BILSTON PARTNERSHIP YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Before the Bilston Partnership Youth Football League came into existence, Wolverhampton last boasted a junior football league way back in 1980, when the Wolverhampton Youth Service League folded due to a lack of members.
Though various attempts were made after that to create a new local league in one form or another, they had all failed to capture the imagination and failed to get beyond the planning stage.
Then, after a frantic 18 months of planning, in 1997 an application to the Staffs FA to sanction a new youth league was accepted, and the impending arrival of the Bilston Partnership Youth Football League was announced and advertised.
Initial response to the news certainly indicated that an alternative to the monopoly that existed at that time was clearly wanted.
Created by the now defunct committee of Springvale Tranco Colts FC, and supported by both Bilston College (now Wolverhampton City College) and Bilston Town FC – hence the Partnership aspect of the name, the new Bilston Partnership Youth Football League was formed.
Early meetings in 1998, to advertise the league and its aims, attracted as many as 300 teams, all seemingly wanting this new option, but in September 1998 when the League was launched, just 67 teams were brave enough to apply to be a part of this new ‘revolution’.
Those 67 teams were spread over eight age groups, from Under 10s up to U17s, and in fact due to the lack of numbers the U16s & U17s merged in order to create a format that would provide a full set of competitive fixtures for the season.
Though various attempts were made after that to create a new local league in one form or another, they had all failed to capture the imagination and failed to get beyond the planning stage.
Then, after a frantic 18 months of planning, in 1997 an application to the Staffs FA to sanction a new youth league was accepted, and the impending arrival of the Bilston Partnership Youth Football League was announced and advertised.
Initial response to the news certainly indicated that an alternative to the monopoly that existed at that time was clearly wanted.
Created by the now defunct committee of Springvale Tranco Colts FC, and supported by both Bilston College (now Wolverhampton City College) and Bilston Town FC – hence the Partnership aspect of the name, the new Bilston Partnership Youth Football League was formed.
Early meetings in 1998, to advertise the league and its aims, attracted as many as 300 teams, all seemingly wanting this new option, but in September 1998 when the League was launched, just 67 teams were brave enough to apply to be a part of this new ‘revolution’.
Those 67 teams were spread over eight age groups, from Under 10s up to U17s, and in fact due to the lack of numbers the U16s & U17s merged in order to create a format that would provide a full set of competitive fixtures for the season.