Shropshire County Premier Football League


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.
Clubs who won this league were promoted to the West Midlands League, although on occasion teams 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. 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.
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.
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 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.

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, Oswestry Lions, Prees United, Rock Rovers 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 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.

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

2010–11 season

Premier Division

Haughmond were the Shropshire County Premier Football League Champions 2010–11, and the side also won the Ron Jones Memorial Cup. By chance the final match of the season took place between the teams at first and second place 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.
Ludlow Town joined the County League this season, having voluntarily dropped three levels from the West Midlands League's Premier Division, because of financial difficulties.

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.

League champions

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

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

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

Shropshire Alliance

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. The 2010–11 season was therefore the final season. Being a feeder to the County League, the Shropshire Alliance was effectively at level 15 of the English football pyramid.
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