Hellenic League Division One
The Hellenic League Division One is the second tier of the Hellenic League, which also includes the top tier, which is the Hellenic Premier Division.
Division One is Step 6 of the National League System and tier 10 of the English football pyramid overall. The teams that are eligible to play in the league are clubs from the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, southern Herefordshire, southern Warwickshire, northern Wiltshire, and southern Worcestershire.
At one point, teams from Berkshire southern Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Hampshire and Northamptonshire, Surrey all played in the league. However, that changed for season 2020/21.
The history of the league
The Hellenic League began in 1953. However, the second tier did not begin until the 1956/1957 season.
In 2000, the league system absorbed the Chiltonian League. This led to changes to Division One, as it was regionalised into Division One East and West. However, in 2021, the two leagues merged into one division once again.
The restructuring of the non-league game ahead of season 2004/05 saw Division One become Step 6 of the National League System, which is tier ten overall in the English game.
Like most football leagues around the world, the Hellenic Division One was disrupted by the Coronavirus, with the competition abandoned in season 2019/20 and the following season abandoned. It was after those two unusual seasons that Division One East and West merged into one once again.
Promotion and relegation
Promotion from Division One to the Premier Division works similarly to the system used in many non-league divisions. The team that finishes top of the table during the league campaign is crowned as champions and wins automatic promotion to the Premier Division. That promotion is, of course, subject to their stadium having the required facilities to play at Step 5.
A second promotion position is available for the team that wins the four-team play-offs, which involve the teams that finish second to fifth in the table. The teams first face off in two semi-finals, with the winners heading to the play-off final. The play-off final winners are promoted to the Premier Division, subject to their stadiums meeting the required standards of Step 5.
At the other end of the table, the teams that finish in the bottom three of the table are relegated. The teams that suffer relegation are relegated to various feeder leagues, such as the Gloucestershire County League, Herefordshire County FA League, The Oxfordshire Senior League, the Thames Valley Premier League and the Wiltshire League.
Recent winners
Before the leagues merged
| Season | Division One East | Division One West |
| 2014/15 | Wokingham & Emmbrook | Longlevens |
| 2015/16 | Penn & Tylers Green | Carterton |
| 2016/17 | Penn & Tylers Green | Fairford Town |
| 2017/18 | Virginia Water | Ardley United |
| 2018/19 | Burnham | Easington Sports |
| 2019/20 | Competition abandoned due to Coronavirus | NA |
| 2020/21 | Season abandoned due to Coronavirus | NA |
After the leagues merged in 2021
| Season | |
| 2021/22 | Studley |
| 2022/23 | Pershore Town |
| 203/24 | Hartpury University |
As the league has been split and merged, it has been hard for any team to claim to have been dominant in Division One. However, a few teams have been relatively successful lately.
However, Penn & Tylers Green was successful in Division One East, winning the title in seasons 2015/16 and the following campaign 2016/17. The club is now in the Combined Counties League Division One.
Ardley United has also been successful in Division One over the years. In 1996/97 and 1997/98, they claimed the Division One title in back-to-back campaigns, and in 2017/18, they won the Division One West title.