Premier Division

Once again the cold weather put paid to a large slice of the fixture schedule for a second consecutive week with just four games surviving in the Premier Division, one in Division One and one in the Wiltshire Junior Cup, all six games being played on 3G surfaces.  The four games that did survive saw all of the top three sides in the Premier Division in action.

League leaders Kintbury Rangers  were away to an improving Larkhall Athletic Development  side who had won two of their three previous outings ahead of the game. It was to prove to be a tight affair which in the end was decided by a solitary second half goal from Kintbury Rangers Ben Luckett from a corner which saw his side open up an eleven point lead at the top of the table. Kintbury have now won 16 and drawn three of their opening 19 league fixtures and remain clear favourites for this season’s league title.

Another of the title challengers Letcombe were also involved in another close encounter away to Salisbury Development. Salisbury are another side at the bottom end of the table who have been showing improved form of late getting impressive wins over both Shrewton United and Wroughton and also picking up a point against Pewsey Vale at the back end of the 2024 calendar year. On Saturday it was Salisbury who went in front through Daniel Bazen on 12 minutes. Letcombe responded to going behind by putting the home side under sustained pressure and finally got themselves back on level terms just after the half hour mark, Jordan Davies netting following a corner. Two further goals in the closing minutes of the half saw Letcombe in what looked to be a commanding position going into the break. For the first goal Letcombe pressed the Salisbury back line high up in their own half and dispossessed the home side, and a one two between Davies and Kieran Kerby saw Kerby fire in for 2-1. Moments later it was 3-1, Jack Daley heading home from a corner to put the visitors two goals up at the break. The second half saw Salisbury up their game, and they proceeded to put Letcombe under sustained pressure, missing several chances before finally pulling one back just after the hour mark, the goal coming courtesy of an own goal. Salisbury continued to push for an equaliser and went close ten minutes from time when Naman Gurung saw his shot come back off the frame of the goal. Try as they might they could not find that equaliser and Letcombe held out to take the three points but knew they had been pushed all the way by the young Salisbury side. The win for Letcombe saw them move above Park United into second spot, those 11 points behind Kintbury Rangers but with two games in hand and the sides still to play each other for a second time.

It was to prove to be bad day at the office for Park United  who started the day in second placed in the table. Their opponents were Shrivenham who came into the game in fine form of their own, unbeaten in ten league games and climbing the table at a rapid rate after a difficult start to the season. They started their visit to Stanley Park in storming fashion, scoring five times in the opening 35 minutes of the match. Robbie Hendry set them on their way with the first on five minutes before Jacob Newdick doubled their lead ten minutes later. Newdick was at it again five minutes later, getting his second of the game to make it 3-0 with just 20 minutes gone. Two goals in three minutes from Alex Harrison just after the half hour mark put Shrivenham five goals ahead against a shell-shocked Park side. Park manager Darrin Moss was relieved to hear the half time whistle without any further damage and his side came out for the second half to try and undo the damage of that first half. They pulled one back early in the second half, but Zac Skinner then restored Shrivenham’s five goal advantage with a sixth to make it 6-1. Park managed to reduce the deficit with one more of the own before the end to win the half, but the damage had already been done in that opening 45 minutes as it finished 6-2 to the visitors. The defeat for Park cost them that second place whilst Shrivenham climbed two places up to seventh spot, their highest position of the season so far. Your Sport Swindon were at the game with their cameras and subscribers will be able to view the highlights from this game once they have been uploaded to the Your Sport Swindon website by clicking on the link below:

Malmesbury Vics Development  switched their game against Kingsdown to the 3G pitch at Cirencester Town, the game taking place after a Wiltshire Junior Cup game involving Cricklade Town and Wilton. The game was the first home game of the season that Malmesbury have been able to play given the issues they have had with their own pitch at the Flying Monk ground this season, which has also seen their first team play just two home games, one of which was also at Cirencester. It was not to be a happy ending to the first home league game of the season as they fell to a 6-1 defeat. The Kingsdown goals were shared around the team with Kieran O’Daly, Joe English, Tyler Wilkinson, Ollie While, Antonio Gerrish and Ben Payne all scoring for the visitors, Sam Parker with the consolation goal for Malmesbury. The win for Kingsdown saw them climb a couple of places into the top half of the table in what is a congested middle of the table with just two points now separating six sides.

The scheduled games at Bemerton, Blunsdon, Calne Town Reserves, Faringdon and Melksham were all postponed due to frozen pitches, although the Faringdon v Wroughton game has been quickly rearranged between the two clubs and the league for this coming Wednesday.

