Author: Craig Davenport

I hope you all enjoyed Christmas Day and are ready for the festive fixture list. 

In the UHL Premier Division last Saturday, we had a full fixture list. Leaders Roman Glass St George travelled to Highworth Town and suffered a 2-0 defeat. 2^nd placed Slimbridge travelled to Cinderford Town and won 4-1. 3^rdplaced Droitwich Spa travelled to Royal Wootton Bassett Town and despite going into the break 2-0 up came away with a 2-2 draw. Corsham Town travelled to Westfieldsand won 2-1 and Cirencester Town also travelled to Mangotsfield United and won 3-1 with a hat trick from Harlie Price. Worcester Raiders hosted Hallen and won 3-1, Hereford Pegasus had a convincing 4-0 home win v Cribbs, Longlevens and Pershore Town were stuck at 0-0when a Floodlight failure caused the game to be abandoned, Tuffley Rovers had a 3-0 home win v Lydney Town and Thornbury Town won 2-0 at home to Fairford Town. It was nice to see some healthy crowds in attendance to watch the games and let us hope folks want some fresh air and the 27^th December fixtures are well attended. It is still very competitive at the top and bottom of the division. 

In UHL Division One on Saturday, leaders Bewdley Towntravelled to Carterton and a 91^st minute Carterton goal appeared to have settled the game only for a 95^th minute equalizer which saw the game finish 2-2. Wantage Town v Thame United Reserves finished a resounding 7-1 win to Wantage who scored 6 goals in the 2^nd half after leading 1-0 at half time. FC Stratford hosted Malmesbury Victoriaand won 2-0. Redditch Borough’s away game v Brimscombe & Thrupp was postponed on Friday due to Seven Trent Water pipes suffering a breach and the far end of the pitch away from the clubhouse was very waterlogged. (Update – it appears that Seven Trent have rectified the situation so hopefully Brimscombe & Thrupps’ next scheduled home games will be ok to be played). Newent Town travelled to Shortwood United and won 4-1 to stay in the final play off place. Stonehouse Town who are in great form hosted Woodford United, won 4-0 and kept close to the play-off pack. Cheltenham Saracens v Clanfield 85 ended 1-1 and Chipping Sodbury Town v Ludlow Town was postponed as Ludlow Town could not raise a full team. 

One game in Alliance East saw Marlow Res beat Hambleden away and one game in Alliance West sawHighworth Town Res beat Bourton Rovers Dev away.

In the Batemans Sports Alliance (Chairmans) Challenge Cup, Wantage Town travelled to Kidlington Dev and won 6-1.

I wanted to use this occasion to thank all of the volunteers out there in your clubs, they are the ones who make all of this possible. I also wanted to thank my fellow UHL Committee members, who like you will be hard at work over the holiday period to ensure the League can continue functioning at this busy footballing time of the year. 

I will close by wishing you all a Happy New Year and let us hope that 2026 is a great one.

Best Regards,

Ian 

The weather had some effect on fixtures last weekend, but credit to all of the clubs and ground staff who did all they possibly could to get games on. I did a video call with Hungerford Town Reserves on Friday afternoon/evening when a late downpour put paid to all their efforts to get their game on v Eversley & California Reserves.! 

The Isuzu FA Vase Third Round where we had 3 clubs still involved only produced one result which saw Cinderford Town going down 4-0 away to AFC Stoneham. The other two games – Hallen V Hamworthy Recreation and Slimbridge v Amesbury Town go again this Saturday. All the best to Hallen and Slimbridge.  

In the UHL Premier Division on Saturday, we lost 3 games to the weather. Roman Glass St George took advantage of Slimbridge being involved in the Vase by returning to top spot with a 3-0 win over Cirencester Town. Droitwich Spatravelled to Fairford Town and despite being 1-0 down, then 2-0 down, came back to equalize and then scored a 93^rd minute winner to claim all 3 points. Tuffley Roversproduced a stunning display to win 4-0 at home v 5^th placed Worcester Raiders, Royal Wootton Bassett Town climbed out of the bottom three with a 1-0-win v Pershore Town, Highworth Town and Mangotsfield United shared the spoils with a 0-0 draw. 

In UHL Division One on Saturday, we only lost 1 game to the weather. Wantage Town took over top spot with FC Stratford’s game being postponed and did it in style winning 8-1 v Woodford United; there were hattricks for Josh Davis and Luke Whelan. Bewdley Town won 3-0 v Clanfield 85, Redditch Borough travelled to Wellingtonand won 3-2, Newent Town travelled to Brimscombe & Thrupp and lost 2-1, Stonehouse Town continued their march up the table and won 4-1 at home to Thame United Reserves, Shortwood United won 2-1 at home to Cheltenham Saracens in a rain swept game, Malmesbury Victoria and Ludlow Town drew 2-2 and Cartertontravelled to Alcester Town and won 1-0.

