world of non-league football. The Football Pink of Saturday 18th August 1956 carried the following report on the changes to senior football in the county:
“Today ushered in what must undoubtedly be the most momentous season in Wiltshire Football, since our football minded forbears of the Victorian era took the plunge and started the County Senior League some 62 years ago. The county has been split into two rival senior camps. Of course both sides claim to be in the right. Supporters of the new Premier League argued that the old league failed to move with the times whereas the old established league countered by saying that they wanted to keep free from professionalism.”
The new Wiltshire County Premier League was under the control of the Wiltshire F.A. Council and controversially at the time was willing to consider applicants from outside the county of Wiltshire as well as the unlimited use of professional players. Whilst under the control of the FA the member clubs had a strong say in its operations, something which would ultimately lead to further change down the road. The old Wiltshire League remained staunchly amateur and reacted to the establishment of the new league by ruling that clubs leaving to join the new Premier League would not be allowed to play their reserve teams in the Wiltshire League.
As a result of the breakaway there were now two senior leagues in the county of Wiltshire, one for the “Amateur” clubs (Wiltshire League) and one for the “professional” clubs (the Wiltshire Premier League). In the “Order of Precedence for Leagues and Competitions” published in the Wiltshire FA handbook the Premier League was the higher ranked competition.
By the 1961-62 season the Premier League had accepted clubs from Gloucestershire and Somerset, including the likes of Clandown, Frome Town, Peasedown and Radstock Town. This change on membership led to a change of name for the league with it being renamed The Wiltshire Combination Football League in Season 1968-69. The league grew and added additional divisions over time.
1972-73 – Management Change
In 1972 the Football Association at Lancaster Gate advised the Council of the Wiltshire County Football Association that the management of the Combination League would have to be changed. The league needed either to be run solely by the clubs without any FA involvement in the management of the league or run solely by the Wiltshire FA, without any club involvement.
The Wiltshire FA appear to have seen this as an opportunity to establish a Wiltshire “Super League” looking to temp back into the county clubs who were playing in outside leagues. Teams from outside of the county were excluded from the league which meant no place for reigning champions Radstock Town in addition to Larkhall and Frome Town who were members at the time. Under the headline “No “outsiders” in new-look Combination” the Football Pink of Saturday 12th August 1972 contained the following fascinating report by “Senior” on the structure and politics of county football in Wiltshire:
“The fourth attempt by the Wiltshire FA to put county senior football on a proper footing begins next Saturday when the new look Combination gets under way. The first was in 1956 with the formation of the Premier League. That was changed four seasons ago to the Combination. Last season this was increased from two to three senior divisions and now comes the new version of the Combination.
The name was to have been different by incorporating the word “senior” but when a junior division was included as well as a senior section that word had to be dropped from the title. The county FA had concern only for senior football and had no intention of running a division for junior clubs but had its inclusion forced on them. It was also forced by the senior clubs to cater for their reserve teams in another junior division but when, at the final count, so few junior clubs supported their earlier clamour for a division, they and the reserve teams of the seniors were merged into one junior section.
Much thought and a lot of hard work was put in by the county body into re-forming senior football in the county. They wanted to put the top 16 clubs in Wiltshire into one league to which all the best players in the county would be thus enticed to gravitate and in that way improve the general standard of senior football in the county.
They were prepared to accept the third team of Swindon Town and the reserve teams of Trowbridge Town and Salisbury but the other 13 had to be the first teams of their respective clubs. They all had to have private enclosed grounds with first class amenities that would qualify each of them for entry into the national cup competitions. With this in mind a standing committee of six was formed who spent much time in a thorough investigation of the grounds and amenities of more than 30 of the top clubs in the county. A number of Somerset clubs were already playing in the Combination but these were to have no part in the proposed new set up which was to be an all-Wiltshire one.
