The Falkland Islands Football League (FIFL) is the national governing body of football (soccer)

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 in the Falkland Islands

Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...

. The association operates the national team

Falkland Islands national football team

The Falkland Islands official football team is a representative football team of the Falkland Islands, organised by the Falkland Islands Football League. The Falkland Islands Football League is not a member of FIFA and therefore the team is not eligible to play in official competitions such as the...

 and the Stanley Services League, the only domestic league on the islands. They also sponsor an all-star team from the league, called Stanley F.C. who occasionally play friendly matches against stationed troops on the islands and Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 brigade and battleship makeshift teams.

Foundation and Stanley FC

Football has been reported to have been played on the Falklands since the late 19th century. The FIFL has recorded their first ever game on the islands to be in 1892. There, a team of the British Defense Force for the Falklands took on the domestic volunteer militants. Throughout this time, prior to World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, the sport was played frequently amongst the residents of the Falklands.

The first ever organized football team in the Falklands was regarded as Stanley F.C., which was formed under the power of Jack McNicholl. No official date of when the club began play, but it was reported to have been in existence since 1916.

During the 1920s

1920s

File:1920s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Third Tipperary Brigade Flying Column No. 2 under Sean Hogan during the Irish Civil War; Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol in accordance to the 18th amendment, which made alcoholic beverages illegal throughout the entire decade; In...

 and 1930s

1930s

File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...

, most competitive football matches on the Falkland Islands were of militants stationed there over the age of 18. During the latter half of the 1930s, many Falkland Islander boys tried to organize a recreation league on the island, though they were never successful. However, the efforts did prompt two youth teams to form in the 1950s

1950s

The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...

, which were named Jubilee Club and the FI Volunteers Youth, whom occasionally played matches with one another.

Falkland Islands Premiership

A league with 7 teams was formed but the local side was somewhat outclassed by the near professional standard of the Garrison teams and finished 6th. Many of the players who were later to serve the Stanley side for many years earned their baptism against the soldiers who also had their own inter-service competitions. One of the West Yorks who played regularly against the local lads was a young Warrant Officer named Don Clarke, who after the War returned to the Islands and in addition to becoming Chairman of the present Club, also captained the local side from his favoured inside left position.

After the West Yorkshire Regiment was withdrawn and replaced by The Service Corps and Royal Scots detachments a new league was formed with 6 teams – Scots 1 and 11, Corps 1 and 11, the Navy and the Falkland Islands Defence Force. The F.I.D.F. finished as ‘runner-up’ in this League.

Creation of a national team

Following World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, the name Stanley F.C. was revived, and became the nickname of the national team

Falkland Islands national football team

The Falkland Islands official football team is a representative football team of the Falkland Islands, organised by the Falkland Islands Football League. The Falkland Islands Football League is not a member of FIFA and therefore the team is not eligible to play in official competitions such as the...

.

Current teams

The following teams played for the 2008–09 season:

• Brintel Choppers
• Kelper Store Celtics
• Sealed PR Athletic
• Sulivan Blue Sox

Past Teams

These teams have played friendly matches or in previous FIFL seasons:

• Corps 1
• Corps 11
• FIDF
• FI Volunteers
• HMS Manchester
• Scotts 1
• Scotts 11
• Stanley F.C.
• Tri Services F.C.

Past FIFL League Champions

• 1916: Stanley F.C.
• 1917: Stanley F.C.
• 1918: Stanley F.C.
• 1919: Stanley F.C.
• 1920: Stanley AC
• 1921: Stanley AC
• 1922: FI Volunteers
• 1923: Stanley AC
• 1924: FI Volunteers
• 1925: Stanley AC
• 1926: Stanley AC
• 1927: Stanley AC
• 1928: Stanley AC
• 1929: Stanley AC
• 1930: FI Volunteers
• 1931: Stanley AC
• 1932: FI Volunteers
• 1933: Stanley Service Corps I F.C.
• 1934: FI Volunteers
• 1935: Jubilee Club
• 1936: FI Volunteers
• 1937: FI Volunteers
• 1938: FI Volunteers

• 1939: FIDF
• 1940: FI Volunteers
• 1941: FIDF
• 1942: FIDF
• 1943: Stanley Service Corps I F.C.
• 1944: FIDF
• 1945: FIDF
• 1946: Hotspurs
• 1947: Stanley Redsox
• 1948: Stanley Redsox
• 1949: Stanley Redsox
• 1950: Stanley Redsox
• 1951: Stanley United
• 1952: Hotspurs
• 1953: Hotspurs
• 1954: Hotspurs
• 1955: Stanley Dynamos
• 1956: Stanley Redsox
• 1957: Stanley Redsox
• 1958: Hotspurs
• 1959: Hotspurs
• 1982-84: No season due to the Falklands War
  Falklands War
  The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
  
  

• 1998-99: Kelper Store Celtics
• 1999-00: Hard Disc Rangers
• 2000-01: Kelper Store Celtics
• 2001-02: Kelper Store Celtics
• 2002-03: Kelper Store Celtics
• 2003-04: All Saints
• 2004-05: Kelper Store Celtics
• 2005-06: Penguin News
• 2006-07: Globe Tavern Wanderers
• 2007-08: Kelper Store Celtics
• 2008-09: Kelper Store Celtics
• 2009-10: Ongoing

External links

• FIFL Official Website