With Season 2023-24 now concluded, whilst there is still a need to summarise final reflections on the season just ended when time permits, thoughts also now turn to next season. The FA announced the structure of leagues at Step 6 and above in the past few days. As always, we expect that there will be several appeals against the various relegations, lateral movements, etc but we do not currently anticipate there being any effect on the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League and we have therefore advised clubs today of the proposed constitutions for the Premier Division and Division One for next season. Providing this information early allows clubs who have been unsuccessful with their applications to join our league more time to sort out which league they will play in next season. The proposed constitutions for Season 2024-25 will still need to be ratified by the FA and then approved by our clubs at the AGM on 12th June but we are not anticipating any issues.
Premier Division
Amesbury Town, having won the Premier Division, have been promoted back to the Wessex League after just one season away. We are sorry to lose them, but wish them every success as they move up the pyramid.
Ludgershall Sports struggled last season and are relegated back to Division 1 after just one season back in our Premier Division. They are looking to rebuild during the summer and bounce back up. We also wish them success and look forward to seeing them back in the Premier Division very soon.
That left us with four vacancies given that the majority on the Committee wished to remain with an 18 team Premier Division. Two of the four vacancies will be filled by Faringdon Town and Park Utd who both deservedly won promotion from our Division 1. The remaining two vacancies will be filled by clubs who have won their respective leagues in Season 2023-24 … Bemerton Heath Harlequins Res and Letcombe. Bemerton won the Hampshire Combination League this season and also the Wiltshire FA Junior Cup. They return to this league after an absence of over 20 years and will strengthen our presence in the south of the county. Their first team play in the Southern League and have excellent facilities. Letcombe won the Hellenic League Division 2 Central this season, also have excellent facilities and are promoted under the Pyramid Agreement we have with the Hellenic League. They are a very well run club and are already exploring the possibility of getting floodlights installed to enable them to move up the pyramid. There were no applications from teams finishing in the top three of either the Trowbridge & District League or Swindon & District League to join the Premier Division.
Therefore, the full proposed constitution of the Premier Division for next season is as follows:
- Blunsdon
- Bemerton Heath Harlequins Res*
- Calne Town Res
- Faringdon Town
- Kingsdown
- Kintbury Rangers
- Larkhall Athletic Dev
- Letcombe*
- Malmesbury Victoria Dev
- Melksham Town Res
- Park Utd
- Pewsey Vale
- Royal Wootton Bassett Town Dev
- Salisbury Dev
- Shrewton Utd
- Shrivenham
- Trowbridge Town
- Wroughton
* Denotes new Club to be elected into the League at the AGM
With the Committee having decided that the Premier Division will once again start with 18 teams, following the wet weather of the past two seasons, the proposal is that new season will start a week earlier on
Saturday 3rd August with games also to be scheduled in over the Christmas period, whereas traditionally there has been a two-week break over the festive period.
Division One
Park Utd and Faringdon Town deservedly won promotion to the Premier Division, which created two further vacancies. Ludgershall Sports struggled in the Premier Division last season and are relegated to Division 1. We received a total of 11 applications to join Division 1 for next season and, with two going up and one coming down, left us with three vacancies to make up a Division of 16. We briefly considered increasing Division 1 to 18 teams but, with very few having floodlights, we felt that 16 was the maximum we should operate at in Division One.
We thoroughly reviewed all 11 applicants and decided that the new teams to be accepted are:
- Bradford Town Res … who join from the Trowbridge & District League.
- Down Ampney …who join from the Swindon & District League.
- Faringdon Town Development … join from the Witney & District League.
Therefore, the full proposed constitution of Division 1 for next season is as follows:
- Bishop’s Cannings
- Bradford Town Res*
- Bratton
- Cricklade Town
- Devizes Town Res
- Down Ampney*
- Faringdon Town Development*
- Kingsdown Development
- Kintbury Rangers Development
- Lambourn Sports
- Ludgershall Sports
- Marlborough Town
- Pewsey Vale Development
- Purton
- Shrivenham Development
- Stratton Juniors
* Denotes new Club to be elected into the League at the AGM
Again the proposal is that Division One will start on Saturday 3rd August, noting that the clubs in this division also take part in County Cup competitions that have additional rounds to those faced by the Premier Division sides.
As well as advising the clubs this morning of the proposed constitutions for the Premier Division and Division One, we also announced what we consider to be an unprecedented decision, certainly by this league, with annual league fees for the Premier Division and Division 1 next season set to be reduced.
20 May 2024