Our League is one of the oldest in the County, and was formed by the Peterborough Football Association (who at that time were an Association in their own right and not a sub-association of N.F.A as at present) and they appointed a Committee of Messrs E S T Badger, A C Hardy, F Nicholls and E Painter with Mr T Hill of 28 Mew Road as Secretary. The league was duly sanctioned by the Football Association in 1902. In those far-off days the Football League boasted the likes of Glossop North End, Gainsborough Trinity and Burton United while the Peterborough League also had a few unlikely names in the GH.N. Loco, G.N. Rovers, G.E. Loco, East Ward, Queen Street, Peterborough Avenue and St Peters College Reserves.
Prior to the formation of the league most local football was in the form of friendly matches and cup competitions but on 13 September 1902 the first matches were played in the 10-club league. The league was at the time called the Peterborough Junior League as the local ‘senior’ clubs only entered their reserve sides as most of their first teams played in the Northampton League. However, by the time Fletton United became the first Champions, the league had become very much established. Not that there weren’t problems though – pitches being perilously close to water-filled ‘knot-holes’, or being covered with mole-hills, violence from players and spectators and even threatened referees strikes were all part and parcel of the first season.
The first season saw only players who lived within a 10 mile radius of the Peterborough Market Hill being eligible with Yaxley Rovers being the longest trip. However, in future years the ‘6 district’ came to the fore with clubs entering from as far afield as Cambridge, Kings Lynn, and Long Sutton.
As with any long-standing league, the history books will show times of gloom and boom, but for the Peterborough League the latter is now very much the case. The completion now operates Saturday Premier Division (National League System Feeder league), plus Division One to Four, Sunday Divisions, five veterans’ divisions and three Walking football divisions. Also, we have a Youth section consisting of Under 15’s, U16 and U18 Divisions adding an additional 8 Divisions. And we have just launched our mixed PAN Disability section with Adult and U14 PAN Disability provision. We continue to build on the Leagues strong foundations and always look to the future to see how we can grow and are constantly trying to improve the provision we provide to our Clubs.
In 1990, the league was sponsored for the first time by Pearl Assurance and have since seen several sponsors, with us now being sponsored by GCE Hire Fleet. The league is part of the Non-League Pyramid which allows promotion to Step 6 through The FA.
In 2009 the League became a Limited Company by Guarantee and then in December 2013 became a Community Interest Company (CIC). The League office is based at Ground Floor Unit 7A, Flag Business Exchange, Vicarage Farm Road, Peterborough PE1 5TX, providing easy and familiar access for face-to-face contact with clubs and interested parties to provide a support base for clubs, players, and coaches.
Updates on the League can be found on our social media channels X, Instagram, YouTube, News Bulletins and our Website News Articles.
The League is ever evolving and looking to the future to make sure we have the infrastructure in place to carry the League forward for generations to come.