Formed in 1885 ithe Association has moved on from it's very humble beginnings to a Private Company, Limited by Guarantee in July 1999. We have a Board of Directors consisting of the President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Referees Officer together with six others separately elected by Council Members with our own Headquarters in Midsomer Norton, employing four full-time and two part-time staff.
In September 2000 we were very fortunate to acquire the Minute Books of Meetings dating back to 1895. There was a very small number of clubs at that time and no mandatory requirement to be affiliated. Very different from today where we have in excess of 800 clubs which equates to probably in excess of 2,000 teams.
The first Secretary was a Mr H J Ker Thompson on Burnham-on-Sea who resigned in 1896. At the time there was no appointed Chairman, one would be co-opted on the night of Council Meetings. Regular meeting venues were the Hare & Hounds - Shepton Mallet, The Swan Hotel – Wells, The Commercial Hotel – Midsomer Norton, Waldegrave Arms – Radstock, Star Hotel – Wells and Wells Town Hall. An average attendance was fifteen with the bulk of clubs coming from the old mining area of North Somerset. In 1904 the then Secretary/Treasurer became the first paid official with a salary of £25.00 per annum.
Charles J Lewin, who joined Council in July 1896, and was a legend in his time, was appointed the Association's first Chairman in June 1904. He was a Radstock Headmaster and truly remarkable man. He was also elected Somerset’s first ever member to the full Council of the English FA and retained both positions over the period of two world-wars. As a result of age and infirmity he resigned on 6th June 1945 ending a remarkable record of service to Somerset football, covering 49 years and was awarded a gold medal in recognition of his service.
Football was disbanded by Mr Lewin during both World-wars and in a well documented speech at Shepton Mallet on 2nd September 1914 he said “ we must recognise and impress upon footballers that it is more essential to be able shoot the King’s enemies than to shoot goals; to defend our Country’s honour is stupendously more important than to keep a rival team at bay, and to fight in England’s cause is a far nobler thing than to win points in league football.“
The irony of this was that all of Mr Lewin’s three well-educated sons who were commissioned officers in World War I paid the supreme sacrifice serving in France/Belguim, his wife also sadly died during this period. Mr Lewin himself died in October 1945 and is buried at Uphill, Weston Super Mare. A cup was put up to perpetuate his memory and is still competed for by lads aged under 14 years. The current Board of Directors have decided that when we have our planned new Headquarters, a room will be dedicated in the Lewin name.
Upon resumption of football in 1919, the County made an appointment of Joint Secretaries, Messrs Bown & Holloway. After the Second World War Mr E H Holloway was appointed Secretary with the post of Treasurer being added in 1946. In 1948 he was granted an Honorarium of £100.00
Our previous Company Secretary, Mrs Helen Marchment, office employee at the time of Lew Webb’s death moved up to that position, creating history at the time by being the only female County Secretary in the Country.
It is to all the aforementioned people and many more that Somerset Football owes a great debt of gratitude for bringing us to the excellent administration and facilities we all we all enjoy today.
Past Officers
Appointed President
1896
Mr H E Murray Anderson of Taunton
1946
Mr W J Bown
1949
Alderman Mr Ernest Sheldon
1950
The Rt. Hon. Viscount Alexander of Hillsborough
1952
Mr H M Scott MBE JP
1977
Mr E J King
Mr H Angell
1997
Mr F P Hillier MBE JP
Appointed Chairman
1904
C J Lewin
1945
W J Bown
1949
F S Carpenter
1966
D G Cummins
1984
A J Hobbs
Appointed Secretary
Mr H J Ken Thompson (resigned 1886)
1886
Mr H A Sheldon
1898
Mr H J Cockram
Messrs Bown & Holloway
1945
Mr F Holloway
1950
Mr C A Webb
1964
Mr L J Webb
1991
Mrs H Marchment
2007
Mr J Pike