The Western League, which currently has two divisions at Step 5 & 6 of the pyramid, started life as the Bristol & District League back in 1892. In those days there was just one division and, in the first season, only 9 clubs competed for the title. The league was won by Warmley who went on to almost dominate the league for the first 5 seasons, winning it four times with just a break in 1895 when Hereford Thistle took the title with Warmley finishing third. Their reserves also won the newly formed Division Two in its first two seasons. 
In 1898 the league took in some clubs from the Southern League and for ten years the league champions reads like a who's who of future Football League and Premier League clubs. Swindon Town, Bristol Rovers (founder members of the Western League as Eastville Rovers), Portsmouth on three occasions, Tottenham Hotspur (more about them later), Plymouth Argyle, QPR, Fulham, Southampton and Brighton all won the Western League between 1899 and 1909.

In all 59 different teams have won the Western League top division to date. Of that 59 only one team has managed to reach double figures when it comes to league titles and that team is Bideford (10), currently of the Southern League Division One South. Other notable numbers of titles are Bristol City Reserves with 7 (two more than Rovers Reserves), Taunton Town with 6 (all in the space of a decade), and Welton Rovers who have 5.

Eleven Western League champions have gone on to play in the Football League, Yeovil & Petters United (4) (Yeovil Town), Portsmouth (3), Millwall (2), Bristol City (1), Bristol Rovers (1), Cardiff City (1), Plymouth Argyle (1), Queens Park Rangers (1), Swindon Town (1), Tottenham Hotspur (1). Merthyr Town did it the other way around. They won the Western League in 2012, 82 years after losing their Football League place. Tottenham Hotspur's title came in 1904, three years after famously becoming the first (and currently only) non-league team to win the FA Cup. Although the club was officially a member of the Southern League at the time, they also played in the Western League at the same time.

The Hellenic League was established in 1953, the first season being the 1953-54 season. The boundaries covering the league have always been a little hazy but, essentially, the league serves clubs in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Buckinghamshire, Herefordshire and parts of Wiltshire, with the Southern borders extending into the London area and Hampshire. Teams from Berkshire and Northamptonshire have also participated in the league over the years.

The original league was a single division comprising of 16 clubs, many of which exist to this day, some still playing in the Hellenic structure. The inaugural winners were Didcot Town with two now defunct clubs, Witney Town and Pressed Steel, following them in second and third. Amongst the original members, aside from the first champions, who have gone on to higher leagues are Staines Town (who made it into Step 2 for 6 seasons earlier this century), Leighton United (now Leighton Town) and Thatcham, now Thatcham Town. Bottom of the pile in that first season were Princes Risborough Town who had an awful time of it, losing all thirty of their games scoring 33 and conceding 160. Although the club disappeared after the 1973-74 season, the town's current footballing representative, Risborough Rangers, have played in the Hellenic League structure for the past couple of seasons after spending most of their life in the South Midlands League.
Despite winning the league and breaking the 100 goal mark, Didcot were not top scorers that first season. This accolade went to runners-up Witney Town who clocked up 123 goals in 30 games, averaging over 4 goals per game over the season. Remarkable.
​
Over the years 38 different teams have won the top flight title and only 15 sides have won it more than once. Witney Town hold the record for the most titles with 8, twice as many as their nearest rivals Abingdon Town and Moreton Town who both have 4 to their names. Only two clubs have won the Hellenic League and then gone on to play in the Football League. Forest Green Rovers were the first, winning the title in the 1981-82 season and then gaining promotion to League 2 in 2017. The second was Newport AFC in the 1989-90 season. The newly formed exiles, who had already played in the Football League, began their rise back up the leagues in the Hellenic League. They managed to re-join the Football League, after a 25 year absence, in 2013.

