The2020–21 season was the 50th in the history of theEssex Senior Football League, afootball competition in England.
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 league comprised 18 teams, a drop of one from the previous aborted season, withTower Hamlets having been relocated to theSouthern Counties East League. 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 leagues at step 5 for 2021-22, along with a new division in theNorthern Premier League at step 4.[3] Promotions from step 5 to 4 were based on points per game across all matches over the two cancelled seasons (2019-20 and 2020-21), while teams were promoted into step 6 on the basis of a subjective application process.[3]
| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
| Promoted | Hashtag United |
| Matches | 109 |
| Goals | 417 (3.83 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Craig Calver (11 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Cockfosters 8–1Clapton(15 September 2020) Walthamstow 7–0Sawbridgeworth Town(17 October 2020) |
| Biggest away win | Southend Manor 0–7Takeley(27 October 2020) |
| Highest scoring | Cockfosters 8–1Clapton(15 September 2020) Takeley 7–2Sawbridgeworth Town(29 September 2020) |
2021–22 → | |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hashtag United | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 10 | +19 | 31 | Promoted to theIsthmian League[a] |
| 2 | Stansted | 15 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 27 | 19 | +8 | 29 | |
| 3 | Walthamstow | 12 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 35 | 16 | +19 | 27 | |
| 4 | Cockfosters | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 29 | 9 | +20 | 26 | |
| 5 | Saffron Walden Town | 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 34 | 16 | +18 | 23 | |
| 6 | Hadley | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 9 | +14 | 21 | Transferred to theSpartan South Midlands League |
| 7 | Hoddesdon Town | 13 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 19 | |
| 8 | West Essex | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 27 | 20 | +7 | 17 | |
| 9 | Takeley | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 34 | 19 | +15 | 16 | |
| 10 | Enfield | 14 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 22 | 29 | −7 | 14 | |
| 11 | Redbridge | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 13 | |
| 12 | Sporting Bengal United | 13 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 27 | −11 | 13 | |
| 13 | St Margaretsbury | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 25 | −14 | 12 | |
| 14 | Sawbridgeworth Town | 15 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 23 | 47 | −24 | 12 | |
| 15 | Ilford | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 20 | 27 | −7 | 10 | |
| 16 | Southend Manor | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 19 | 33 | −14 | 10[b] | |
| 17 | Woodford Town | 13 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 29 | −18 | 4 | |
| 18 | Clapton | 11 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 38 | −25 | 4 |
| Club | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clapton | Plaistow | Terence McMillan Stadium (groundshare withAthletic Newham) | 2,000 |
| Cockfosters | Cockfosters | Chalk Lane | 1,000 |
| Enfield | Bishop's Stortford | Woodside Park (groundshare withBishop's Stortford) | 4,525 (525 seated) |
| Hadley | Arkley | Brickfield Lane | 2,000 (150 seated) |
| Hashtag United | Pitsea | Len Salmon Stadium (groundshare withBowers & Pitsea) | 2,661 (300 seated) |
| Hoddesdon Town | Hoddesdon | Lowfield | 3,000 (100 seated) |
| Ilford | Ilford | Cricklefield Stadium | 3,500 (216 seated) |
| Redbridge | Barkingside | Oakside Stadium | 3,000 (316 seated) |
| Saffron Walden Town | Saffron Walden | Catons Lane | 2,000 |
| Sawbridgeworth Town | Sawbridgeworth | Crofters End | 2,500 (175 seated) |
| Sporting Bengal United | Mile End | Mile End Stadium | 2,000 (439 seated) |
| Southend Manor | Southend-on-Sea | Southchurch Park | 2,000 (500 seated) |
| St. Margaretsbury | Stanstead Abbotts | Recreation Ground | 1,000 (60 seated) |
| Stansted | Stansted Mountfitchet | Hargrave Park | 2,000 (200 seated) |
| Takeley | Takeley | Station Road | 2,000 |
| Walthamstow | Walthamstow | Wadham Lodge | 3,500 |
| West Essex | Dagenham | Mayesbrook Park (groundshare withBarking) | 2,500 (200 seated) |
| Woodford Town | Harlow | The Harlow Arena (groundshare withHarlow Town) | 3,500 |
