Four Hellenic Premier League sides apply for promotion to Step 4 in 2016/17

The Uhlsport Hellenic Football League website has revealed four Premier Division teams have applied for promotion to Step 4 of the non league football pyramid.

The likely destination for any team meeting the promotion criteria (details on that below) would be the Southern League Division 1 Central or South & West.

Only one side is eligible for promotion from the Hellenic Premier League and must finish either first or second in the league to be eligible.

Last season Kidlington, Flackwell Heath and Thatcham Town all applied for promotion with the champions Kiddy moving in to the Southern League.

This season the teams that have applied for promotion are:

• Bracknell Town
• Flackwell Heath
• Thame United
• Thatcham Town

The Heathens won the League in 2014/15 but turned down promotion after being placed in the South & West division.

According to getbucks.co.uk the Hellenic Premier champions thought they were bound for Southern One Central, where their reward for a historic title winning season season would be around a dozen or so derbies against clubs within a 30-mile radius.

Promotion criteria

Clubs wishing to accept promotion to step 4 of the non-league pyramid must finish in the top two of their respective step 5 league. Only one side will be promoted per division with the runner up being offered if the first placed side doesn’t meet criteria.

In addition, a club looking for promotion must have obtained a ‘Grade D’ rating for their ground by the end of March 2017.