Cups
Cups
Cups
Birmingham & District Football League
founded in 1908 and providing grassroots football to the Greater Birmingham area for more than a century
History
Founded in 1908 as the Birmingham & District Amateur Football Association and League it is one of the oldest institutions in the UK providing open-aged football to clubs in Birmingham, the Black Country and the surrounding area for more than a century. The Association initially started with friendly games and a knock-out competition (Chatrian Cup) between the clubs.
In 1922 a league competition was introduced, originally with three Senior Divisions and two Junior Divisions. This has grown to the current Premier Division and a further seven lower divisions which are in existence today.
In 2015 the Association took a historic vote to end its Association status and rename the organisation as the Birmingham & District Football League. Following changes to regulations at FA level the association status became effectively redundant and the Birmingham Football League will continue the good work over the previous century in the same vein.
The League is proud of its amateur status and it remains central to how it is run. The aim of the Birmingham Football League is to provide competitive football at a grassroots amateur level on a Saturday afternoon for clubs and individuals not competing within The FA National League System. This however does not diminish the league with it still being run in the same professional manner through a very dedicated management committee and a number of sub-committees governing the league in an efficient and accountable fashion. The League's amateur traditions are a refreshing breath of fresh air in the modern football world focused on money.
Clubs in the League are strictly amateur. Not one of the players who make up the membership of the Birmingham Football League is paid to play. In fact most of them pay at least £5 to play and spend their spare time raising money to fund new kits, footballs and training equipment. The Birmingham Football League truly is a community which embraces the spirit of the game as it was intended to be played.
The Birmingham Football League has become the traditional home of amateur grassroots football in the Birmingham area over the last century, our oldest club dates back to 1888 with many younger clubs created since 2000.
More than 100 teams take part across a number of divisions and 9 various cup competitions with more than 3,500 players registering for each season. We are one of the oldest and largest leagues in the UK and pride ourselves in organising the most professionally run amateur football league possible.