Isles of Scilly Football League

infobox football league
name = Isles of Scilly Football League

pixels =
country = United Kingdom
confed =
founded = 1920s
folded =
divisions = 1
teams = 2
feeds =
promotion =
relegation =
levels =
domest_cup = Wholesalers Cup
Foredeck Cup
confed_cup =
champions = Woolpack Wanderers
season =
most successful club = Woolpack Wanderers
tv =
website = http://www.worldssmallestleague.co.uk/
current = The Isles of Scilly Football League is the official football league for the Isles of Scilly. The football league is reportedly the smallest in the worldcite url|url=http://www.worldssmallestleague.co.uk/html/about_us.html|title=WSL About Us|accessdate=2008-09-29|publisher=worldssmallestleague.co.uk] cite url|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2004/may/12/theknowledge.sport|title=Is third really a bad omen?|publisher=The Guardian|date=2004-05-12|accessdate=2008-09-29] , with only two clubs.

The league is affiliated with The Football Association.

History

In the 1920s, there existed a competition called the Lyonnesse Inter-Island Cup which was a competition between the islands of St. Mary's, Tresco, St. Martins, Bryher and St. Agnes. However, by the 1950s, there were only two clubs remaining - the Rangers and the Rovers. In 1984 the two clubs changed their names to the Garrison Gunners and the Woolpack Wanderers.

The League is attempting to get into the Guinness World Records for the smallest league in the world.

Adidas ran an advertisement called "Dream Big", highlighting the league, featuring several football stars including David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and José Mourinho.cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/21/advertising|title=Adidas stars visit football's minnows|publisher=The Guardian|date=2008-04-21|accessdate=2008-09-29]

Competition structure

The Isles of Scilly Football League consists of two teams: Woolpack Wanderers and Garrison Gunners.

The League competition involves both teams playing each other every Sunday seventeen times. There also exists two Cups: The Wholesalers Cup and the Foredeck Cup, which is played over two legs. An "Old Men versus the Youngsters" match is played on Boxing Day. The season itself starts with the Charity Shield. All the matches are played on the Garrison football field, on the island of St. Marys.cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/nov/20/football.stevenmorris|title=The league that can field only two teams for the game of two halves|publisher=The Guardian|date=2008-11-20|accessdate=2008-09-29]

The league is played during the winter.

Occasionally, theyclarify play a team in Newlyn, and a team from Truro visits annually to play against a combined team.

Clubs

Garrison Gunners

- class="vcard agent"
style="text-align: right;" |
style="text-align: center;" |
style="text-align: center;" | DF/MF
James Watt

Woolpack Wanderers

Honours

The Woolpack Wanderers have won the Charity Cup 5 times - in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. In addition, they have won the Lioness Shield twice - in 2006 and 2007.cite web|url=http://www.worldssmallestleague.co.uk/html/trophy_room.html|title=WSL Trophy Room|accessdate=2008-09-29|publisher=worldssmallestleague.co.uk]

The Garrison Gunners have won the Lioness Shield once, in 2005.

Concerns

The Isles of Scilly are struggling to hold on to their young people. There is no sixth form on the Isles so when youngsters turn 16, they go to the mainland. In addition, house prices are expensive, so they tend not to return until much older. As a result, the number of players in the league is "dwindling". Howard Cole, a secretary who referees the games, estimated the average age of both teams to be within the mid- to late-30s.

References

External links

* [http://www.worldssmallestleague.co.uk/ Official website]