The Grantham Link Services Youth Football League, as it was rather long windedly known back then, was formed in 1990 under the auspices of the local Fire Brigade, Police, and Youth services. The hope was that it would give the youngsters who lived in certain areas of Grantham something of interest with which to become involved and hence curb the number of hoax calls being received at the police and fire stations.
Initially there were only some 5 or 6 teams. However, those that there were adopted real gung ho names. Names like Ropsley Rockets, Tennyson Terriers, Earlesfield Racers and the ominous sounding Ancaster Assassins.
From those small beginnings the Grantham Youth Football League, as it is now known, has grown. There are now over 70 teams affiliated to the alliance in age groups ranging from 6 to 16 and it takes care of much of the junior football requirements in the south of the county.
The league has seen myriad changes over the years, many of which have been passed down by the Football Association. They include the afore mentioned Respect campaign. Also the Safeguarding Children programme, necessitating the appointment of County, League and Club Welfare Officers together with the requirement that every adult officially connected to a club be CRB checked. Then there is the FA Club Charter Standard award, which ensures that all GYFL clubs adhere to the very exacting criteria of behaviour and procedure laid down by the FA. However most importantly on the 26th of April 2011 between two of the leagues Cup Finals and in front of a large crowd at the Meres Stadium Grantham, the league was awarded The Football Association’s League Charter Standard, making it, at the time of awarding, only the second alliance in the whole of Lincolnshire to have been granted this prestigious honour. It is a tribute that will long into the future, quite rightly, be looked on with a great deal of pride by everyone connected to the league.