The2023–24 Eastern Counties Football League was the 81st season in the history of theEastern Counties Football League, afootball competition in England. Teams are divided into three divisions, the Premier Division at Step 5, and the geographically separated Division One North and Division One South (Eastern Senior League), both at Step 6 of theEnglish football league system.
The constitution was announced on 15 May 2023.[1] Starting this season, the Premier Division in the league promotes two clubs; one as champions and one via a four-team play-off. This replaced the previous inter-step play-off system. For this season only, there was only one club relegated from the Step 5 division.[2]
| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Mildenhall Town |
| Promoted | Mildenhall Town Newmarket Town |
| Matches | 342 |
| Goals | 1,096 (3.2 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Ashley Jarvis (31) |
| Biggest home win |
|
| Biggest away win | Soham Town Rangers 0–6Mulbarton Wanderers (20 April 2024) |
| Highest scoring | Dereham Town 5–6 Mulbarton Wanderers (2 March 2024) |
2024–25 → | |
The Premier Division featured 17 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with three new clubs:
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mildenhall Town(C, P) | 36 | 29 | 5 | 2 | 73 | 16 | +57 | 92 | Promoted to theIsthmian League North |
| 2 | Newmarket Town(O, P) | 36 | 24 | 6 | 6 | 92 | 44 | +48 | 78 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 3 | Mulbarton Wanderers | 36 | 21 | 7 | 8 | 80 | 46 | +34 | 70 | |
| 4 | Thetford Town | 35 | 20 | 7 | 8 | 67 | 42 | +25 | 70 | |
| 5 | Dereham Town | 36 | 21 | 6 | 9 | 77 | 48 | +29 | 69 | |
| 6 | Harleston Town | 36 | 20 | 5 | 11 | 74 | 53 | +21 | 65 | |
| 7 | Downham Town | 36 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 67 | 42 | +25 | 61 | |
| 8 | Walsham-le-Willows | 36 | 16 | 9 | 11 | 68 | 48 | +20 | 57 | |
| 9 | Fakenham Town | 36 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 63 | 45 | +18 | 56 | |
| 10 | Lakenheath | 36 | 15 | 4 | 17 | 68 | 74 | −6 | 49 | |
| 11 | Hadleigh United | 36 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 52 | 68 | −16 | 44 | |
| 12 | Soham Town Rangers | 36 | 14 | 2 | 20 | 56 | 79 | −23 | 44 | |
| 13 | Woodbridge Town | 36 | 10 | 6 | 20 | 43 | 59 | −16 | 36 | |
| 14 | Sheringham | 36 | 10 | 6 | 20 | 46 | 70 | −24 | 36 | |
| 15 | Ely City | 36 | 8 | 5 | 23 | 43 | 71 | −28 | 29 | |
| 16 | Brantham Athletic | 36 | 7 | 8 | 21 | 36 | 70 | −34 | 29 | |
| 17 | Long Melford | 36 | 7 | 9 | 20 | 32 | 70 | −38 | 30 | |
| 18 | Heacham | 35 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 27 | 67 | −40 | 28 | |
| 19 | Kirkley & Pakefield | 36 | 5 | 6 | 25 | 32 | 84 | −52 | 21 | |
| 20 | Norwich United[a](W) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Withdrew from league |
| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 2 | Newmarket Town | 3 | |||||||
| 5 | Dereham Town | 1 | |||||||
| 2 | Newmarket Town | 2 | |||||||
| 3 | Mulbarton Wanderers | 0 | |||||||
| 3 | Mulbarton Wanderers | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | Thetford Town | 1 | |||||||
| 27 April | Newmarket Town | 3–1 | Dereham Town | Newmarket |
| 15:00 | Report |
| Stadium:Cricket Field Road Attendance: 386 Referee: Matt Rowling |
| 14 May | Mulbarton Wanderers | 2–1 | Thetford Town | Mulbarton |
| 19:45 |
