Hellenic Football League
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2010) |
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| Founded | 1953 |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Divisions | 2 (first teams) 4 (reserve teams) 3 (veteran teams) |
| Number of teams | 38 (plus reserve and veteran teams) |
| Level on pyramid | Levels 9–10, 12 |
| Feeder to | Southern League |
| Promotion to |
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| Relegation to |
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| Domestic cup(s) | FA Cup FA Vase League: Challenge Cup Supplementary Cup Floodlit Challenge Cup Premier Division Benevolent Challenge Cup Division 1 Benevolent Challenge Cup |
| Current champions | Premier: Wantage Town East: Burnham West: Easington Sports (2018–19) |
| Website | Official website |
| Current: 2021–22 Hellenic Football League | |
The Hellenic Football League, currently known as the Uhlsport Hellenic Football League for sponsorship reasons, is an English men's football league covering an area including the English counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, southern Buckinghamshire, southern Herefordshire and northern Wiltshire. There were also teams from Berkshire and one each from Hampshire and Northamptonshire until the 2020–21 season.
History[]
The league was established in 1953. In the 2000–01 season, the Hellenic League absorbed the Chiltonian League and now has a Premier Division, Division One East, Division One West and Division Two East, Division Two West feeding into them. In the 2006–07 season the Hellenic League absorbed the Banbury District and Lord Jersey FA Veterans League with three Divisions now under the Hellenic Veterans League title.
Starting with the 2004–05 re-organisation the Hellenic League became a step 5 and 6 league in the National League System. Premier Division clubs play at Step 5 level, which offers progression to the Southern Football League Division One (Step 4) for Premier Division winners who have the required ground status.
Hellenic League Division One teams play at Step 6 level, promotion to the Step 5 Premier Division can be gained by clubs finishing in the top two of Division One dependent on required ground facilities as specified by The Football Association. Acceptance to HL Division One is offered to teams playing in the various Step 7 county leagues of the related Hellenic League area.
38 teams play in the Hellenic Premier and Division One. 18 teams play at Veterans level (players aged 35 or over).
Champions[]
The league started with only a Premier Division, before Division One was added in 1956.
| Season | Premier Division[1] | Division One[2] |
|---|---|---|
| 1953–54 | Didcot Town | |
| 1954–55 | Witney Town | |
| 1955–56 | Headington United reserves | |
| 1956–57 | Abingdon Town | Luton Town Colts |
| 1957–58 | Witney Town | Aylesbury Town Corinthians |
| 1958–59 | Abingdon Town | Thatcham |
| 1959–60 | Abingdon Town | |
| 1960–61 | Bicester Town | Chipping Norton Town |
| 1961–62 | Thame United | Botley United |
| 1962–63 | Yiewsley reserves | Amersham Town |
| 1963–64 | Amersham Town | Henley Town |
| 1964–65 | Witney Town | Thatcham |
| 1965–66 | Witney Town | Princes Risborough Town |
| 1966–67 | Witney Town | Pinehurst |
| 1967–68 | Henley Town | |
| 1968–69 | Wallingford Town | Oxford City reserves |
| 1969–70 | Thame United | Clanfield |
| 1970–71 | Witney Town | Hungerford Town |
For the 1971–72 season, Division One was split into Division One A and B.
| Season | Premier Division[1] | Division One A[2] | Division One B[2] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971–72 | Witney Town | Fairford Town | Chipping Norton Town |
The following season, Division One A and B were merged.
| Season | Premier Division[1] | Division One[2] |
|---|---|---|
| 1972–73 | Witney Town | Thatcham |
| 1973–74 | Cirencester Town | |
| 1974–75 | Thatcham Town | Maidenhead Town |
| 1975–76 | Burnham | Abingdon Town |
| 1976–77 | Didcot Town | |
| 1977–78 | Chipping Norton Town | Bicester Town |
| 1978–79 | Newbury Town | Northwood |
| 1979–80 | Bicester Town | |
| 1980–81 | Newbury Town | Wantage Town |
| 1981–82 | Forest Green Rovers | Lambourn Sports |
| 1982–83 | Rayners Lane | |
| 1983–84 | Almondsbury Greenway | |
| 1984–85 | Shortwood United | Pegasus Juniors |
| 1985–86 | Sharpness | Viking Sports |
| 1986–87 | Abingdon Town | Bishops Cleeve |
| 1987–88 | Yate Town | Cheltenham Town reserves |
| 1988–89 | Yate Town | Almondsbury Picksons |
| 1989–90 | Newport | Carterton Town |
| 1990–91 | Milton United | Cinderford Town |
| 1991–92 | Shortwood United | Wollen Sports |
| 1992–93 | Wollen Sports | Tuffley Rovers |
| 1993–94 | Carterton Town | |
| 1994–95 | Cinderford Town | |
| 1995–96 | Cirencester Town | Purton |
| 1996–97 | Brackley Town | Ardley United |
| 1997–98 | Swindon Supermarine | Ardley United |
| 1998–99 | Burnham | Pegasus Juniors |
| 1999–2000 | Banbury United | Cheltenham Saracens |
In 2000, the league absorbed the Chiltonian League and Division One was regionalised into East and West.
In 2021, Division One East and West were merged again.
Cup winners[]
The Hellenic League football cups are the Floodlit Cup until 2018–19, the Supplementary Cup and the Challenge Cup.[3]
| Season | Supplementary Cup | Challenge Cup |
|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | Abingdon United | Kidlington Reserves |
References[]
- ^ a b c d "Uhlsport Hellenic Football League | Premier Division Honours". Uhlsport Hellenic Football League. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "Uhlsport Hellenic Football League | League Division One Honours". Uhlsport Hellenic Football League. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
- ^ "Uhlsport Hellenic Football League | Cup Winners". Uhlsport Hellenic Football League. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
External links[]
- Hellenic Football League
- 1953 establishments in England
- Football leagues in England
- Sports leagues established in 1953