The Essex Olympian Football League is a football competition based in England, founded in the 1966–67 season. It has a total of six senior divisions and one under 21 division. The Premier Division sits at step 7 (or level 11) of the National League System and it is a feeder to Division One South of the Eastern Counties Football League. Between 1986 and 2005, the league was known as the Essex Intermediate League.
Clubs to progress up the pyramid from the league include Billericay Town, Brentwood Town, Bowers United, Sawbridgeworth Town, Burnham Ramblers, Hullbridge Sports and Great Wakering Rovers.
History In 1966, the Essex Olympian Football League was founded, following a meeting at the Saracens Head pub in Chelmsford. The first league constitution consisted of Basildon & Pitsea, Billericay Town, Bishop's Stortford Swifts, Bowers United, Burnham Ramblers, Collier Row, Dorstel Press, Dunmow, Little Waltham, Old Chelmsfordians and Sawbridgeworth, with Burnham Ramblers winning the first edition of the Essex Olympian League, finishing four points above Little Waltham. Little Waltham left the league at the end of the inaugural 1966–67 season, with British Mathews, Critalls, Essex County Council Staff and Manor Athletic all joining to take the constitution up to 16 clubs. In 1981, a Second Division was added with eight clubs (Baddow Royals, Basildon Sports, Caribbean International Sports, Chigwell Villa, Civil Service Olympian, Cossor Sports, Ekco and Rayleigh Athletic) joining the league system.
In 1986, the league was renamed to the Essex Intermediate League, adding a Division Three three years later.
In 2005, the league renamed itself back to its original Essex Olympian League name. In 2008, Takeley moved up the pyramid into the Essex Senior League. Before then the Olympian League had not sent a club to the Essex Senior League for over a decade, causing the Essex Senior League to look elsewhere in Essex for new member clubs, including lower leagues and leagues outside the National League System such as the now-defunct Essex Business Houses Football League. Clubs from this league have previously been able to jump straight into the Essex Senior League due to the facilities at which they play, not where they finished in the Essex Business Houses League. The following year, in 2009, a Division Three was added, taking the number of leagues administered by the Essex Olympian League up to four. In 2015, two more leagues were added to the system, being named Division Four and Division Five. In 2017, The Football Association announced a step 6 (level 10) division for Essex and East Anglia in the Eastern Counties Football League to start playing in the 2018–19 season, meaning the Essex Olympian League would drop to step 7 in Non-league. In March 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Football Association announced all leagues from step 3 to 7 on the National League System would be cancelled, with all results being expunged. In November 2020, the Essex Olympian League was suspended, owing to a second wave of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom. The league was eventually resumed in April 2021, becoming one of the only leagues in England to resume play after the suspension in November 2020. Buckhurst Hill were promoted at the end of the 2020–21 season, after winning the Premier Division, gaining promotion to the Eastern Counties League Division One South.
Ahead of the 2024–25 season, the Southend Borough & District Combination was merged into the Essex Olympian League, resulting in the creation of two regionalised divisions at Division Four and the return of Division Five.
Member clubs (2026–27) The league has 98 teams spread over eight divisions for the 2025–26 season: Premier Division ACD United Barnston Bishop's Stortford Swifts Canning Town Catholic United Corinthians Harold Hill Harold Wood Athletic Hashtag United Reserves Hutton Reserves Leigh Ramblers Old Chelmsfordians Old Southendians Shenfield Sungate Wakering SportsDivision One Basildon Town Reserves Beacon Hill Rovers Catholic United Reserves Harold Wood Athletic Reserves Herongate Athletic Kelvedon Hatch Leigh Town Manford Way May & Baker 'A' Pitsea Athletic Rawreth Lane Roydon Runwell SportsDivision Two Benfleet Reserves BKS Sports Broomfield Galleywood Herongate Athletic Reserves Leigh Ramblers Reserves Manford Way 'A' Old Southendian Reserves South Woodham Ferrers United Toby Wakering Sports Reserves Wickford TownDivision Three North West Bishop's Stortford Swifts Reserves Blackmore Boreham & Sandon Royals Canning Town Reserves Collier Row Epping Town Hannakins Farm Harold Hill Reserves Hutton 'A' Rayleigh Town 'A' Shenfield Reserves SpringfieldDivision Three South East AS Rawreth ATF Southend Basildon Town 'A' BKS Sports Reserves East Thurrock Community Reserves Finesse Hutton 'B' Rayleigh Shoebury Town South Essex United Woodham RadarsDivision Four North West Barnston Reserves Berry Boys Boreham & Sandon Reserves Broomfield Reserves Galleywood Reserves Harold Wood Athletic 'A' Herongate Athletic 'A' Leytonstone United Old Chelmsfordians Reserves Pitsea Athletic Reserves Runwell Sports Reserves Shenfield 'A'Division Four South East Ashingdon Benfleet Development Catholic United 'A' Ekco Park Leigh Ramblers 'A' Old Southendian 'A' Pitsea Town Southend Collegians Southminster United Tillingham HotspurDivision Five North and West Ashingdon Reserves Ekco Park Reserves Galleywood 'A' Harold Wood Athletic 'B' FC Highend Hutton 'C' Old Moulsham Pitsea Athletic 'A' South Essex Rovers Reserves Upminster Albion Wickford Town ReservesDivision Five South and East AS Rawreth U-23 ATF Southend Reserves BKS Sports Development Corinthians Reserves Ekco Park Reserves Leigh Town Reserves Rayleigh Reserves Rochford Town Reserves Shoebury Town Reserves Southend Collegians 'A' Southend Collegians Reserves Wakering Sports 'A'