After months of investigation the 16 considered to be the best were listed and invited by the Wiltshire FA to participate. So far so good, but then plans went awry when six of the major clubs, Chippenham Town, Devizes Town, Downton, Pinehurst, Trowbridge Town and Swindon Town refused to co-operate. This refusal by six out of 16 and probably the strongest of the 16 was indeed a major blow to good and laudable intentions and the FA were forced to accept second best. They had only succeeded in prevailing on one club (Salisbury) not already in their Combination to join and to make up they fell back on the next best whom they considered to be Amesbury, Ferndale, Highworth, Old Manor, Park and, reversing a previous decision, Devizes Town Reserves. These six together with Bemerton, Bromham, Calne, Melksham, Salisbury Reserves, Swindon Victoria, Sanford, Vickers, Westbury and Wootton Bassett complete the senior division.
New rules have been formulated including one limiting entry to clubs affiliated to the Wiltshire FA which automatically bars clubs from outside the county. This meant the loss to Wiltshire football of three of the stronger clubs in the Combination of last season, including the champions Radstock, and which, together with the absence of the non co-operating Wiltshire clubs has left us with a senior division to start the new season that, on paper at least, looks weaker than the one it supersedes. On the other hand, if the better players gravitate to the 16 clubs that position could be quickly reversed.
One unfortunate aspect of the new senior division and one that cannot be changed is that it is a closed shop without the incentive of possible relegation. The 16 chosen clubs are there for the rest of their existence providing they keep a reasonable standard of strength and facilities. No ambitious new club or existing Wiltshire club can ever get in unless the county FA see fit to expel one of the present 16 and invite another club in. The FA, after being forced into providing league football for the remaining Wiltshire clubs and reserve teams left in last year’s Combination after the new senior division was formed for this season, can sit back and say they have carried out their part of the bargain. Frankly, as it turns out, it might have been better if the FA had stuck to their original intention and steadfastly refused to run more than one senior division, leaving the displaced teams to find a niche among the various other leagues in the county.
The governing body were let down by those clubs who clamoured so much about their position even to forcing a special general meeting of the FA to air their grievance. When the chips were finally put down only three, Swindon Social Club, Lawn and Chippenham Town Reserves, backed their earlier action and accepted a place in the specially created junior division. Even the senior clubs were not much better after demanding football for their reserve teams. Now this has been done by including them in the new junior division, Melksham, Westbury and Highworth have put theirs in other leagues. However, new junior clubs came along and by putting everyone including the reserve sides together a reasonable looking junior division of 16 has been assembled. It comprises Chippenham Town Reserves, Juventus, Kington Langley, Lawn, Swindon Athletic and Swindon Social Club together with the reserve teams of Amesbury, Bemerton, Bromham, Calne, Ferndale, Park, Sanford, Swindon Victoria, Vickers and Wootton Bassett.”
Meanwhile the old amateur Wiltshire League continued to exist.
1974-75 - Continued Problems
The start of the 1974-75 season saw the Wiltshire Combination League in turmoil, with the league and county FA at loggerheads. Firstly, the FA refused to allow the reserve sides of amateur clubs to have senior status, which meant Devizes Town Reserves were thrown out. Additionally, five clubs sought membership elsewhere - luckily four subsequently changed their minds, but Melksham Town left. The league then sought to boost numbers by accepting four new teams only to be told by the FA only two were allowed. Meanwhile, a pair were refused admission despite election by the other member clubs. As the Football Pink of 17th August 1974 noted:
“It was a nasty smack for the Management Committee who thought they were acting in the best interest of the Combination Clubs, even if it did run a little contrary to the accepted recommendations of the working party set up to study senior football in Wiltshire.”
Something clearly still needed to change with the organisation of football in the county.
1976-77 - New County League Formed (what is now the Wiltshire Senior League)
Season 1976-77 saw yet another fundamental review of football in Wiltshire and the creation of the Wiltshire County Football League, the senior league that exists to this day in the county. The dream of the FA had been to re-unite all the top clubs in the county, including those playing in other leagues such as the Western League and Hellenic League, into one strong division. However, whilst the FA were able to take control of who has “Senior Status” they were not able to control who played in which division and with the Wiltshire Combination clubs showing unity as to who went in the top division, the dream of having all the top teams in one division unfortunately did not materialise. The Football Pink of 21st August 1976 contains a fascinating article on the birth of the Wiltshire County League and the associated politics that has ultimately very much shaped how the Football Pyramid in this area has developed. Who knows, had all the top Wiltshire sides come into the County League at the time would it have had a higher place in the Football Pyramid? Given the historical importance of this series event a large extract of the article from the Football Pink under the heading “Wilts FA’s Dream Set To Become A Reality” is reproduced below:
“The launching of the brand new Wiltshire County League reaches its final stage next Saturday when the clubs make a start with their fixtures. With it comes the fulfilment of a pipe-dream of the Wiltshire FA for one big united county league. Like most dreams when they materialise, circumstances shape them slightly differently than the original conjectured image. The FA wanted to see all the strongest senior clubs in the county forming the top division of their proposed league with the next best in a second division and with promotion and relegation between them to keep everybody on their toes.
