The FA has announced the allocations of clubs to the United Counties League for the 2024/25 season.
Premier Division North
There are three additions to last season’s clubs: Bourne Town and Harrowby United are promoted from Division One while Gresley Rovers return to the UCL after two years at Step Four.
These clubs replace the champions, Sherwood Colliery, who have been promoted to the Northern Premier League East Division, the play off winners, Loughborough Students, who have been promoted to the Northern Premier League Midlands Division and Pinchbeck United, who were relegated and have been allocated to the Eastern Counties League Division One North.
Sadly this means this division remains just 18 strong.
Premier Division South
Three clubs are promoted from other Step Six leagues to Premier South although they are all familiar with the UCL. Hinckley AFC re-join after two years away as champions of Midland League Division One, Northampton Sileby Rangers are back after three years away as champions of Spartan South Midlands League Division One and Northampton ON Chenecks are also back after an absence of two years following promotion from the same division.
These clubs replace the champions Wellingborough Town and play off winners RC Warwick, who have been promoted to the Northern Premier League Midlands Division and Desborough Town, who were relegated and have been allocated to the Spartan South Midlands League Division One. Remarkably Desborough have played every season since 1946/7 in the UCL as well as 40 seasons before the war. It will be very sad to see them go elsewhere.
Division One
Unlike the premier divisions there are wholesale changes to the membership of Division One as the footprint of the division shifts northward, away from Leicester and towards Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. The division will have 20 teams.
Asfordby are relegated and Birstall United, Kirby Muxloe, Leicester St Andrews, Lutterworth Athletic and Saffron Dynamo are all transferred to Midland League Division One. They are replaced by Clay Cross Town, Retford, Retford United, Shirebrook Town and Staveley Miners Welfare who are all transferred from Northern Counties East League Division One, Pinxton (promoted as champions of the Central Midlands Premier Division South) and Stapleford Town (promoted as champions of the Nottinghamshire Senior League).
All allocations are subject to appeal to the FA and will be ratified at the League AGM on June 22.
