The Western Football League is a football league in South West England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. The league's current main sponsor is Jewson, so it is also known as the Jewson Western League for sponsorship reasons.
Recent restructuring of the English football league system has placed the two divisions, known as the Premier Division and Division One (each a maximum of twenty-two clubs) at the ninth and tenth tiers overall, known as Step 5 and Step 6 of the National League System.
The champion club gain promotion to a Step 4 league, which in practice is almost always the Southern League Division One South. Below the Western League are four local leagues covering smaller areas, the Gloucestershire County League, the Somerset County League, the Dorset Premier League and the Wiltshire League. The South West Peninsula League Premier Divisions East and West are also feeders to the Western League but due to having Step 6 status (the same level as the Western League Division One), they feed directly into the Western League Premier Division.
List of 2026–27 member clubs
Premier Division
ClubHome groundBridgwater UnitedFairfax ParkBrislingtonIronmould LaneBuckland AthleticHomers HeathClevedon TownHand StadiumIvybridge TownErme ValleySaltash UnitedKimberley StadiumShepton MalletThe Playing FieldsSt BlazeyBlaise ParkStreetThe TanneryTorpoint AthleticThe MillWellingtonThe Playing FieldNewquayMount Wise StadiumSidmouth TownManstone LaneBrixham AFCWall ParkBovey TraceyWestern Counties Roofing GroundLiskeard AthleticLux ParkPortishead TownBristol RoadTavistock AssociationLangsford ParkWells CityAthletic Ground Source
Division One ClubHome groundAEK BocoGreenbank Road Playing FieldsAlmondsburyThe FieldAvonmouthNorth Bristol ParkBittonRecreation GroundBristol TelephonesBTRA Sports GroundCadbury HeathSpringfieldCalne TownBremhill ViewKeynsham TownAJN StadiumLongwell Green SportsLongwell Green Community StadiumMendip BroadwalkFilwood FieldsNailsea UnitedGrove Sports CentreOdd DownLew Hill Memorial GroundOldland AbbotoniansAitchison Playing FieldRadstock TownThe Southfields Recreation GroundShirehamptonPenpole LaneWarminster TownWeymouth StreetWelton RoversWest ClewesWincanton TownWincanton Sports Ground Source
History The league was formed in 1892 as the Bristol & District League, and became the Western League in 1895. Another Bristol & District League was later formed, which remains active at a much lower level than the Western League. In the years before World War II, many teams played in both the Southern and Western Leagues; the Western League was considered as secondary to the Southern League.
On four occasions, member clubs have lifted the FA Vase, Tiverton Town twice, Taunton Town once and most recently Truro City, who beat A.F.C. Totton in 2007 at the first final to be held at the new Wembley Stadium before a competition record crowd of 27,754. Truro City were the only one of the three to win the FA Vase while in Division One, while none are current members of the Western League, as all three have since progressed to the Southern League.
Founder members Bedminster (later merged with Bristol South End to form Bristol City) Clevedon (later Clevedon Town) Clifton Association Eastville Rovers (later Bristol Rovers) Mangotsfield St. George (later merged with Roman Glass F.C. to form Roman Glass St George) Trowbridge Town Warmley Wells
List of champions Bristol & District League SeasonDivision One champions (number of titles)Division Two champions (number of titles)1892–93Warmley (1)1893–94Warmley (2)Warmley Bristol Reserves (1)1894–95Hereford Thistle (1)Warmley Bristol Reserves (2)
Western Football League SeasonDivision One champions (number of titles)Division Two champions (number of titles)1895–96Warmley (3)Barton Hill (1)1896–97Warmley (4)Eastville Wanderers (1)
SeasonProfessional Section champions (number of titles)Amateur Division One champions (number of titles)Amateur Division Two champions (number of titles)1897–98Bristol City (1)Bedminster (1)Hanham (1)
SeasonDivision One champions (number of titles)Division Two champions (number of titles)1898–99Swindon Town (1)Staple Hill (1)1899–1900Bristol Rovers (1)Bristol East (1)1900–01Portsmouth (1)Bristol East (2)1901–02Portsmouth (2)Bristol East (3)1902–03Portsmouth (3)Bristol Rovers Reserves (1)1903–04Tottenham Hotspur (1)Bristol City Reserves (1)1904–05Plymouth Argyle (1)Bristol Rovers Reserves (2)1905–06Queens Park Rangers (1)Bristol Rovers Reserves (3)1906–07West Ham United (1)Staple Hill (2)1907–08Millwall Athletic (1)Bristol City Reserves (2)1908–09Millwall Athletic (2)Bristol City Reserves (3)1909–10Treharris (1)rowspan="5" 1910–11Bristol City Reserves (1)1911–12Welton Rovers (1)1912–13Bristol Rovers Reserves (1)1913–14Cardiff City Reserves (1)1915–16 to 