| Report | Stadium:Mulberry Park Attendance: 312 Referee: Jordan Sandwell |
| 18 May | Newmarket Town | 2–0 | Mulbarton Wanderers | Newmarket |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium:Cricket Field Road Attendance: 930 Referee: Cameron Saunders |
Note: Thetford Town played an ineligible player in their play-off semi-final away at Mulbarton Wanderers on 27 April 2024. The league originally removed Thetford from the playoffs and instated Mulbarton into the final. Following an appeal by Thetford, the FA ordered the semi-final to be replayed.[6]
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Brantham Athletic | Brantham Leisure Centre | 1,200 |
| Dereham Town | Aldiss Park | 3,000 |
| Downham Town | Memorial Field | 1,000 |
| Ely City | Unwin Sports Ground | 1,500 |
| Fakenham Town | Clipbush Park | 2,000 |
| Hadleigh United | Millfield | 3,000 |
| Harleston Town | Wilderness Lane | |
| Heacham | Station Road | |
| Kirkley & Pakefield | Walmer Road | 2,000 |
| Lakenheath | The Nest | |
| Long Melford | Stoneylands | |
| Mildenhall Town | Recreation Way | 2,000 |
| Mulbarton Wanderers | The Common | |
| Newmarket Town | Cricket Field Road | 2,750 |
| Norwich United | Plantation Park | 3,000 |
| Sheringham | Weybourne Road | |
| Soham Town Rangers | Julius Martin Lane | 2,000 |
| Thetford Town | Mundford Road | 1,500 |
| Walsham-le-Willows | Summer Road | 1,000 |
| Woodbridge Town | Notcutts Park | 3,000 |
| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Great Yarmouth Town |
| Promoted | Great Yarmouth Town Cornard United |
| Matches | 420 |
| Goals | 1,730 (4.12 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Kyle Richardson (36) |
| Biggest home win | AFC Sudbury reserves 10–0Needham Market under 23s (26 August 2023) |
| Biggest away win | Leiston under 23s 0–7 AFC Sudbury reserves (1 August 2023) |
| Highest scoring | Norwich CBS 7–4Haverhill Borough (9 March 2024) |
2024–25 → | |
Division One North featured 15 clubs which competed in the previous season, along with six new clubs.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Yarmouth Town(C, P) | 40 | 29 | 7 | 4 | 103 | 49 | +54 | 94 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Framlingham Town | 40 | 28 | 5 | 7 | 122 | 48 | +74 | 89 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 3 | Holland | 40 | 24 | 7 | 9 | 103 | 64 | +39 | 79 | |
| 4 | Stanway Pegasus | 40 | 24 | 5 | 11 | 101 | 40 | +61 | 77 | |
| 5 | Cornard United(O, P) | 40 | 23 | 6 | 11 | 112 | 84 | +28 | 75 | |
| 6 | Holbeach United | 40 | 20 | 6 | 14 | 84 | 65 | +19 | 66 | |
| 7 | Harwich & Parkeston | 40 | 20 | 5 | 15 | 80 | 62 | +18 | 65 | |
| 8 | Diss Town | 40 | 18 | 8 | 14 | 70 | 69 | +1 | 62 | |
| 9 | Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers | 40 | 18 | 7 | 15 | 80 | 63 | +17 | 61 | |
| 10 | Haverhill Rovers | 40 | 19 | 4 | 17 | 90 | 89 | +1 | 61 | |
| 11 | FC Peterborough | 40 | 17 | 3 | 20 | 91 | 95 | −4 | 54 | |
| 12 | Wivenhoe Town | 40 | 15 | 7 | 18 | 71 | 93 | −22 | 52 | |
| 13 | AFC Sudbury reserves | 40 | 15 | 6 | 19 | 88 | 90 | −2 | 51 | |
| 14 | FC Parson Drove | 40 | 15 | 5 | 20 | 82 | 93 | −11 | 50 | |
| 15 | Norwich CBS | 40 | 13 | 6 | 21 | 86 | 120 | −34 | 45 | Folded at the end of the season |
| 16 | Whittlesey Athletic | 40 | 12 | 8 | 20 | 66 | 87 | −21 | 44 | |
| 17 | Whitton United | 40 | 12 | 5 | 23 | 58 | 83 | −25 | 41 | |