All scheduled games in Alliance East and Alliance Westwere postponed. 

The scheduled Batemans Sports Alliance (Chairmans) Challenge Cup game was also postponed.

In the Vets we had 5 League Cup games on Wednesday evening with wins for Watlington Town Wanderers Vets, Didcot Town Old Boys Vets, Goring United Vets and Penn & Tylers Green Vets with a draw between Woodley United Vets and Faringdon Town Vets. 

The League Exec have been holding some respect meetings with UHL Premier Division and UHL Division One teams who have breached the respect marks during the first half of the season over the past couple of weeks. These all went well and action plans are now in place at the various clubs to address this. Hopefully this will address the matter. 

With a better looking forecast for the next few days, fingers crossed we get plenty of football played, 

All the best, 

Ian

A good selection of fixtures was played, despite the wetness. Looks like some more rain on the way tomorrow, so let us hope the fixtures do not get affected. 

In the UHL Premier Division on Saturday, only Slimbridgein the current top 5 won. They beat Hereford Pegasus 3-1 at home, but the result does not tell the story of a very even game with Pegasus finding the woodwork on a number of occasions. Roman Glass St George v Worcester Raidersended 0-0, Droitwich were on the end of a dominant 5-1 defeat away v Cirencester Town with Harlie Price scoring a 2^nd half hattrick for the hosts who went in 1-0 down at half time. Corsham Town lost the Wiltshire derby 3-2 away at Highworth Town with the winner from Highworth coming in the 85^th minute. Longlevens continued their remarkable current run with an 85^th minute winner away at Mangotsfield United. Lydney Town continued their recovery with a 3-1 away win v Hallen, Royal Wootton Bassett Town travelled to Cribbs and won 2-1 with all the goals being scored in the 1^st half. Fairford Town v Tuffley Rovers ended 1-1, Thornbury Town v Westfields also ended 1-1 and Pershore Town v Cinderford Town finished 0-0.  The top 3 and the bottom 5 are now all closely bunched together and the League is looking set for a very exciting 2^nd half of the season. 

In midweek in the UHL Premier Division we saw Lydney Town continue there escape from the bottom 3 and win 2-0 at home v 5^th placed Corsham Town, leaders Roman Glass St George travelled to Royal Wootton Bassett Town and won 4-2 after being 2-1 down at half time, 2^ndplaced Slimbridge popped over to Hereford and won 3-0 v Westfields, Fairford Town also travelled, to Pershore Town and won 1-0, it was late goals at Thornbury Town, who must have thought they won their game v Hallen by scoring in the 87^th minute, only for Hallen to equalize in the 92^nd minute to share the points. 

In UHL Division One on Saturday, we lost 2 games to the weather at Alcester Town (v Stonehouse Town) and Thame United Reserves (v Malmesbury Victoria). Leaders Bewdley Town won their away gave v Ludlow Town 3-1, FC Stratford travelled to Wellington and won 4-0, Wantage Town v Cheltenham Saracens played out a thrilling 5-4 after being tied at 2-2 at half time, RedditchBorough travelled to Carterton and showed no mercy hitting 7 goals without reply with James Baldwin scoring 4 of them. Newent Town won 3-1 v Chipping Sodbury Town, Shortwood United travelled to Woodford Unitedand won 1-0 with Ollie Whelan scoring in the 90^th minute, Brimscombe & Thrupp v Clanfield 85 finished 2-2. At the top, it is very close with the top 4 and at the bottom, there is a gap to Thame United Reserves, but above them there are 4 teams very close together and like the Premier Division, this is going to be an exciting 2^nd half of the season. 

In midweek we had Wiseman Lighting (UHL) Floodlit Cupaction – with Premier Division Cinderford Town and Division One Alcester Town drawing 2-2 and Alcester Town going on to win on penalties. In the Glos derby, Tuffley Rovers travelled to Shortwood United and won 3-2. 

In the Alliance East, only one game saw Banbury United Dev winning 3-2 v Easington Sports Dev.

In the Alliance West, there were two games, withHighworth Town Res v Newent Town Dev ending 6-1 toHighworth and University of Bristol winning 4-1 vCarterton Dev. 

In the UHL Supplementary Challenge Cup, Marlow Res won 2-1 v Ardley United Res. 

