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United Counties League

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Levels 9–10 Football League areas in England

United Counties League
Founded1895
CountryEngland
DivisionsPremier Division North
Premier Division South
Division One
Number of teams59
Level on pyramidLevels 9–10
Feeder toSouthern League Division One Central
Northern Premier League Division One East and Midlands
Domestic cup(s)United Counties League Cup
FA Vase
FA Cup
Current championsAnstey Nomads (Premier Division North)
Coventry Sphinx (Premier Division South)
Aylestone Park (Division One)
(2022–23)
Current: 2024–25 season

The United Counties League (also known after its sponsor as the GCE Hire Fleet Ltd. United Counties League) is an English football league covering an area including the English counties of northern Bedfordshire, northern Buckinghamshire, most of Cambridgeshire, southern Derbyshire, southern Leicestershire, most of Lincolnshire, western Norfolk, Northamptonshire, southern Nottinghamshire, northern Oxfordshire, Rutland, eastern Staffordshire, eastern Warwickshire and eastern West Midlands. It has a total of five divisions, three for first teams and two for reserve teams, but the reserves' divisions were merged into a single division for the 2013–14 season and remains so at present.

Clubs in the Premier Divisions are eligible to enter the FA Cup in the preliminary round stages. The clubs in the league are eligible for the FA Vase, and there are knockout cups for the Premier/Division One clubs and for the Reserve Divisions clubs.

History

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The United Counties League was formed in 1895 as the Northamptonshire Junior League, dropping the 'Junior' one year later. It took its current name in 1934 as teams from other counties had long since been a part of the league. Over the years the UCL has 'united' teams from Northamptonshire, Rutland and Bedfordshire with those from parts of Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and even Norfolk. Northampton Town joined the league in 1897 and became champions in their second season before moving up to the Southern League. They would become the league's first former member to reach the Football League in 1920. In 1900 Bedford Queens became the first club from outside the county to join the league.

The Football Association announced on 12 April 2021 that United Counties League would administer a new Step 5 division since the 2021–22 season after the scheduled National League System restructure had a one-season postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England.[1]

Current members

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United Counties League is located in the East Midlands
Ashby Ivanhoe
Ashby Ivanhoe
AFC Mansfield
AFC Mansfield
Belper United and Eastwood
Belper United and Eastwood
Boston Town
Boston Town
Deeping Rangers
Deeping Rangers
Heanor Town
Heanor Town
Hucknall Town
Hucknall Town
Kimberley Miners Welfare
Kimberley Miners Welfare
Lincoln United
Lincoln United
Loughborough Students
Loughborough Students
Newark and Sherwood United
Newark and Sherwood United
Melton Town
Melton Town
Pinchbeck United
Pinchbeck United
Sherwood Colliery
Sherwood Colliery
Skegness Town
Skegness Town
Sleaford Town
Sleaford Town
Wisbech Town
Wisbech Town
Aylestone Park
Aylestone Park
Bugbrooke St. Michaels
Bugbrooke St. Michaels
Cogenhoe United
Cogenhoe United
Coventry United
Coventry United
Daventry Town
Daventry Town
Desborough Town
Desborough Town
Easington Sports
Easington Sports
Eynesbury Rovers
Eynesbury Rovers
GNG Oadby Town
GNG Oadby Town
Godmanchester Rovers
Godmanchester Rovers
Histon
Histon
Leicester Nirvana
Leicester Nirvana
Lutterworth Town
Lutterworth Town
March Town United
March Town United
Newport Pagnell Town
Newport Pagnell Town
Racing Club Warwick
Racing Club Warwick
Rugby Borough
Rugby Borough
St Neots Town
St Neots Town
Wellingborough Town
Wellingborough Town
Yaxley
Yaxley
Asfordby
Asfordby
Birstall United
Birstall United
Blackstones
Blackstones
Bourne Town
Bourne Town
Clifton All Whites
Clifton All Whites
Clipstone
Clipstone
Dunkirk
Dunkirk
Gedling Miners Welfare
Gedling Miners Welfare
Harrowby United
Harrowby United
Holwell Sports
Holwell Sports
Kirby Muxloe
Kirby Muxloe
Leicester St Andrews
Leicester St Andrews
Lutterworth Athletic
Lutterworth Athletic
Newark Town
Newark Town
Radford
Radford
Rainworth Miners Welfare
Rainworth Miners Welfare
Saffron Dynamo
Saffron Dynamo
Sandiacre Town
Sandiacre Town
Selston
Selston
Southwell City
Southwell City
West Bridgford
West Bridgford
Locations of the United Counties League clubs by division
– Premier Division North – Premier Division South – Division One

