THERE are plenty of tasty-looking local matches, including a number of all-Suffolk derbies, in the county over the festive period.

With Ipswich Town being away on December, 23rd having evening kick offs on both Boxing Day and December 29th, and another away fixture on New Year’s Day, there has never been a better time than to show your support for your local club!

It all starts on Monday, December 18th as Bury Town U23s entertain Brantham Athletic U23s in the Thurlow Nunn League U23 Division, followed by Stowmarket Town v Enfield in the Pitching In Isthmian League and Kirkley & Pakefield welcoming Lakenheath in the Thurlow Nunn League League Challenge Cup on Tuesday.

Wednesday, December 20th sees fifth-placed Coplestonians host second-placed Trimley Red Devils in the Macron Suffolk & Ipswich League, kick off 7.45pm under the lights at Humber Doucy Lane.

Sudbury Sports welcome Hatfield Peverel to the MEL Group Stadium in the Essex & Suffolk Border League Premier Division on Friday.

On Saturday, both AFC Sudbury and Leiston have home matches as they look to pick up important points in the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division.

Two mouth-watering Suffolk-derbies are taking place in the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division as promotion-chasing Lowestoft Town and Felixstowe & Walton United visit Bury Town and Ipswich Wanderers respectively. Stowmarket Town also host third placed Brightlingsea Regent on the same day.

There are three all-Suffolk clashes in the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division – Brantham Athletic v Lakenheath, Kirkley & Pakefield v Woodbridge Town, and Mildenhall Town v Walsham-le-Willows. Hadleigh United also host Sheringham.

Framlingham Town will look to continue their Thurlow Nunn League First Division North promotion push as they welcome Whitton United, with Cornard United and Needham Market U23s also hosting matches.
There is a comprehensive schedule of Macron Suffolk & Ipswich League and Thurlow Nunn League U23 Division fixtures on the last Saturday before Christmas.

With both the Pitching In Southern League and the Pitching In Isthmian League giving their clubs the option of not playing on Boxing Day, fewer fixtures are scheduled than in previous years.

Fixtures scheduled in the Thurlow Nunn League are all 11am kick-offs. Long Melford will be looking for an uplift in their Premier Division fortunes when they entertain Newmarket Town, while Mildenhall Town will host close neighbours Lakenheath in a repeat of the Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round tie earlier in the season.

Another West Suffolk side, Walsham-le-Willows, take on near neighbours Thetford Town while Brantham Athletic make the short trip to Hadleigh United.

In the First Division North AFC Sudbury Res welcome Haverhill Rovers, while Haverhill Borough are at home to Cornard United.

The last round of matches of 2023 on Saturday, December 30th see Leiston have home advantage against Nuneaton Borough in the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division.

Three Suffolk sides have home fixtures in the Isthmian League North Division, with Stowmarket Town staging a derby against Lowestoft Town, whilst Bury Town host Grays Athletic and Ipswich Wanderers welcome Brentwood Town.

In the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division, Woodbridge Town travel from east to west to tackle Newmarket Town, and in the First Division North Framlingham Town host Haverhill Borough while the Under-23 sides of Needham Market and Leiston meet at Bloomfields.

In the Macron Suffolk & Ipswich League, Saturday December 30th also sees the second round of this season’s Morrison Freight Cup – the SIL’s league cup – with six ties scheduled to kick off at 1.30pm, including holders Henley Athletic away to Saxmundham Sports. A number of matches in other divisions are scheduled for this final footballing day of the year as well.

The Thurlow Nunn U23 Division sees a number of Suffolk derbies rounding off the year, all kicking off at 3pm.

New Year’s Day brings some exciting Step 3 and 4 matches, with Needham Market looking forward to the short trip to AFC Sudbury whilst Leiston play Royston Town.

In the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division Felixstowe & Walton United face their second big derby of the period as they entertain Stowmarket Town, with Lowestoft Town playing Norfolk side Gorleston.

The final fixture of the festive period is on Friday, January 5th, with Haverhill Borough versus Needham Market U23s in the Thurlow Nunn League First Division North, before full programmes resume across all leagues from Saturday, January 6th 2024.

Fixture dates and kick off times are correct at time of publication. Before setting off, please check via their league website, direct with the host club, or via club social media accounts that matches are going ahead as planned.

Wishing you a restful, joyful and football-filled festive period; your local club will be delighted to welcome you!

Leiston (blue shirts) are pictured above in action versus St Albans City in this season’s Emirates FA Cup. Leiston have three home matches over the festive period.

Festive Period Fixtures

Non-Suffolk sides in italic; kick-offs 3pm unless stated:

Monday, December 18th

Thurlow Nunn League U23 Division

Bury Town U23s v Brantham Athletic U23s (7.45pm)

Tuesday, December 19th

Pitching In Isthmian League North Division

Stowmarket Town v Enfield (7.45pm)

Thurlow Nunn League League Challenge Cup

Kirkley & Pakefield v Lakenheath (7.45pm)

Wednesday, December 20th

Macron Suffolk & Ipswich League Senior Division

Coplestonians v Trimley Red Devils (7.45pm)

Friday, December 22nd

Essex & Suffolk Border League Premier Division

Sudbury Sports v Hatfield Peverel (7.45pm)

