Essex Olympian Football League
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.
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| Founded | 1966 |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Number of teams | 76 (six senior divisions) 14 (one Under 21 division) |
| Level on pyramid | 11–16 |
| Feeder to | Eastern Counties Football League |
| Promotion to | Eastern Counties Football League Division One South |
| Current champions | Buckhurst Hill (2018–19) |
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.
In 2008 Takeley moved up the pyramid into the ESL. Prior to then the Olympian League had not sent a club to the Essex Senior League for over a decade, causing the ESL 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, in the past, 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. In 2017 the FA announced a step 6 (level 10) division for Essex and East Anglia in the Eastern Counties Football League that starts playing in the 2018–19 season.[1]
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. Additionally, the top three clubs of the Essex Alliance League can also apply to join the highest level of the Essex Olympian League, subject to conditions and criteria.
Members for the 2019–20 season
Source:[2]
Premier Division
- Basildon Town
- Bishop's Stortford Swifts
- Buckhurst Hill
- Canning Town
- Catholic United
- Harold Wood Athletic
- Hutton
- Kelvedon Hatch
- Leigh Ramblers
- Old Southendians
- Rayleigh Town
- Shenfield AFC
- Springfield
- Sungate
Division One
- Chingford Athletic
- FC Hamlets
- Galleywood
- Herongate Athletic
- Lakeside
- Manford Way
- Old Chelmsfordians
- Ongar Town
- Ramsden Scotia
- Rayleigh Town Reserves
- Runwell Sports
- Shoebury Town
- Snaresbrook
- Toby
Division Two
- AS Rawreth
- Beacon Hill Rovers
- Corinthians
- Epping Town
- Harold Wood Athletic Reserves
- Laindon Orient
- Leigh Town
- May & Baker E.C. Reserves
- Old Southendian Reserves
- Rochford Town
- Ryan
- Wakering Sports
- Westhamians
Division Three
- ACD United
- Basildon Town Reserves
- Collier Row
- Corinthians Reserves
- Dagenham United
- Hullbridge Sports A
- Hutton Reserves
- Lakeside Reserves
- Leigh Town Reserves
- Toby Reserves
- Wakebury
- White Ensign Reserves
Division Four
- AS Rawreth Reserves
- Canning Town Reserves
- Catholic United Reserves
- Chingforn Athletic Development
- Forest Glade
- Laindon Orient Reserves
- Leytonstone United
- Old Chelmsfordians Reserves
- Ongar Town Reserves
- Roydon
- Shenfield AFC Reserves
- Wakering Sports Reserves
Division Five
- Bishops Stortford Swifts Reserves
- Collier Row Reserves
- Harold Wood Athletic Development
- Herongate Athletic Reserves
- Leigh Ramblers Reserves
- Newbury Forest Reserves
- Old Barkabbeyans
- Rochford Town Reserves
- Roydon Reserves
- Runwell Sports Reserves
- Shoebury Town Reserves
- Springfield Reserves
- Wakering Sports A
Past champions
1966–81
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
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
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
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 Association | Chingford Athletic | Old Southendian Reserves | Corinthians | Corinthians Reserves |
References
- "New Step 6 League". Essex Olympian Football League. 8 October 2017.
- http://eofl.co.uk/historic-cup/2018-2019-constitution/. Missing or empty
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