In the Vets we had 3 games on Wednesday with Goring United Vets v Benson Lions Vets finishing 7-3, Holyport Vets v Henley Town Vets ending 4-2 and Watling Town Old Boys Vets v Bicester Town Vets finishing 3-2. 

All the best, 

Wantage Town have been crowned Uhlsport Hellenic League Division One Team of the Month for October, capping off a superb run of form that has put the Freds firmly in the spotlight.

Throughout October, Wantage delivered a series of dominant and disciplined performances, showcasing both attacking fluency and defensive resilience. Their consistency saw them collect an impressive haul of points, climb the Division One table, and record multiple clean sheets along the way.

Manager and players alike have earned praise from across the league for their focus, work ethic, and togetherness. The squad’s commitment on and off the pitch has been highlighted as a driving force behind their excellent month, with supporters also playing their part during a packed run of fixtures.

The Uhlsport Hellenic League announced the award earlier this week, noting Wantage Town’s strong results, goal difference, and overall match conduct throughout October. The recognition marks a significant achievement for the club as they continue their push for higher honours this season.

Wantage Town will now aim to carry their momentum into the winter schedule, with attention already turning to maintaining their high standards in the months ahead.

Congratulations to everyone at Wantage Town on a well-deserved award.

Rain, rain go away!!!!! We either have none or a deluge!!!

In the Isuzu FA Vase Second Round on Saturday, our 7teams left in the competition went down to 3. Cinderford Town drew 1-1 with Helston Athletic, subsequently winning 5-3 on penalties. Hallen drew 0-0 v Andover New Street away and then went on to win 4-1 on penalties. Slimbridge travelled down to Ivybridge Town and came back with an emphatic 5-0 victory; all 5 goals being scored by different scorers. Corsham Town lost 4-1 away to Bovey Tracey, Roman Glass St George suffered a 1-0home defeat v Hamworthy Recreation, Shortwood Unitedtravelled to Downton and lost 4-1. This was Shortwood United’s first time in the 2^nd round for 14 years, so a great achievement. Thornbury Town were away at Hythe & Dibden, took a 2-0 lead in the first half with all looking good, but a 2^nd half 3 goal comeback ended their chances to progress. The draw for the Third round has already been made with home games for Slimbridge and Hallen and an away game for Cinderford town, all due to be playedonDecember 6^th. I noted there were good crowds at all the games, hopefully the crowds will flock to the next round games as well. 

In the UHL Premier Division on Saturday, Droitwich Spawon the derby v Pershore Town 4-1 with 276 watching, Worcester Raiders travelled to Hereford Pegasus and won 3-0, Cirencester Town continued their steady progress with a 3-0 home win v Tuffley Rovers, Highworth Towntravelled to Cribbs and won 1-0, Fairford Town who have games in hand won 2-0 at home to Mangotsfield United, Royal Wootton Bassett Town v Longlevens finished 1-1and Lydney Town turned the formbook upside down winning 2-1 at home v Westfields. Lydney Town’s win really did bring them back from being cut adrift at the bottom of the table. On Wednesday evening leaders Roman Glass St George put their Vase exit behind them, winning 4-1 at home v Cinderford Town who finished the game with 9men. 

In UHL Division One, on Saturday, leaders Bewdley Townwere held to at 1-1 home draw v Stonehouse Town, FC Stratford won 4-0 away v Woodford United, Redditch Borough won 4-1 at home v Thame United Reserves, free scoring Wantage Town won 6-0 at home v Malmesbury Victoria with Josh Davis scoring a hattrick and claiming the Uhlsport match ball. Cheltenham Saracens v Brimscombe & Thrupp finished in a 2-2 draw in the Glos derby, Chipping Sodbury Town won 3-0 at home v Wellington and Clanfield 85 climbed out of the bottom 3with a 2-1 away win v Ludlow Town. In the Wiseman Lighting (UHL) Floodlit Cup on Tuesday, Newent Townwon 3-2 v Bewdley Town.

In the Alliance East, Hungerford Town Reserves travelled to Penn & Tylers Green United and won 5-0, Headington Amateurs won 3-0 v Easington Sports Dev and there was a 5-goal thriller which saw Banbury United Dev winning 3-2 v Hambleden.  

Bourton Rovers Dev v Evesham United Reserves finished 1-2 in Alliance West. 

The disappointing news in the Alliance West saw the withdrawal of Mangotsfield United Dev, with a lack of commitment and buy-in from the players. Their record will be expunged as per the normal protocol. 

In the Batemans Sports Alliance (Chairman’s) Challenge Cup Hightworth Town Reserves won 3-0 v Clanfield (85) Reserves.  

