RWBTFC - News - Provisional Hellenic League Premier Division constitution announced

Provisional Hellenic League Premier Division constitution announced

Tuesday 18th May 2021

The provisional constitution for the 2021-22 Hellenic League Premier Division season has been published by the Football Association, with the allocations for all leagues at steps three through six of the National League System being released.

There will be a significant change in opponents Bassett will face next season - as well as in years to come â€“ as a result of the FA implementing its previously postponed restructure of steps four to six of the National League System.

This includes the creation of additional divisions at steps four and five, resulting in a large number of promotions. Bassett were not eligible to move upwards and will remain within the Hellenic League Premier Division.

The full provisional constitution for the 2021-22 Hellenic League Premier Division, featuring 22 sides, is as follows:

Ardley United
Bishop's Cleeve
Bradford Town
Brimscombe and Thrupp
Calne Town
Chipping Sodbury Town
Corsham Town
Cribbs
Easington Sports
Fairford Town
Hallen
Hereford Lads Club
Longlevens
Lydney Town
Malvern Town
Roman Glass St. George
Royal Wootton Bassett Town
Shrivenham
Thornbury Town
Tuffley Rovers
Westbury United
Westfields

A breakdown of changes taking place is below:

Teams remaining in the Hellenic League Premier Division

Remaining as opponents will be ten teams. These are local rivals Fairford Town and Shrivenham, Ardley United and Easington Sports from Oxfordshire, the contingent of sides from Gloucestershire â€“ Bishop's Cleeve Brimscombe and Thrupp, Longlevens, Lydney Town and Tuffley Rovers â€“ and Herefordshire-based Westfields.

Changes: teams moving into the Hellenic League Premier Division

Three sides â€“ Hereford Lads Club, Malvern Town and Thornbury Town â€“ will be elevated to the Hellenic League Premier Division having finished with the best points-per-game record in Division One West across the curtailed 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

Bassett will be facing all three of these sides in league action for the first time in the club's history. They have met both Hereford Lads Club and Malvern once in cup competition, with both games occurring in the 2019-20 season. Bassett lost 3-1 at home to the former in the Hellenic League Challenge Cup and by the same score to the latter in the Floodlit Cup.

Moving into the division alongside them are eight sides who previously plied their trade in the Western League.

Among those, four are Wiltshire-based sides, meaning Bassett will be involved in plenty of derby action next season.

Bradford Town and Westbury United both move across from the Western League Premier Division. Meanwhile, Calne Town and Corsham Town have been elevated to step five having finished in the top three of Western League Division One on a points-per-game basis.

While Bassett have faced that quartet of sides across various cup competitions in recent seasons, it will be the first time in decades that they have been in the same league as Calne, Corsham and Westbury.

Bassett last faced Calne and Corsham in the Wiltshire County League Division One in 1987-88 and Westbury in Wiltshire County League Division Two in 1980-81. Meanwhile, never have Bassett's first team been in the same division as Bradford Town.

Also arriving from the Western League are Chipping Sodbury Town, Cribbs, Hallen and Roman Glass St George.

Cribbs and Roman Glass St George represent new opponents. Bassett have one competitive meeting in their history against Chipping Sodbury â€“ a win on penalties in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary round this past season. Meanwhile, Bassett spent four seasons from 1993-94 to 1996-97 in Hellenic League Division One alongside Hallen. Eight games between the sides saw Bassett unable to record a victory, with five draws and three defeats.

Changes: teams moving out of the Hellenic League Premier Division

As evidenced from the teams outlined above, the Hellenic League's boundaries have been shifted westwards. Indeed, Shrivenham are the only remaining side from either Berkshire or Buckinghamshire who will remain in the division according to the FA's proposals.

From a sporting perspective, Bassett might be relieved that is the case. In league encounters, Bassett have always found the going tough against the likes of Binfield, Flackwell Heath and Reading City. In limited meetings, Bassett have losing records against Windsor, Virginia Water and Burnham too.

And, of the Berkshire and Buckinghamshire contingent moving out of the Hellenic family, only against Holmer Green do Bassett have a winning record.

Nevertheless, these teams will certainly be missed.

Though the Buckinghamshire- and Berkshire-based teams are all relatively new opponents, they have proven to be excellent hosts whenever Bassett have visited and are examples of how clubs at this level should be run.

They are sure to be a credit to the leagues they join and we wish them all the best for the future.

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The National League System restructure explained

Originally due to be implemented after the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, the restructure of the National League System impacts steps four to six of the men's football pyramid.

One new division is being created at Step 4 (the level above that at which Bassett play) to take the number of leagues at this level up to eight. Two new divisions are being created at Step 5 to increase the number of leagues to sixteen. Finally, the number of divisions at Step 6 (the level below that at which Bassett play) is being reduced from 20 to 17.

To implement this change, additional promotions are required. Promotions have been determined on the basis of clubs' combined points per game average across the curtailed 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

Twenty teams are being elevated from Step 5 to Step 4. Three clubs are being promoted from each of the North West Counties League, Northern Counties East League and Northern League. This is to address an imbalance in the number of clubs at Step 4 from northern England. One club from the remaining eleven Step 5 divisions (including the Hellenic League Premier Division) are also being promoted.

Multiple clubs are being moved from Step 6 to Step 5. The top two ranked clubs in each of the South West Peninsula League divisions have been promoted to address an imbalance in the number of Step 5 clubs from south west England (Devon and Cornwall). The three top ranked clubs from the remaining 18 Step Six divisions have then also been promoted.

Filling the gaps created at Step 6 will be sides elevated from the Regional NLS Feeder Leagues (effectively Step 7) on a geographical basis.

No promotion or relegation is going to take place between Steps 2 and 3 and Steps 3 and 4. Additionally, no sides will be relegated from Step 1 or promoted from Step 2.

Overall, the changes mean the National League System pyramid will look as follows from the 2021-22 season onwards:

Step One

One division: National League

This is the top level of non-league football from which clubs can be promoted into the EFL.

Step Two

Two divisions: National League North and South

This is the level of non-league football at which Chippenham Town and Hungerford Town play. It is also the level at which Oxford City, who Bassett met in the Emirates FA Cup second qualifying round in 2020-21, play.

Step Three

Four divisions: including Southern League South Division and Southern League Central Division

This contains the highest level of the Southern League and is the level at which Swindon Supermarine and Salisbury play.

Step Four

Eight divisions: including Southern League Division One South and Southern League Division One Central

This is the level directly above that at which Bassett currently play. Local teams playing at this level include Cirencester Town, Highworth Town and Melksham Town.