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 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.