Hope Valley Amateur League

The inaugural meeting was held in the Marquis of Granby at Bamford in 1905, at the request of Mr W. Royce of Castleton. the League flourished until the start of World War Two. It provided competitive football for the villagers and for construction workers from the Bole Hill, Derwent and Howden Reservoirs.

The League was reformed after the Second World War in 1945 by Harry Schofield of Hathersage and Walter Green of Bamford but by 1953 there was a sharp decline in fortunes and only sic teams took part. Early fixture cards show that part of the problem lay with ill-drained pitches. The completion of construction work on the reservoirs also reduced the number of available players.

The reduction in the number of teams led to a revision of the geographic boundaries of the league and as a consequence participation increased. By 1972 the league boasted four divisions. From records supplied by the current Hope Valley League it would appear that Dore Football Club had ceased to be an active member of the league by this time.

Currently Hope Valley League has three divisions with 41 teams. Over the years it has always been noted for its high standard of sportsmanship and it is still committed to this tradition.