After a 119-year proud history, the Tonbridge & District Football League has been forced to wind up its affairs owing to a lack of interest and held its last-ever annual meeting last month. Through the years the League had expanded and contracted from the original one to seven divisions in the early 1980’s. Leigh Institute played the very first match versus Tonbridge Reserves on Leigh Green in 1898, and by coincidence the last team to play a competitive league game was Leigh FC.
So what happens to clubs when their league folds? Well, the remaining ten clubs got together and using the accumulated funds still in the League, they applied to join the Sevenoaks and District Football League (S&DFL). The clubs were invited to attend the Sevenoaks League AGM, and last Thursday evening all the current league clubs voted them in en-block which was gratefully accepted by Kevin Turner, the league’s Secretary, and his committee.
Dowgate FC, Five Oak Green FC, Hawkenbury FC Reserves, Leigh FC, Paddock Wood FC, Pembury FC, Penshurst Park FC, Roselands FC, Rusthall FC 3rds and Tonbridge Invicta FC Reserves will all now play in the S&DFL this season and are grateful for the opportunities given to them.
However, the S&DFL didn’t stop there, they also welcomed ten other clubs to the league on the evening making it now one of the largest football leagues in the south east of England. Blackham & Ashurst FC, Green Street Green Rovers FC, Horsmonden FC, Malgo FC, Nomads FC Reserves and 3rds, Rusthall FC 3rds, Rusthall Club AFC, West Farleigh FC Reserves and Yalding & Laddingford FC all join the league for the forthcoming 2017/2018 season, giving the league a total of 57 teams across five divisions.
Kevin Turner, the S&DFL League Secretary, commented at the AGM, which was held at the Dunton Green Social Club, that it was going to be a monumental season for the league [having so many teams participating] and that he wished all the teams good luck going forward.
The new season kicks off in September and Sevenoaks Sports are particularly looking forward to it this year as we have proudly sponsored the Smith’s League Cups.
If you want to play football for a local team then check out the club directory where you will find all the S&DFL club’s contact details.
The full 2017/2018 league constitution is detailed below:
| Premier Division | Division One |
| AFC Valour | Boro Lane FC |
| Blackham & Ashurst FC | Fleetdown United FC ‘B’ |
| Dowgate FC | Halls AFC |
| FC Revolution | Halstead United FC Reserves |
| Malgo FC | Ightham FC Reserves |
| Potters FC | Kemsing United FC |
| St. Lawrence FC | Leigh FC |
| Seal FC | Otford United FC Reserves |
| Sevenoaks Town FC Reserves | Swanley Oaks FC |
| Southborough FC | Westerham FC |
| Woodlands FC | Yalding & Laddingford FC |
| Division Two | Division Three |
| Borough Green FC | Five Oak Green FC |
| Chipstead FC Reserves | Hawkenbury FC |
| Eynsford FC | Hildenborough AFC Reserves |
| Nomads FC Reserves | Ide Hill FC Reserves |
| Kemsing United FC Reserves | Nomads FC 3rd |
| Kingsdown Racers FC | Orpington FC ‘A’ |
| Rusthall FC 3rd | Pembury FC |
| Rusthall Club AFC | St. Lawrence FC Reserves |
| Sevenoaks Weald FC | Southborough FC Reserves |
| Tonbridge Invicta FC Reserves | Tatsfield Rovers FC |
| Wilderpark | The Bull HK FC |
| Division Four |
| Hawkenbury FC Reserves |
| Horsmonden FC |
| Kingsdown Racers FC Reserves |
| Otford United FC 3rd |
| Paddock Wood FC |
| Penshurst Park FC |
| Roselands FC |
| Seal FC Reserves |
| West Farleigh FC Reserves |
| Wilderpark FC Reserves |
| Woodlands FC Reserves |