The first FA Vase competition took place during the 1974-75 season and was won by Hoddesdon Town who beat Epsom & Ewell 2-1 in front of 9,500 at the old Wembley Stadium. Up to and including Chertsey Town's 3-1 defeat of Cray Valley PM im May 2019, there have been a total of 45 FA Vase Finals. The majority have been played at Wembley (aside from replays), although during the period when Wembley was being rebuilt Villa Park,The Boleyn Ground, St Andrew's and White Hart Lane were all used. BotP takes a look at some of the FA Vase Final statistics.

149 - The total number of goals scored in FA Vase Finals, including replays. Top scorers in FA Vase Final history are Whitley Bay with 12 goals.

6 - The record number of goals scored by one team in a single FA Vase Final. This again stands with Whitley Bay who chalked up a 6-1 defeat of Wroxham in 2010.

8 - The highest cumulative goal total in an FA Vase Final. There have been two occasions when eight goals have been scored in a Vase Final. They happened in consecutive Finals and both featured Guiseley. In 1991 the Final ended in a 4-4 draw between Guiseley and Gresley Rovers with the Yorkshiremen taking the replay 3-1. The following season Wimborne Town were triumphant, beating Guiseley 5-3 in what is seen as one of the best Finals of all time.

37 - The number of different teams who have won the FA Vase since 1975.

5 - The number of teams who have won the FA Vase more than once. The teams are Whitley Bay, Billericay Town, Halesowen Town, Brigg Town and Tiverton Town. Interestingly, with the exception of Brigg Town who won in 1996 and 2003, the other multiple winners have all won in consecutive seasons.

4 - The number of occasions when record winners Whitley Bay have lifted the FA Vase. Following their first victory in 2002, they then went on to record a hat-trick of wins from 2009 to 2011. Four is also the number of times that the Final has gone to a replay, 1977, 1989, 1990 and 1991.

3 - Record number of consecutive FA Vase victories and, by coincidence, currently also the record number of consecutive Final defeats. Whitley Bay chalked up wins in 2009, 2010 and 2011 on their way to becoming the record winners of the competition. The most unlucky team has to be AFC Sudbury who went down in the final 3 times in a row from 1989 through to 1991. Their previous incarnation of Sudbury Town were also beaten finalists, after a replay, in the 1989 Final. Sudbury, under either name, have never won the competition.

1 - The number of hat-tricks scored in FA Vase Finals. This unique record is held by Doug Young of Billericay Town, who notched three of his sides four goals as they defeated Almondsbury Greenway 4-1 at Wembley in 1979.

677,673 - To date the total number of spectators to have witnessed FA Vase Finals and replays since 1975.

46,781 - The record attendance for FA Vase Finals when including figures from games played as part of Non-League Finals Day. This was set in 2016 when Morpeth Town defeated Hereford 4-1 despite going a goal down after 2 minutes. The large crowd, it has to be said, was largely down to the enormous numbers who came down from Hereford, said to be in excess of 19,000.

11,201 - The record attendance for an FA Vase Final outside of Wembley Stadium. This figure was set at the 1989 Final Replay between Tamworth and Sudbury Town at London Road Peterborough, a figure around double that of the host club's average attendance during that season.

Base of the Pyramid
@BasePyramid
​www.botp.co.uk

The fifth edition of Gone But Not Forgotten sees us head off to the land of the dragon for a little look at some Welsh sides who once graced the lush turf of the Welsh Leagues.

Ruabon Druids (1869 - 1923)
If Druids still existed they could lay claim to being the oldest club in Wales. That title currently belongs to Newtown FC who were founded in 1875. Six years previously, Plasmadoc FC were born in the village of Ruabon near Wrexham. After three years playing under this name the club merged with Ruabon Rovers and Ruabon Volunteers to form Ruabon Druids FC. Ruabon further cemented its place in Welsh football history when, in 1876, the Football Association of Wales was founded at a meeting in the village. This same year, Druids (as they were now commonly known) became the first Welsh side to enter the English FA Cup, although they withdrew without playing. They did, however, play the following season, beating Shropshire Wanderers in the First Round and eventually going out 8-0 to Royal Engineers in the Third Round. During their existence Druids won the Welsh Senior League on three occasions, the Welsh Amateur Cup once and the Welsh Cup eight times. The combination of their ground, Wynnstay Park, becoming unsuitable for the standard of football and World War I stopping football activities, led to the club suffering financially. They left their ground and combined with Rhosymefre FC, then in 1923 merged with Acrefair United to form Druids United and effectively end Ruabon Druids.
As a footnote. Druids United eventually amalgamated with Cefn Albion in the 1992, forming Cefn Druids who currently play in the Welsh Premier League.