Saturday, December 23rd

Pitching In Southern League Premier Central

AFC Sudbury v Nuneaton Borough

Leiston v Stratford Town

Pitching In Isthmian League North Division

Bury Town v Lowestoft Town

Ipswich Wanderers v Felixstowe & Walton United

Stowmarket Town v Brightlingsea Regent

Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division

Brantham Athletic v Lakenheath

Hadleigh United v Sheringham

Kirkley & Pakefield v Woodbridge Town

Mildenhall Town v Walsham-le-Willows

Thurlow Nunn League First Division North

Cornard United v FC Peterborough

Framlingham Town v Whitton United

Needham Market U23s v Whittlesey Athletic

Macron Suffolk & Ipswich League Senior Division

East Bergholt United v Halesworth Town (2pm)

Henley Athletic v Wickham Market (2pm)

Leiston St Margarets v Haughley United (2pm)

Ransomes Sports v Debenham LC (2pm).

Stowupland Falcons v Old Newton United (2pm)

Tattingstone United v Sporting 87 (2pm)

Macron Suffolk & Ipswich League Division One

Capel Plough v Bacton United 89 (2pm)

Saxmundham Sports v Woolverstone United (2pm)

Thurston v Grundisburgh (2pm)

Macron Suffolk & Ipswich League Division Two

Coplestonians Res v Sporting 87 Res (2pm)

Great Blakenham Chequers Res v Ipswich Wanderers U23s (2pm)

Stonham Aspal v Wenhaston United (2pm)

Macron Suffolk & Ipswich League Division Three

Bacton United 89 Res v AFC Kesgrave Res (2pm)

Gipping Gnats v Framlingham Town ‘A’ (2pm)

Ransomes Sports Res v Laxfield (2pm)

Trimley Red Devils Res v East Bergholt United Res (2pm)

Macron Suffolk & Ipswich League Division Four

Coddenham Athletic v Coplestonians Development (2pm)

Grundisburgh Res v Henley Athletic Res (2pm)

Unity v Kesgrave Kestrels Res (2pm)

Woolverstone United Res v Capel Plough Res (2pm)

Macron Suffolk & Ipswich League Division Five

Debenham LC Res v Benhall St Mary Res (2pm)

East Bergholt United ‘A’ v AFC Kesgrave ‘A’ (2pm)

Samuels v Bacton United 89 ‘A’ (2pm)

Woolverstone United Res v Capel Plough Res (1.30pm)

Macron Suffolk & Ipswich League Division Six

Kesgrave Kestrels ‘A’ v Ipswich Vale Exiles (2pm)

Somersham Res v Saxmundham Sports Res (2pm)

Stowupland Falcons ‘A’ v Bramford United (2pm)

December 26th, Boxing Day

Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division

Hadleigh United v Brantham Athletic (11am)

Long Melford v Newmarket Town (11am)

Mildenhall Town v Lakenheath (11am)

Walsham-le-Willows v Thetford Town (11am)

Thurlow Nunn League First Division North

AFC Sudbury Res v Haverhill Rovers (11am)

Haverhill Borough v Cornard United (11am)

Saturday, December 30th

Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division

Leiston v Nuneaton Borough

Pitching In Isthmian League North Division

Bury Town v Grays Athletic

Ipswich Wanderers v Brentwood Town

Stowmarket Town v Lowestoft Town

Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division

Brantham Athletic v Soham Town Rangers

Kirkley & Pakefield v Mulbarton Wanderers

Lakenheath v Fakenham Town

Thurlow Nunn League Division One North

AFC Sudbury Res v Holland FC

Cornard United v Harwich & Parkeston

Framlingham Town v Haverhill Borough

Haverhill Rovers v Wivenhoe Town

Needham Market U23s v Leiston U23s

Whitton United v Stanway Pegasus

Thurlow Nunn League U23 Division

Hadleigh Utd U23s v Framlingham Town U23s

Long Melford U23s v Bury Town U23s

Walsham-le-Willows U23s v Brantham Athletic U23s

Woodbridge Town U23s v Lakenheath U23s

Macron Suffolk & Ipswich League Senior Division

East Bergholt Utd v Ransomes Sports (2pm)

Morrison Freight Cup Second Round

Bacton United 89 v Haughley United (1.30pm)

Debenham LC v Leiston St Margarets (1.30pm)

Grundisburgh v Woolverstone United (1.30pm)

Kirton Athletic v Claydon FC (1.30pm)

Saxmundham Sports v Henley Athletic (1.30pm)

Sporting 87 v Trimley Red Devils (1.30pm)

Macron Suffolk & Ipswich League Division Two

Claydon Res v Great Blakenham Chequers (2pm)

Ipswich Athletic v Sporting 87 Res (2pm)

Macron Suffolk & Ipswich League Division Three

Ransomes Sports Res v Bacton United 89 Res (2pm)

Redgrave Rangers v Framlingham Town ‘A’ (2pm)

Trimley Red Devils Res v Gipping Gnats (2pm)

January 1st, New Years Day

Pitching in Southern League Premier Central Division

AFC Sudbury v Needham Market

Leiston v Royston Town

Pitching In Isthmian League North Division

Felixstowe & Walton United v Stowmarket Town

Lowestoft Town v Gorleston

Friday, January 5th

Thurlow Nunn League First Division North

Haverhill Borough v Needham Market U23s (7.45pm)