In order to make sure it was the best clubs they instituted a rigorous examination of their strengths and amenities before issuing them with the label “senior” which would let them enter the senior divisions of the new league. Prior to that a club gained senior status simply by managing to get itself voted into a senior league. In other words, it was the league – there were three of senior status in the county – that was the deciding factor, not the club’s facilities. Thus, on a vote at a league AGM a club’s status could turn from junior to senior as at the snap of a finger. And, if it left that league, it could change back again to junior without any change in its ground and amenities over that period. All that is now changed.
The Wiltshire FA and not the leagues grant senior status to clubs and that body designed the new league to cater for clubs whose standards meet their requirements and to whom they have previously granted senior status. That was one part of their dream the FA could make come true. But they were powerless to decide on the allocation of the clubs to the two senior divisions. That was left to the clubs themselves and, when the allocation was made, it was not as the FA would have wished.
Long before the final meeting they sensed that the clubs forming last season’s Wiltshire Combination were going to be “difficult”. These clubs did not want the new league and had asked the Wiltshire FA, without success, to continue with the Combination. It soon became obvious that they were determined that, if the new league were to be forced upon them, they would form the top senior division. And, that is exactly what happened at the allocation meeting when none but Combination clubs were voted in. There was not even a place found for the current Wiltshire Senior Cup winners, Pinehurst, who beat Western League Devizes Town in the final and two of the strongest clubs, Park and Amesbury, on the way to that game. Pinehurst, who won over £300 in sponsorship money in Rothmans Hellenic League, gave up a lot to play their part in getting the new Wiltshire League started and the cold shoulder they received for their trouble was more than they could take. So they went back to their old league.
With Pinehurst gone Garrard – runaway Wiltshire League winners and one of the most exciting teams of the day – felt they should have been included in the top division. But they were not. Therefore, instead of getting all the best clubs in the new league’s top division, two of the most desirable have been lost to Wiltshire football. One regrets this and feels that it would have been better for our football had they accepted a place in Division 2 and moved up next season by promotion, as they would undoubtedly would have done. One can also understand, or try to do so, the Combination clubs’ point of view. They felt they had remained loyal to Wiltshire football when others had deserted it. All the best clubs in the Wiltshire League had joined them over the past few seasons, some of them only last season, and as a division they already represented the strongest possible combination of clubs playing in the county. Was it fair they argued, that any of their clubs should have to win their way back again in order to make way for others whether they be Devizes, Melksham, Pinehurst or Garrard.
So the die was cast with the Combination clubs getting their way which means that this season will see a re-run of the Combination so far as senior Division 1 is concerned. Then at the end of the coming season, the bottom four will be replaced by the top four from Division 2, without the certainty that some of the promoted four will be stronger than those they replace – as would have been the case had Pinehurst and Garrard swallowed their pride. These two were not the only clubs to resign after entering the league. For various reasons Plessey also resigned from senior Division 2 and Broad Hinton and Park A from the junior divisions. Teams who comprise Senior Division 1 are Amesbury, Avon Bradford, Bemerton, Bromham, Calne, Chippenham Town Reserves, Ferndale, Highworth, Malmesbury Victoria, Park, Salisbury Reserves, Sanford, St Josephs, Vickers, Westbury and Wootton Bassett – 16 in all.”