Step 5

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The league has two divisions at level 9 (step 5) of the National League System (NLS). Member clubs take part in cup competitions organised by the county FA to which they are affiliated and other cup competitions. The north division currently has 18 clubs, feeding into the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands and East. The south division currently has 20 clubs, feeding into the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands and Southern Football League Division One Central.

Step 6 (Division One)

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Division One is at level 10 (step 6) in the football pyramid above five smaller local leagues below the recognised NLS: Central Midlands League, Leicestershire Senior League, Lincolnshire League, Northamptonshire Combination League and Nottinghamshire Senior League. There are currently 20 clubs in this division.

Club Home ground Ground capacity
Blackstones Lincoln Road 1,200
Bourne Town Abbey Lawn 5,000
Coalville Town Mander Cruickshank Solicitors Stadium 2,000
Clifton All Whites Norman Archer Memorial Ground 1,000
Clipstone Lido Ground
Dunkirk Ron Steel Sports Ground 1,500
Gedling Miners Welfare Mapperley Plains Sports Club 2,000
Harrowby United Dickens Road 1,500
Holwell Sports Melton Road 1,000
Lutterworth Athletic Hall Park
Kirby Muxloe Ratby Lane 1,000
Newark Town YMCA Sports Village
Radford Selhurst Street 1,000
Rainworth Miners Welfare Welfare Ground
Sandiacre Town St Giles Park
Selston The Parish Hall Ground 1,000
Southwell City Centenary Ground, Brinkley
St. Andrews Canal Street 1,000
West Bridgford Regatta Way Sports Ground 1,000

Reserve Division

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The membership of the Reserve Division is made up largely of the reserve teams of clubs in the Premier Division and Division One of the United Counties League. It has run as a single division since season 2013–14, and currently contains sixteen teams.

