The line-ups for the 2022/23 leagues from Step 3 to Step 6 have been announced this week. We will be taking a look at all of the leagues starting with The Pitching-In Isthmian League -
PREMIER DIVISION
1) Aveley (Promoted from North Division - Champions)
2) Billericay Town (Relegated from National South)
3) Bishop's Stortford
4) Bognor Regis Town
5) Bowers & Pitsea
6) Brightlingsea Regent
7) Canvey Island (Promoted from North Division - Play off winners)
8) Carshalton Athletic
9) Corinthian-Casuals
10) Cray Wanderers (Reprieved from relegation PPG)
11) Enfield Town
12) Folkestone Invicta
13) Haringey Borough
14) Herne Bay (Promoted from South-East Division - Play off winners )
15) Hastings United (Promoted from South-East Division - Champions)
16) Hornchurch
17) Horsham
18) Kingstonian
19) Lewes
20) Margate
21) Potters Bar Town
22) Wingate & Finchley
In the Premier Division Cray Wanderers were one of the seven clubs who finished in the bottom four and three third from bottom teams across the step three divisions in 2021/22 who were reprieved from relegation on a PPG basis.
Herne Bay will play at Premier Division level for the first time in their history having spent the last decade in the South and South-East Division following promotion from Step Five. The Bay will be a welcome addition to away day trips as I can recommend that the ground, town and sea-front is a lovely place to visit.
Four other familiar teams return to the Premier Division - Billericay Town who were 2017/18 champions return after an eventful four year stay at Step Two. Aveley return after last playing at this level from 09/10 to 11/12 - they finished in 3rd place in 09/10 losing to Boreham Wood in the play-off SF who finished below them!
Canvey Island were a firm fixture in the Premier Division playing from 2000 to 2004 when they were promoted to Step Two and then 2008 to 2017.
Hastings United had some huge attendances at The Pilot Field last season including 2,017 (v Lancing), 3,082 (Haywards Heath Town) and 2,084 (v VCD Athletic) in running away with the South-East Division title - they return to Step Three for the firs time since 2013 and they are likely to be a very competitive team next season.
NORTH DIVISION
1) AFC Sudbury 2) Basildon United (Reprieved from relegation play-off on PPG basis)
3) Brentwood Town
4) Bury Town
5) Coggeshall Town
6) East Thurrock United (relegated from Premier Division)
7) Felixstowe & Walton United
8) Gorleston (Promoted from Thurlow Nunn Premier - Champions)
9) Grays Athletic
10) Great Wakering Rovers
11) Hashtag United
12) Heybridge Swifts
13) Hullbridge Sports
14) Lowestoft Town (relegated from Southern League Central)
15) Maldon & Tiptree
16) New Salamis (Promoted from Spartan South Midlands Premier - Champions)
17) Stowmarket Town
18) Tilbury
19) Witham Town
20) Wroxham (Promoted from Thurlow Nunn Premier - runner's up)
FROM BARROW AND BOSTON TO NEW SALAMIS AND HASHTAG UNITED
In the North Division Lowestoft Town return to the Isthmian League for the first time since 2017/18 when they finished third from bottom in the Premier Division when due to the non-league re-organisation they were moved laterally to the Southern League Premier Central Division. Since their promotion from the Eastern Counties League Premier Division in 2009 The Trawlerboys have had away league trips to Leyton, Sutton United, Croydon Athletic, Whitehawk, Bognor Regis Town, Thamesmead Town, Barrow, Worcester City, AFC Fylde, Stalybridge Celtic, Solihull Moors, FC United of Manchester, Gloucester City, Stockport County, Banbury United, Halesowen Town, Barwell, Nuneaton Borough and Stratford Town to name a few - I think you can safely say they are the most well travelled football team in England! Their loyal fans will relishing local trips to Wroxham, Stowmarket Town, Bury Town and their local rival's Gorleston this season.