1956-57 – Formation of Wiltshire Premier League (later renamed Combination)
Season 1956-57 saw a major change in the structure of football in the county of Wiltshire with the creation of a new senior division, the Wiltshire Premier League which ran as a rival to the Wiltshire League. The change was prompted by the payment of players, an issue that to this day divides opinion in the world of non-league football. The Football Pink of Saturday 18th August 1956 carried the following report on the changes to senior football in the county:
“Today ushered in what must undoubtedly be the most momentous season in Wiltshire Football, since our football minded forbears of the Victorian era took the plunge and started the County Senior League some 62 years ago. The county has been split into two rival senior camps. Of course both sides claim to be in the right. Supporters of the new Premier League argued that the old league failed to move with the times whereas the old established league countered by saying that they wanted to keep free from professionalism.”
The new Wiltshire County Premier League was under the control of the Wiltshire F.A. Council and controversially at the time was willing to consider applicants from outside the county of Wiltshire as well as the unlimited use of professional players. Whilst under the control of the FA the member clubs had a strong say in its operations, something which would ultimately lead to further change down the road. The old Wiltshire League remained staunchly amateur and reacted to the establishment of the new league by ruling that clubs leaving to join the new Premier League would not be allowed to play their reserve teams in the Wiltshire League.
As a result of the breakaway there were now two senior leagues in the county of Wiltshire, one for the “Amateur” clubs (Wiltshire League) and one for the “professional” clubs (the Wiltshire Premier League). In the “Order of Precedence for Leagues and Competitions” published in the Wiltshire FA handbook the Premier League was the higher ranked competition.
By the 1961-62 season the Premier League had accepted clubs from Gloucestershire and Somerset, including the likes of Clandown, Frome Town, Peasedown and Radstock Town. This change on membership led to a change of name for the league with it being renamed The Wiltshire Combination Football League in Season 1968-69. The league grew and added additional divisions over time.
1972-73 – Management Change
In 1972 the Football Association at Lancaster Gate advised the Council of the Wiltshire County Football Association that the management of the Combination League would have to be changed. The league needed either to be run solely by the clubs without any FA involvement in the management of the league or run solely by the Wiltshire FA, without any club involvement.
The Wiltshire FA appear to have seen this as an opportunity to establish a Wiltshire “Super League” looking to temp back into the county clubs who were playing in outside leagues. Teams from outside of the county were excluded from the league which meant no place for reigning champions Radstock Town in addition to Larkhall and Frome Town who were members at the time. Under the headline “No “outsiders” in new-look Combination” the Football Pink of Saturday 12th August 1972 contained the following fascinating report by “Senior” on the structure and politics of county football in Wiltshire:
“The fourth attempt by the Wiltshire FA to put county senior football on a proper footing begins next Saturday when the new look Combination gets under way. The first was in 1956 with the formation of the Premier League. That was changed four seasons ago to the Combination. Last season this was increased from two to three senior divisions and now comes the new version of the Combination.
The name was to have been different by incorporating the word “senior” but when a junior division was included as well as a senior section that word had to be dropped from the title. The county FA had concern only for senior football and had no intention of running a division for junior clubs but had its inclusion forced on them. It was also forced by the senior clubs to cater for their reserve teams in another junior division but when, at the final count, so few junior clubs supported their earlier clamour for a division, they and the reserve teams of the seniors were merged into one junior section.
Much thought and a lot of hard work was put in by the county body into re-forming senior football in the county. They wanted to put the top 16 clubs in Wiltshire into one league to which all the best players in the county would be thus enticed to gravitate and in that way improve the general standard of senior football in the county.
They were prepared to accept the third team of Swindon Town and the reserve teams of Trowbridge Town and Salisbury but the other 13 had to be the first teams of their respective clubs. They all had to have private enclosed grounds with first class amenities that would qualify each of them for entry into the national cup competitions. With this in mind a standing committee of six was formed who spent much time in a thorough investigation of the grounds and amenities of more than 30 of the top clubs in the county. A number of Somerset clubs were already playing in the Combination but these were to have no part in the proposed new set up which was to be an all-Wiltshire one.
