A Brief History - Part 2

There were 12 original member teams playing on a home and away basis for the league title.

Also agreed was a Combination League Cup in the format of an East and West mini league system with the top teams from each "cup league" playing each other for the cup. The Western league was made up of Porthleven, St Just, RNAS Culdrose, Helston Athletic Reserves, Penzance Reserves and Falmouth Town Reserves.

The Eastern Division was made up of Nanpean Rovers, Newquay Reserves, St Breward, St Dennis, RAF St Mawgan and Roche.

The league season kick off on Saturday 22nd August with St Breward playing Nanpean Rovers. The score was 3-0 in St Breward's favour. Also playing that day were St Dennis who drew with RAF St Mawgan 2-2.

On the Wednesday, 26th August, was the first evening game when RNAS Culdrose drew with Penzance Reserves 1-1.

During that first season the clubs tended to complete their cup fixtures first and the league was completed in a rush during the March and April of 1960.

The first winners of the league title were Porthleven, who also won the Western cup section and played Nanpean Rovers in the final held at Helston Athletic's ground losing 2-3.

At the start of the next season the 1959/60 Champions played a match against the rest of the league and the score was Porthleven 6-7 Combination League.

Helston Athletic Reserves won the trophy for the most sporting team for the 1960-61 season.

At the beginning of the 1961-62 season Roche left the league and were subsequently fined £25 for breaking league rules.

During the winter of 1961-62, RNAS Culdrose enlisted the help of the local scouts to clear their pitch of snow before their game with Falmouth Town Reserves. The match score 2-2.

After Christmas during the severe winter if 1962-63, no league games were played for 5 weeks due to frozen pitches covered in snow but some cup games were played.

The league highest ever score was on Saturday 17th April 1962 when Porthleven beat St Dennis 15-0.

Camborne School of Mines joined the league at the start of the 1964/65 season but they only played 5 league and 1 cup game so their record was expunged. they were also fined £25 for leaving the league during the season.

On Saturday 20th March 1965 the following games and scores to place

On 23rd April 1965, because they had a backlog of games, Nanpean Rovers Reserves arrived in West Cornwall with 2 teams and played Penzance Reserves (lost 1-0) and Mousehole (lost 2-0) at the same time.

The 1970-71League Cup final between St Just and Illogan RBL held at Penzance had a record crowd of over 1000, double the previous record and the gate receipts were £120. This crowd figure was broken again at the 1973-74 final when the same 2 teams played once again at Penzance in front of 1500 people.

In the 1971-72 season Illogan RBL defeated Mousehole 12-0 with Roger Toms scoring 8 of the goals.

Marazion moved to Folly Field in the 1972-73 season. For the previous 12 seasons they had played at Rosudgeon. Their first game at home was against Illogan RBL to whom they lost 1-3.

Carn Brea Leisure Centre opens on 30th March 1974

At the end of the 1973-74 season Helston Athletic leave Beacon Park after 40 years. Their ground is being turned into a caravan park. The last game played there was a 0-6 defeat by RAF St Mawgan.

The highest ever score draw was played on 26th October 1974 between Helston Athletic and RAF St Mawgan. At half-time Helston were 5-0 up but St Mawgan came back to 5-4 before the game finally finished 6-6.

For the start of the 1977-78 season Advertising is allowed on tracksuits.

The gate takings for the League Cup semi-finals in 1977-78 were Illogan RBL Reserves v RNAS Culdrose (at Marazion on 13th Feb 78) £19.50 and Mousehole v Truro City (at Illogan 6th March 78) £31.10 respectively. 

At Illogan on 17th March 1979 driving snow forced the referee to abandon his spectacles for a while as he couldn't see.

On 14th April 1979 the game between Illogan and Mullion had to be switched to another pitch at Illogan Park, as Illogan had had sand delivered into the goal mouths and the Mullion keeper found broken glass in his goal.

It was reported on 12/2/81 that St Dennis dismiss two players for continuous misconduct so another nine players walk out as well. The club ask the league if their next two matches can be postponed so they can sort out a team but the league refuse. they are then fined £10 for calling of a match at St Just and then lose their following match 3-2 to Penzance using players from Foxhole and Nanpean.

Before their match against Penzance on 1st March 1986, Illogan borrowed a digger to clear deep snow off their pitch.