The 2023–24 Eastern Counties Football League was the 81st season in the history of the Eastern Counties Football League, a football 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 the English football league system.
The constitution was announced on 15 May 2023. 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.
Premier Division
Football league season| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Mildenhall Town |
| Promoted | Mildenhall Town |
| Matches played | 342 |
| Top goalscorer | Ashley Jarvis (31) |
| Biggest home win |
|
| Biggest away win | Soham Town Rangers 0–6 Mulbarton Wanderers (20 April 2024) |
| Highest scoring | Dereham Town 5–6 Mulbarton Wanderers (2 March 2024) |
| ← 2022–23 2024–25 → | |
The Premier Division featured 17 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with three new clubs:
- Dereham Town, relegated from the Northern Premier League
- Downham Town, promoted from Division One North
- Heacham, promoted from Division One North
League table
| 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 the Isthmian 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 (W) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Withdrew from league |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (W) Withdrew
Notes:
- Norwich United announced their withdrawal from the league on 14 September 2023 after multiple scandals.
Play-offs
| 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 | |||||||
Semifinals
Newmarket Town v Dereham Town| 27 April | Newmarket Town | 3–1 | Dereham Town | Newmarket |
| 15:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Cricket Field Road Attendance: 386 Referee: Matt Rowling |
5', 79' (| 14 May | Mulbarton Wanderers | 2–1 | Thetford Town | Mulbarton |
| 19:45 | Stadium: Mulberry Park |
Final
Newmarket Town v Mulbarton Wanderers| 18 May | Newmarket Town | 2–0 | Mulbarton Wanderers | Newmarket |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: Cricket Field Road Attendance: 930 |
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.
Stadia and locations
Brantham AthleticDereham TownDownham TownEly CityFakenham TownHadleigh UnitedHarleston TownHeachamKirkley & PakefieldLakenheathLong MelfordMildenhall TownMulbarton WanderersNewmarket TownNorwich UnitedSoham Town RangersSheringhamThetford TownWalsham-le-WillowsWoodbridge Townclass=notpageimage| Locations of the Premier Division clubs
| 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 |
Division One North
Football league season| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Great Yarmouth Town |
| Promoted | Great Yarmouth Town Cornard United |
| Matches played | 420 |
| Top goalscorer | Kyle Richardson (36) |
| Biggest home win | AFC Sudbury reserves 10–0 Needham Market under 23s (26 August 2023) |
| Biggest away win | Leiston reserves 0–7 AFC Sudbury reserves (1 August 2023) |
| Highest scoring | Norwich CBS 7–4 Haverhill Borough (9 March 2024) |
| ← 2022–23 2024–25 → | |
Division One North featured 15 clubs which competed in the previous season, along with six new clubs.
- Relegated from the Premier Division
- Transferred from Division One South
- Plus:
- Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers, promoted from the Anglian Combination
- FC Peterborough, promoted from the Peterborough and District League
League table
| 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 reserves | 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 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted
Play-offs
| 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 | |||||||
Semifinals
Framlingham Town v Cornard United| 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 |
Final
Holland v Cornard United| 4 May | Holland | 1–3 | Cornard United | Holland-on-Sea |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: Dulwich Road Attendance: 455 Referee: Bruno Marques |
Stadia and locations
Sudbury resCornard UnitedDiss TownDussindale & Hellesdon RoversFC Parson DroveFCPeterborough
Framlingham TownGreat Yarmouth TownHarwich & ParkestonHaverhill Borough & Haverhill RoversHolbeach UnitedHollandLeistonres
Needham Market resNorwich CBSStanway PegasusSwaffham TownWhittlesey AthleticWhitton UnitedWivenhoe Townclass=notpageimage| Locations of Division One North clubs
| 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 with Haverhill Rovers) | 3,000 |
| Haverhill Rovers | New Croft | 3,000 |
| Holbeach United | Carters Park | 4,000 |
| Holland | Dulwich Road | |
| Leiston reserves | Victory Road | 2,500 |
| Needham Market reserves | 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 |
Division One South
Football league season| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Benfleet |
| Promoted | Benfleet Wormley Rovers |
| Matches played | 462 |
| Top goalscorer | Stuart Zanone (36) |
| Biggest home win |
|
| Biggest away win | Barkingside 1–9 Wormley Rovers (1 March 2024) |
| Highest scoring | St Margaretsbury 8–3 Basildon Town (21 October 2023) |
| ← 2022–23 2024–25 → | |
Division One South featured 14 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with eight new clubs:
- Brimsdown, promoted from the Essex Alliance League
- Clapton, relegated from the Essex Senior League
- Clapton Community, promoted from the Middlesex County League
- Dunmow Town, promoted from the Essex and Suffolk Border League
- Harlow Town, resigned from the Southern League
- Hoddesdon Town, relegated from the Spartan South Midlands League
- Hutton, promoted from the Essex Olympian League
- Southend Manor, relegated from the Essex Senior League
League table
| 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 the Essex Senior League |
| 2 | Wormley Rovers (O, P) | 42 | 30 | 7 | 5 | 111 | 37 | +74 | 97 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 3 | Harlow Town | 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 the Southern 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 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted
Notes:
- Harlow Town are ineligible for promotion due to withdrawal from the national league system midway through last season.