After months of investigation the 16 considered to be the best were listed and invited by the Wiltshire FA to participate. So far so good, but then plans went awry when six of the major clubs, Chippenham Town, Devizes Town, Downton, Pinehurst, Trowbridge Town and Swindon Town refused to co-operate. This refusal by six out of 16 and probably the strongest of the 16 was indeed a major blow to good and laudable intentions and the FA were forced to accept second best. They had only succeeded in prevailing on one club (Salisbury) not already in their Combination to join and to make up they fell back on the next best whom they considered to be Amesbury, Ferndale, Highworth, Old Manor, Park and, reversing a previous decision, Devizes Town Reserves. These six together with Bemerton, Bromham, Calne, Melksham, Salisbury Reserves, Swindon Victoria, Sanford, Vickers, Westbury and Wootton Bassett complete the senior division.
New rules have been formulated including one limiting entry to clubs affiliated to the Wiltshire FA which automatically bars clubs from outside the county. This meant the loss to Wiltshire football of three of the stronger clubs in the Combination of last season, including the champions Radstock, and which, together with the absence of the non co-operating Wiltshire clubs has left us with a senior division to start the new season that, on paper at least, looks weaker than the one it supersedes. On the other hand, if the better players gravitate to the 16 clubs that position could be quickly reversed.
One unfortunate aspect of the new senior division and one that cannot be changed is that it is a closed shop without the incentive of possible relegation. The 16 chosen clubs are there for the rest of their existence providing they keep a reasonable standard of strength and facilities. No ambitious new club or existing Wiltshire club can ever get in unless the county FA see fit to expel one of the present 16 and invite another club in. The FA, after being forced into providing league football for the remaining Wiltshire clubs and reserve teams left in last year’s Combination after the new senior division was formed for this season, can sit back and say they have carried out their part of the bargain. Frankly, as it turns out, it might have been better if the FA had stuck to their original intention and steadfastly refused to run more than one senior division, leaving the displaced teams to find a niche among the various other leagues in the county.
The governing body were let down by those clubs who clamoured so much about their position even to forcing a special general meeting of the FA to air their grievance. When the chips were finally put down only three, Swindon Social Club, Lawn and Chippenham Town Reserves, backed their earlier action and accepted a place in the specially created junior division. Even the senior clubs were not much better after demanding football for their reserve teams. Now this has been done by including them in the new junior division, Melksham, Westbury and Highworth have put theirs in other leagues. However, new junior clubs came along and by putting everyone including the reserve sides together a reasonable looking junior division of 16 has been assembled. It comprises Chippenham Town Reserves, Juventus, Kington Langley, Lawn, Swindon Athletic and Swindon Social Club together with the reserve teams of Amesbury, Bemerton, Bromham, Calne, Ferndale, Park, Sanford, Swindon Victoria, Vickers and Wootton Bassett.”
Meanwhile the old amateur Wiltshire League continued to exist.
1974-75 - Continued Problems
The start of the 1974-75 season saw the Wiltshire Combination League in turmoil, with the league and county FA at loggerheads. Firstly, the FA refused to allow the reserve sides of amateur clubs to have senior status, which meant Devizes Town Reserves were thrown out. Additionally, five clubs sought membership elsewhere - luckily four subsequently changed their minds, but Melksham Town left. The league then sought to boost numbers by accepting four new teams only to be told by the FA only two were allowed. Meanwhile, a pair were refused admission despite election by the other member clubs. As the Football Pink of 17th August 1974 noted:
“It was a nasty smack for the Management Committee who thought they were acting in the best interest of the Combination Clubs, even if it did run a little contrary to the accepted recommendations of the working party set up to study senior football in Wiltshire.”
Something clearly still needed to change with the organisation of football in the county.
1976-77 - New County League Formed (what is now the Wiltshire Senior League)
Season 1976-77 saw yet another fundamental review of football in Wiltshire and the creation of the Wiltshire County Football League, the senior league that exists to this day in the county. The dream of the FA had been to re-unite all the top clubs in the county, including those playing in other leagues such as the Western League and Hellenic League, into one strong division. However, whilst the FA were able to take control of who has “Senior Status” they were not able to control who played in which division and with the Wiltshire Combination clubs showing unity as to who went in the top division, the dream of having all the top teams in one division unfortunately did not materialise. The Football Pink of 21st August 1976 contains a fascinating article on the birth of the Wiltshire County League and the associated politics that has ultimately very much shaped how the Football Pyramid in this area has developed. Who knows, had all the top Wiltshire sides come into the County League at the time would it have had a higher place in the Football Pyramid? Given the historical importance of this series event a large extract of the article from the Football Pink under the heading “Wilts FA’s Dream Set To Become A Reality” is reproduced below:
“The launching of the brand new Wiltshire County League reaches its final stage next Saturday when the clubs make a start with their fixtures. With it comes the fulfilment of a pipe-dream of the Wiltshire FA for one big united county league. Like most dreams when they materialise, circumstances shape them slightly differently than the original conjectured image. The FA wanted to see all the strongest senior clubs in the county forming the top division of their proposed league with the next best in a second division and with promotion and relegation between them to keep everybody on their toes.
