Wednesday 3rd June 2026
After finishing as Division One North champions, Royal Wootton Bassett Town will be returning to the tier five of the women's football pyramid for the first time since a four season spell (interrupted by Covid) that lasted from 2019-20 to 2022-23. Now Bassett have found out who they will be playing in the 2026-27 South West Regional Women's Football League Premier Division.
This follows the Football Association releasing provisional allocations for all leagues at tiers one through six of the Women's Football Pyramid.
Ten teams will make up the Premier Division which compromises a range of sides Bassett have previously faced and a trio of new league opponents.
Bassett faced Gloucester City in 2024-25 when the Tigers finished top of Division One North, and Poole Town in 2023-24 when the Dolphins pipped Bassett to the Division One Eastern title.
Forest Green Rovers, who eliminated James Lally's side from the Women's FA Cup last season, and Sherborne Town are holdovers from Bassett's most recent Premier Division campaign in 2022-23. The longest-serving current members of the division, they will be on the promotion hunt after finishing second and third respectively in 2025-26.
Having suffered relegation from the FA Women's National League Division One South West, Portishead Town return to tier five. Portishead edged out Bassett on goal difference to claim the 2017-18 Eastern Division title and were Premier Division opponents of Bassett from 2018-19 to 2020-21 when they earned promotion to tier four. The teams will now meet again for the first time in six years.
It's eight years since Bassett last met AEK Boco in the Eastern Division. Indeed, Boco are the league opponents Bassett have the longest history with, having played in Gloucestershire County Women's League Division One together from 2012-13 to 2015-16, with Bassett facing their Reserve or Development side in all other County League campaigns from 2009-10 through to their promotion to tier six at the end of 2016-17.
Then for the first time, Bassett will cross paths with Yate Town, Saltash United and Yeovil Town in the league.
Bassett have played numerous friendlies against Yate when they were attached to Pucklechurch Sports, but never a competitive contest. Pucklechurch were first promoted to the South West Regional League for the 2022-23 campaign and immediately won the Eastern Division with Bassett suffering relegation that year. They have now moved across to Yate.
Cornish outfit Saltash, meanwhile, will be entering their second season in the Premier Division having won Division One South in 2024-25.
2025-26 Division One South champions Yeovil complete the trio of new opponents. The Glovers are a big name in women's football having previously competed in the Women's Super League from 2017 to 2019. However, financial difficulties saw them merge with Bridgwater Town in 2021 and drop the Yeovil name. But recent years have seen a revived Yeovil side climb up through the Somerset County League and up to tier five having spent two years at tier six.
The full provisional constitution for the 2026-27 South West Regional Women's Football League Premier Division, featuring ten sides, is as follows:
AEK Boco
Forest Green Rovers
Gloucester City
Poole Town
Portishead Town
Royal Wootton Bassett Town
Saltash United
Sherborne Town
Yate Town
Yeovil Town
The constitution is, at present, provisional and subject to change.
Last modified on Wednesday 3rd June 2026 at 15:13.