Brymbo Victoria (c1900 - 1911)
The village of Brymbo, just West of Wrexham, has been represented by many teams over the years. Brymbo Institute started the ball rolling in 1890. For one year they were known as Brymbo Junior before Brymbo Victoria came into existence somewhere around the turn of the century. The names Institute,Green, Junior and Steelworks have all appeared after Brymbo since then but Victoria has recently popped up again with a reformation of the club as a North East Wales side in 2017 (although Brymbo FC are still playing in the Wrexham Area of the Welsh National League). The original Victoria era was very short-lived, with the club folding in 1911. However, during these 10 years the club saw unprecedented success winning the Wrexham and District League three times (1903,1904 & 1905(, with a runners-up spot sandwiched in there too. They were also beaten finalists in the Welsh Amateur Cup in 1908, winning the St Martins Charity Cup to make up for it.

Mid Rhondda (1912 - 1928)
South Wales has always been something of a rugby stronghold, so when Mid Rhondda FC were formed the same year as the Titanic went down, they were one of the earliest football clubs in the area. The club had a ready-made stadium in which to play, the 10,000 capacity Mid Rhondda Ground which had been built in the previous decade to provide an all round athletics and sports facility in South Wales. The club immediately applied, and was accepted, into the Southern League even though they didn't have an established squad. By 1919-20, already having the Southern League Division Two title in their records, they took the Welsh League by storm, winning the championship by beating Cardiff City into second place. To top it off, they also won the South Wales Cup with a 1-0 victory over Barry FC. The club played some challenge matches against big names from England in this period, beating Nottingham Forest, Derby County and Portsmouth in the process.
Unfortunately for Mid Rhondda, when the Football League incorporated the Southern League in to Division Three, the club were left in the Southern League and the team started to fall apart. To add to this the country's economic problems in the 1920s depressed the Rhondda area, meaning that fewer and fewer people had money to watch the team. The end came in 1928 when the debt-ridden club was forced to close.

Abergavenny Thursdays (1927 - 2013)
It's always great to come across teams that have, or had, unusual names, many of which have significant historical backgrounds. Thursdays are no different. Founded in 1927, the club got their (possibly) unique name from the fact that many Welsh towns at the time gave workers a half-day on Thursdays. This, in turn, led to many social clubs springing up to take advantage of the free time. The club's halcyon days started in the early 1950s with promotion to the top tier of the Welsh Football League in 1951. They won the Welsh League Cup the following year and proceeded to take the Welsh Division One title twice in succession from 1958 - 1960. The club then repeated this feat in the early 1990s, again winning back to back titles and gaining an invitation to become founding members of the League of Wales. Unfortunately for the club, the financial strains of the new league caused all sorts of problems, players left the club and they were relegated to Division One. A few seasons later they dropped down again after failing to win a single game which signalled the start of a severe decline which saw them drop down into the Gwent League system, from which they withdrew in 2013.