In order to make sure it was the best clubs they instituted a rigorous examination of their strengths and amenities before issuing them with the label “senior” which would let them enter the senior divisions of the new league. Prior to that a club gained senior status simply by managing to get itself voted into a senior league. In other words, it was the league – there were three of senior status in the county – that was the deciding factor, not the club’s facilities. Thus, on a vote at a league AGM a club’s status could turn from junior to senior as at the snap of a finger. And, if it left that league, it could change back again to junior without any change in its ground and amenities over that period. All that is now changed.
The Wiltshire FA and not the leagues grant senior status to clubs and that body designed the new league to cater for clubs whose standards meet their requirements and to whom they have previously granted senior status. That was one part of their dream the FA could make come true. But they were powerless to decide on the allocation of the clubs to the two senior divisions. That was left to the clubs themselves and, when the allocation was made, it was not as the FA would have wished.
Long before the final meeting they sensed that the clubs forming last season’s Wiltshire Combination were going to be “difficult”. These clubs did not want the new league and had asked the Wiltshire FA, without success, to continue with the Combination. It soon became obvious that they were determined that, if the new league were to be forced upon them, they would form the top senior division. And, that is exactly what happened at the allocation meeting when none but Combination clubs were voted in. There was not even a place found for the current Wiltshire Senior Cup winners, Pinehurst, who beat Western League Devizes Town in the final and two of the strongest clubs, Park and Amesbury, on the way to that game. Pinehurst, who won over £300 in sponsorship money in Rothmans Hellenic League, gave up a lot to play their part in getting the new Wiltshire League started and the cold shoulder they received for their trouble was more than they could take. So they went back to their old league.
With Pinehurst gone Garrard – runaway Wiltshire League winners and one of the most exciting teams of the day – felt they should have been included in the top division. But they were not. Therefore, instead of getting all the best clubs in the new league’s top division, two of the most desirable have been lost to Wiltshire football. One regrets this and feels that it would have been better for our football had they accepted a place in Division 2 and moved up next season by promotion, as they would undoubtedly would have done. One can also understand, or try to do so, the Combination clubs’ point of view. They felt they had remained loyal to Wiltshire football when others had deserted it. All the best clubs in the Wiltshire League had joined them over the past few seasons, some of them only last season, and as a division they already represented the strongest possible combination of clubs playing in the county. Was it fair they argued, that any of their clubs should have to win their way back again in order to make way for others whether they be Devizes, Melksham, Pinehurst or Garrard.
So the die was cast with the Combination clubs getting their way which means that this season will see a re-run of the Combination so far as senior Division 1 is concerned. Then at the end of the coming season, the bottom four will be replaced by the top four from Division 2, without the certainty that some of the promoted four will be stronger than those they replace – as would have been the case had Pinehurst and Garrard swallowed their pride. These two were not the only clubs to resign after entering the league. For various reasons Plessey also resigned from senior Division 2 and Broad Hinton and Park A from the junior divisions. Teams who comprise Senior Division 1 are Amesbury, Avon Bradford, Bemerton, Bromham, Calne, Chippenham Town Reserves, Ferndale, Highworth, Malmesbury Victoria, Park, Salisbury Reserves, Sanford, St Josephs, Vickers, Westbury and Wootton Bassett – 16 in all.”
The winners of the top Senior division in the county for the period up until the establishment of the Wiltshire Senior League is shown below.
Official Website of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League
© The Wiltshire Senior Football League Limited. All rights reserved.