| 18 | Leiston under 23s | 40 | 12 | 3 | 25 | 70 | 107 | −37 | 39 | |
| 19 | Swaffham Town | 40 | 11 | 5 | 24 | 63 | 94 | −31 | 38 | |
| 20 | Haverhill Borough | 40 | 9 | 6 | 25 | 49 | 110 | −61 | 33 | |
| 21 | Needham Market under 23s | 40 | 6 | 6 | 28 | 61 | 125 | −64 | 24 | Reprieved from relegation |
| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 2 | Framlingham Town | 1 | |||||||
| 5 | Cornard United | 2 | |||||||
| 3 | Holland | 1 | |||||||
| 5 | Cornard United | 3 | |||||||
| 3 | Holland | 3 | |||||||
| 4 | Stanway Pegasus | 0 | |||||||
| 27 April | Framlingham Town | 1–2 | Cornard United | Framlingham |
| 15:00 |
| Report | Stadium:Badingham Road Attendance: 151 Referee: Andrew Crossley |
| 27 April | Holland | 3–0 | Stanway Pegasus | Holland-on-Sea |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium:Dulwich Road Attendance: 410 Referee: Lee Kendrick |
| 4 May | Holland | 1–3 | Cornard United | Holland-on-Sea |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium:Dulwich Road Attendance: 455 Referee: Bruno Marques |
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| AFC Sudbury reserves | King's Marsh | 2,500 |
| Cornard United | Blackhouse Lane | |
| Diss Town | Brewers Green Lane | 2,500 |
| Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers | The Nest | 1,000 |
| FC Parson Drove | Main Road | |
| FC Peterborough | The Focus Centre | |
| Framlingham Town | Badingham Road | |
| Great Yarmouth Town | Wellesley Recreation Ground | 3,600 |
| Harwich & Parkeston | Royal Oak | |
| Haverhill Borough | New Croft (artificial, groundshare withHaverhill Rovers) | 3,000 |
| Haverhill Rovers | New Croft | 3,000 |
| Holbeach United | Carters Park | 4,000 |
| Holland | Dulwich Road | |
| Leiston u23s | Victory Road | 2,500 |
| Needham Market u23s | Bloomfields | 4,000 |
| Norwich CBS | FDC Bowthorpe | |
| Stanway Pegasus | The Stanway School | |
| Swaffham Town | Shoemakers Lane | |
| Whittlesey Athletic | Feldale Field | |
| Whitton United | King George V Playing Fields | 1,000 |
| Wivenhoe Town | Broad Lane | 2,876 |
| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Benfleet |
| Promoted | Benfleet Wormley Rovers |
| Matches | 462 |
| Goals | 1,775 (3.84 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Stuart Zanone (36) |
| Biggest home win |
|
| Biggest away win | Barkingside 1–9 Wormley Rovers (1 March 2024) |
| Highest scoring | St Margaretsbury 8–3Basildon Town (21 October 2023) |
2024–25 → | |
Division One South featured 14 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with eight new clubs:
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benfleet(C, P) | 42 | 33 | 4 | 5 | 108 | 32 | +76 | 103 | Promoted to theEssex Senior League |
| 2 | Wormley Rovers(O, P) | 42 | 30 | 7 | 5 | 111 | 37 | +74 | 97 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 3 | Harlow Town[a] | 42 | 28 | 7 | 7 | 105 | 48 | +57 | 91 | |
| 4 | Hutton | 42 | 25 | 6 | 11 | 89 | 55 | +34 | 81 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 5 | Dunmow Town | 42 | 23 | 7 | 12 | 96 | 73 | +23 | 76 | |
| 6 | Clapton Community | 42 | 19 | 15 | 8 | 78 | 54 | +24 | 72 | Qualified for the play-offs, then transferred to theSouthern Counties East League |
| 7 | Cannons Wood | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 103 | 60 | +43 | 71 | |
| 8 | Hackney Wick | 42 | 19 | 6 | 17 | 84 | 77 | +7 | 63 | |
