2017–18 Eastern Counties Football League
The 2017–18 season was the 75th in the history of Eastern Counties Football League, a football competition in England.[1] It was also the last season to have a single division at Step 6.
The constitution for Step 5 and Step 6 divisions for 2017–18 was announced on 26 May 2017,[2] and the Eastern Counties divisions constitutions were ratified at the league's AGM on 17 June 2017.[3]
Coggeshall Town were champions, winning their first Eastern Counties Football League title and were promoted to the Isthmian League for the first time in their history. Felixstove & Walton United finished second and were promoted due to expansion of step 4 up to seven divisions.
Premier Division
[edit]| Season | 2017–18 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Coggeshall Town |
| Promoted | Coggeshall Town Felixstowe & Walton United |
| Relegated | Fakenham Town Ipswich Wanderers Wivenhoe Town |
| Matches played | 550 |
| Goals scored | 1,896 (3.45 per match) |
← 2016–17 2018–19 → | |
The Premier Division featured 19 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with five new clubs:
- Coggeshall Town, promoted from Division One
- Haverhill Borough, promoted from Division One
- Histon, relegated from the Southern Football League
- Stowmarket Town, promoted from Division One
- Wroxham, relegated from the Isthmian League
League table
[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coggeshall Town | 46 | 37 | 4 | 5 | 145 | 26 | +119 | 115 | Promoted to the Isthmian League[a] |
| 2 | Felixstowe & Walton United | 46 | 35 | 4 | 7 | 129 | 41 | +88 | 109 | |
| 3 | Stowmarket Town | 46 | 33 | 4 | 9 | 126 | 51 | +75 | 103 | |
| 4 | Godmanchester Rovers | 45 | 31 | 2 | 12 | 103 | 50 | +53 | 95 | |
| 5 | Brantham Athletic | 46 | 26 | 9 | 11 | 93 | 62 | +31 | 87 | |
| 6 | Histon | 46 | 25 | 8 | 13 | 100 | 62 | +38 | 83 | |
| 7 | Gorleston | 46 | 21 | 11 | 14 | 99 | 77 | +22 | 74 | |
| 8 | Stanway Rovers | 46 | 22 | 8 | 16 | 80 | 58 | +22 | 74 | Transferred to the Essex Senior League |
| 9 | Newmarket Town | 46 | 22 | 7 | 17 | 107 | 74 | +33 | 73 | |
| 10 | Kirkley & Pakefield | 45 | 19 | 11 | 15 | 80 | 69 | +11 | 68 | |
| 11 | Saffron Walden Town | 46 | 20 | 7 | 19 | 82 | 80 | +2 | 67 | Transferred to the Essex Senior League |
| 12 | Thetford Town | 46 | 19 | 9 | 18 | 84 | 78 | +6 | 66 | |
| 13 | Wroxham | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 74 | 70 | +4 | 66 | |
| 14 | Ely City | 46 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 71 | 79 | −8 | 63[b] | |
| 15 | Great Yarmouth Town | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 64 | 69 | −5 | 59 | |
| 16 | Long Melford | 46 | 17 | 8 | 21 | 54 | 79 | −25 | 59 | |
| 17 | Walsham-le-Willows | 46 | 16 | 7 | 23 | 82 | 100 | −18 | 55 | |
| 18 | FC Clacton | 46 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 52 | 96 | −44 | 51 | |
| 19 | Haverhill Rovers | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 59 | 79 | −20 | 49 | |
| 20 | Haverhill Borough | 46 | 12 | 4 | 30 | 66 | 120 | −54 | 40[c] | Demoted to Division One North |
| 21 | Hadleigh United | 46 | 10 | 4 | 32 | 50 | 106 | −56 | 34 | |
| 22 | Fakenham Town | 44 | 7 | 4 | 33 | 28 | 124 | −96 | 25 | Relegated to Division One North |
| 23 | Ipswich Wanderers | 45 | 4 | 9 | 32 | 33 | 108 | −75 | 21 | |
| 24 | Wivenhoe Town | 45 | 4 | 6 | 35 | 35 | 138 | −103 | 17[d] | Relegated to Division One South |
Source: FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[5]
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[5]
Notes:
- ^ 12 of the 14 runners-up at Step 5 were to have been promoted to Step 4.
However, with resignations and mergers in leagues above, all fourteen runners-up were promoted. - ^ Ely City were deducted one point on 11 October for a contravention of league rules.
- ^ Haverhill Borough were demoted due to ground grading issues.[4]
- ^ Wivenhoe Town were deducted one point on 7 October for a contravention of league rules.