It will be the first time since the 2004/05 Eastern Counties League Premier Division that both Lowestoft Town and Gorleston will be in the same division. Just seven miles and the Norfolk/Suffolk border separate their Crown Meadow and Emerald Park grounds. The Greens are promoted after being crowned Champions of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division.
Whilst Lowestoft Town were mixing with The National League North Division big boys from 2014 to 2016 New Salamis were playing in the Kopa Sunday League but they now find themselves playing in the same division after the North London side's progression up the non-league ladder.
Joining Gorleston and New Salamis are Wroxham who are promoted back to the Step Four level they last played at in 2016/17 - The Yachtsmen are traditionally one of the strongest teams in the Eastern Counties League but when they were promoted last they finished 14th, 22nd, 8th, 22nd and 23rd.
East Thurrock United last played at Step Four in 2010/11 when they were champions of the then Division One (North). The Essex club punched well above their weight in gaining promotion to the National League South in 2015/16 beating Dulwich Hamlet in the Premier Division play-off final.
They competed at Step Two for three seasons finishing 13th, 15th and 21st before returning the the Premier Division. Any Rock's fan's reading this please don't take the wording 'punching above their weight' wrongly - I mean it as a compliment as for a team with such resources as East Thurrock United to get to Step Two where they played against Ebbsfleet United, Dartford, Woking and Torquay United is an amazing achievement.
SOUTH-EAST DIVISION
1) Ashford Town
2) Beckenham Town (Promoted from Combined Counties Prem South - Champions)
3) Burgess Hill Town
4) Chatham Town (Promoted from Southern Counties East Prem - Runner's up)
5) Chichester City
6) Corinthian
7) Cray Valley PM
8) East Grinstead Town
9) Faversham Town
10) Haywards Heath Town
11) Hythe Town (Reprieved from relegation play-off on PPG basis)
12) Lancing
13) Littlehampton Town (Promoted from Southern Combination - Champions)
14) Ramsgate
15) Sevenoaks Town
16) Sheppey United (Promoted from Southern Counties East Prem - Champions)
17) Sittingbourne
18) Three Bridges
19) VCD Athletic
20) Whitehawk
The South-East Division will be incredibly competitive next season with three Step Five title winners joining in Sheppey United, Littlehampton Town and Beckenham Town along with Chatham Town who ran Sheppey United very close to the Southern Counties East Premier title - There were 2 points in it with The Ites on a total of 102 and The Chats on 100. With the honours lists for the teams coming up as shown below I don't think many fans would be surprised to see all four teams up towards the top of the division next season.
21/22 HONOURS LIST FOR NEW SOUTH-EAST CLUBS
SHEPPEY UNITED - Southern Counties Premier Winners, Southern Counties League Challenge Cup Winners, Kent Senior Trophy Winners.
CHATHAM TOWN - Southern Counites Premier Runner's Up.
BECKENHAM TOWN - Combined Counties Premier South Winners.
LITTLEHAMPTON TOWN - Southern Combination Premier Winners, Southern Combination Challenge Cup Winners, FA Vase finalists (to be played on 22nd May) and Sussex FA RUR Charity Cup finalists (to be played on 25th May).
Sheppey United played football in the Southern League South Division (then Step Three on the pyramid) from 1984 to 1990 and then lost their Botany Road ground they had called home for over 100 years in 1992 meaning they had to ground share with Faversham Town, Canterbury City and Sittingborune's then Central Park home - Playing off of the Islandsaw support and sponsorship money dwindle which eventually saw the club withdraw from the Kent League in March 2001. The club didn't fold but didn't field a senior team until the 03/04 season when they joined the Kent County League Division Two (East) where two promotions saw them play in the Premier Division from the 2010 via a name change to 'AFC Sheppey' between 2007 to 2010 and once again pulled out of the league during the 12/13 season. In the summer of 2013 following a merger with Sheerness East they played under the name of 'Sheppey & Sheerness United' for one season.
They have played at their Holm Park home since April 2013 which has had numerous improvements made to it since to bring it up to it's current standard. There were some huge crowds for Step Five at Sheppey United's ground last season including 1,282 (v Tower Hamlets United) and 734 (v Chatham Town).
