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 The National League System comprises the six levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the English Football League. It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association. The National League System has a h ...

and it is a feeder to Division One South of the

Eastern Counties Football League The Eastern Counties Football League, currently known as the Thurlow Nunn League for sponsorship purposes, is an English football league at levels 9 and 10 of the English football league system. It currently contains clubs from Norfolk, Suffol ...

. 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 Billericay Town Football Club is a football club based in Billericay, Essex, England. The club are currently members of and play at New Lodge. They are the second most successful club in FA Vase history, having won the competition on three o ...

Brentwood Town Brentwood Town Football Club is a football club based in Brentwood, Essex, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Brentwood Centre Arena. History A Brentwood Football Club was established in the 19th century, and played ...

, Bowers United, Sawbridgeworth Town, Burnham Ramblers, Hullbridge Sports and Great Wakering Rovers. The clubs that finish in the top three of the Colchester & East Essex League, Romford & District League or the Southend Borough & District Combination can apply to join the lowest level of the Essex Olympian League.

History

In 1966, the Essex Olympian Football League was founded, following a meeting at the Saracens Head pub in

Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of London a ...

. The first league constitution consisted of Basildon & Pitsea,

, Bishop's Stortford Swifts, Bowers United, Burnham Ramblers, Collier Row, Dorstel Press, Dunmow, Little Waltham, Old Chelmsfordians and

Sawbridgeworth Sawbridgeworth is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England, close to the border with Essex. It is east of Hertford and north of Epping. It is the northernmost part of the Greater London Built-up Area. History Prior to the Norman ...

, with Burnham Ramblers winning the first edition of the Essex Olympian League, finishing four points above Little Waltham. Little Waltham left the league at the end of the inaugural 1966–67 season, with British Mathews, Critalls,

Essex County Council Essex County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Essex in England. It has 75 councillors, elected from 70 divisions, and is currently controlled by the Conservative Party. The council meets at County Hall ...

Staff and Manor Athletic all joining to take the constitution up to 16 clubs. In 1981, a Second Division was added with eight clubs (Baddow Royals, Basildon Sports, Caribbean International Sports, Chigwell Villa, Civil Service Olympian, Cossor Sports,

Ekco EKCO (from Eric Kirkham Cole Limited) was a British electronics company producing radio and television sets from 1924 until 1960. Expanding into plastic production for its own use, Ekco Plastics produced both radio cases and later domestic plasti ...

and Rayleigh Athletic) joining the league system. In 1986, the league was renamed to the Essex Intermediate League, adding a Division Three three years later. In 2005, the league renamed itself back to its original Essex Olympian League name. In 2008,

Takeley __NOTOC__ Takeley is a village and civil parish in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. History A number of theories have arisen over the origin of the village's name. One believes the village's name was a corruption from the "Teg-Ley" of ...

moved up the pyramid into the

Essex Senior League The Essex Senior Football League is an English men's football league. It contains clubs from the Essex FA, Hertfordshire FA, London FA, Middlesex FA and the Amateur Football Alliance. It is a feeder league to Division One North of the Isthm ...

. Before then the Olympian League had not sent a club to the Essex Senior League for over a decade, causing the Essex Senior League to look elsewhere in Essex for new member clubs, including lower leagues and leagues outside the

such as the now-defunct Essex Business Houses Football League. Clubs from this league have previously 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. The following year, in 2009, a Division Three was added, taking the number of leagues administered by the Essex Olympian League up to four. In 2015, two more leagues were added to the system, being named Division Four and Division Five. In 2017,

The Football Association The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the ...

announced a step 6 (level 10) division for Essex and East Anglia in the

to start playing in the 2018–19 season, meaning the Essex Olympian League would drop to step 7 in

Non-league Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to d ...

. In March 2020, as a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, the Football Association announced all leagues from step 3 to 7 on the National League System would be cancelled, with all results being expunged. In November 2020, the Essex Olympian League was suspended, owing to a second wave of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom. The league was eventually resumed in April 2021, becoming one of the only leagues in England to resume play after the suspension in November 2020.

Buckhurst Hill Buckhurst Hill is an affluent suburban town in the Epping Forest District, Epping Forest district of Essex, England. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and adjacent to the northern boundary of the London Borough of Redbridge. The area de ...

were promoted at the end of the 2020–21 season, after winning the Premier Division, gaining promotion to the

Eastern Counties League The Eastern Counties Football League, currently known as the Thurlow Nunn League for sponsorship purposes, is an English football league at levels 9 and 10 of the English football league system. It currently contains clubs from Norfolk, Suff ...

Division One South.

Members for the 2022–23 season

Source:

Premier Division

*Bishop's Stortford Swifts *

Canning Town Canning Town is a district in the London Borough of Newham, East London. The district is located to the north of the Royal Victoria Dock, and has been described as the "Child of the Victoria Docks" as the timing and nature of its urbanisation ...

* Catholic United *Galleywood *Hutton *Kelvedon Hatch *Leigh Ramblers *Old Southendians *Rayleigh Town *Runwell Sports *Shenfield *Springfield *Sungate *Toby

Division One

*ACD United *Beacon Hill Rovers *Corinthians * Epping Town *

Harold Hill Harold Hill is a suburban area in the London Borough of Havering, East London. northeast of Charing Cross. It is a district centre in the London Plan. The name refers to King Harold II, who held the manor of Havering-atte-Bower, and who was k ...

*Harold Wood Athletic *Herongate Athletic *Leigh Town *Manford Way *Old Chelmsfordians *Wakering Sports

Division Two

*AS Rawreth * Catholic United Reserves *Harold Wood Athletic Reserves *

Hashtag United Hashtag United Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Essex, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Len Salmon Stadium. Founded in 2016 by YouTube personality Spencer Carmichael-Brown, the club original ...

Development *Hutton Reserves *

May & Baker May & Baker was a British chemical company founded by John May and William Gerrard Baker in Wandsworth, London in 1839. They initially specialized in the manufacture of chemicals derived from mercury and bismuth. Over the years they diversified ...

'A' *Old Southendian Reserves *Rayleigh Town Reserves *Shoebury Town *Wakebury *Wakering Sports Reserves

Division Three

* Basildon Town Reserves *

U23 *Chingford Athletic Reserves *Corinthians Reserves * Hullbridge Sports Reserves *Leigh Town Reserves *Old Chelmsfordians Reserves *Pitsea Athletic *Rochford Town *Springfield Reserves *Toby Reserves

Division Four

*Bishop's Stortford Swifts Reserves *Collier Row *Galleywood Reserves *Herongate Athletic Reserves *Leigh Ramblers Reserves *Leytonstone United *Ongar Town *Pitsea Athletic Reserves *Roydon *Shenfield Reserves *Wakering Sports 'A'

Division Five

*AS Rawreth Reserves * Basildon Town 'A' *

Reserves *Collier Row Reserves * Epping Town Reserves *Manford Way Reserves *Old Barkabbeyans *Runwell Sports Reserves *Shoebury Town Reserves *Sungate Reserves *Wakebury 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.

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.

1989–2007

In 1989, a third division was added. The league reverted to its original name, the Essex Olympian League in 2005.

2007 to date

In 2007 the divisions were renamed Premier, One and Two. In 2010 a Division Three was added. In 2013 an Under 21 Division was added. 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.

References

External links

* {{Football in England table cells Football in Essex 1966 establishments in England Football leagues in England Sports leagues established in 1966