Following Woodley United’s promotion and Bracknell Town missing out on a move to step four, we thought we’d have a purely speculative look at what the Uhlsport Hellenic Premier Division might look like for the 2017/18 season.
A few things to consider – we are assuming that the Premier Division will remain at 20 teams, and that the bottom side at the end of the 34 matches (Henley Town in this case) will be relegated to Division 1 – probably East.
Please note that this list is purely the opinion of the author and shouldn’t be interpreted as confirmation – that will happen at the Hellenic League AGM on 2nd July.
- Abingdon United – runners up in Hellenic League Division 1 West but could also be Hook Norton
- Ardley United
- Ascot United
- Binfield
- Brackley Town Saints
- Bracknell Town
- Brimscombe & Thrupp
- Burnham – finishing second bottom should save them
- Fairford Town – Hellenic League Division 1 West champions
- Flackwell Heath
- Highmoor Ibis
- Highworth Town
- Longlevens
- Lydney Town
- Oxford City Nomads
- Royal Wootton Bassett Town
- Thatcham Town
- Tuffley Rovers
- Wantage Town – relegated from the Southern League
- Woodley United – runners up in Hellenic League Division 1 East
If the Hellenic Premier Division were to return to 22 teams that could mean a reprieve for Henley and a further team joining from Division 1 West – currently Hook Norton who turned down a late chance to replace Cheltenham Saracens in the Premier Division in the summer of 2016.
There is a precedent for promoting the fourth placed team in the Hellenic’s Division 1’s if the league were intent on relegating Henley. Bracknell Town were promoting back to the Premier after finishing behind Rayners Lane, Headington Amateur’s and Woodley Town at the end of the 2012/13 season – although all three sides above them did not have the appropriate facilities at the time.
There is an excellent spreadsheet set here – again speculative and not by us – that shows what all non-league division’s might look like next season. The Hellenic Premier shows both Burnham and Henley Town relegated with Windsor moving across from the Combined Counties League.
That would line up like this:
- Abingdon United
- Ardley United
- Ascot United
- Binfield
- Brackley Town Saints
- Bracknell Town
- Brimscombe & Thrupp
- Fairford Town
- Flackwell Heath
- Highmoor Ibis
- Highworth Town
- Longlevens
- Lydney Town
- Oxford City Nomads
- Royal Wootton Bassett Town
- Thatcham Town
- Tuffley Rovers
- Wantage Town
- Windsor – switched across from Combined Counties League
- Woodley United
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