NEW CHIPPENHAM & BATH LEAGUE FORMED
Wednesday 22nd June saw the AGM for the Shoestrings Chargrill Sponsored Chippenham & District Sunday Football League but this was slightly different form the norm as after the accolades of the previous season were handed out, the first item on the agenda was the merger of the CDSFL and the Bath Sunday Football League.
This was voted unanimously, therefore The Chippenham & Bath Football League was born.
On the whole, the CDSFL had a pretty high return rate of last season’s teams and they will be joined by a handful of teams form the Bath Sunday League.
Season Awards 2021/22 Season
Manny Schneider was again the host for what looks like the final time although he will still retain a spot on the CBFL Management Committee.
Division 3 is where the awards started and after a hotly contested season and despite numerous victories by quite a high margin, Audley FC were edged out of the title by The British Lion FC
It was a one-two for team awards as Lion also took home 1st place in the Divisional Fair Play Award with Dyson Institute and Misfits FC coming in 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Individually, Greth Jones of Audley FC took home the Division 3 Top Scorer Accolade and his 56 goals were also enough to bag him the overall gong as well.
Warminster Athletic enjoyed a fine season overall and they were voted as the Best Assistant Referees in the division.
We move into Division 2 and we had the rare feat of 2 players sharing the Top Scorer Award. Seamus Nickless-Mooney of Old Road FC and Spencer Dymond-Hall of FC Box finishing the season level on goals.
And those goals proved vital, with Old Road finishing the season in 2nd place and FC Box taking the title as they ensured a league & cup double as they defeated highly fancied AFC Melksham in the Eric Hughes Memorial Knockout Cup Sponsored by AM Print & Copy.
Other awards saw Calne United voted Best Assistant as well as 3rd for Fair Play, The Pewsham FC were 2nd with Kingfisher FC picking up 1st place for Fair Play.
In Division 1, another final day result ensured that Pack Horse FC took home the title ahead of Sporting Box who led the way for the majority of the season.
Pack Horse were largely helped by Max Wyatt whose goals fired them not only to the title but also to the divisional Top Goal Scorer Award.
Fair Play was spread between Royal Oak FC who also took home the overall award, Sporting Box & Sutton Benger in 1st, 2nd & 3rd place respectively and despite a poor season by their standards, Benger did also win the Best Assistant Referee Award.
Finally, that leaves us with the Premier Division Awards. Although we were left with just 6 teams competing in this division it still made for a tight competition.
FC Lacock took home the Best Assistant Referee and they also came second in the Fair Play Award. Chippenham Icons took 3rd spot with Semington FC claiming the top spot for Fair Play.
FC Devizes finished the season as Runners-Up with AFC Melksham crowned Premier Division Champions thanks to the goals of Rhys Talmash who took home the divisional Golden Boot.
The RP Clarke Sheds & Fencing sponsored WG Parr Trophy was a great final to witness with Andy Anderson going out in style with Beeches FC running out 4-3 winners a season after suffering extra time heartache in the Subsidiary Cup.
That brings us nicely onto the Subsidiary Cup with Aaron Latchem picking up the trophy after his sides 4-1 win against Steeple Ashton.
Niall Choularton took home the highly coveted Best Club Secretary Award.
Sam Gooding once again took home the gong for Best Senior Referee and Chris Jones was given the Best Junior Referee.
Richard Chaffey took home the Gordon Blatchford Award. Nominated by his soon to be son-in-law and the decision was unanimous for Richard to take home this award.
At 57 years of age, Richard is the oldest active player in the CDSFL and although results for his current side, The Pewsham FC have not been the best he continues to enjoy every minutes of it.
Richard started out as a goalscoring winger and played at a good level in his younger days for Trowbridge Town under Polly Parrott in a team that included Alan Birchenall as well Odd Down in Bath.
When Richard moved to Calne, he saw some players training and a quick detour and chat with the manager of the Old Road side saw him put pen to paper on the first of many signing on forms for Old Road. He would stay here for a number of years where he would also become secretary of the first & reserve sides as well as Pack Horse, Calne Town Sunday, Biddestone Arms and more recently Tantra FC.
Appearances and goals over the years are definitely well into their hundreds and it is Richard’s behind the scenes efforts that have seen him pick up this season’s Gordon Blatchley Award.
We move on to some awards for longevity with our first award presented to Sam Gooding for 10 years service to refereeing. Sam has built a reputation for being one of the best in the business and this is backed by winning the best referee accolade for the past 2 years.
Maurice Chilcott for 20 years of card waving. A CDSFL stalwart who will still be plying his trade when he can into the coming season.
Oderico Rossi also collected an award for 20 years service as a referee and is another who we will see once again when the season starts up.
Gary Stonham also sees himself pick up the same award for 20 years of officiating and that also saw him take on the role of the Referee Secretary for the best of 8 years, a role which he has relinquished coming into the new season and he parts with our deepest gratitude and the league wishes him all the best.
Pete Lowe has been recognised for 30 years and this has seen him take a place on the Wiltshire FA Committee and he will continue to be our mouthpiece at meetings held with our County FA
Ady Hunt also was honoured for 40 years service to the CDSFL.
Sutton Benger were presented with a special award as they celebrated 40 years in the CDSFL making them the current oldest team still competing in the league. Kai Flack will be hoping to keep that total clocking up for more years to come and hopefully add some silverware to the trophy cabinet.
Not to be outdone however, our very own Andy Hiller was awarded one of the highest accolades given out by the FA as he was awarded for 50 Years’ Service to Football.
Andy’s football journey started in 1967 when as a 16 year old, he played 2 seasons for Calen United Youth in the Swindon & District League.
His first foray into the CDSFL was in 1969 playing for Chippenham College also known as Westinghouse Apprentices where he played for 2 seasons.
It was in 1971 where his playing career would really start as he signed for Corsham based side Duke Sports who would later become known as Mansion House FC and this is where Andy would stay until the early 80’s even taking on the role of Club Secretary from 1975 right up until Mansion Houses final match in the CDSFL in 1981.
Appearances for FC Cons and Melksham Sports completed his CV of Clubs in the CDSFL but Andy also played for Box Rovers in the Wiltshire League, Rudloe FC, Trowbridge Saints & Broughton Gifford in the Trowbridge League.
Andy’s playing career was unfortunately curtailed in 1989 due to injury.
But Andy was not finished there, he took over as manager of the Broughton Gifford which coincided with one of the most successful eras that the Trowbridge League and possibly any of the countries local leagues has ever seen as he oversaw the next fifteen years at the club which saw them pick up 26 trophies in the process.
Andy first joined the Management Committee in 1977 and in 1979 he took on the role of Fixtures Secretary and has remained in the post for 43 years. A couple of years as Vice Chair has been added to that list more recently and in 2011 he was elected as the Chairman of the CDSFL. At the end of the 2020/21 Season Andy accepted the post of League President.
Andy has given so much to the CDSFL over the years and it would not be amiss to say that without Andy, we may not even have a league to play in and his 50 Years To Service Award is truly deserving.