Borough United (1952 - 1969)
Formed by the merger of two sides, Conwy Borough and Llandudno Junction in 1952, Borough United had a short but very full existence. They played their games at Llandudno's old ground, Nanty-y-Coed and wore the same maroon and white colours as Junction had worn. As such they were seen as a continuation of the Llandudno side. They quickly became a force in the North of Wales, winning the Welsh League North in 1959 and 1963, a season in which they also won the Welsh Cup beating Football League side Newport County 2-1 over two legs. This victory led to the club qualifying for the UEFA Cup where they were drawn against Maltese outfit Sliema Wanderers. They drew 1-1 in Malta and then won the return leg 2-1, a game played at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground. This then set up a tie against Slovan Bratislava which Borough lost 4-0 on aggregate. No disgrace for a small part-time outfit up against a side who already had four Czech League Championships to their name. The end for Borough started in 1967 when they lost the use of Nant-y-Coed. They continued for a while in a minor Conwy League before folding in 1969.

For this, the fourth in the series of Gone But Not Forgotten, BotP heads North of the border to take a look at five Scottish clubs that are no longer with us. We start in a remote part of East Ayrshire alongside the Glenbuck Loch.

Glenbuck Cherrypickers (early 1870s - 1932)
The Cherrypickers only existed as a football club for around 50 years but, in that time, the club produced around 50 professional footballers, a remarkable statistic for a team from a small town that has never had a population greater than 1,200 people. Among these 50 professionals, seven went on to represent Scotland at international level, the most famous of these being former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly. All four of Shankly's brothers also played for Glenbuck,each one became a professional and brother Bob also made one international appearance. Glenbuck's unusual name, Cherrypickers, may have come from a couple of sources. During the Boer War the 11th Hussars regiment, which included men from Glenbuck, were known as the Cherry Pickers. However, the more likely origin (in my opinion) comes from the job of sorting coal from stones and debris in the local pits. This job was referred to a cherry picking and the workers who performed the task were cherry pickers. This origin for the name is backed up by the fact that the club folded in 1932 after the local coal pit was closed down. This was the main source of employment in Glenbuck and it's closure not only signalled the demise of the football club but also led to the town itself being abandoned.

Maryhill Hibernians / Maryhill Harp (1923 -1967)
The Maryhill area of Glasgow is known for being the setting for detective series Taggart and, in the footballing world, being the home of Partick Thistle FC. However, for just over 50 years between the 1920s and 1967, the area also boasted another team, Maryhill Hibernians (or Maryhill Harp as they were know from 1939 onward). This change of name is a significant and controversial part of the club's history. After a period a much success in the Scottish Junior League (SJL), Hibernians declared their intention to resign from the league and apply to join the Central League. Their resignation, however, was refused by the SJL so the club's committee chose the close the club down. Immediately a new club, Maryhill Harp, was formed and proceeded to apply for membership of the Central League. Unfortunately for the club their application was turned down and they were forced to re-apply to the SJL, who readmitted the club. Then the Second World War intervened, effectively shutting down the league. However, the new club were eventually accepted into the Central League for the war-time league season in 1941-42. The club eventually went under in 1967 after the Glasgow Corporation placed a compulsory purchase order on their Kelvinvale Park ground for new housing.

Duntocher Hibernian (1894 - 1980)
Duntocher is a village in West Dunbartonshire, not a million miles away from some more familiar Scottish football teams. Clydebank is the nearest town to Duntocher, just up the river Clyde lies Dumbarton and just over the other side of the river is Paisley, home of St Mirren. Duntocher Hibernian were founded in 1894 and, somewhat surprisingly for such a small village, continued to play football for 86 years. The club had some success in the Scottish Junior and Central Leagues, winning three titles in total. The club also produced a few famous names, Paddy Crerand and Celtic, Manchester United and Scotland fame being the most recognisable. Their most notorious former player, however, was probably Dick Beattie who went on to play for Celtic in the 1957 Scottish Cup Final. He later received a lifetime ban form the game for his part in the 1964 British Betting Scandal in which ten players, including Beattie, were jailed for between four years and four months.