Stadia and locations
[edit]
Locations of the Premier Division clubs
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Brantham Athletic | Brantham Leisure Centre | 1,200 |
| Coggeshall Town | West Street | |
| Ely City | Unwin Sports Ground | 1,500 |
| Fakenham Town | Clipbush Park | 2,000 |
| Clacton | The Rush Green Bowl | 3,000 |
| Felixstowe & Walton United | Dellwood Avenue | 2,000 |
| Godmanchester Rovers | Bearscroft Lane | 1,050 |
| Gorleston | Emerald Park | 3,000 |
| Great Yarmouth Town | Wellesley Recreation Ground | 3,600 |
| Hadleigh United | Millfield | 3,000 |
| Haverhill Borough | New Croft (artificial, groundshare with Haverhill Rovers) | 3,000 |
| Haverhill Rovers | New Croft | 3,000 |
| Histon | Bridge Road | 4,300 |
| Ipswich Wanderers | Humber Doucy Lane | 1,000 |
| Kirkley & Pakefield | Walmer Road | 2,000 |
| Long Melford | Stoneylands | |
| Newmarket Town | Cricket Field Road | 2,750 |
| Saffron Walden Town | Catons Lane | 2,000 |
| Stanway Rovers | Hawthorns | 1,500 |
| Stowmarket Town | Greens Meadow | 1,000 |
| Thetford Town | Mundford Road | 1,500 |
| Walsham-le-Willows | Summer Road | 1,000 |
| Wivenhoe Town | Broad Lane | 2,876 |
| Wroxham | Trafford Park | 2,000 |
Division One
[edit]| Season | 2017–18 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Woodbridge Town |
| Promoted | Framlingham Town Whitton United Woodbridge Town |
| Matches played | 416 |
| Goals scored | 1,673 (4.02 per match) |
← 2016–17 | |
Division One featured 17 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with four new clubs:
- Little Oakley, promoted from the Essex and Suffolk Border League
- Norwich United reserves
- Spixworth, promoted from the Anglian Combination, with a name change to Norwich CBS
- Swaffham Town, relegated from Premier Division
League table
[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Woodbridge Town | 40 | 32 | 5 | 3 | 136 | 41 | +95 | 101 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Framlingham Town | 40 | 29 | 7 | 4 | 115 | 36 | +79 | 94 | |
| 3 | Whitton United | 40 | 29 | 2 | 9 | 132 | 46 | +86 | 89 | |
| 4 | Swaffham Town | 40 | 26 | 7 | 7 | 138 | 53 | +85 | 85 | Placed in Division One North |
| 5 | Braintree Town reserves | 40 | 24 | 6 | 10 | 99 | 61 | +38 | 78 | Placed in Division One South |
| 6 | King's Lynn Town reserves | 40 | 22 | 6 | 12 | 99 | 64 | +35 | 72 | Placed in Division One North |
| 7 | Debenham LC | 39 | 20 | 7 | 12 | 69 | 53 | +16 | 67 | |
| 8 | Norwich CBS | 39 | 20 | 5 | 14 | 93 | 60 | +33 | 65 | |
| 9 | Downham Town | 40 | 15 | 10 | 15 | 67 | 63 | +4 | 55 | |
| 10 | Halstead Town | 40 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 77 | 75 | +2 | 55 | Placed in Division One South |
| 11 | AFC Sudbury reserves | 40 | 14 | 7 | 19 | 69 | 78 | −9 | 49 | Placed in Division One North |
| 12 | Leiston reserves | 38 | 13 | 7 | 18 | 70 | 96 | −26 | 46 | |
| 13 | Diss Town | 40 | 13 | 6 | 21 | 62 | 96 | −34 | 45 | |
| 14 | Holland | 40 | 13 | 4 | 23 | 68 | 82 | −14 | 43 | Placed in Division One South |
| 15 | Little Oakley | 39 | 11 | 10 | 18 | 69 | 97 | −28 | 43 | |
| 16 | Cornard United | 40 | 12 | 5 | 23 | 58 | 96 | −38 | 41 | Placed in Division One North |
| 17 | March Town United | 40 | 9 | 12 | 19 | 54 | 77 | −23 | 39 | |
| 18 | Wisbech St Mary | 38 | 11 | 5 | 22 | 61 | 105 | −44 | 38 | |
| 19 | Norwich United reserves | 39 | 10 | 7 | 22 | 46 | 106 | −60 | 37 | Resigned to the Anglian Combination |
| 20 | Needham Market reserves | 40 | 6 | 3 | 31 | 52 | 149 | −97 | 21 | Placed in Division One North |
| 21 | Team Bury | 40 | 5 | 2 | 33 | 39 | 139 | −100 | 17 | Club folded |
Source: FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[5]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[5]
Stadia and locations
[edit]Locations of Division One clubs
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| A.F.C. Sudbury reserves | King's Marsh | 2,500 |
| Braintree Town reserves | Cressing Road | 4,202 |
| Cornard United | Blackhouse Lane | 2,000 |
| Debenham LC | Maitlands | 1,000 |
| Diss Town | Brewers Green Lane | 2,500 |
| Downham Town | Memorial Field | 1,000 |
| Framlingham Town | Badingham Road | |
| Halstead Town | Rosemary Lane | 1,000 |
| Holland | Rush Green Bowl (groundshare with F.C. Clacton) | 3,000 |
| King's Lynn Town reserves | The Walks | 5,733 |
| Leiston reserves | Victory Road | 2,500 |
| Little Oakley | Memorial Ground | |
| March Town United | The GER Sports Ground | |
| Needham Market reserves | Bloomfields | 4,000 |
| Norwich CBS | the FDC | |
| Norwich United reserves | Plantation Park | 3,000 |
| Swaffham Town | Shoemakers Lane | |
| Team Bury | Ram Meadow | 3,500 |
| Whitton United | King George V Playing Fields | 1,000 |
| Wisbech St Mary | Beechings Close | |
| Woodbridge Town | Notcutts Park | 3,000 |
References
[edit]- ^ "Eastern Counties League 2017–18". Non League Matters.
- ^ "Club Allocations for Step 5–6" (PDF). FA. 26 May 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Constitution ratified". Eastern Counties League. 18 June 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Cambridge News (4 May 2018). "Haverhill Borough down but not out following harsh demotion". Retrieved 8 May 2018.
- ^ a b "The FA Handbook Standardised Rules 2017-2018 (page 539, section 12.2)". The FA. Retrieved 21 July 2017.