HISTORY
How and when did the League start?
The Hull and District Veterans Football League is an amateur Sunday football league for players over the age of 36. Since it’s inception in 2001 it has enabled the older football players of the Hull and district area on both banks of the Humber the opportunity to continue playing competitively. From Bridlington in the North of the area down to Brigg in Lincolnshire and all points in between teams are taking part in Veterans League football.
Bryan Watson, who has held a number of roles including Chairman of the Hull and District Veterans League, had the idea of forming a Veterans League in this area. He held a meeting, which he had advertised at sports centres in the area, at Hull YPI in 1999 and although nothing formal came from it, a series of friendly matches started taking place between a few interested teams. In the spring of 2001 a meeting involving six committed teams took place and a few months later the inaugural season started. Over the next twenty years those six sides have now grown to our present number of just under 50 teams. New teams are joining on an annual basis as we continue to be an integral part of football at grassroots level in the area.
The Veterans League introduced Cup Competitions in its inaugural season and whilst the first few years saw just, the one, all in competition, it changed into a Divisional competition in 2006/07 and became three separate Cups in 2008/09, subsequently four in 2014/15 and then to its current five in 2020/21. Our Cup Finals day has become the focal point of the Veterans League season and attracts much interest.
Who are the key people responsible for running the League?
Jeff Klarik Secretary and Treasurer
Steve Jackson Referees Appointment Secretary
Lewis Hoy Registration Secretary
Charter Standard
As a progressive League, it was felt it was in our best interests to embrace the Charter Standard concept and we made a decision at our AGM in 2010 that all Veterans League Clubs must have Charter Standard status by the commencement of the 2011/12 season.
A number of our teams who were already part of clubs which had achieved the status, ie Reckitts, South Cave and Hedon Rangers, helped make it easier to sell the idea and all clubs who were members at the end of 2019/20 have now achieved Charter Standard status and the League was delighted to maintain its Charter Standard League Award earlier this season.
The Veterans League is now an established Adult 11-a side league in the ERCFA and in achieving Charter Standard League status we have demonstrated that we are an equal partner in assisting the success of the ERCFA in having achieved its National Game Board targets for Charter Standard well ahead of schedule.