Past champions 1966–81 The league originally consisted of a single section of 13 clubs, reaching a peak of 18 clubs by 1969–70. SeasonChampions1966–67Burnham Ramblers1967–68Writtle1968–69Basildon Town1969–70Billericay Town1970–71Billericay Town1971–72Sawbridgeworth1972–73Chadwell Heath1973–74Chadwell Heath1974–75Chadwell Heath1975–76Essex Police1976–77Collier Row Motor Gear1977–78Runwell Hospital1978–79Rayleigh Town1979–80Essex Police1980–81Rayleigh Town
1981–89 In 1981, a second division was added. The league ran with two divisions for nine years. During this period, the league was renamed the Essex Intermediate League in 1986. SeasonDivision OneDivision Two1981–82Herongate AthleticRayleigh Athletic1982–83Herongate AthleticDunmow1983–84Rayleigh TownEssex Police1984–85Rayleigh TownShell Club1985–86Essex PoliceCossor Sports1986–87Essex PoliceHambros Bank1987–88TakeleyStandard (Harlow)1988–89BenfleetUpminster
1989–2007 In 1989, a third division was added. The league reverted to its original name, the Essex Olympian League in 2005. SeasonDivision OneDivision TwoDivision Three1989–90Rayleigh TownKelvedon HatchGreat Baddow1990–91Herongate AthleticConcord RangersGreat Wakering Rovers1991–92Standard (Harlow)Great Wakering RoversLoughton1992–93Standard (Harlow)South Woodham FerrersDanbury Trafford1993–94Kelvedon HatchTakeleyOngar Town1994–95WrittleSporting Club HendersonGreat Baddow1995–96Kelvedon HatchFrenford SeniorHutton1996–97Kelvedon HatchRunwell HospitalBishop's Stortford Swifts1997–98Danbury TraffordBishop's Stortford SwiftsShell Club1998–99Bishop's Stortford SwiftsSandon RoyalsBasildon Town1999–2000Bishop's Stortford SwiftsNortel (Harlow)Wanstead Town2000–01Rayleigh TownCanning TownLinford Wanderers2001–02TakeleyEppingStambridge United2002–03Bishop's Stortford SwiftsWhite EnsignDebden Sports2003–04White EnsignDebden SportsFaces2004–05White EnsignWhite NotleyLinford Wanderers2005–06Harold Wood AthleticCanning TownOngar Town 2006–07White EnsignBenfleetPotter Street
2007 to date In 2007 the divisions were renamed Premier, One and Two.
SeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision Two2007–08White EnsignPotter StreetLinford Wanderers2008–09Harold Wood AthleticWesthamiansSungate2009–10Harold Wood AthleticMay & Baker ClubRomford Reserves
In 2010 a Division Three was added.
SeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision TwoDivision Three2010–11Kelvedon HatchHuttonWadham LodgeSpringfield2011–12Frenford SeniorSouthminster St. LeonardsSpringfieldOld Barkabbeyans2012–13Frenford SeniorBishop's Stortford SwiftsOld BarkabbeyansDebden Sports
In 2013 an Under 21 Division was added.
SeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision TwoDivision ThreeUnder 21 Division2013–14Southminster St LeonardsNewham UnitedOngar TownRochford TownRyan2014–15Harold Wood AthleticHarold HillBasildon TownCatholic UnitedFrenford Senior
In 2015 the two reserve divisions were promoted to senior status and renamed Divisions Four and Five, along with the three higher divisions, leaving just one Under-21 division below that.
SeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision TwoDivision ThreeDivision FourDivision FiveUnder 21 Division2015–16Kelvedon HatchCanning TownCatholic UnitedBenfleetOld Chelmsfordians ReservesGalleywood ReservesFC Clacton2016–17SpringfieldBasildon TownSungateMay & Baker Eastbrook ReservesManford Way ReservesBasildon Town ReservesLakeside2017–18Catholic UnitedBuckhurst HillMay & Baker Eastbrook ReservesManford Way ReservesChingford AthleticWesthamiansCorinthians2018–19Buckhurst HillShenfieldChingford AthleticOld Southendian ReservesCorinthiansCorinthians Reserves2019–20Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2020–21Buckhurst HillOngar TownLeigh TownACD UnitedCatholic United ReservesWakering Sports 'A'2021–22Ongar TownTobyACD UnitedHashtag United DevelopmentChingford Athletic ReservesBishop's Stortford Swifts Reserves2022–23HuttonOld ChelmsfordiansShoebury TownBasildon Town ReservesLeigh Ramblers ReservesManford Way Reserves2023–24Rayleigh TownWakering SportsBasildon Town ReservesRunwell Sports ReservesToby Reserves
In 2024, Division Four split into Division Four North West and Division Four South East.
SeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision TwoDivision ThreeDivision Four North WestDivision Four South EastDivision Five2024–25Old ChelmsfordiansCorinthiansHutton ReservesRawreth LaneBroomfieldSouth Essex UnitedATF Southend
In 2025, Division Three also split into North West and South East, matching Division Four.
SeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision TwoDivision Three North WestDivision Three South EastDivision Four North WestDivision Four South EastDivision Five2025–26Catholic UnitedHutton ReservesRoydonBroomfieldBenfleet ReservesHutton 'B'ATF SouthendLeigh Ramblers 'A'
In 2026, Division Five also split into North West and South East, matching Divisions Three and Four.
SeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision TwoDivision Three North WestDivision Three South EastDivision Four North WestDivision Four South EastDivision Five North WestDivision Five South East2026–27
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