Further to the note posted on our website on 6th May 2022 we can confirm that the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League will be operating a second senior division next season. More discussions have now taken place with the Wiltshire FA and our two feeder District Leagues, and the new Division 1 will be formed for the start of Season 2022-23. As previously stated, the new Division 1 will have the same ground grading standards as our Premier Division and there will be promotion and relegation between the two divisions. Promotion from the two feeder District Leagues will in future be into the new Division 1.
The establishment of this additional division should help teams coming up from the District Leagues establish themselves at Senior league level. In recent seasons a couple of sides who came up from the District Leagues struggled with adapting to Senior football in the Premier Division and either returned quickly to the District Leagues or folded. The addition of further sides at Senior level will also increase the pool of teams who ultimately may wish to progress to Step 6 of the National League System when they are ready to do so.
As a consequence of forming the new Division 1, we will be reducing our Premier Division to the FA recommended size of 16 teams’ next season. It has this week been confirmed that Devizes Town have been relegated from the Western League and will play in the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League Premier Division next season. In addition, Blunsdon FC have been promoted to our Premier Division from the Swindon & District League and Kintbury Rangers return to the Wiltshire Senior League after a two-year absence having finished in second place in the Uhlsport Hellenic League Division 2 South. The two-year absence saw them re-group at the lower level and after a successful season were keen to return to Senior level football. Corsham Town Development have withdrawn from the League.
With Devizes Town first team having been relegated to the Premier Division, the club have opted for their reserve side to play in the newly formed Division 1. In addition, the two sides who finished just below them in the Premier Division last season, Ludgershall Sports and Purton will also be in the new Division 1 next season. Both clubs are rebuilding during the summer after a very difficult season, with new managers and players, and both think that they would benefit from being in Division 1 next season. The five additional sides forming the new division are either reserve or development sides of existing senior sides, the teams being Chippenham Town Colts, Larkhall Athletic Development, Marlborough Town Reserves, Pewsey Vale Development and Shrivenham Development. The intention is that the teams in the new Division 1 will play each other more than twice.
The proposed constitution for the Premier Division has been approved by the Wiltshire FA and submitted to the FA Leagues Committee for their approval and will also need to be approved at the League AGM by the clubs. The proposed constitution for the Premier Division is set out below along with that for Division 1:
Premier Division
1. Blunsdon FC*
2. Calne Town FC Res
3. Devizes Town FC
4. Frome Collegians FC
5. Kintbury Rangers FC*
6. Malmesbury Victoria FC Dev
7. Marlborough Town FC
8. Melksham Town FC Res
9. Odd Down FC Res
10. Pewsey Vale FC
11. Royal Wootton Bassett Town FC Dev
12. Salisbury FC Dev
13. Shrewton United FC
14. Stratton Juniors FC
15. Trowbridge Town FC
16. Wroughton FC
Division 1
1. Chippenham Town FC Colts*
2. Devizes Town FC Res
3. Larkhall Athletic Dev*
4. Ludgershall Sports
5. Marlborough Town Res*
6. Pewsey Vale FC Dev*
7. Purton FC
8. Shrivenham FC Dev*
* Denotes new Club to be elected into the League at the AGM
The Under 18 Division for next season set to increase in size with four new sides joining. The four new sides are Bishops Cannings, Kingsdown Lions, Newbury Procision and Warminster Town. The proposed constitution of the U18 Division for Season 2022-23 is as follows:
1. AFC Aldermaston
2. Bishops Cannings FC*
3. Calne Town FC
4. Devizes Town FC
5. Kingsdown Lions FC*
6. Melksham Town FC
7. Newbury Procision FC*
8. New College Swindon FC
9. Pewsey Vale FC
10. Radstock Town FC
11. Royal Wootton Bassett Town FC
12. Warminster Town FC*
The Veterans' divisions in Season 2022-23 are once again set to run with 19 teams in total, although still open to applications from new sides. Priory Vale and South Cerney from the North Wiltshire Division will not be competing next season but will be replaced by a veterans’ side from Blunsdon FC who join their senior side in coming into the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League. The larger Mid Wiltshire Division, where the majority of sides play on their own grounds, is set to have one additional side with Westbury United joining the league. The current proposed divisions are as follows:
North Wiltshire Division
1. AFC Swindon
2. Blunsdon FC*
3. Cricklade Town FC
4. Redhouse FC
5. Royal Wootton Bassett Town FC
6. Stratton Juniors FC
7. Swindon Old Boys FC
8. Swindon Rovers FC
Mid Wiltshire Division
1. Amesbury Junior FC
2. Amesbury Junior FC Badgers
3. Bradford Town FC
4. Chippenham Yard Dogs FC
5. Corsham Town FC
6. Devizes Town FC
7. FC Calne
8. Melksham Town FC
9. Radstock Town FC (formerly St Andrews)
10. Trowbridge Tigers LGBT FC
11. Westbury United FC*
The Wiltshire FA are currently speaking with teams who are playing in a small-sided Veterans’ competition on the new 3G pitch at Sarum. It appears that there are possibly 3 or 4 teams that could emerge from that small-sided league to join us next season. That being the case, we would propose moving 3 or 4 teams from the Mid Wiltshire Division and forming a South Wiltshire Division. Further news on this will be provided ahead of the AGM.
26 May 2022