The2020–21 season was the 78th season in the history of theEastern Counties Football League, afootball competition in England. Teams were divided into three divisions, the Premier Division at Step 5, and the geographically separated Division One North and Division One South, both at Step 6 of theEnglish football league system.
The allocations for Steps 5 and 6 for season 2020–21 were announced by the FA on 21 July,[1] and were subject to appeal.
The 2020–21 season started in September and was suspended in December a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic. The league season was subsequently abandoned.[2]
The scheduled restructure of non-League took place at the end of the season, with new divisions added to the Combined Counties and the United Counties League at step 5 for 2021–22, along with new a division in theNorthern Premier League at step 4.[3] Promotions from steps 5 to 4 and 6 to 5 were based on points per game across all matches over the two cancelled seasons (2019–20 and 2020–21), while teams were promoted to step 6 on the basis of a subjective application process.[3]
| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
| Promoted | Stowmarket Town |
| Matches | 105 |
| Goals | 350 (3.33 per match) |
2021–22 → | |
The Premier Division comprised the same set of 20 teams which competed in the aborted competition the previous season.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wroxham | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 8 | +20 | 30 | |
| 2 | Norwich United | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 9 | +15 | 29 | |
| 3 | Brantham Athletic | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 21 | 13 | +8 | 22 | |
| 4 | Walsham-le-Willows | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 30 | 21 | +9 | 21 | |
| 5 | Ely City | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 20 | |
| 6 | Kirkley & Pakefield | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 21 | 23 | −2 | 19 | |
| 7 | Stanway Rovers | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 25 | 17 | +8 | 16 | Transferred to theEssex Senior League |
| 8 | Hadleigh United | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 14 | +2 | 16 | |
| 9 | Mildenhall Town | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 10 | +9 | 15 | |
| 10 | FC Clacton | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 22 | 16 | +6 | 15 | Transferred to theEssex Senior League |
| 11 | Stowmarket Town | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 15 | Promoted to theIsthmian League[a] |
| 12 | Gorleston | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 20 | −4 | 15 | |
| 13 | Newmarket Town | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 16 | 22 | −6 | 10 | |
| 14 | Swaffham Town | 13 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 27 | −11 | 10 | |
| 15 | Whitton United | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 22 | −5 | 9 | |
| 16 | Godmanchester Rovers | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 22 | −8 | 9 | Transferred to theUnited Counties League |
| 17 | Woodbridge Town | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 16 | 22 | −6 | 8 | |
| 18 | Haverhill Rovers | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 28 | −19 | 7 | |
| 19 | Long Melford | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 19 | −7 | 5 | |
| 20 | Thetford Town | 11 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 24 | −18 | 3 |
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Brantham Athletic | Brantham Leisure Centre | 1,200 |
| Ely City | Unwin Sports Ground | 1,500 |
| Clacton | The Rush Green Bowl | 3,000 |
| Godmanchester Rovers | Bearscroft Lane | 1,050 |
| Gorleston | Emerald Park | 3,000 |
| Hadleigh United | Millfield | 3,000 |
| Haverhill Rovers | New Croft | 3,000 |
| Kirkley & Pakefield | Walmer Road | 2,000 |
| Long Melford | Stoneylands | |
| Mildenhall Town | Recreation Way | 2,000 |
| Newmarket Town | Cricket Field Road | 2,750 |
| Norwich United | Plantation Park | 3,000 |
| Stanway Rovers | Hawthorns | 1,500 |
| Stowmarket Town | Greens Meadow | 1,000 |
| Swaffham Town | Shoemakers Lane | |
| Thetford Town | Mundford Road | 1,500 |
| Walsham-le-Willows | Summer Road | 1,000 |
| Whitton United | King George V Playing Fields | 1,000 |
| Woodbridge Town | Notcutts Park | 3,000 |
| Wroxham | Trafford Park | 2,000 |
| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
| Promoted | Fakenham Town March Town United Lakenheath Mulbarton Wanderers |
| Matches | 106 |
| Goals | 453 (4.27 per match) |
2021–22 → | |
Division One North comprised 19 teams, one less than in the previous season, following the resignation ofFelixstowe & Walton United reserves.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fakenham Town | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 8 | +26 | 29 | Promoted to thePremier Division[a] |
| 2 | Ipswich Wanderers | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 9 | +24 | 28 | Transferred toDivision One South |
| 3 | March Town United | 11 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 32 | 11 | +21 | 27 | Promoted to thePremier Division[a] |
| 4 | Lakenheath | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 30 | 12 | +18 | 22 | |
| 5 | Sheringham | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 32 | 26 | +6 | 21 | |
| 6 | Leiston reserves | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 20 | +2 | 21 | |