Play-offs
| 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 | |||||||
Semifinals
Wormley Rovers v Clapton Community| 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 |
Final
Wormley Rovers v Dunmow Town| 4 May | Wormley Rovers | 2–1 | Dunmow Town | Wormley |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: Wormley Playing Fields Attendance: 358 Referee: Jordan Sandwell |
Stadia and locations
BarkingsideBasildon TownBenfleetBrimsdown & Wormley RoversBurnham RamblersCannons Wood & May & BakerClaptonClapton CommunityDunmow TownEnfield BoroughHackney WickHarlow Town & NW LondonHoddesdon TownHuttonNewbury ForestPark ViewSouthend ManorTower HamletsSt Margaretsburyclass=notpageimage| Locations of Division One South clubs
BarkingsideClaptonClapton CommunityEnfield BoroughCannons Wood & May & BakerParkView
Tower HamletsNewbury Forestclass=notpageimage| Greater London Division One South football clubs
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Barkingside | Cricklefield Stadium (groundshare with Ilford) | 3,500 |
| Basildon Town | Rookery Hill (groundshare with East Thurrock United) | 3,500 |
| Benfleet | Park Lane (groundshare with Canvey Island) | 4,100 |
| Brimsdown | Wormley Playing Fields (groundshare with Wormley Rovers) | 500 |
| Burnham Ramblers | Leslie Fields | 2,000 |
| Cannons Wood | Parkside Stadium (groundshare with Aveley) | 3,500 |
| Clapton | Terence McMillan Stadium (groundshare with Athletic Newham) | 2,000 |
| Clapton Community | The Old Spotted Dog Ground | 2,000 |
| Dunmow Town | Scraley Road (groundshare with Heybridge Swifts) | 3,000 |
| Enfield Borough | The Maurice Rebak Stadium (groundshare with Wingate & Finchley) | 1,500 |
| Hackney Wick | Spa Road (groundshare with Witham Town) | 2,500 |
| Harlow Town | The Harlow Arena | 3,500 |
| Hoddesdon Town | Lowfield | 3,000 |
| Hutton | New Lodge (groundshare with Billericay Town) | 3,500 |
| May & Baker | Parkside Stadium (groundshare with Aveley) | 3,500 |
| Newbury Forest | Oakside Stadium (groundshare with Redbridge) | 3,000 |
| NW London | The Harlow Arena (groundshare with Harlow 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 with Sporting Bengal United) | 2,000 |
| Wormley Rovers | Wormley Playing Fields | 500 |
References
- "REVEALED: Club allocations 2023-24 announced by The FA". The Non-League Football Paper. 15 May 2023.
- "STEP 5 TO 4 PROMOTION/RELEGATION UPDATE". The FA. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- "Norwich United FC withdraw from Thurlow Nunn Premier". Norwich Evening News. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- "Norwich United manager speaks after death threat claims". Norwich Evening News. 6 September 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ "The FA Handbook 2022/2023 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA.
- @ThetfordTownFC (7 May 2024). "Following today's National FA hearing I can confirm Thetford Town FC have been reinstated into the playoffs. The FA have ordered the leagues decision to be overturned and the semi final vs Mulbarton to be replayed. Dates will be confirmed following consultation with all parties" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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