Hinckley AFC have been laterally moved to the United Counties League Premier Division North for the 2026/27 season.
After two seasons in the United Counties Premier South, the FA’s allocations for next season were released today and see Hinckley shifted sideways into the Premier North.
Fellow Leicestershire sides Aylestone Park and Leicester Nirvana also make the same move, with the Premier North having just 18 teams next season meaning only 34 league games.
The move sees AFC head to opponents in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire for next season, with Hinckley at the south of the footprint which stretches north to the world’s oldest football club, Sheffield FC, and out to the Lincolnshire coast at Skegness Town.
As well as Aylestone and Nirvana, Ashby Ivanhoe provide a third Leicestershire derby in the North but we miss out on local games in the Premier South against Atherstone Town, Lutterworth Town, Coventry Sphinx and Rugby Town.
We will also renew acquaintances from our UCL Division One days with Kimberley Miners Welfare, Belper United, Hucknall Town and Blackstones. We’ll also face three sides who we’ve played in cup competitions before – AFC Mansfield and Deeping Rangers, both of whom we beat in the FA Vase under Dale Belford in 2017/18, and our 2015/16 FA Cup conquerors Heanor Town.
Subject to appeals, the full constitution of the United Counties Premier North for 2026/27 is:
- AFC Mansfield
- Ashby Ivanhoe
- Aylestone Park
- Belper United
- Blackstones
- Clay Cross Town
- Deeping Rangers
- Eastwood Community
- Gresley Rovers
- Heanor Town
- Hinckley AFC
- Hucknall Town
- Kimberley Miners Welfare
- Leicester Nirvana
- Newark Town
- Sheffield
- Sherwood Colliery
- Skegness Town
