Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 7, 2026

County football association

The county football associations are the local governing bodies of association football in England and the Crown dependencies. County FAs exist to govern all aspects of football in England. They are responsible for administering club and player registration as well as promoting development amongst those bodies and referees.

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The county football associations are the local governing bodies of association football in England and the Crown dependencies. County FAs exist to govern all aspects of football in England. They are responsible for administering club and player registration as well as promoting development amongst those bodies and referees.

There are currently 50 county FAs. Most county FAs align roughly along historic county boundaries, although some cover more than one county, and some of the major cities, particularly those with a strong football tradition, have their own FAs.1 The Sheffield FA was the first to be created, in 1867. Additionally, the three branches of the British Armed Forces, as well as the Amateur Football Alliance, which has a strong presence in the south-east of England, are listed as having their own County FAs not corresponding to geography.23

County football associations host 'county cups' – knockout cup competitions held at a sub-regional level, which are open to affiliated members of the county FA. Typically, county FAs will host cup competitions at the following levels: senior, intermediate, junior, women's, veterans, senior Sunday football, intermediate Sunday football and junior Sunday football.

List of county FAs

Association2 Area Founded Main county cup
Amateur Football Alliance No 19074 AFA Senior Cup
Army No 18885 Army FA Challenge Cup
Bedfordshire Bedfordshire 18946 Bedfordshire Senior Cup
Berks & Bucks Berkshire
Buckinghamshire 		18787 Berks & Bucks Senior Cup
Birmingham Black Country
(within 30 miles of Stevenson Place, Birmingham)
Warwickshire 		18758 Birmingham Senior Cup
Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire 18849 Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup
Cheshire Cheshire 187810 Cheshire Senior Cup
Cornwall Cornwall 188911 Cornwall Senior Cup
Cumberland Cumberland 188512 Cumberland Senior Cup
Derbyshire Derbyshire 188313 Derbyshire Senior Cup
Devon Devon 188714 Devon St Lukes Cup
Dorset Dorset 188715 Dorset Senior Cup
Durham County Durham 188316 Durham Challenge Cup
Essex Essex 188217 Essex Senior Cup
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire 188618 Gloucestershire Senior Cup
Guernsey Guernsey 189319 Guernsey FA Cup
Hampshire Hampshire 188720 Hampshire Senior Cup
Herefordshire Herefordshire 189321 Herefordshire Senior Cup
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire 188522 Herts Senior Cup
Huntingdonshire Huntingdonshire 189423 Huntingdonshire Senior Cup
Isle of Man Isle of Man 189024 Isle of Man FA Cup
Jersey Jersey 190525 Le Riche Cup
Kent Kent 188126 Kent Senior Cup
Lancashire Lancashire 187827 Lancashire Senior Cup
Leicestershire & Rutland Leicestershire
Rutland 		188728 Leicestershire and Rutland Senior Cup
Lincolnshire Lincolnshire 188129 Lincolnshire Senior Cup
Liverpool Merseyside
18 mile radius / 8 miles on the Wirral from Liverpool Town Hall 		188230 Liverpool Senior Cup
London Greater London
(within 12 miles of Charing Cross) 		188231 London Senior Cup
Manchester Greater Manchester
(within 12 miles of Manchester Town Hall in historic Lancashire) 		188432 Manchester Senior Cup
Middlesex Middlesex 188333 Middlesex Senior Cup
Norfolk Norfolk 188134 Norfolk Senior Cup
Northamptonshire Northamptonshire 188735 Northamptonshire Senior Cup
Northumberland Northumberland 188236 Northumberland Senior Cup
Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire 188237 Nottinghamshire Senior Cup
Oxfordshire Oxfordshire 188438 Oxfordshire Senior Cup
Royal Air Force No 192039 RAF Challenge Cup
Royal Navy No 190440 Royal Navy Cup
Shropshire Shropshire 187741 Shropshire Senior Cup
Somerset Somerset 188542 Somerset Premier Cup
Staffordshire Staffordshire 187743 Staffordshire Senior Cup
Suffolk Suffolk 188544 Suffolk Senior Cup
Surrey Surrey 188245 Surrey Senior Cup
Sussex Sussex 188246 Sussex Senior Challenge Cup
Westmorland Westmorland 189747 Westmorland Senior Challenge Cup
Wiltshire Wiltshire 188448 Wiltshire County FA Senior Cup
Worcestershire Worcestershire 189349 Worcestershire Senior Cup
East Riding East Riding of Yorkshire 190250 East Riding Senior Cup
North Riding North Riding of Yorkshire 188151 North Riding Senior Cup
Sheffield and Hallamshire 20 mile radius from Sheffield Cathedral 186752 Sheffield and Hallamshire Senior Cup
West Riding West Riding of Yorkshire
(except within 20 miles of Sheffield Cathedral) 		189653 West Riding County Cup