The UHL Management Committee had their meeting on Wednesday evening where we talked long into the evening. Lots of topics on the agenda which was 15 items long. One of the big ones was: how do we end the season, in terms of the play-offs as well as the cup finals. More will follow on that. From the meeting was the news that clubs no longer have to upload an image for postponed games as they would have been on a video call with either Brian or myself. The respect table was also discussed and some clubs will be invited in to have a discussion given their points tally for respect not being up to the standards expected. I will also be emailing clubs in the next few weeks for interest to host the cup finals – thanks to those whose interest has already been registered. 

Finally, onto this weekend, where we are currently being blitzed by Storm Claudia. Brian and myself are expecting a good few calls and we will both be available from 09:30Saturday morning. A reminder, any Premier Division or Division One club must call Brian and any Alliance club must call myself to arrange a Whatsapp Video inspection. Obviously if things are already looking bad, make contact today and the appropriate decision can potentially be made early. 

Fingers crossed we get a good proportion of our games in as Saturday’s weather looks more encouraging. 

Stay Dry, 

Ian

In a standout moment for the club this week, our Chair, Bill, paid a special visit to present Longlevens with the September Team of the Month Award.

Rather than a full team gathering, Bill met privately with members of the management team, who proudly accepted the award on behalf of the entire squad. The presentation was a moment of quiet significance, a recognition of the relentless effort, discipline, and togetherness that have powered Longlevens through an exceptional September.

Bill praised the club’s professionalism and commitment, highlighting the consistency and character that made Longlevens stand out among their peers. The management team expressed their gratitude and their excitement to carry that winning momentum into this weekend’s upcoming fixture.

This award marks an important milestone and adds an extra spark ahead of a big match on the horizon.

Congratulations to Longlevens — September’s Team of the Month.

A proud achievement. A big weekend ahead. Let’s keep the momentum rolling.

We got away fairly lightly on the weather front so far, let us hope it stays that way!

In the UHL Premier Division on Saturday, Fairford Towngot an 85^th minute winner away v Cinderford Town for a 2-1 win. Cirencester Town picked up 3 points in their 3-0 win v Thornbury Town. Corsham Town won 3-2 in an entertaining game v Slimbridge. Hallen continued their revival with a 3-0 home win v Westfields. Hereford Pegasus v Tuffley Rovers ended 0-0 and Highworth Town v Lydney Town was also a draw at 1-1. Longlevens had a strong 3-1-win v Worcester Raiders. The local Derby between Mangotsfield United and Cribbs was 2-0 toMangotsfield United up until the 87^th minute until 3 late away goals resulted in a 3-2 away win for Cribbs in front of 251 watching spectators. Pershore Town v Royal Wootton Bassett Town ended 1-1 and the top of the table clash between Roman Glass St George and Droitwich Spa finished 3-1 to Roman Glass St George. On Tuesday evening, Cirencester Town and Hallen drew 1-1, Thornbury Town travelled to Lydney Town and won 2-0 and Slimbridge hosted Tuffley Rovers and won 3-0 in front of a watching 174. It is still tight at the top with Roman Glass St George in pole position closely followed bySlimbridge and Droitwich Spa. At the bottom Lydney Town are 4 points behind Royal Wootton Basset Town. 

In UHL Division One, Bewdley Town continued their strong form with a 1-0 away win v Thame United Reserves, but left it late with their winner coming in the 87^thminute. Redditch Borough won 2-0 v Chipping Sodbury Town, Cheltenham Saracens travelled to Ludlow Townand the game finished 0-0. FC Stratford moved into 2^ndplace with a 2-1 win over Newent Town, Stonehouse Town on a good run of form won 3-0 v Clanfield 85 and Wantage Town won 5-1 at home v Wellington with a crowd of 209 watching. Malmsbury Victoria v Carterton was postponed due to an area of the pitch being unplayable. Bewdley Town are currently 5 points in front of a very closely packed top 6 with Thame United Reservescurrently in bottom place. 

There were wins for Banbury United Dev, Headington Amateurs and Marlow Reserves in Alliance East. 

There were wins for University of Bristol (9-0) andEvesham United Reserves in Alliance West. 

There was one game in the Batemans Sports Alliance (Chairmans) Challenge Cup with Bourton Rovers Dev winning away v UDA Glos Dev. 

Golden Glove award winners for October have been announced, congratulations to Ronnie Newbury of Cirencester Town and Kai Lloyd of Bewdley Town respectively who will soon be in receipt of their Uhlsport Gloves. 

Enjoy the football over the weekend, 

Regards, 

Ian