County football association

The county football associations are the local governing bodies of association football in England and the Crown dependencies. County FAs exist to govern all aspects of football in England. They are responsible for administering club and player registration as well as promoting development amongst those bodies and referees.

There are currently 50 county FAs. Most county FAs align roughly along historic county boundaries, although some cover more than one county, and some of the major cities, particularly those with a strong football tradition, have their own FAs.[1] The Sheffield FA was the first to be created, in 1867. Additionally, the three branches of the British Armed Forces, as well as the Amateur Football Alliance, which has a strong presence in the south-east of England, are listed as having their own County FAs not corresponding to geography.[2][3]

County football associations host 'county cups' – knockout cup competitions held at a sub-regional level, which are open to affiliated members of the county FA. Typically, county FAs will host cup competitions at the following levels: senior, intermediate, junior, women's, veterans, senior Sunday football, intermediate Sunday football and junior Sunday football.

List of county FAs edit

Association[2] Area Founded Main county cup
Amateur Football Alliance   1907[4] AFA Senior Cup
Army   1888[5] Army FA Challenge Cup
Bedfordshire   Bedfordshire 1894[6] Bedfordshire Senior Cup
Berks & Bucks   Berkshire
  Buckinghamshire
1878[7] Berks & Bucks Senior Cup
Birmingham   Black Country
  Warwickshire
1875[8] Birmingham Senior Cup
Cambridgeshire   Cambridgeshire 1884[9] Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup
Cheshire   Cheshire 1878[10] Cheshire Senior Cup
Cornwall   Cornwall 1889[11] Cornwall Senior Cup
Cumberland   Cumberland 1885[12] Cumberland Senior Cup
Derbyshire   Derbyshire 1883[13] Derbyshire Senior Cup
Devon   Devon 1887[14] Devon St Lukes Challenge Cup
Dorset   Dorset 1887[15] Dorset Senior Cup
Durham   County Durham 1883[16] Durham Challenge Cup
Essex   Essex 1882[17] Essex Senior Cup
Gloucestershire   Gloucestershire 1886[18] Gloucestershire Senior Cup
Guernsey   Guernsey 1893[19] Guernsey FA Cup
Hampshire   Hampshire 1887[20] Hampshire Senior Cup
Herefordshire   Herefordshire 1893[21] Herefordshire Senior Cup
Hertfordshire   Hertfordshire 1885[22] Herts Senior Cup
Huntingdonshire   Huntingdonshire 1894[23] Huntingdonshire Senior Cup
Isle of Man   Isle of Man 1890[24] Isle of Man FA Cup
Jersey   Jersey 1905[25] Le Riche Cup
Kent   Kent 1881[26] Kent Senior Cup
Lancashire   Lancashire 1878[27] Lancashire Senior Cup
Leicestershire & Rutland   Leicestershire
  Rutland
1887[28] Leicestershire and Rutland Senior Cup
Lincolnshire   Lincolnshire 1881[29] Lincolnshire Senior Cup
Liverpool   Merseyside 1882[30] Liverpool Senior Cup
London   London 1882[31] London Senior Cup
Manchester   Greater Manchester 1884[32] Manchester Senior Cup
Middlesex   Middlesex 1883[33] Middlesex Senior Cup
Norfolk   Norfolk 1881[34] Norfolk Senior Cup
Northamptonshire   Northamptonshire 1887[35] Northamptonshire Senior Cup
Northumberland   Northumberland 1882[36] Northumberland Senior Cup
Nottinghamshire   Nottinghamshire 1882[37] Nottinghamshire Senior Cup
Oxfordshire   Oxfordshire 1884[38] Oxfordshire Senior Cup
Royal Air Force   1920[39] RAF Challenge Cup
Royal Navy   1904[40] Royal Navy Cup
Shropshire   Shropshire 1877[41] Shropshire Senior Cup
Somerset   Somerset 1885[42] Somerset Premier Cup
Staffordshire   Staffordshire 1877[43] Staffordshire Senior Cup
Suffolk   Suffolk 1885[44] Suffolk Senior Cup
Surrey   Surrey 1882[45] Surrey Senior Cup
Sussex   Sussex 1882[46] Sussex Senior Challenge Cup
Westmorland   Westmorland 1897[47] Westmorland Senior Challenge Cup
Wiltshire   Wiltshire 1884[48] Wiltshire County FA Senior Cup
Worcestershire   Worcestershire 1893[49] Worcestershire Senior Cup
East Riding   East Riding of Yorkshire 1902[50] East Riding Senior Cup
North Riding   North Riding of Yorkshire 1881[51] North Riding Senior Cup
Sheffield and Hallamshire   South Yorkshire 1867[52] Sheffield and Hallamshire Senior Cup
West Riding   West Yorkshire 1896[53] West Riding County Cup

