Shropshire Premier League

The Shropshire Premier League was an English association football league based in the county of Shropshire. It was formed as the Mercian Regional Football League for the 2012–13 season, with all member clubs of the dissolved Shropshire County Premier Football League (except for Newport Town who were promoted) transferring membership across.[1][2] Several teams from the Telford Combination, which also folded at the end of the 2011–12 season, also became members of the Mercian League and joined either Division One or Two.

Shropshire Premier League
Founded2012
Folded2020
Country England
DivisionsPremier Division
Number of teams11
Level on pyramid13
Feeder toWest Midlands (Regional) League Division Two
Domestic cup(s)Premier Division Cup
Division One Cup
SFA:
Challenge Cup
Junior Challenge Cup
Last championsOakengates Athletic
(2017–18)
Website[1]

The league sits at the same levels of the English football league system as the previous Shropshire County and Telford Combination leagues did (levels 13, 14 and 15). It does not, however, form part of the National League System.

Due to the revised English FA rule permitting clubs to play outside of their County the league has lost a number of clubs in recent years, with clubs citing frustrations with the league's hierarchy and also promised plans to improve upon the level it features amongst the FA pyramid being deciding factors. Clubs such as Church Stretton, Rock Rovers, AFC Bridgnorth Reserves (Development) all left for the West Midlands Regional League Div 2. Newport Town Reserves and Market Drayton Tigers joined Staffordshire County Div 2, with Ludlow Town Colts and Clee Hill United opting to join the Herefordshire league. In these years the league also lost established members such as Hodnet, Shifnal and Childs Ercall due to them folding. The league now just features one division of 11 teams, soon to become 10 due to Donnington folding midway through the 2018-19 season.

Member clubs 2019–20

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In the 2018-19 season, the Premier Division consisted of 11 teams.

Premier Division

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Club Home ground
Stoke Heath Warrant Road, Market Drayton
Gobowen Celtic Gobowen Playing Fields, Gobowen, Shropshire
Madeley Sports Phoenix Sports Centre, Dawley
Donnington HLC, Hadley, Telford
Brown Clee Hall Meadow, Cleobury North
Oakengates Rangers Ketley Recreation Ground, Bank Way, Ketley Bank, Telford
Prees United Prees Cricket and Recreation Club, Brades Road, Prees
Albrighton FC Loak Road, Albrighton
Shrewsbury Juniors Shrewsbury Sports Village, Sundorne, Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury
St. Martins Village Overton Road Playing Fields, Oswestry
Wrockwardine Wood New Road, Wrockwardine Wood, Telford

League champions

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The following teams have won the Premier Division, gaining promotion to West Midlands (Regional) League Division Two.

Season Premier Division Runners-Up Division One Division Two
2012–13 AFC Ludlow Telford Juniors Madeley Sports Childs Ercall
2013–14 Oakengates Athletic Church Stretton Childs Ercall AFC Broseley
2014–15 Telford Juniors FC Hodnet AFC Broseley Stoke Heath
2015–16 F.C. Oswestry Town Allscott Heath Stoke Heath Madeley Sports Reserves
2016-17 Oakengates Athletic Church Stretton Shrewsbury Juniors
2017–18 Oakengates Athletic Shrewsbury Juniors St Martins Village

See also

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References

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  1. ^ FA Full Time Dissolution of the Shropshire County Premier Football League
  2. ^ Shropshire Star Big shake-up of Shropshire football league system (10 March 2012)
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