Football clubs began to be formed in villages in North Berkshire in about 1905-06 and friendly games were arranged between them,but often teams failed to keeps its agreement.About this time Jim Welsh ( he was the last official Wantage town crier ) and Arthur.A.Dobell,chairman and secretary of the Wantage Town Football Club decided that a competition should be formed from the clubs.

Mr A.E.Strauss then MP for North Berkshire was approached, and was enthusiastic about the idea and agreed to present a trophy, to be competed for by amateur football teams in North Berkshire for the encouragement of the game in the villages. Mr Strauss wanted to know which was the most valuable trophy in the country and it was believed that the Eastbourne charity cup held the distinction and despite the protest of Mr Dobell, Mr Strauss was adamant on the point that nothing was too good for North Berkshire,and that is how the competition came to possess such a valuable trophy as the Strauss Challenge Cup.

The first meeting was called at Wantage on Feb 28^th 1907, and a copy of that letter is now in the archives of the competitions.Mr Strauss was the first President ,A.A.Dobell ( Treasurer ), E.J.Jones of Abingdon ( Secretary ), and a real good secretary he proved to be,for there seems no doubt that the success of the competition is due to the sound basis he established.

It was on May 3^rd 1907 the North Berks Junior Challenge Cup competition  came into being.The first final was played on Abingdon Town's ground between Long Wittenham and Faringdon Town and resulted in a win for Long Wittenham