Essex Olympian Football League

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)
Relegation to Essex Alliance League
(for Premier Division)
Current champions Harold Wood Athletic
(2014–15)

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

Division One

Division Two

Division Three

Division Four

Division Five

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.

External links

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