| 7 | Great Yarmouth Town | 13 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 25 | 27 | −2 | 19 | |
| 8 | Mulbarton Wanderers | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 27 | 7 | +20 | 18 | Promoted to thePremier Division[a] |
| 9 | Downham Town | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 24 | 19 | +5 | 18 | |
| 10 | Diss Town | 12 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 27 | 27 | 0 | 15 | |
| 11 | Framlingham Town | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 26 | 29 | −3 | 13 | |
| 12 | Needham Market reserves | 12 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 24 | 34 | −10 | 13 | |
| 13 | King's Lynn Town reserves | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 28 | 32 | −4 | 12 | Resigned from the league |
| 14 | Cornard United | 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 28 | −8 | 11 | Transferred toDivision One South |
| 15 | AFC Sudbury reserves | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 27 | −12 | 11 | |
| 16 | Debenham LC | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 21 | −9 | 10 | |
| 17 | Norwich CBS | 10 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 19 | 18 | +1 | 9 | |
| 18 | Haverhill Borough | 11 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 27 | −20 | 4 | Transferred toDivision One South |
| 19 | Wisbech St Mary | 14 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 16 | 71 | −55 | 3 |
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| AFC Sudbury reserves | King's Marsh | 2,500 |
| Cornard United | Blackhouse Lane | 2,000 |
| Debenham LC | Maitlands | 1,000 |
| Diss Town | Brewers Green Lane | 2,500 |
| Downham Town | Memorial Field | 1,000 |
| Fakenham Town | Clipbush Park | 2,000 |
| Framlingham Town | Badingham Road | |
| Great Yarmouth Town | Wellesley Recreation Ground | 3,600 |
| Haverhill Borough | New Croft (artificial, groundshare withHaverhill Rovers) | 3,000 |
| Ipswich Wanderers | Humber Doucy Lane | 1,000 |
| King's Lynn Town reserves | The Walks | 5,733 |
| Lakenheath | The Nest | |
| Leiston reserves | Victory Road | 2,500 |
| March Town United | The GER Sports Ground | |
| Mulbarton Wanderers | The Common | |
| Needham Market reserves | Bloomfields | 4,000 |
| Norwich CBS | FDC Bowthorpe | |
| Sheringham | Weybourne Road | |
| Wisbech St Mary | Beechings Close |
| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
| Promoted | Athletic Newham Little Oakley White Ensign |
| Matches | 84 |
| Goals | 301 (3.58 per match) |
2021–22 → | |
Division One South featured 16 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with one new club:
In addition,Hackney Wick were relocated to theSpartan South Midlands League, but this relocation was reversed. On 27 August 2020, Lopes Tavares announced the renaming of the club toAthletic Newham.[5]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newbury Forest | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 16 | +5 | 22 | |
| 2 | Athletic Newham | 12 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 20 | 13 | +7 | 21 | Promoted to theEssex Senior League[a] |
| 3 | White Ensign | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 14 | +8 | 20 | |
| 4 | Wivenhoe Town | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 14 | +6 | 19 | |
| 5 | Little Oakley | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 12 | +11 | 18 | Promoted to theEssex Senior League[a] |
| 6 | Frenford | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 22 | 14 | +8 | 17 | |
| 7 | Wormley Rovers | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 14 | +3 | 17 | |
| 8 | Benfleet | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 25 | 26 | −1 | 17 | |
| 9 | Coggeshall United | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 15 | |
| 10 | Barkingside | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 13 | |
| 11 | Hackney Wick | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 23 | 30 | −7 | 13 | |
| 12 | Burnham Ramblers | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 18 | 21 | −3 | 11 | |
| 13 | Halstead Town | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 17 | +4 | 9 | |
| 14 | Holland | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 12 | −4 | 6 | |
| 15 | Harwich & Parkeston | 11 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 20 | −10 | 5 | |
| 16 | Brimsdown | 10 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 40 | −23 | 5 | |
| 17 | May & Baker | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 12 | −4 | 4 |
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Athletic Newham | Terence MacMillan Stadium | |
| Barkingside | Cricklefield Stadium (groundshare withIlford) | 3,500 |
| Benfleet | Park Lane (groundshare withCanvey Island) | 4,100 |
| Brimsdown | Chadfields (groundshare withTilbury) | 4,000 |
| Burnham Ramblers | Leslie Fields | 2,000 |
| Coggeshall United | West Street (groundshare withCoggeshall Town) | |
| Frenford | Jack Carter Centre | |
| Hackney Wick | Spa Road (groundshare withWitham Town) | 2,500 |
| Halstead Town | Rosemary Lane | 1,000 |
| Harwich & Parkeston | Royal Oak | |
| Holland | Dulwich Road | |
| Little Oakley | Memorial Ground | |
| May & Baker | Parkside Stadium (groundshare withAveley) | 3,500 |
| Newbury Forest | Oakside (groundshare withRedbridge) | 3,000 |
| White Ensign | Basildon Sports Village | |
| Wivenhoe Town | Broad Lane | 2,876 |
| Wormley Rovers | Wormley Playing Fields |
