THANKS THEO

The longest running sponsorship in UK sports' history comes to an end this season when Ryman withdraw their sponsorship of the Isthmian League. The 20 year relationship was ended when Dragon's Den tycoon Theo Paphitis announced the news following his welcomed investment into "non-league" football. His retail group has proved to be an exceptional donor.

The Isthmian league was first sponsored by Rothmans in 1973, eventually regarded as inappropriate, in 1977. Ryman stationers stepped in with support in 1997. The sponsorship has enabled the growth of the league into open age Premier League and Division One North and South, the League Cup (sponsored by Robert Dyas), a Veterans' Cup, Disability and Womens' football (sponsored by Boux Avenue!!), the Development League and a Youth League.

This year the clubs play with special footballs marked with "20" to note the anniversary and money has been raised for many charities especially Comic Relief (red balls were used) and Sport Relief.

Henry Ryman opened his first stationers in Great Portland Street, London in October 1883 and in 1905 the Isthmian League was founded when many amateur clubs decided that they wanted more competitive football. The amateurs did not want to win trophies and medals but merely to play well organised football with a bit of a competitive edge. The famous Casuals, the Civil Service, Clapton, the Ealing Association, Ilford and London Caledonian were the first clubs to get on board.
The league motto of "Honor Sufficit", could be worked out without too much trouble, I hope?

Other more adventurous clubs joined the newly forming Southern League, which gradually became professional. By 1922 the Isthmian league had grown to 14 clubs and parallel to the Isthmian, other leagues were founded, classically names such as the Athenian, Corinthian and the Delphian. Through the 1970s these leagues merged into the Isthmian or other "lower" leagues regionally.

There are over 200 Ryman stores now and the league entertains 72 teams at the 7th and 8th level of the National Pyramid. South-East England clubs as far north east as Wroxham in Norfolk and nearly in France, Guernsey, compete throughout the season.
Gates between the start of this season and new Year's Eve have shown as 5% increase with nearly 200,000 fans passing through the turnstiles. The highest so far has been at Dulwich Hamlet where 2,217 watched their game against Bognor Regis in October, Bognor are presently top of the Premier Division and the Hamlet 5th.

The present champions are:- Premier: Hampton and Richmond ("owned" by Martin Tyler of commentator fame), Div One North: AFC Sudbury and Div One South: Folkestone Invicta.