Other FAs with equivalent status

There are an additional five recognised bodies that have representation on the FA Council on the same level as County FAs.3

Association3 Founded
Cambridge University 185654
English Schools 190455
Independent Schools 1960s56
Oxford University 187257
Women's Football Conference 198358
See also

See also

References

References

  1. "Memorandum on Areas and Overlapping of Associations". The FA. 12 January 1951. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  2. The Football Association. "County FAs". www.thefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  3. "The FA Handbook 2022/2023". thefa.com. 7 May 2023. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  4. "History". www.amateur-fa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  5. "History". www.armyfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  6. "125 Years". www.bedfordshirefa.com. 5 September 1994. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  7. "History Berks & Bucks FA". www.berks-bucksfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  8. "MS 519 - Birmingham County Football Association". Birmingham City Council. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  9. "About (County Handbook)". www.cambridgeshirefa.com. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  10. "About". www.cheshirefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  11. "History". www.cornwallfa.com. 6 April 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  12. "About". www.cumberlandfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  13. "History". www.derbyshirefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  14. "About". www.devonfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  15. "About". www.dorsetfa.com. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  16. "Our History". www.durhamfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  17. "History". www.essexfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  18. "History". www.gloucestershirefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  19. "History". www.guernseyfa.com. 1 July 1919. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  20. "History". www.hampshirefa.com. 1 July 2000. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  21. "History". www.herefordshirefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  22. "Our History". www.hertfordshirefa.com. 26 February 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  23. "History of Huntingdonshire FA". www.huntsfa.com. 26 October 1938. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  24. "[History]". www.isleofmanfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  25. "History". www.jerseyfa.com. 24 July 1905. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  26. "KR Community Partner". www.kentfa.com. 21 September 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  27. "History". www.lancashirefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  28. "Leicestershire & Rutland County FA Strategy 2021-2024". calameo.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  29. "Our History". www.lincolnshirefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  30. "History". www.liverpoolfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  31. "History". www.londonfa.com. 30 January 1923. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  32. "Our Game In Manchester". www.manchesterfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  33. "History". www.middlesexfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  34. "History". www.norfolkfa.com. 24 August 1999. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  35. "Football Association, Regional". The Straw Plaiters – Victorian History of Luton Town Football Club. 11 April 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  36. "History". www.northumberlandfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  37. "About". www.nottinghamshirefa.com. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  38. "The website for the Oxfordshire FA". www.oxfordshirefa.com. 9 September 1999. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  39. "About". www.royalairforcefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  40. "History". www.royalnavyfa.com. 13 January 1904. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  41. "The website for the Shropshire Football Association". www.shropshirefa.com. 1 November 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  42. "History". www.somersetfa.com. 7 December 1940. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  43. "Our History". www.staffordshirefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  44. "History". www.suffolkfa.com. 20 March 1935. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  45. "History". www.surreyfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  46. "History". www.sussexfa.com. 2 November 1999. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  47. "History Westmorland County FA". www.westmorlandfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  48. "About". www.wiltshirefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  49. "History". www.worcestershirefa.com. 1 January 2001. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  50. "History". www.eastridingfa.com. 10 February 1902. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  51. "About". www.northridingfa.com. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  52. "Changing Lives Through Football - About us". www.sheffieldfa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  53. "Our History". Leeds & District FA. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  54. Knapton, Sarah (30 July 2020). "How Sheffield lost their position as world's oldest club". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  55. "History". English Schools' Football Association. 1 August 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  56. "5. THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FA AND ISFA". Independent Schools Football Association. 27 August 1953. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  57. "History". OUAFC. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  58. The Football Association. "History of women's football". www.thefa.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
External links