IN FOCUS - THE ESSEX OLYMPIAN LEAGUE

The Essex Olympian League was formed in 1966/67 when Burham Ramblers won the League Championship. Since formation with only one division the league has grown to what it is today with four senior and three reserve divisions.

In 1966 the league handbook stated "This new League opens up the field of competition to teams from the Mid-Essex, Harlow and District, Southend and District and Parthenon Leagues."

The founder clubs were Billericay Town, Bowers United, Burnham Ramblers, Collier Row, Dorstel Press, Dunmow, Essex Police, Little Waltham and Sawbridgeworth Town along with Basildon and Pitsea (Now Basildon Town), Old Chelmsfordians, Bishops Stortford Swifts and Writtle. The last four clubs are still members today.

Season 1981/82 saw the formation of two senior divisions with the added competition of relegation/promotion between them. Standard (Harlow) and Coopersale were the first two clubs to suffer this fate.

The Premier Division sits at Step 7 of the National League System officially below the Essex Senior League as a feeder to the more senior competition. Takeley in 2008 were the first club for over a decade to move up the pyramid from the Olympian League. The Essex Business Houses League is a feeder league into the Olympian with new club Wadham Lodge one of the recent clubs to jump over. Also joining this season are Cranes United a club who share with Clapton FC at the Spotted Dog. The community based club join from the Ilford and District League. Their website states "We are mainly East Africans, i.e.; Ugandans, Kenyans, Tanzanians and Rwandese . We have a shared language; Swahilli. But we don’t discriminate, everybody from whichever background is free to join and we have a few members who are British nationals". Both new clubs are doing well fighting it out at the top of Divisin Three with Basildon Town.

Last season the Premier Division was won by Harold Wood Athletic, Division One by Westhamians and Division Two by Sungate (a club based in Ilford). The Division One runners up Rayleigh Town only overtook Hutton to gain 2nd place on the final day of the season. In an incredible match versus Leytonstone United whom they had beaten 9-1 earlier in the season they went into the final game knowing that only an impossible looking 11 goal win would lift them above Hutton to gain promotion. The game was won 14-0. Hutton had scored 114 goals in the season but were pipped on goal-difference (thanks to the 14 goal haul) by Town who scored 112 goals.

The level of facilities in the league is varied with only a handful of clubs having floodlights and fully enclosed grounds. Most clubs have very welcoming bars or clubhouses.

Premier Division Canning Town who play at The Terrance McMillan Stadium in Plaistow (share with ESL London APSA) entered the FA Vase for the first time this season. The match was a disappointment for the East Londoners loosing 7-0 at Erith Town. Canning Town are the only club from the EOFL to enter the Vase this season with most senior clubs opting for the Anagram Records Trophy. Frenford Senior and White Enisgn have done very well in this competition in recent years. Also in the Premier Division Mountnessing Boca share at the International Arena in Brentwood.

The club who play nearest to Goldsdown Road is Ryan FC who were based in the Wanstead area but now play at the pitch with floodlights at the Town Mead Leisure Centre in Waltham Abbey (where the new Walthamstow Avenue played briefly in the Middlesex County League before their demise, Chingford Town have also played at this pitch). Ryan FC issue programmes (as do a number of other member clubs) for their Division One games and play a local derby against Buckhurst Hill on Wednesday 11th September in what is a rare midweek game for the EOFL.

The Premier Division is currently headed by Kelvedon Hatch whom have no plans for promotion to the ESL. They have spent over £100,000 improving facilities but as the ground is on charitable land they can't get permission to erect floodlights and enclose the ground. Chairman David Hughes told the cold end "Moving to a new ground has been investigated but the cost of acquiring land around our area is prohibitive. We also considered ground sharing but decided against this option as it was felt by the members that the Club would lose its identity by playing away from the ground that it has occupied for over 50 years. We therefore try and aspire to be in the top half of the Premier Division of the Essex Olympian Football League"
The cold end says fair play to KHFC who are happy playing where they are and are not going to risk the great history of their club in order to move up the Pyramid.

Most member clubs take part in the Essex Premier Cup this weekend with only one Premier Division game between Rayleigh Town and Faces FC.

Lastly, spare a thought for founding member club Writtle who are bottom of Division Three looking up at the rest of the league. Their record is 0 wins, 1 draw and 4 losses from their 5 games.

The website for the league contains lots of good information at http://www.eofl.co.uk/index.html