Other FAs with equivalent status edit

There are an additional five recognised bodies that have representation on the FA Council on the same level as County FAs.[3]

Association[3] Founded
Cambridge University 1856[54]
English Schools 1904[55]
Independent Schools 1960s[56]
Oxford University 1872[57]
Women's Football Conference 1983[58]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Memorandum on Areas and Overlapping of Associations". The FA. 12 January 1951. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  2. ^ a b The Football Association. "County FAs". www.thefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "The FA Handbook 2022/2023". thefa.com. 7 May 2023. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  4. ^ "History". www.amateur-fa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  5. ^ "History". www.armyfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  6. ^ "125 Years". www.bedfordshirefa.com. 5 September 1994. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  7. ^ "History Berks & Bucks FA". www.berks-bucksfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  8. ^ "MS 519 - Birmingham County Football Association". Birmingham City Council. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  9. ^ "About (County Handbook)". www.cambridgeshirefa.com. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  10. ^ "About". www.cheshirefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  11. ^ "History". www.cornwallfa.com. 6 April 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  12. ^ "About". www.cumberlandfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  13. ^ "History". www.derbyshirefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  14. ^ "About". www.devonfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  15. ^ "About". www.dorsetfa.com. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  16. ^ "Our History". www.durhamfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  17. ^ "History". www.essexfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  18. ^ "History". www.gloucestershirefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  19. ^ "History". www.guernseyfa.com. 1 July 1919. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  20. ^ "History". www.hampshirefa.com. 1 July 2000. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  21. ^ "History". www.herefordshirefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  22. ^ "Our History". www.hertfordshirefa.com. 26 February 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  23. ^ "History of Huntingdonshire FA". www.huntsfa.com. 26 October 1938. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  24. ^ "[History]". www.isleofmanfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  25. ^ "History". www.jerseyfa.com. 24 July 1905. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  26. ^ "KR Community Partner". www.kentfa.com. 21 September 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  27. ^ "History". www.lancashirefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  28. ^ "Leicestershire & Rutland County FA Strategy 2021-2024". calameo.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  29. ^ "Our History". www.lincolnshirefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  30. ^ "History". www.liverpoolfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  31. ^ "History". www.londonfa.com. 30 January 1923. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  32. ^ "Our Game In Manchester". www.manchesterfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  33. ^ "History". www.middlesexfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  34. ^ "History". www.norfolkfa.com. 24 August 1999. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  35. ^ "Football Association, Regional". The Straw Plaiters – Victorian History of Luton Town Football Club. 11 April 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  36. ^ "History". www.northumberlandfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  37. ^ "About". www.nottinghamshirefa.com. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  38. ^ "The website for the Oxfordshire FA". www.oxfordshirefa.com. 9 September 1999. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  39. ^ "About". www.royalairforcefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  40. ^ "History". www.royalnavyfa.com. 13 January 1904. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  41. ^ "The website for the Shropshire Football Association". www.shropshirefa.com. 1 November 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  42. ^ "History". www.somersetfa.com. 7 December 1940. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  43. ^ "Our History". www.staffordshirefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  44. ^ "History". www.suffolkfa.com. 20 March 1935. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  45. ^ "History". www.surreyfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  46. ^ "History". www.sussexfa.com. 2 November 1999. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  47. ^ "History Westmorland County FA". www.westmorlandfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  48. ^ "About". www.wiltshirefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  49. ^ "History". www.worcestershirefa.com. 1 January 2001. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  50. ^ "History". www.eastridingfa.com. 10 February 1902. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  51. ^ "About". www.northridingfa.com. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  52. ^ "Changing Lives Through Football - About us". www.sheffieldfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  53. ^ "Our History". Leeds & District FA. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  54. ^ Knapton, Sarah (30 July 2020). "How Sheffield lost their position as world's oldest club". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  55. ^ "History". English Schools' Football Association. 1 August 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  56. ^ "5. THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FA AND ISFA". Independent Schools Football Association. 27 August 1953. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  57. ^ "History". OUAFC. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  58. ^ The Football Association. "History of women's football". www.thefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.

External links edit