1918–19colspan="2" 1919–20Douglas (1)Frome Town (1)1920–21Bristol City Reserves (2)Peasedown St John (1)1921–22Yeovil & Petters United (1)Clandown (1)1922–23Weymouth (1)rowspan="3" 1923–24Lovell's Athletic (1)1924–25Yeovil & Petters United (2)1925–26Bristol City Reserves (3)Poole (1)1926–27Bristol City Reserves (4)Poole Reserves (1)1927–28Plymouth Argyle Reserves (1)Trowbridge Town (1)1928–29Bristol Rovers Reserves (2)Bath City Reserves (1)1929–30Yeovil & Petters United (3)Trowbridge Town (2)1930–31Exeter City Reserves (1)Portland United (1)1931–32Plymouth Argyle Reserves (2)Portland United (2)1932–33Exeter City Reserves (2)Swindon Town Reserves (1)1933–34Bath City (1)Weymouth (1)1934–35Yeovil & Petters United (4)Swindon Town Reserves (2)1935–36Bristol Rovers Reserves (3)Swindon Town Reserves (3)1936–37Bristol Rovers Reserves (4)Weymouth (2)1937–38Bristol City Reserves (5)Weymouth (3)1938–39Lovell's Athletic (2)Trowbridge Town (3)1939–40Trowbridge Town (1)1940–41 to 1944–45colspan="2" 1945–46Bristol Rovers Reserves (5)1946–47Trowbridge Town (2)Clandown (2)1947–48Trowbridge Town (3)Salisbury (1)1948–49Glastonbury (1)Chippenham United (1)1949–50Wells City (1)Barnstaple Town (1)1950–51Glastonbury (2)Stonehouse (1)1951–52Chippenham Town (1)Bideford (1)1952–53Barnstaple Town (1)Chippenham Town Reserves (1)1953–54Weymouth Reserves (1)Bristol Rovers Colts (1)1954–55Dorchester Town (1)Yeovil Town Reserves (1)1955–56Trowbridge Town (4)Torquay United Reserves (1)1956–57Poole Town (1)Cinderford Town (1)1957–58Salisbury (1)Poole Town Reserves (1)1958–59Yeovil Town Reserves (1)Bath City Reserves (2)1959–60Torquay United Reserves (1)Welton Rovers (1)1960–61Salisbury (2)rowspan="16" 1961–62Bristol City 'A' (1)1962–63Bristol City 'A' (2)1963–64Bideford (1)1964–65Welton Rovers (2)1965–66Welton Rovers (3)1966–67Welton Rovers (4)1967–68Bridgwater Town (1)1968–69Taunton (1)1969–70Glastonbury (3)1970–71Bideford (2)1971–72Bideford (3)1972–73Devizes Town (1)1973–74Welton Rovers (5)1974–75Falmouth Town (1)1975–76Falmouth Town (2)1976–77Falmouth Town (3)Saltash United (1)1977–78Falmouth Town (4)Keynsham Town (1)1978–79Frome Town (1)Bournemouth Reserves (1)1979–80Barnstaple Town (2)Melksham Town (1)1980–81Bridgwater Town (2)Chippenham Town (1)1981–82Bideford (4)Shepton Mallet Town (1)1982–83Bideford (5)Bristol Manor Farm (1)1983–84Exmouth Town (1)Bristol City Reserves (4)1984–85Saltash United (1)Portway Bristol (1)1985–86Exmouth Town (2)Portway Bristol (2)1986–87Saltash United (2)Swanage Town & Herston (1)1987–88Liskeard Athletic (1)Welton Rovers (2)1988–89Saltash United (3)Larkhall Athletic (1)1989–90Taunton Town (2)Ottery St Mary (1)1990–91Mangotsfield United (1)Minehead (1)1991–92Weston-super-Mare (1)Westbury United (1)1992–93Clevedon Town (1)Odd Down (1)1993–94Tiverton Town (1)Barnstaple Town (2)1994–95Tiverton Town (2)Brislington (1)1995–96Taunton Town (3)Bridgwater Town (1)1996–97Tiverton Town (3)Melksham Town (2)1997–98Tiverton Town (4)Bishop Sutton (1)1998–99Taunton Town (4)Minehead (2)1999–2000Taunton Town (5)Devizes Town (1)2000–01Taunton Town (6)Team Bath (1)2001–02Bideford (6)Frome Town (2)2002–03Team Bath (1)Torrington (1)2003–04Bideford (7)Hallen (1)2004–05Bideford (8)Willand Rovers (1)2005–06Bideford (9)Dawlish Town (1)2006–07Corsham Town (1)Truro City (1)2007–08Truro City (1)Wellington (1)2008–09Bitton (1)Larkhall Athletic (2)2009–10Bideford (10)Wells City (1)2010–11Larkhall Athletic (1)Merthyr Town (1)2011–12Merthyr Town (1)Cadbury Heath (1)2012–13Bishop Sutton (1)Sherborne Town (1)2013–14Larkhall Athletic (2)Bradford Town (1)2014–15Melksham Town (1)Barnstaple Town (3)2015–16Odd Down (1)Chipping Sodbury Town (1)2016–17Bristol Manor Farm (1)Wellington (2)2017–18Street (1)Westbury United (2)2018–19Willand Rovers (1)Keynsham Town (2)2019–20colspan="2" 2020–21colspan="2" 2021–22Tavistock (1)Sherborne Town (2)2022–23Mousehole (1)Brislington (2)2023–24Helston Athletic (1)Portishead Town (1)2024–25Portishead Town (1)Hallen (2)
Teams promoted to Southern League (since 1946)
YearTeamPosition1949Weymouth3rd1957Poole Town1st1958Trowbridge Town5th1968Salisbury2nd1971Andover2nd1972Bideford1st1972Minehead2nd1972Dorchester Town7th1977Taunton Town9th1982Bridgwater Town3rd1992Weston-super-Mare1st1993Clevedon Town1st1999Tiverton Town2nd2000Mangotsfield United2nd2001Chippenham Town2nd2002Taunton Town2nd2003Team Bath1st2004Paulton Rovers2nd2007Bridgwater Town2nd2008Truro City1st2009Frome Town2nd2010Bideford1st2012Merthyr Town1st2014Larkhall Athletic1st2015Slimbridge3rd2016Barnstaple Town2nd2017Bristol Manor Farm1st2018Street1st2018Melksham Town2nd2019Willand Rovers1st2021Plymouth Parkway1st2022Tavistock1st2022Exmouth Town2nd2023Mousehole1st2024Helston Athletic1st2024Falmouth Town2nd
References
External links Official Site Western League – Fixtures, Results and Tables