Clubs from the league to progress up the pyramid include Whitton United, Sudbury Town, Hadleigh United, Woodbridge Town, Needham Market, Walsham-le-Willows, and Debenham LC.

The Ipswich and District League was established in 1896 at the initiative of Frederick Gibbons, the secretary of St Lawrence Works.

[1] Gibbons placed an advert in the East Anglian Daily Times stating that he intended to launch a football league for Ipswich and the surrounding area.

[2] The inaugural meeting on 10 September 1896 was attended by officials from 18 clubs including Brantham Athletic, Ipswich Town and Orwell Works.

[1] Divisions between the Amateur Football Association (AFA) and the Football Association (which had created a split in the Suffolk County Football Association) led to a small number of clubs leaving the league (which was affiliated to the AFA) in 1910 and setting up a rival FA Ipswich & District League.