Essex Olympian Football League
Country | England |
---|---|
Founded | 1966 |
Number of teams |
74 (six senior divisions) 12 (one Uunder 21 division) |
Level on pyramid | 11 |
Feeder to | Essex Senior League |
Promotion to | Essex Senior League (non-automatic) |
Current champions |
Kelvedon Hatch (2015-16) |
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 the Essex Senior Football League (which is officially step 5). 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.
In 2008 Takeley moved up the pyramid into the ESL. Prior to then the Olympian League has 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 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.
Clubs that finish in the top three of any lower-level league within the county, including the Bishop's Stortford League, Stansted & District League, Colchester & East Essex League, Romford & District League and the Southend Borough 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 2015–16 season
Premier Division
- Bishop's Stortford Swifts
- Buckhurst Hill
- Frenford Senior
- Hannakin's Farm
- Harold Hill
- Harold Wood Athletic
- Kelvedon Hatch
- Manford Way
- May & Baker Eastbrook
- Newbury Forest
- Newham United
- Rayleigh Town
- Springfield
- White Ensign
Division One
- Basildon Town
- Canning Town
- Galleywood
- Hutton
- Leigh Ramblers
- Old Chelmsfordians
- Old Southendian
- Ongar Town
- Runwell Hospital
- Shenfield Association
- Snaresbrook
- Toby
Division Two
- Catholic United
- East Londoners
- FC Hamlets
- Great Baddow
- Herongate Athletic
- Lakeside
- Leyton Orient Advanced Soccer School
- Old Barkabbeyans
- Ramsden Scotia
- Rochford Town
- Roydon
- Ryan
- Westhamians
Division Three
- Benfleet
- Broomfield
- Debden Sports
- Epping
- Frenford Senior Reserves
- Harold Wood Athletic Reserves
- Hutton Reserves
- Leytonstone United
- May & Baker Eastbrook Reserves
- Southend Sports
- Sungate
- Upminster
Division Four
- Canning Town Reserves
- Catholic United Reserves
- Kelvedon Hatch Reserves
- Leigh Ramblers Reserves
- Manford Way Reserves
- Newham United Reserves
- Old Barkabbeyans Reserves
- Old Chelmsfordians Reserves
- Old Southendian Reserves
- Rayleigh Town Reserves
- Runwell Hospital Reserves
- Toby Reserves
- White Ensign Reserves
Division Five
- Basildon Town Reserves
- Benfleet Reserves
- Dagenham United
- Galleywood Reserves
- Harold Hill Reserves
- Herongate Athletic Reserves
- Leytonstone United Reserves
- Shenfield Association Reserves
- Springfield Reserves
- Sungate Reserves
- Upminster Reserves
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 |