| 9 | Brimsdown | 42 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 73 | 57 | +16 | 59 | |
| 10 | Hoddesdon Town | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 70 | 66 | +4 | 58 | |
| 11 | May & Baker | 42 | 16 | 7 | 19 | 77 | 78 | −1 | 55 | |
| 12 | Basildon Town | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 69 | 78 | −9 | 53 | |
| 13 | Enfield Borough | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 79 | 95 | −16 | 51 | |
| 14 | Newbury Forest | 42 | 15 | 2 | 25 | 72 | 102 | −30 | 47 | |
| 15 | Tower Hamlets | 42 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 70 | 96 | −26 | 46 | Transferred to the Southern Counties East League |
| 16 | Barkingside | 42 | 13 | 6 | 23 | 58 | 91 | −33 | 45 | |
| 17 | NW London | 42 | 14 | 3 | 25 | 84 | 123 | −39 | 45 | |
| 18 | Clapton | 42 | 12 | 7 | 23 | 61 | 105 | −44 | 43 | Transferred to the Southern Counties East League |
| 19 | Southend Manor | 42 | 12 | 5 | 25 | 78 | 107 | −29 | 41 | |
| 20 | Park View | 42 | 12 | 4 | 26 | 65 | 115 | −50 | 40 | |
| 21 | St Margaretsbury | 42 | 12 | 2 | 28 | 72 | 110 | −38 | 38 | |
| 22 | Burnham Ramblers | 42 | 11 | 4 | 27 | 73 | 116 | −43 | 37 | Reprieved from relegation |
| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 2 | Wormley Rovers | 3 | |||||||
| 6 | Clapton Community | 2 | |||||||
| 2 | Wormley Rovers | 2 | |||||||
| 5 | Dunmow Town | 1 | |||||||
| 5 | Dunmow Town | 1 | |||||||
| 4 | Hutton | 0 | |||||||
| 27 April | Wormley Rovers | 3–2 | Clapton Community | Wormley |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium:Wormley Playing Fields Attendance: 328 Referee: James Black |
| 27 April | Dunmow Town | 1–0 | Hutton | Heybridge |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium:Scraley Road Attendance: 61 Referee: Sam Wigington |
| 4 May | Wormley Rovers | 2–1 | Dunmow Town | Wormley |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium:Wormley Playing Fields Attendance: 358 Referee: Jordan Sandwell |
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Barkingside | Cricklefield Stadium (groundshare withIlford) | 3,500 |
| Basildon Town | Rookery Hill (groundshare withEast Thurrock United) | 3,500 |
| Benfleet | Park Lane (groundshare withCanvey Island) | 4,100 |
| Brimsdown | Wormley Playing Fields (groundshare withWormley Rovers) | 500 |
| Burnham Ramblers | Leslie Fields | 2,000 |
| Cannons Wood | Parkside Stadium (groundshare withAveley) | 3,500 |
| Clapton | Terence McMillan Stadium (groundshare withAthletic Newham) | 2,000 |
| Clapton Community | The Old Spotted Dog Ground | 2,000 |
| Dunmow Town | Scraley Road (groundshare withHeybridge Swifts) | 3,000 |
| Enfield Borough | The Maurice Rebak Stadium (groundshare withWingate & Finchley) | 1,500 |
| Hackney Wick | Spa Road (groundshare withWitham Town) | 2,500 |
| Harlow Town | The Harlow Arena | 3,500 |
| Hoddesdon Town | Lowfield | 3,000 |
| Hutton | New Lodge (groundshare withBillericay Town) | 3,500 |
| May & Baker | Parkside Stadium (groundshare withAveley) | 3,500 |
| Newbury Forest | Oakside Stadium (groundshare withRedbridge) | 3,000 |
| NW London | The Harlow Arena (groundshare withHarlow Town) | 2,000 |
| Park View | New River Stadium | 5,000 |
| Southend Manor | Southchurch Park | 2,000 |
| St Margaretsbury | Recreation Ground | 1,000 |
| Tower Hamlets | Mile End Stadium (groundshare withSporting Bengal United) | 2,000 |
| Wormley Rovers | Wormley Playing Fields | 500 |
