Essex Olympian Football League

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Essex Olympian Football League
Founded1966
CountryEngland
Number of teams69 (six senior divisions)
Level on pyramid11–16
Feeder toEastern Counties Football League
Promotion toEastern Counties Football League Division One South
Current championsHutton
(2022–23)

The Essex Olympian Football League is a football competition based in England, founded in the 1966–67 season. It has a total of six senior divisions and one under 21 division. The Premier Division sits at step 7 (or level 11) of the National League System and it is a feeder to Division One South of the Eastern Counties Football League. Between 1986 and 2005, the league was known as the Essex Intermediate League.

Clubs to progress up the pyramid from the league include Billericay Town, Brentwood Town, Bowers United, Sawbridgeworth Town, Burnham Ramblers, Hullbridge Sports and Great Wakering Rovers.

The clubs that finish in the top three of the Colchester & East Essex League, Romford & District League or the Southend Borough & District Combination can apply to join the lowest level of the Essex Olympian League.

History[edit]

In 1966, the Essex Olympian Football League was founded, following a meeting at the Saracens Head pub in Chelmsford. The first league constitution consisted of Basildon & Pitsea, Billericay Town, Bishop's Stortford Swifts, Bowers United, Burnham Ramblers, Collier Row, Dorstel Press, Dunmow, Little Waltham, Old Chelmsfordians and Sawbridgeworth, with Burnham Ramblers winning the first edition of the Essex Olympian League, finishing four points above Little Waltham.[1] Little Waltham left the league at the end of the inaugural 1966–67 season, with British Mathews, Critalls, Essex County Council Staff and Manor Athletic all joining to take the constitution up to 16 clubs.[2] In 1981, a Second Division was added with eight clubs (Baddow Royals, Basildon Sports, Caribbean International Sports, Chigwell Villa, Civil Service Olympian, Cossor Sports, Ekco and Rayleigh Athletic) joining the league system.[3]

In 1986, the league was renamed to the Essex Intermediate League,[4] adding a Division Three three years later.[5]

In 2005, the league renamed itself back to its original Essex Olympian League name.[6] In 2008, Takeley moved up the pyramid into the Essex Senior League. Before then the Olympian League had not sent a club to the Essex Senior League for over a decade, causing the Essex Senior League to look elsewhere in Essex for new member clubs, including lower leagues and leagues outside the National League System such as the now-defunct Essex Business Houses Football League. Clubs from this league have previously been able to jump straight into the Essex Senior League due to the facilities at which they play, not where they finished in the Essex Business Houses League.[7] The following year, in 2009, a Division Three was added, taking the number of leagues administered by the Essex Olympian League up to four.[8] In 2015, two more leagues were added to the system, being named Division Four and Division Five.[9] In 2017, The Football Association announced a step 6 (level 10) division for Essex and East Anglia in the Eastern Counties Football League to start playing in the 2018–19 season, meaning the Essex Olympian League would drop to step 7 in Non-league.[10] In March 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Football Association announced all leagues from step 3 to 7 on the National League System would be cancelled, with all results being expunged.[11] In November 2020, the Essex Olympian League was suspended, owing to a second wave of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom.[12] The league was eventually resumed in April 2021, becoming one of the only leagues in England to resume play after the suspension in November 2020. Buckhurst Hill were promoted at the end of the 2020–21 season, after winning the Premier Division, gaining promotion to the Eastern Counties League Division One South.[13][14]

Member clubs (2023–24)[edit]

The league has 64 teams spread over five divisions for the 2023–24 season:

Premier Division
  • Bishop's Stortford Swifts
  • Canning Town
  • Catholic United
  • Harold Wood Athletic
  • Kelvedon Hatch
  • Leigh Ramblers
  • Old Chelmsfordians
  • Old Southendians
  • Rayleigh Town
  • Runwell Sports
  • Shenfield
  • Springfield
  • Sungate
  • Toby

Division One

Division Two

Division Three

  • Basildon Town 'A'
  • Bishop's Stortford Swifts
  • Collier Row
  • Emerson & Upminster
  • Herongate Athletic
  • Hullbridge Sports Reserves
  • Manford Way Reserves
  • Old Chelmsfordians Reserves
  • Pitsea Town
  • Runwell Sports Reserves
  • Springfield Reserves
  • Takeley Development

Division Four

  • AS Rawreth Reserves
  • Canning Town Reserves
  • Corinthians Reserves
  • Galleywood Reserves
  • Harold Hill Reserves
  • Leytonstone United
  • Pitsea Athletic Reserves
  • Shenfield 'A'
  • Shoebury Town Reserves
  • Sungate Reserves
  • Toby Reserves
  • Wakering Sports 'A'

Past champions[edit]

1966–81[edit]

The league originally consisted of a single section of 13 clubs, reaching a peak of 18 clubs by 1969–70.

Season Champions
1966–67 Burnham Ramblers
1967–68 Writtle
1968–69 Basildon Town
1969–70 Billericay Town
1970–71 Billericay Town
1971–72 Sawbridgeworth
1972–73 Chadwell Heath
1973–74 Chadwell Heath
1974–75 Chadwell Heath
1975–76 Essex Police
1976–77 Collier Row Motor Gear
1977–78 Runwell Hospital
1978–79 Rayleigh
1979–80 Essex Police
1980–81 Rayleigh Town

1981–89[edit]

In 1981, a second division was added. The league ran with two divisions for nine years. During this period, the league was renamed the Essex Intermediate League in 1986.