Division One

Just one league game survived in Division One with Down Ampney helping Purton to facilitate that their game went ahead on a 3G pitch at Swindon Academy. They were rewarded for their pro activity by securing a comfortable 8-1 win, although having won the first meeting between the two sides 20-0, Purton are definitely showing signs of improvement as the season has progressed. Lewis Baston set Down Ampney on their way with the opener before Charlie McCuish doubled the lead with his 21^st goal of the season. Paddy Cripps, George Bailey and leading scorer Harvey Coster then got in on the goalscoring act, all three scoring twice, with Coster taking his total for the season to 24 and leadership of the Division’s goal scoring chart in the process. The win saw Down Ampney move to within eight points of leaders Cricklade Town with two games in hand.

Wiltshire Junior Cup

In the Wiltshire Junior Cup, the game between Laverstock & Ford Reserves and Bratton was postponed, although the first team game on the adjacent pitch went ahead. This tie has now been rescheduled for next week. 

The one game that did go ahead was on the 3G at Cirencester Town where Cricklade Town entertained Wilton from Division 2 of the Dorset League. It started well for the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League side, as Emmanuel Kwarteng-Abrokwa gave Cricklade an early lead. It remained just the one goal in it at half time, but Wilton were back on level terms within five minutes of the restart.  It remained all square until 20 minutes from time when Callum Parsons restored Cricklade’s lead, scoring from a free kick for his 15^th goal of the season. The game moved into the final few minutes with Cricklade holding that slender lead but there was to be late drama as Wilton scored an equaliser three minutes from time. There was to be no further goals sending the game into a penalty shootout to decide matters. After ten perfect penalties, Devan Bryan, Daniel Dicks, Levi Cox, Scott Chilcott and Harry Ayres all scoring for Cricklade, the game went to sudden death. Player manager Mani Roper put Cricklade’s sixth penalty away, but Wilton failed to net with their first in sudden death, the spot kick coming back off the crossbar, to see Cricklade Town progress to the semi final.

Joining Cricklade Town in the last four are Tisbury United from the Premier Division of the Dorset Senior League who beat Bishops Cannings 5-2 last week and Swindon & District League Premier Division side Shield & Dagger  who defeated FC Abbey Meads, another Swindon & District League side, 2-0.

The full schedule of games played so far this season in the Wiltshire Junior Cup and the remaining quarter final ties is shown below:

Step 6 Promotion Applicants

Four teams from the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League Premier Division have applied to the FA for promotion to Step 6 by the required deadline. The four teams are current league leaders Kintbury Rangers, second placed Letcombe, Shrewton United, who currently sit in ninth spot, and finally Trowbridge Town, who are currently down in eleventh place.

To be eligible for promotion clubs need to finish in the top five of the division and then meet the required ground grading requirements for Step 6 by the stipulated deadline. It is possible for a club to be promoted if they don’t meet all of the ground grading requirements at the time of application, for example floodlights do not have to be installed until after promotion is confirmed,  but clubs have until 31 March following promotion to comply with all the Grade 6 requirements or face possible relegation back to Regional Feeder League level. 

The latest version of the FA Ground Grading rules can be accessed by clicking on the link below:

Although the league wouldn’t stand in the way of a club wishing to progress up the pyramid, the FA usually only allow one club from each league to be promoted, as the case last season when we had more than two applicants who finished in the top five. The promotion process is managed entirely by the FA, and the league have no input into which clubs they select, nor which league they are placed in. With the current top two having applied it looks, as was the case last season, that to achieve promotion it will be necessary to win the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League.

Relegation From Step 6

In terms of clubs coming the other way, any club relegated to this league from Step 6 by the FA will automatically be placed in our Premier Division. At the current moment in time, none of the sides in the relegation positions in the various Step 6 divisions sit within our geographic boundaries, and we are currently not anticipating any relegated sides being allocated to us, although that may change as the season progresses.

Promotion to Premier Division of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League

As well as promotion up out of the league there is also promotion up into our Premier Division from our three feeder leagues and our own Division One. The bottom four clubs in our Premier Division are liable for relegation from the Premier Division at the end of the season. The actual final number to be relegated depends on the number of applications we receive from Hellenic League Division 2, Swindon & District Premier Division and the Trowbridge & District League Division 1, as well as the number of teams in the top three of our Division One with the required facilities to be promoted to the Premier Division. One club from each of the external leagues, plus one from our own Division 1, are eligible for promotion to our Premier Division provided they meet the required ground grading criteria. If there are no clubs from one or more of the feeder leagues seeking promotion, additional teams from our Division One may be promoted up to a maximum of three teams being promoted from the division. Any club relegated from our Premier Division has a choice of which league they go to … either Hellenic League Division 2, Swindon & District League Premier Division, Trowbridge & District League Division 1 or Wiltshire Senior League Division 1.

So far, the league has only received an application for promotion from one of the three feeder leagues, the Hellenic League, although the deadline for applications is 28th February.

For exclusive insight from the team managers of our clubs read Your Sport's Swindon weekly coverage of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League. For details of how to subscribe see the advert below.

11 January 2025