The Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League’s 45th AGM is set to take place on Wednesday 23rd June 2021 commencing at 7.30PM.
With Covid-19 restrictions this will once again be an on-line meeting, although it is hoped that this will be the last time the meeting has to be held in this way. Whilst the League cannot hold a “normal” AGM, there is a need to formally close last season, approve the previous season's AGM minutes, approve League Officer Reports and Accounts, etc plus elect new clubs, elect League Officers and approve the proposed rule amendments. Club Secretaries have been sent details of the logistics for the virtual AGM.
Included in the information sent to Club Secretaries are the proposed constitutions for the new season and the proposed start dates for the new season.
Premier Division
The Premier Division of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League is scheduled to have two additional clubs joining for Season 2021-22 and is proposing to return to 18 teams in the division. The increase in the number of teams and the constitution has been approved by the Wiltshire County FA. Both new sides fully meet the ground grading requirements for membership of the league.
Assuming elected by the clubs, it will be a welcome return to the league for one of the League’s founding members, Calne Town Reserves who in total have been members of the league for 35 of the 45 years of the league’s existence. They were also winners of the Premier Division as recently as Season 2012-13 when playing under the name Wilts Calne Town. At the time of cessation of Season 2020-21 Calne Town Reserves sat top of Division 1 of the Trowbridge & District League. This would have been an eligible promotion place and in agreement with both the Trowbridge & District League and the Wiltshire FA, Calne Town Reserves will be promoted back to the Wiltshire Senior League under the Feeder League arrangements with the District Leagues. There is no equivalent promotion from the Swindon & District League for the forthcoming season.
The other team seeking to join the Premier Division are Lambourn Sports who would be joining from the North Berks League and would be stepping up to become members of a National League System Feeder League. Lambourn Sports were previously members of the Hellenic League, spending the period from 1977-78 through to 1996-97 in the Hellenic, with three of those seasons spent in the Premier Division at what is now Step 5 of the National League System. They returned to the North Berks League in 1997-98 before making a brief two season return to the Hellenic in 2011-12. They have spent the last 8 seasons back in the North Berks League and in Season 2020-21 had won six of their seven league games in the top division of that league before Covid-19 resulted in the Winter lockdown.
The two new teams are scheduled to be elected to the league at the League’s AGM on Wednesday 23rd June, joining the existing 16 members in the Premier Division.
The proposed constitution of the Premier Division for Season 2021-22 is as follows:
Calne Town FC Res*
Corsham Town FC Dev
Cricklade Town FC
Devizes Town FC Res
Frome Collegians FC
Lambourn Sports FC*
Ludgershall Sports FC
Malmesbury Victoria FC Dev
Marlborough Town FC
Melksham Town FC Res
Odd Down FC Res
Pewsey Vale FC
Purton FC
Royal Wootton Bassett Town FC Dev
Shrewton United FC
Stratton Juniors FC
Trowbridge Town FC
Wroughton FC
* denotes new Club to be elected into the League at the AGM
The proposal being put to the clubs at the AGM is that the Premier Division will start on Saturday 14th August 2021 and complete by Saturday 7th May 2022.
Under 18 Division
The Under 18 Division is also set to increase in size with three new proposed members and one departure from the current season, leaving the league with ten sides for next season assuming all the new clubs are accepted by member clubs. Re-joining the league would be Calne Town and, in effect also Devizes Town, who were members when the competition was run previously by the Wiltshire FA, with a new club to the League, AFC Aldermaston, also having applied to join for Season 2021-22. The one departure from the current season is Chippenham Town.
With the agreement of clubs at the AGM, the League proposes to leave applications open until 31st July. In the past, we have split the U.18’s Division into two if membership reached 12. If this happens for the coming season, we will liaise with clubs to gauge their preference as whether they want one large division or split the teams into two geographically based divisions with more than two games against each side.
At present the proposed constitution of the U18 Division for Season 2020-21 is as follows:
AFC Aldermaston*
Calne Town FC*
Devizes Town FC*
FC Chippenham Youth
Melksham Town FC
New College Swindon FC
Pewsey Vale FC
Radstock Town FC
Royal Wootton Bassett Town FC
Shrivenham FC
* denotes new Club to be elected into the League at the AGM
The proposal being put to the clubs at the AGM is that the U18 Division will start week commencing 13th September and complete by week ending Friday 6th May 2022.
Any new sides looking to join the Under 18 Division should contact League secretary Jim Thorn at jim.thorn@wiltshireseniorleague.co.uk by the 31st July deadline.
Vets Divisions
The Veteran’s Season 2020-21 is still ongoing but is set to conclude by the end of July. For Season 2021-22 the category is set to grow once again with 5 new teams applying to join the league in addition to the existing 16 member clubs. Amesbury Junior from the Mid Wiltshire Division will be entering a second side and there are 4 new teams from the North of the County looking to join, Cricklade Town, Priory Vale, South Cerney and Swindon Old Boys.
As with the Under 18 Division, with the agreement of clubs at the AGM, the League proposes to leave applications open until 31st July. The Wiltshire FA are currently promoting the Veterans Divisions in the south of the county. Once the 31st of July deadline has passed the League will arrange a meeting with the Veterans’ clubs to agree the format for next season. Feedback from Clubs so far has indicated a liking to form a Veterans Premier Division (maybe consisting of the top 3 or 4 Clubs from the current North and Mid Wiltshire Divisions) with two regionalised Divisions below, then have promotion and relegation in subsequent seasons. It is also our ultimate aim to have open age Divisions for the Over 35’s plus a further Division(s) for the Over 45’s. Our initial thoughts were that this may take 4 or 5 years to achieve, but it is currently an option for next season and, provided we can get half a dozen teams interested, we will run it.
The current list of Veterans’ clubs for Season 2021-22 is as follows:
AFC Swindon
Amesbury Junior FC A
Amesbury Junior FC B
Bradford Town FC
Chippenham Yard Dogs FC
Corsham Town FC
Crickade Town FC *
Devizes Town FC (ex VFC Devizes)
FC Calne
KMLC FC
Marlborough Town FC
Melksham Town FC
Priory Vale FC*
Redhouse FC
Royal Wootton Bassett Town FC
South Cerney FC*
St Andrews FC
Stratton Juniors FC
Swindon Old Boys FC*
Swindon Rovers FC
Trowbridge Tigers LGBT FC
* denotes new Club to be elected into the League at the AGM
The proposal being put to the clubs at the AGM is that the Veterans’ Divisions will start week commencing 13th September and complete by week ending Friday 6th May 2022.
Any new sides looking to join the Veterans’ Divisions should contact League secretary Jim Thorn at jim.thorn@wiltshireseniorleague.co.uk by the 31st July deadline.
Thursday 10 June 2021