Renton (1872 - 1922)
Like Duntocher, Renton hailed from Dunbartonshire an area that played a major part in early years of Scottish football. The club played in the first ever Scottish Cup competition in 1873-74, reaching the semi-final where they lost to Queen's Park. The following season they went one better and reached the final before again losing to Queen's Park. However, their peak period came in the second decade of their existence,winning the Scottish Cup twice and finishing runners-up once. They also competed in the English FA Cup during this time beating Accrington and Blackburn Rovers before going out to Preston. In 1888 they then challenged English FA Cup holders West Bromwich Albion to a game to decide the 'Football World Championship'. Renton won the game, in Glasgow, 4-1 leading to a 'Champion of teh World' sign being displayed on the pavilion of their home ground. The trophy they won that day is still on display in the football museum at Hampden Park. Financial pressures eventually saw the demise of Renton. The club continued to play in minor league football but eventually folded in 1922, but they will always be remembered as pioneers of the game in Scotland and, of course, Champions of the World.

Caledonian (1885-1994)
Hailing from the city of Inverness, Caledonian can lay claim to being the most successful Highland League team of all time. Although their record of 18 Highland League titles has since been equalled by Clachnacuddin, their record in other competitions, especially the Scottish Cup, sets them apart from anyone else. In the 1982-83 season they played 30 league games, winning 23, drawing 7, remaining unbeaten all season. They knocked 19 Scottish League sides out of the Cup over the years, most notably in 1992 when they put out Stenhousemuir and Clyde before taking Premier League St Johnstone to a replay which they eventually lost 3-0. In 1994 the club was dissolved during the merger with Inverness Thistle to form Inverness Caledonian Thistle who, of course, have managed to make it all the way into the Scottish Premier League (although are currently in the second tier). The merger most famously gave rise to the one of the most famous headlines of all time 'Super Cally Go Ballistic Celtic Are Atrocious', when Cally, the of Division One, beat Celtic 3-1 at Celtic Park in the Scottish Cup 3rd Round.

Bristol Aeroplane Company FC
c1937 - c1950
It is believed that the Bristol Aeroplane Company Football Club was formed in the 1930's. Effectively, they had one really successful season, finishing second in the top flight of the Western league in the 1939-40 season. The war broke out and although the club reesumed after the war, they were in a rapid decline, eventually dissolving at the end of the 1949-50 season. They played three seasons in the FA Cup, losing all three games and failing to score a goal. So, not too successful on the pitch but they really did make some iconic aircraft, amongst them the Bristol Fighter, the Blenheim and the Beaufighter. The company also laid the foundation for the work that led to the creation of Concorde.

Blackburn Olympic
1878 - 1889
A very short lived team but one that played a major part in the growth of the game amongst the working-class communities in the North of the country. Until Olympic won the FA Cup in 1883, just five years after their foundation, the competition had been dominated by clubs from London and predominantly from the upper classes. The list of winners before Olympic reads Wanderers (5 wins), Royal Engineers (2), Old Etonians (2), Oxford University (1), Old Carthusians (1) &  Clapham Rovers (1). Blackburn Olympic paved the way for the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion and Preston North End, to end the Southern domination of the FA Cup. Unfortunately, he club could not compete with the new wave of clubs, such as Rovers, an folded in 1889, eleven years after their foundation. A short history but one that should not be under-estimated in terms of influence on the game.

New Brighton Tower
1886 - 1901
Formed in 1896 and dissolved in 1901, New Brighton Tower FC were a very short-lived football club but they did manage to win the Lancashire League at the first attempt and spend three seasons in the Football League. The club played in a stadium built alongside New Brighton Tower, a structure designed to rival nearby Blackpool Tower. The tower did last longer than the football club but was demolished after the First World War when it had fallen into disrepair.

Olney Town
1903 - 2018
It's a little sad to be including Olney Town in an article about former football teams, especially as I have had the pleasure of watching them play fairly recently. The club existed from 1903 until it was dissolved in 2018, joining the United Counties League in 1966 and remaining there for the rest of their playing days. It's fair to say that they never set the League alight, playing the majority of their football in Division One. They did, however, spend 5 years in the Premier League in the late 1970's. The nature of their East Street ground meant that they could not charge an entry fee to their matches. Instead a committee member would walk around the ground with a donation box. 

