Hellenic Football League
English football league
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire and their surrounding areas, such as parts of Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Northamptonshire, Wiltshire, and Warwickshire.
2 (reserve & development teams)
2 (veteran teams)
| |
| Founded | 1953 |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Divisions | 2 (first teams) 2 (reserve & development teams) 2 (veteran teams) |
| Number of clubs | 38 (not including teams in reserve & development and veterans leagues) |
| Level on pyramid | Levels 9–10 (Premier Division; Division One) |
| Feeder to | Southern League |
| Promotion to | Southern League Division One Central or South |
| Relegation to | |
| 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 | Slimbridge (Premier) FC Stratford (Division One) (2025–26) |
| Website | www |
| Current: 2026–27 season | |
History
The league was established in 1953. In the 2000–01 season, the Hellenic League absorbed the Chiltonian League. The league now has a Premier Division and Division One as part of the National League System. The league also runs Division Two East, Division Two West, Division Two North and Division Two South below the National League System. 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).
Current members
Step 5 (Premier Division)
Premier Division is at Level 9 (Step 5) in the football pyramid above four smaller local leagues below the recognised National League System. There are 21 clubs in this division as of the 26/27 season.[1][2]
| Club | Home ground | Ground capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Bradford Town[2] | Bradford on Avon [3] | 1,200 [3] |
| Cirencester Town | Corinium Stadium | 4,500 |
| Corsham Town | Southbank | 1,200 |
| Cribbs | The Lawns | 1,000 |
| Droitwich Spa | King George V Ground | 2,000 |
| Fairford Town | Cinder Lane | 2,000 |
| Hallen AFC | The Hallen Centre | 2,000 |
| Hartpury University | Hartpury University Stadium | 2,000 |
| Hereford Pegasus | Old School Lane | 2,000 |
| Highworth Town | The Elms Recreational Ground | 2,000 |
| Longlevens AFC | Saw Mills End[4] | 500[4] |
| Lydney Town | Lydney Recreational Ground | 700 |
| Mangotsfield United | Crossham Street | 2,500 |
| Pershore Town | Community Stadium | 4,000 |
| Roman Glass St George | Oaklands Park | 2,000 |
| Royal Wootton Bassett Town | New Gerard Buxton Sports Ground | 4,500[5] |
| Slimbridge | Thornbill Park | 1,500 |
| Thornbury Town | Mundy Playing FIeld | 1,000[6] |
| Tuffley Rovers | Glevum Park | 1,000 |
| Westfields | allpay.park | 2,000 |
| Worcester Raiders | Claines Lane | 1,400 |
Step 6 (Division One)
Division One is at Level 10 (Step 6) in the football pyramid. There are 18 clubs in this division as of the 26/27 season.[7]
| Club | Home ground | Ground capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Alcester Town | Stratford Road | 1.500[8] |
| Bewdley Town | Ribbesford Meadows | 200[9] |
| Brimscombe & Thrupp | The Meadow | 3,000[10] |
| Carterton | Kilkenny Lane | 1,500 |
| Cheltenham Saracens | Petersfield Park | 1,000[11] |
| Chipping Sodbury Town | The Ridings | 1,000[12] |
| Clanfield 85 | Radcot Road | 2,000 |
| FC Stratford | Arden Garages Stadium | 2,800[13] |
| Ludlow Town | Ludlow Football Stadium | 1,000[14] |
| Malmesbury Victoria | The Flying Monk Ground | 1,000[15] |
| Newent Town | Wildsmith Meadow | 2,000 |
| Redditch Borough | Cherry Tree Stadium | 3,000 |
| Shortwood United | Meadowbank Ground | 2,000 |
| Stonehouse Town | Oldends Lane[16] | 3,000[17] |
| Thame United Reserves | Meadow View Park | 2,500 |
| Wantage Town | Alfredian Park | 1,500 |
| Wellington | Wellington Playing Fields | 1,500[18] |
| Woodford United | Byfield Road | 3,000 |
Division Two – "Alliance Leagues"
Below Division One, there are two divisions, the Alliance League East and the Alliance League West.[19] These two leagues, with a few exceptions, are made up entirely of reserve or development teams. These two leagues are not formally in the league pyramid, and promotion and relegation into/from the Hellenic League happens from Division one.
Champions
The league started with only a Premier Division, before Division One was added in 1956.
| Season | Premier Division[20] | Division One[21] |
|---|---|---|
| 1953–54 | Didcot Town | |
| 1954–55 | Witney Town | |
| 1955–56 | Headington United 'A' | |
| 1956–57 | Abingdon Town | Luton Town Colts |
| 1957–58 | Witney Town | Aylesbury Town Corinthians |
| 1958–59 | Abingdon Town | Thatcham |
| 1959–60 | Abingdon Town | Hazells |
| 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 | Hazells | 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[20] | Division One A[21] | Division One B[21] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971–72 | Witney Town | Fairford Town | Chipping Norton Town |
The following season, Division One A and B were merged and a Division Two was created.
The following season, Division One and Division Two were merged.
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.
| Season | Premier Division | Division One |
|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Bishop's Cleeve | Studley |
| 2022–23 | Cribbs | Pershore Town |
| 2023–24 | Worcester City | Hartpury University |
| 2024–25 | Hartpury University | Droitwich Spa |
| 2025–26 | Slimbridge | FC Stratford |
Cup winners
The Hellenic League football cups are the Supplementary Cup, the Challenge Cup and the Floodlit Cup.[23]