The History of Long Melford Football Club: 1868-1899
The earliest record of Long Melford Football Club is 14th January 1868 on the Church Green in the village against Ipswich Rangers, with Melford winning 5-1.
A great start to an illustrious history.
Not a selection of balls to choose from! In the early days it was an animal bladder covered in hessian. The village launched a “Penny a Week” campaign and eventually a leather ball was purchased.
In those starting days the Church was interlinked to the football club with the Rectory being heavily involved.
This period subsequently saw the emergence in the mid 1870s of such sides as Stowmarket and Ipswich Association (now Ipswich Town).
One of Melford’s earliest players was capped for England. William Nevill Cobbold, who was born in Long Melford on 4th February 1862 and played in most of the Club’s earliest matches, represented England as centre forward against Scotland, Ireland and Wales between 1883 and 1888.
The team moved to various ground locations in the village and became very successful, with 1887/88 particularly good.
The total running expenses for the club during that season amounted to £30 with a deficit arising of 10shillings and 10 pennies, which members met from their own pockets. Just to think, in season 2016/17, expenses for three officials at a match came to over £300!
In 1887/88, the Club played 15 games, won 13, drew one and lost one. Having beaten every team in the district they challenged mighty Ipswich Town to a match. Ipswich declined replying to the effect that it would be injurious to Ipswich’s prestige if they play “little village teams”.
Ironically the sides subsequently met in the Suffolk Senior Cup semi-final in 1887/88. Ipswich, the Cup holders, were beaten 2-1.
After this win, one local paper carried the headline “What about the little village now?”
Since that day the Club has often been referred to in football circles as ‘The Little Village’, hence our nickname “The Villagers”.
Melford went on to lift the Suffolk Senior Cup, beating Woodbridge Town 1-0 in a final replay. In 1895 they again won the Suffolk Senior Cup.
