Current League Table -
P W D L GF GA GD PTS
1 Leatherhead 18 12 4 2 46 15 +31 40
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2 Metropolitan Police 14 11 3 0 40 9 +31 36
3 Whitehawk 18 9 6 3 41 22 +19 33
4 Bognor Regis Town 14 10 2 2 35 16 +19 32
5 Burgess Hill Town 18 9 5 4 35 27 + 8 32
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6 Sittingbourne 18 8 4 6 29 24 + 5 28
7 Walton Casuals 18 7 5 6 29 28 + 1 26
8 Godalming Town 17 8 2 7 28 41 -13 26
9 Merstham 18 6 7 5 33 34 - 1 25
10 Faversham Town 18 6 6 6 24 25 - 1 24
11 Worthing 16 6 5 5 33 22 +11 23
12 Chipstead 18 6 5 7 26 31 - 5 23
13 Eastbourne Town 18 5 7 6 29 31 - 2 22
14 Dulwich Hamlet 17 6 3 8 29 29 0 21
15 Fleet Town 15 6 3 6 26 30 - 4 21
16 Chatham Town 18 6 3 9 17 26 - 9 21
17 Ramsgate 19 5 5 9 31 37 - 6 20
18 Walton & Hersham 17 5 3 9 24 30 - 6 18
19 Whyteleafe 18 5 3 10 23 35 -12 18
20 Corinthian-Casuals 18 4 3 11 24 36 -12 15
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21 Whitstable Town 17 2 5 10 23 36 -13 11
22 Horsham YMCA 18 3 1 14 21 62 -41 10
The race for the Ryman Division One (South) title and play-offs doesn't appear as close as the Northern Division but there are still a number of teams near to each other at the top of the table. For Needham Market of the North Division read Metropolitan Police of the Southern Division as if the Imber Court based team win their games in hand they will go 10 points ahead of current table toppers Leatherhead. The Police won 0-2 at Fetcham Grove in the 2nd game of the season and are unbeaten in the league at present. The two title contenders are due to play the return match on Saturday 8th January. After winning their first eight games the current 2nd placed team have surprisingly dropped points against teams in the bottom half of the table, draws against Chatham Town, Ramsgate and Chipstead have seen The Tanners overtake them at the summit of the table.
Fourth placed Bognor Regis Town also have games in hand and look in a good place to make a challenge having only lost two of their fourteen games so far. The Rocks still have to face the Met twice in the new year and play Leatherhead at home on the 18th December. Prior to their meeting at Nyewood Lane they are due to face a run of what could be called 'easier' games against Faversham Town (10th place), Ramsgate (17th), Chipstead (12th) and Whitstable Town (21st). Although as we all know there are no easy games in football.
Ryman League newcomers Whitehawk have made a brilliant start to life at Step 4 of the non-league ladder. The Sussex County League champions of 2010 have an impressive squad so will be up in the play-off mix at the end of the season.
The Hawks play at 'the enclosed ground' just a stone's throw from the sea-front in Brighton bringing the total number sea-side based clubs in the division to six. Ramsgate, Whitstable Town, Worthing, Bognor Regis Town and Eastbourne Town make up the list of clubs who are based by the coast. The following table is based on the matches played so far between the six clubs....who is currently top of the seaside league??
THE SEASIDE LEAGUE (RYMAN DIVISION ONE SOUTH)
P W D L GF GA GD PTS PPG LP
1. Whitehawk 5 3 1 1 9 4 5 10 2 3RD
2. Worthing 5 2 2 1 7 5 4 8 1.6 11TH
3. Bognor 2 1 0 1 3 4 -1 3 1.5 4TH
4. Eastbourne 5 2 0 3 6 9 -3 6 1.2 13TH
5. Ramsgate 2 0 1 1 5 7 -2 1 0.5 17TH
6. Whitsable 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0 0 21ST
PPG = POINTS PER GAME
LP = CURRENT LEAGUE POSITION
One of these coastal clubs, Worthing, are probably the best placed of the mid-table clubs to make a challenge for the play offs. They have games in hand over the team's above them and have the best goal difference in the league barring the current top four. The Rebels inability to get any sort of form going on their travels (one victory in eight league games) maybe their ultimate downfall.
At the foot of the table are whipping boy's Horsham YMCA and Whitstable Town. YMCA's three wins have all come at home with a solitary point gained on the road in a 2-2 draw with Mertsham. The Oystermen's two wins have come away at fellow basement boy's YMCA and at home to Sittingbourne.
Talking of Sittingbourne, they are managed by ex Enfield FC legend/FA Cup hero and fruit and veg salesman Gary Abbott. The Brickies are currently in sixth position just below the play-off places, they are due to play Met Police this Wednesday 1st December (weather permitting). On loan (from Premier Division Tonbridge Angels) midfielder Paul Semakula has been amongst the goals of late and missed their last game when fifth placed Burgess Hill Town put some space between the two sides in the table with a 0-1 victory. Could the Kent side be the first to win against the only unbeaten team in the league??
Bognor Regis Town have the current highest average crowd at 326 and also hold the current highest attendance for the 377 who witnessed Saturday's defeat of Horsham YMCA. The lowest crowd so far has been the posted attendance of 49 for the Whitehawk v Godalming Town game on 16th November.
Key fixtures coming up in the next few weeks -
8th December - Met Police v Whitehawk
Top of the table clash
11th December - Worthing v Burgess Hill Town
The Rebels need to keep winning their home games especially against play-off contenders if they want to climb the table.
18th December - Bognor Regis v Leatherhead
Another big game between current table toppers and fourth placed sides. Bound to attract a bumper crowd!
27th December - Burgess Hill Town v Leatherhead
Walton & Hersham v Walton Casuals
Worthing v Bognor Regis
Three big Christmas games - the Walton derby will be keenly contested even though the home side are currently down in 18th place. The Swans are now managed by ex Godalming Town (and Enfield FC) duo of Chuck Martini and Steve Darlington following John Crumplin leaving his post in September. Since joining Martini and Darlington have brought in a number of new players which will no doubt see the Surrey side climbing the table in the new year and beyond.
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