The Falkland Islands Football League (FIFL) is the governing body of football in the Falkland Islands. The association operates the national team and the Stanley Services League, a domestic indoor football 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 makeshift teams. Some Football teams playing in the Falkland Islands are CFL Hunters, FIC Rangers, Fortuna Mustangs and JK Marine Redsox.

History 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 Falkland Islands Defence Force took on the garrison. Throughout this time, prior to World War I, the sport was played frequently amongst the residents of the Falklands. There was a 1913 report in the Falkland Islands Magazine of a football league table that consisted of five teams names as Dazzlers, Sappers, Crusaders, Corinthians and Malvinians. There was also reported the construction of a pavilion in Mr Bradfields Yard.

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. The Falkland Islands Magazine reported this in its 1916 February issue No. X, Vol. XXVIII. in an article "The Stanley Football Club", and stated the club would "...run two teams, the Colours of the 1st XI. to be Red Jerseys, and the 2nd XI. Green Jerseys: both will play in white shorts...."

During the 1920s and 1930s, most competitive football matches on the Falkland Islands were of military 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, 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, the name Stanley F.C. was revived, and became the nickname of the national team.

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

Corps 1 Corps 11 Falkland Islands Defense Force F.C. Falkland Islands Volunteers F.C. HMS Manchester F.C. Scotts 1 Scotts 11 Stanley F.C. Tri Services F.C. SeaLed PR Kelper Store Chandelry FC Sulivan Blue Sox HMS Montrose Suppliers Tri Service Allstars C&R Construction FC Falkland Rangers Malvina House Hotel FC Jim Balfour's Barmy Army Falkland Island Holidays FC Fire FC Clos de Pirque House Bashers Teenage Mutant Ninja Škrtels Great Island Falcons Port Stanley The Deli Lydiate Pumas

Previous winners Winners so far:

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: Redsox 1947–48: unknown 1948–49: Redsox 1949–50: Redsox 1950–51: Stanley United 1951–52: Hotspurs 1952–53: Hotspurs 1953–54: Hotspurs 1954–55: Dynamos 1955–56: Redsox 1956–57: Redsox 1957–58: Hotspurs 1958–59: Rangers 1959–60: Redsox 1960–61: Redsox 1961–62: Redsox 1962–63: Redsox 1963–64: Mustangs 1964–65: Mustangs 1965–66: Mustangs 1966–67: unknown 1967–68: unknown 1968–69: Rangers 1969–70: Mustangs 1970–71: Redsox 1971–72: Rangers 1972–73: unknown 1973–74: Mustangs 1974–75: unknown 1975–76: Rangers 1976–77: Rangers 1977–78: unknown 1978–79: Dynamos 1979–80: unknown 1980–81: unknown 1982–1986: No season due to the Falklands War 1986–87: unknown 1987–88: Redsox 1988–89: unknown 1989–90: Redsox 1990–91: Celtics 1991–92: Mustangs 1993–1998: unknown 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: SeaLed PR 2010–11: Sulivan Bluesox 2011–12: Chandlery FC 2012–13: Chandlery FC 2013–14: not held 2014–15: FIDF (7-a-side tournament) 2015–2020: unknown 2021–22: JK Marine Redsox 2022–23: CFL Hunters 2023–24: JK Marine Redsox

References

External links FIFL Official Website League Facebook Page