Introduction & News

We are pleased to announce that RESOURCE PRINT SOLUTIONS of Bramley, Leeds are our main sponsors for the Saturday Challenge Cup and the Junior Cup. They have taken out a 3 year Sponsorship which is a really wonderful gesture and we would like to thank their Managing Director Mr.Philip Thompson for his firms generosity.

We would also like to thank Mr.Billy Machell of W. Machell & Sons and W. Machell Joinery Ltd. both of Guiseley for again sponsoring the Sunday Cup.

Resource Print Solutions have also added the Sponsorship of our

Under 17 side in the West Riding County F.A. Minor Cup competition, this again is a magnificent gesture. The team have a new strip, raintops and also training gear this season thanks to them.

For anyone who does not know, the Wharfedale & District Football Association is one of the 13 Associations who come under the West Riding County Football Association banner.

With the West Riding covering such a large area in the densely populated region, to administer all football from the West Riding County F.A. offices in Woodlesford, Leeds would be near impossible.

Therefore it is split into 13 District Football Associations, comprising of: Barkston Ash F.A., Bradford F.A., Castleford F.A.,

Craven F.A., Goole & Thorne F.A., Halifax F.A., Harrogate F.A.,

Heavy Woollen F.A., Huddersfield F.A., Keighley F.A., Leeds F.A., Wakefield F.A. and lastly Wharfedale F.A.

When the government altered the boundaries about 30 years ago, the three Ridings of Yorkshire were no more, but the Football authorities still kept to the old boundaries, therefore you still have the West Riding F.A., the North Riding F.A. and the East Riding F.A. together with the Sheffield & Hallamshire F.A.

The West Riding County F.A. are still completely in charge of all football in the area, having their own Cup Competitions for open age men and womens football as well as Juniors.

They have overall control of all Discipline within the County F.A. area.

The District Football Associations also have their own Cup Competitions within their own areas and these are played on the District F.A. Conference weekend, which is the third (3rd.) Saturday and Sunday of each month.

Therefore on this site you will only see fixtures and results of the Wharfedale & District F.A. cup games played on the 3rd. Saturday and Sunday of each month, not every week.

The West Riding County F.A. also have their own Conference days which is the first (1st) Saturday and Sunday each month. If the County F.A. games cannot be played on these dates, because of bad weather or because of drawn games, the County F.A. can claim the following weekends until the fixture is completed. They could even take preference over the District F.A. Conference weekend but usually do not, as that would put the District F.A. games a month behind schedule.

The Wharfedale F.A. area is to the North West of Leeds and to the North of Bradford, it borders with Harrogate F.A., Craven F.A. (Skipton), Bradford F.A. and Keighley F.A.

We are a small Association, this season we have 38 Saturday and Sunday Open Age Clubs, 14 Junior Clubs including girls teams, whose ages range from under 18 to Under 7's and 8's Mini soccer.

We have 2 Sunday Leagues, the

Wharfedale Sunday Association Football League

and the

Wharfedale Triangle Association Football League.

The total in the West Riding County F.A. area was 2,458, with Leeds having the most with 681, Bradford with 352, Heavy Woollen F.A. which serves the Dewsbury and Batley area had 222, Huddersfield with 192 and Halifax with 188. The smallest Association was Craven F.A. which covers a massive area in the very north west from Skipton to the borders of Lancashire and Cumberland F.A's., they had 36 with Keighley F.A. 59.

The most senior Club in the Wharfedale F.A. area is Guiseley A.F.C. who play in the Premier Division of the Northern Premier League, now known as the Unibond League.

Their ground is just a few yards from the Harry Ramsden's Fish & Chip Restaurant on Otley Road, Guiseley.

Baildon Trinity Athletic, Horsforth St. Margaret's, Ilkley A.F.C.,

Otley Town and Pool A.F.C all play in the West Yorkshire Association Football League with Rawdon Old Boys and Ventus Yeadon Celtic playing in the West Riding County Amateur Association Football League. These 2 Leagues are the second step down from the Unibond League. The League between them is the Northern Counties East Association Football League of which no Clubs in our area are members.

The Wharfedale & District F.A. have 47 Referees registered at all levels with the West Riding County F.A.

Our top Referee is Jonathan Moss who is a Level One Referee and referees on the "Football League" most Saturdays. What is good about this is that he went from a parks, grassroots referee in the Wharfedale District F.A. area, where he went through the promotion procedure and after a lot of hard work on his refereeing and in particular his fitness is now refereeing Championship and Coca Cola League One and Two games. We wish Jon continued success.

We also have Paul Varley who is a Level Two Referee and

Craig Barker and Richard Holdsworth who are Level Three. The very best of luck to all our referees and we wish you all continued success as you go up the ladder.

We are just coming to the end of another Referees Course under our

2 Instructors, Head Course Instructor Alan Wallace and Course Instructor Paul Bishop. They have 7 candidates on the course and we wish them good luck in the examinations with take place on Tuesday's the 21st. and 28th. November 2006.

Our Headquarters is Yeadon Liberal Club, High Street, Yeadon. This is where we hold our monthly meetings and Referees Courses and we would like to thank them for their great generosity in allowing us the use of their wonderful facilities.

That is a brief look at the Wharfedale & District Football Association.

We will keep you updated so please come back.

Thursday 16th. November 2006.