THE Nadder Valley Football League was founded in 1920 by a small group of enthusiasts who gathered in a Dinton inn to bring organisation to the football being played in the area.

The league grew out of the need for competition in a country district at a time when transport difficulties limited village teams in their efforts to participate in the leagues that had already been formed in the south Wilts area.

Horse drawn wagonettes and bone-shaking cycles carried teams for miles up and down the valley in search of 90 minutes of Saturday afternoon rivalry, culminating in the final game of the season – for the Lord Bledisloe Cup.Whole villages turned out for the annual presentation game, for the coveted trophy presented by the first president of the league, Viscount Bledisloe.Then, the league champions met a representative side drawn from the rest of the league for a showpiece match featuring the best of local football.However brief the moment of glory for the victors, it was a time to be remembered in the villages such as Barford, Dinton, Fovant, Tisbury and many others.Despite many difficulties, the league survived the changing times and was greatly assisted by the continuity of service given by its earlier members.Lord Bledisloe’s presidency was to last 38 years until 1958, and another of the original members of the league, Bill Stokes served 23 years as secretary.Life member Charles Austin served as chairman for 23 years, while the late Lord Margadale was our president, as was his father, the late Hugh Morrison MP.Still serving today, we have Norman Mortimer (40 years service) and Reg Prichard (45 years service) with our present chairman Tony Glasson and vice-chairman Brian Ford both at the start of their 31st years of service. All are life members of the league.The Lord Bledisloe Cup is still contested each season – the 2006/07 competition attracting 11 entries.Also still contested is the WC Stokes Memorial Challenge Cup competition, although it has been changed from a senior competition and is now open to boy’s teams at under 12s level.Formed in 1974 in memory of the late Bill Stokes, the purchase of this cup was made courtesy of donations from clubs, officers and members of the management committee.