The Zulus
1879 - 1882
The Zulus football team exited for 3 years, between 1879 and 1882. The were setup in Sheffield in order to raise money for families of soldiers killed in the Zulu War (think Rourke's Drift). It was an interesting concept whereby players were taken from many of the local clubs. Playing in an all black kit, the players didn't use their own names, instead adopting Zulu names for games. During the three years that they existed, they apparently never lost a match. The club was forced to disband in 1882 following controversy surrounding their players being paid to play even though they were strictly an amateur team.

A little festive half-time quiz where, to help you out, the first letter of each answer spells out the words Merry Christmas.

M. The first winners of the FA Trophy. They beat Telford United 2-0 at Wembley in the 1969-70 competition.
E. A seaside town on the South coast more famous for retirement but actually supports no fewer than there non-league teams.
R. Which West Midlands club, based near Walsall, were managed by former West Brom midfielder Richard Sneekes between 2014 & 2016.
R. Bracknell Town, North Shields, Ilkeston and Carshalton Athletic all share this nickname.
Y. The nickname of Halesowen Town

C. Which East London club, now playing in the Essex Senior League, holds joint second place for all time FA Amateur Cup wins (5)?
H. Eastern Counties League side Stanway Rovers ground shares a name with a current Championship team's ground. What is it?
R. Formerly known as Valley Sports this Warwickshire side, currently in the United Counties Premier, play their home games at Butlin Road
I. Nickname of National League South side Braintree Town which they share with Scunthorpe United
S. Jamie Vardy started his career at this South Yorkshire non-league outfit
T. Eastern Counties side who represent a Norfolk market town that can boast a statue of Dad's Army's Captain Mainwaring.
M. This North West Counties Division One South side gets its name from the former home of the Premier League team that its founders supported.
A. Leicestershire side who, despite their name, have actually played at the same ground on Cropston Road since their formation in 1946.
S. A founder member of the EFL Division 3 North in 1921 this club from Greater Manchester now ply their trade in the Northern Premier League



Answers:
Macclesfield Town
Eastbourne
Rushall Olympic
Robins
Yeltz

Clapton
Hawthorns
Rugby Town
Iron
Stocksbridge Park Steels
Thetford Town
Maine Road
Anstey Nomads
Stalybridge Celtic

Bourne Town - The Wakes
Hereward the Wake led the Anglo-Saxon resistance against the invading Norman armies following their invasion via Hastings in 1066. Legend has it that he operated mainly in the Fens, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Lincolnshire, something akin to a lowlands Robin Hood. Although no-one knows for sure, Bourne lays claim to be the birthplace of Hereward, hence the clubs nickname, The Wakes.

Chalvey Sports - The Stabmonks
Chalvey Sports, founded in 1885 and currently playing in the Hellenic League, have one of the more unusual nicknames in non-league. The Stabmonks' name probably dates back to the the Victorian era. The most likely source of the name comes from a tale about an organ-grinder's monkey biting the finger of a child. The father of the child then stabbed the monkey to death which, obviously, greatly upset the organ grinder. The Chalvey villagers took pity on the man, had a collection, purchased a new monkey and held a funeral and wake (involving free beer) for the departed animal. The wake proved so successful that it became an annual event for quite some time. To this day anyone born and bred in Chalvey is described as a stab-monk. The full tale can be read on the Slough History Online site - sloughhistoryonline.org.uk

Sandhurst Town - The Fizzers
The Sandhurst Town club web site quotes two possibilities for their unusual nickname. The first, and probably most logical, is that they were named after a Friendly Insurance Society (F.I.S) that was set up in the town in the early 1930's. The alternative is that it is derived from the chant 'Fizz, Fizz, Bang!', shouted by the club's supporters when the team scored a goal. Personally, that's the one I would go with.

