Counties and clubs

[MJMcCready]

Interesting, I am beginning to wonder what the longest journey for a league match in England is now. Ours was Luton to Northampton, which was only 35 miles. I'm sure that's easily beaten.

[Ian Thompson]

Clubs in Hampshire can choose from at least the Southampton league, the Portsmouth league and the Surrey Border League.

The formal name for the Surrey Border League is

The Surrey and Hampshire Border League but many shorten it and some truncate it to "The Borders League" somewhat ambiguously.

So the Constitution available from the league website is out-of-date then?

That name was adopted c. 2007. Prior to that its official name was "The Border League".

[Matt Mackenzie]

Do we actually have any counties that don't have a league of their own?

Happy to be corrected but I think:
-Rutland (which falls under Leicester and Rutland but does not appear to have a league or any clubs of it's own)
-Herefordshire (there is at least one club in the county but there does not appear to be a specific league; the club appears to have played in both the Malvern and Shropshire leagues).

Rutland had clubs at Oakham and Uppingham relatively recently, it appears. Though as you say they came under Leicestershire.

[Mick Norris]

Interesting, I am beginning to wonder what the longest journey for a league match in England is now. Ours was Luton to Northampton, which was only 35 miles. I'm sure that's easily beaten.

Barrow to Penrith in the Cumbria league is nearly double that

[Matt Mackenzie]

There are also Barrow v Carlisle matches, though the two clubs have agreed to play them at Kendal in recent years.

[John Upham]

So the Constitution available from the league website is out-of-date then?

That name was adopted c. 2007. Prior to that its official name was "The Border League".

It could well be.

[Roger Lancaster]

Watford has long played in the Hertfordshire League despite being in the south-west corner of the county, making cross-county journeys anything up to 40 miles, frequently (think rush-hour M25!) in busy traffic. With a 7.45 start, that typically works out at a 10.30 finish or thereabouts. On occasion, I've arrived home after midnight. Most of our adults are okay with that but it's unpopular with our juniors so our junior teams play in the Hillingdon League with a maximum of 15 miles travel and a 7.0 start with a slightly faster time control so that matches are completed by 9.15.

If you have Watford and Royston in the same league, I would imagine that's a tough journey with rush hour traffic on the M25.

Yes it is, lol, and don't even talk to me about Bishop's Stortford!

[MJMcCready]

Interesting, I am beginning to wonder what the longest journey for a league match in England is now. Ours was Luton to Northampton, which was only 35 miles. I'm sure that's easily beaten.

Barrow to Penrith in the Cumbria league is nearly double that

That's a strong contender I would say. 90 miles is a heck of a lot for an evening league match.

[Matt Mackenzie]

No, these are weekend matches.

During the week there is a South Cumbria league (Barrow, Ulverston, Kendal) only.

[Mick Norris]

Lincolnshire is another candidate, like me you may need to look up Appleby Frodingham

The biggest chess counties, in terms of distance, are presumably Cumbria, Northumberland, Lincolnshire, Cornwall, Devon and (North) Yorkshire?

[MJMcCready]

Yes I would say so, my money is on Cornwall.

[IM Jack Rudd]

Barnstaple to Plymouth will be hard to beat, but probably not impossible.

[Roger de Coverly]

Barnstaple to Plymouth will be hard to beat, but probably not impossible.

61 miles according to the AA Route Planner.

Penzance to Bude is 74 miles, but there doesn't seem to be a club in Penzance itself.

In the south, Hastings to Chicester is 65miles, but I think they play in different leagues despite both being Sussex.

Lewisham to Folkestone (both Kent) is 63 miles, but I think the Kent competitions are regionalised.

[MJMcCready]

Barnstaple to Plymouth will be hard to beat, but probably not impossible.

They play in the same league?

[David Gilbert]

Lewisham to Folkestone (both Kent) is 63 miles, but I think the Kent competitions are regionalised.

Lewisham play in the Kent League, but Folkestone play in the Thanet & East Kent League. That a different party altogether.