Recent champions

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 Season  Premier Division Division One Reserves Division 1 Reserves Division 2 League Cup Reserve Divisions Cup
1980–81 Stamford Stevenage Borough Wootton Blue Cross Not Formed Irthlingborough Diamonds Long Buckby
1981–82 Stamford Newport Pagnell Town Irthlingborough Diamonds Not Formed Stamford Irthligborough Diamonds
1982–83 Irthlingborough Diamonds Raunds Town Irthlingborough Diamonds Not Formed Wootton Blue Cross Desborough Town
1983–84 Buckingham Town Brackley Town Arlesey Town Raunds Town Buckingham Town Stamford
1984–85 Arlesey Town Northampton Spencer Long Buckby Brackley Town Long Buckby Raunds Town
1985–86 Buckingham Town Kempston Rovers Irthlingborough Diamonds Wootton Blue Cross Stamford Rushden Town
1986–87 Potton United Baker Perkins Irthlingborough Diamonds Wellingborough Whitworths Stewarts & Lloyds Corby Irthlingborough Diamonds
1987–88 Spalding United British Timken Duston Stotfold Kettering Town Arlesey Town Kettering Town
1988–89 Potton United Ramsey Town Raunds Town Cogenhoe United Northampton Spencer Raunds Town
1989–90 Holbeach United Daventry Town Mirrlees Blackstone Northampton ON Chenecks Holbeach United Mirrlees Blackstone
1990–91 Bourne Town Daventry Town Northampton Spencer Wellingborough Town Raunds Town Northampton Spencer
1991–92 Northampton Spencer Harrowby United Stotfold Hamlet S & L Corby Rothwell Town Stotfold
1992–93 Rothwell Town Ford Sports Daventry Rushden & Diamonds Burton Park Wanderers Rothwell Town Rushden & Diamonds
1993–94 Rothwell Town Northampton Vanaid Rothwell Town Bourne Town Northampton Spencer Rothwell Town
1994–95 Boston Town St Neots Town Northampton Spencer Wootton Blue Cross Spalding United Cogenhoe United
1995–96 Raunds Town Ford Sports Daventry Raunds Town Wellingborough Whitworths Cogenhoe United Mirrlees Blackstone
1996–97 Stamford Yaxley Stotfold Northampton Vanaid Desborough Town Rothwell Town
1997–98 Stamford Higham Town Rothwell Town St Neots Town Ford Sports Daventry Rothwell Town
1998–99 Spalding United Bugbrooke St Michaels Rothwell Town Kettering Town Stotfold Northampton Spencer
1999–2000 Ford Sports Daventry Cottingham Rothwell Town King's Lynn Cogenhoe United King's Lynn
2000–01 Boston Town Daventry Town Cogenhoe United Stamford Desborough Town Rothwell Town
2001–02 Ford Sports Daventry Newport Pagnell Town Stotfold Holbeach United Raunds Town Wootton Blue Cross
2002–03 Holbeach United Northampton Sileby Rangers Bugbrooke St Michaels Olney Town Blackstones Stewarts & Lloyds Corby
2003–04 Spalding United Potton United Raunds Town Bourne Town Boston Town Blackstones
2004–05 Cogenhoe United Northampton Sileby Rangers Yaxley Ford Sports Daventry Potton United Stotfold
2005–06 Woodford United Sleaford Town Bourne Town Woodford United Yaxley Northampton Sileby Rangers
2006–07 Deeping Rangers Whitworths Cogenhoe United St Neots Town Boston Town Cogenhoe United
2007–08 Stotfold Daventry Town Stotfold Huntingdon Town Desborough Town Blackstones
2008–09 Stewarts & Lloyds Corby Peterborough Northern Star Stotfold Peterborough Northern Star Stotfold Blackstones
2009–10 Daventry Town Irchester United St. Neots Town Northampton ON Chenecks St Ives Town Stotfold
2010–11 St. Neots Town AFC Kempston Rovers Cogenhoe United King's Lynn Town Peterborough Northern Star Thrapston Town
2011–12 Long Buckby Huntingdon Town King's Lynn Town Bugbrooke St Michaels St Ives Town Whitworth
2012–13 Holbeach United Northampton Sileby Rangers Cogenhoe United Oadby Town Spalding United AFC Kempston Rovers
 Season  Premier Division Division One Reserves Division League Cup Reserve Divisions Cup
2013–14 Spalding United Oadby Town Cogenhoe United Huntingdon Town Peterborough Northern Star
2014–15 AFC Rushden & Diamonds Northampton Spencer Bugbrooke St Michaels AFC Rushden & Diamonds Bugbrooke St Michaels
2015–16 AFC Kempston Rovers Peterborough Sports Rushden & Higham United Reserves Peterborough Sports Rothwell Corinthians Reserves
2016–17 Peterborough Sports Daventry Town Lutterworth Athletic Reserves Yaxley Raunds Town Reserves
2017–18 Yaxley Pinchbeck United Bugbrooke St Michaels Reserves Leicester Nirvana Yaxley Reserves
2018–19 Daventry Town Lutterworth Town Desborough Town Reserves Daventry Town Cogenhoe Reserves
2019–20 Season abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England Not played
2020–21
 Season  Premier Division North Premier Division South Division One Reserves Division League Cup Reserve Divisions Cup
2021–22 Long Eaton United Harborough Town Kimberley Miners Welfare Bugbrooke St Michaels Reserves Not played
2022–23 Anstey Nomads Coventry Sphinx Aylestone Park Harborough Town Reserves Anstey Nomads Newport Pagnell Town Reserves
2023–24 Sherwood Colliery Wellingborough Town Bourne Town Buckingham Development

References

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  1. ^ "EXPLAINED: The 2021-22 Non-League restructure". The Non-League Paper. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
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