Season Division One Division Two
1981–82 Herongate Athletic Rayleigh Athletic
1982–83 Herongate Athletic Dunmow
1983–84 Rayleigh Town Essex Police
1984–85 Rayleigh Town Shell Club
1985–86 Essex Police Cossor Sports
1986–87 Essex Police Hambros Bank
1987–88 Takeley Standard (Harlow)
1988–89 Benfleet Upminster

1989–2007[edit]

In 1989, a third division was added. The league reverted to its original name, the Essex Olympian League in 2005.

Season Division One Division Two Division Three
1989–90 Rayleigh Town Kelvedon Hatch Great Baddow
1990–91 Herongate Athletic Concord Rangers Great Wakering Rovers
1991–92 Standard (Harlow) Great Wakering Rovers Loughton
1992–93 Standard (Harlow) South Woodham Ferrers Danbury Trafford
1993–94 Kelvedon Hatch Takeley Ongar Town
1994–95 Writtle Sporting Club Henderson Great Baddow
1995–96 Kelvedon Hatch Frenford Senior Hutton
1996–97 Kelvedon Hatch Runwell Hospital Bishop's Stortford Swifts
1997–98 Danbury Trafford Bishop's Stortford Swifts Shell Club
1998–99 Bishop's Stortford Swifts Sandon Royals Basildon Town
1999–2000 Bishop's Stortford Swifts Nortel (Harlow) Wanstead Town
2000–01 Rayleigh Town Canning Town Linford Wanderers
2001–02 Takeley Epping Stambridge United
2002–03 Bishop's Stortford Swifts White Ensign Debden Sports
2003–04 White Ensign Debden Sports Faces
2004–05 White Ensign White Notley Linford Wanderers
2005–06 Harold Wood Athletic Canning Town Ongar Town
2006–07 White Ensign Benfleet Potter Street

2007 to date[edit]

In 2007 the divisions were renamed Premier, One and Two.

Season Premier Division Division One Division Two
2007–08 White Ensign Potter Street Linford Wanderers
2008–09 Harold Wood Athletic Westhamians Sungate
2009–10 Harold Wood Athletic May & Baker Club Romford Reserves

In 2010 a Division Three was added.

Season Premier Division Division One Division Two Division Three
2010–11 Kelvedon Hatch Hutton Wadham Lodge Springfield
2011–12 Frenford Senior Southminster St. Leonards Springfield Old Barkabbeyans
2012–13 Frenford Senior Bishop's Stortford Swifts Old Barkabbeyans Debden Sports

In 2013 an Under 21 Division was added.

Season Premier Division Division One Division Two Division Three Under 21 Division
2013–14 Southminster St Leonards Newham United Ongar Town Rochford Town Ryan
2014–15 Harold Wood Athletic Harold Hill Basildon Town Catholic United Frenford Senior

In 2015 the two reserve divisions were promoted to senior status and renamed Divisions Four and Five, along with the three higher divisions, leaving just one Under-21 division below that.

Season Premier Division Division One Division Two Division Three Division Four Division Five Under 21 Division
2015–16 Kelvedon Hatch Canning Town Catholic United Benfleet Old Chelmsfordians Reserves Galleywood Reserves FC Clacton
2016–17 Springfield Basildon Town Sungate May & Baker Eastbrook Reserves Manford Way Reserves Basildon Town Reserves Lakeside
2017–18 Catholic United Buckhurst Hill May & Baker Eastbrook Reserves Manford Way Reserves Chingford Athletic Westhamians Corinthians
2018–19 Buckhurst Hill Shenfield Chingford Athletic Old Southendian Reserves Corinthians Corinthians Reserves
2019–20 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 Buckhurst Hill Ongar Town Leigh Town ACD United Catholic United Reserves Wakering Sports 'A'
2021–22 Ongar Town Toby ACD United Hashtag United Development Chingford Athletic Reserves Bishop's Stortford Swifts Reserves
2022–23 Hutton Old Chelmsfordians Shoebury Town Basildon Town Reserves Leigh Ramblers Reserves Manford Way Reserves

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Season 1966-67". Essex Olympian Football League. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  2. ^ "1967-68 Essex Olympian League". Football Club Historical Database. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  3. ^ "1981-82 Essex Olympian League". Football Club Historical Database. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  4. ^ "1986-87 Essex Intermediate League". Football Club Historical Database. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  5. ^ "1989-90 Essex Intermediate League". Football Club Historical Database. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  6. ^ "2005-06 Essex Olympian League". Football Club Historical Database. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  7. ^ "2007-08 Essex Olympian League". Football Club Historical Database. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  8. ^ "2008-09 Essex Olympian League". Football Club Historical Database. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  9. ^ "2015-16 Essex Olympian League". Football Club Historical Database. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  10. ^ "New Step 6 League". Essex Olympian Football League. 8 October 2017.
  11. ^ "FA Statement Regarding Season 2019-2020". Essex Olympian Football League. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  12. ^ "06-11-2020 FA COVID-19 UPDATE". Essex Olympian Football League. 8 November 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  13. ^ "Promotion at end of May to Go Ahead". Essex Olympian Football League. 16 May 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  14. ^ "National League System club allocations – steps 5/6, season 2021–22" (.pdf). The Football Association. Retrieved 4 July 2021.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Essex_Olympian_Football_League&oldid=1189339927"