Chatham Town re-join Step 4 they last played at in the 16/17 season - From 2001 to 2017 they played in the Southern League East Division and also the Isthmian League South and North Divisions. Like Sheppey they had some amazing crowds last season at their Bauvill Stadium which has undergone a number of improvements in the last few seasons.
Beckenham Town join the Isthmian League for the first time in their history having played in the Kent League/Southern Counties Premier since 1982. The original Beckenham Town were formed in the late 19th Century and folded in 1969 with the modern day club being formed two years later in 1971. Their league title win was only the second in the club's history having won The London League in 1927/28.
Littlehampton Town joined the then Sussex League in 1928 and had been a member since winning the title in 90/91, 14/15 and 21/22. They famously reached the FA Cup First Round proper in the 90/91 season losing to Northampton Town (then playing in Division Four) 0-4 in front of nearly 4,000 fans at their Sportsfield ground. They have the small matter of playing against Newport Pagnell Town in the FA Vase final this coming Sunday!
SOUTH-CENTRAL
1) Ashford Town (Middx)
2) Basingstoke Town
3) Bedfont Sports
4) Binfield
5) Chertsey Town
6) Chipstead
7) Guernsey
8) Hanworth Villa (Promoted from Combined Counties Prem North - Champions)
9) Leatherhead (Relegated from the Premier Division)
10) Marlow
11) Merstham (Relegated from the Premier Division)
12) Northwood
13) South Park
14) Southall (Promoted from Combined Counties Prem North - Runner's up)
15) Sutton Common Rovers (Reprieved from relegation play off on PPG basis)
16) Thatcham Town
17) Tooting & Mitcham United
18) Uxbridge
19) Walton & Hersham (Promoted from Combined Counties Prem South - Runner's up)
20) Westfield
Two famous names from non-league's past re-join the South-Central Division in Southall and Walton & Hersham.
The Swans were relegated form the Isthmian League Division One (South) in 2016 and to the CCL D1 in 2019 - In the Summer of that year seven young players took over the club which halted the decline of the club who were Isthmian League and FA Amateur Cup winners in the 72/73 as well as making headlines with some famous FA Cup runs in the early 1970s.
Southall lost their spiritual home at Western Road in 1992 which was the catalyst to decades of decline for the Middlesex Club who famously reached the FA Vase final in 1986. They dropped down to the Isthmian League Division Three and then the Combined Counties League Premier when in March 2006 they left the league due to financial problems - The 'All then played in the Middlesex County Football League until 2012 when they were promoted to The Spartan South Midlands League Division One.
They have had some good runs in the FA Vase of last reaching the QF in 16/17, Third Round in 18/19 and 19/20 as well as the Fifth Round this season.
Hanworth Villa join the Isthmian League for the first time in their history having been formed in 1976 where they played in the Middlesex County League up until 2005/06 when they joined the Combined Counties League - The Villians were the invincibles in the league winning 30, drawing 4 and losing no games scoring 91 goals in the process.
0.024 in it!!
Leatherhead and Merstham join after relegation from the Premier Division. The Tanners finished third from bottom in the Premier Division so joined the four other clubs finishing in the same position in the Step Three divisions in a PPG league table with Kings Langley, Barwell and Basford United all being reprieved. Leatherhead's PPG figure of 0.857 to Kings Langley's total of 0.881 saw The Tanner's relegated! LEAVING THE ISTHMIAN LEAGUE AFTER THE 21/22 SEASON
Worthing - Premier Division Champs - Promotion to Vanarama South
Cheshunt - Premier Division p/o winners - Promotion to Vanarama South
Staines Town - Relegated from South-Central to CCL Premier North
Chalfont-St-Peter - Relegated from South-Central to CCL Premier North
Whitstable Town - Relegated from South-East to SCEFL Premier
Phoenix Sports - Relegated from South-East to SCEFL Premier
Barking - Relegated form North to Essex Senior League
Romford - Relegated from North to Essex Senior League
No comments:
Post a Comment