Hallen - The Armadillos
The origin of the club's nickname is not that clear, even on the club's history page on its website there is no direct mention of where the moniker came from. However, further inspection of the wonderful account of the club's early days recounted by lifetime member and one of the founders, Gordon Bradley, shows that the club originally played their games at Kingsweston House when they began in 1949. The house was used as a British Army camp during the war and, leftover from this time, was a Nissen hut that the club adopted as changing rooms. Nissen huts bare a striking resemblance to an armadillo, which could well be where the odd nickname came from.
 
Sittingbourne - The Brickies
Sittingbourne Football Club can be traced back to 1886. However, there are records of a team in the town previously to the current incarnation. The fact that the club was born in the late Victorian era also gives some clue to their nickname, The Brickies. A few years prior to the foundation of the team, the local brick and tile industry was the biggest in the country, even outstripping the Midlands brickworks. The Grade II listed London Bridge - Greenwich Railway Viaduct is constructed entirely of Sittingbourne brick.

Weymouth - The Terras
Not, as I first thought, a shortened version of Terrors, referring to the them terrifying opponents. Is is actually a reference to their original terracotta coloured kit back in the 1890s. Since that time the clubs colours have changed slightly and are now more maroon and light blue. However, the nickname remains.

Merthyr Town - The Martyrs
The club gets its nickname from the origins of Merthyr Tydfil, the town that the club represents. Legend has it that Tydfil was the daughter of King Brychan of Brycheniog, which at the time was an independent kingdom between Wales and England. Tydfil was martyred after being killed by pagans late in the 5th century. The town was named Merthyr (Welsh for martyr) Tydfil. The club was reformed in 2010 but has retained the nickname. For a full account of the history of football in Merthyr the club's website has a very good article - https://www.merthyrtownfc.co.uk/our-story/history/

​Football has been a popular sport around academic institutions from its inception, one of the early succesful FA Cup sides being Old Etonians. In this article we take a look at a few other university and school old boys teams that are or have been playing in the pyramid.

Team Bath
We start down in the West Country with a team that existed for just 10 short years yet managed to secure four promotions and climb up into the sixth tier of English football. Team Bath was the football team of Bath University. Founded in 1999, they joined the Western League Divison 1 (Step 6) in 2000, gaining promotion to the Premier League at the first attempt. Two seasons later they won the division and progressed into the Southern League Division 1 West. A sixth place finish the following season was enough to gain promotion to the Southern League Premier Division. Progress slowed a little at this point, but after two lower half finishes they were then runners-up two seasons running, achieving promotion to the Conference South nine years after their foundation. Unfortunately, their demise was as rapid as their rise. After their first season at Step 2 they were informed by the FA that because of their club structure (they were not a limited company) they wouldn't be able to climb any higher or compete in the FA Cup. The club took the decision to resign from the league and the club was no more.

Loughborough University
Founded in 1920 as Loughborough College, the club mainly played in local football in the Lecistershire area. They joined the Leicestershire Senior League in 1966 but then left senior football six years later. In 2007 the club made a return to the pyramid after promotion to the Midland Combination Premier League. This was followed by a further promotion two years later, seeing the club rise to the Midland Alliance. After ground-sharing with fellow Loughborough side, Dynamo, The Scholars moved into the new 3,300 capacity University Stadium in 2012 and are now successfully plying thir trade in the Midland League Premier Division.

Solent University (Team Solent)
The Sparks, as Solent University FC are known, were formed in 2005 and became founder members of the Hampshire Premier League in 2008, finishing runners-up twice before gaining promotion to the Wessex League in 2012. Known as Team Solent until the Summer of 2019, promotion to the Wessex Premier League was gained on the back of the Division One title in 2015. In the 2016-17 season they made it to the Fifth Round of the FA Vase before going down 5-2 at home to eventual winners South Shields.

Team Northumbria F.C.
Northumbria University's football club started life in the Northern Alliance League Division Two, progressing through the Alliance with promotion to Division One in 2002 and then into the Premier League the following season. They finished runners-up in the fiurst season, third the following year and then won the Division in 2006 gaining promotion to the Northern League Division Two. Teh Divisio0n Two title was sealed in 2012 and the club made the lead into Step 5 football. There followed a relegation after two seasons and a further promotion three years later. Although the club maintained their Step 5 status, they resigned from the Northern League in the close-season at the end of the 2017-18 campaign and now play in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Northern Premier League

Northampton ON Chenecks
The ON in Checnecks name stands for Old Northamptonian and refers back to the ONs Association that was created towards the end of World War I in memory of 94 staff memebers, pupils and former pupils Northampton School who had perished in the conflict. The football team was founded as Chenecks FC in 1946. The name comes from letters taken from the school's four houses, CHipseys, SpENcer, BECKett and St Crispins. It's fair to say that Chenecks have not set the footballing world alight in the last 70+ years. Two United Counties Division One titles and three Northants Junior Cup wins are their highlights. However, after over 40 years in Division One, the club has now seemingly stabilised at Premier Division level and, who knows, titles and cups could be just round the corner.

​Addlestone & Weybridge Town
1885 - 1985
The club originally just used the name Addlestone FC, adopting the name Addlestone & Weybridge Town in 1980 just five years before their demise. However, the high point in the club's history probably came in the first season after they adopted their lengthier name when they reached the First Round of the FA Cup. They were drawn against Division Three side Brentford and, although drawn at home, chose to play the game at Griffin Park. They came away with a very creditable 2-2 draw before going down 2-0 in the replay. One other claim to fame that the club would have not wanted was that they were suspended by the Surrey FA in 1872 for supporter hooliganism.

London Caledonians F.C.
1886 - 1939
Although a London club, Caledonians had a Scottish player base. In the 1905-06 season they were one of the founder members of the Isthmian League, playing in the league until it was halted by the outbreak of war in 1939. They won the Isthmian League in that inaugural season, following that success up with five further league titles, the last coming in 1925. They made their second FA Cup Third Round appearance in the 1927-28 season, going out 3-2 at home to Crewe Alexandra. The club never re-appeared when football restarted after the war.

Leicester United
1900 - 1996
Known as Enderby Town until 1984, Leicester United were the county's second biggest team until their demise in 1996. Arguably the club was more successful under their original name than after they adopted the city's moniker. As Enderby Town they reached the 1st Round of the FA Cup as well as the 3rd Round of the FA Trophy, going out to AP Leamington and Bishop Auckland respectively. The club can boast a number of famous former players. Amongst the list is Chris Balderstone one of the last of the breed to play both professional football and cricket. Some of the older readers (like myself) may remember Chris as a member of the Carlisle United side that briefly led the First Division in 1974 (he actually scored the penalty against Spurs that sent them to the top).

Pegasus AFC
1948 - 1963
Pegasus AFC was formed shortly after the Second World War. It was a joint venture between Oxford University and Cambridge University. The club only existed for 15 short years but in that time won three Amateur Cups and the Oxfordshire Senior Cup. Possibly one of the greatest legacies of the club is the list of famous names who coached Pegasus, including three soon to be FA Cup winning coaches in Vic Buckingham (West Bromwich Albion 1954), Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison (Manchester City 1969). Arthur Rowe, widely credited as being the inventor of the give-and-go style of play, also coached Pegasus for a while.

Wanderers FC
1859 - 1887 (2009 - )
When you look at the record of Wanderers FC and compare it to the length of time that the club was active, it can be argued that they are, pound for pound, the most successful FA Cup side ever. In the 28 years that Wanderers graced football pitches they won the Cup on no fewer than 5 occasions, including the inaugural competition in 1872. Of course, the football world was entirely different in those days and, in actuality, it is impossible to compare Wanderers with modern day clubs However, what they achieved as pioneers of the modern game is without question. In 2009 the club was reborn and now has a thriving men's and women's team playing in local London football.