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

Eastern Counties
Football League
Premier Division
Season2017–18
ChampionsCoggeshall Town
PromotedCoggeshall Town
Felixstowe & Walton United
RelegatedFakenham Town
Ipswich Wanderers
Wivenhoe Town
Matches played550
Goals scored1,896 (3.45 per match)

The Premier Division featured 19 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with five new clubs:

League table

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[lower-alpha 1]
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[lower-alpha 2]
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[lower-alpha 3] 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[lower-alpha 4] 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:
  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ Ely City were deducted one point on 11 October for a contravention of league rules.
  3. ↑ Haverhill Borough were demoted due to ground grading issues.[4]
  4. ↑ Wivenhoe Town were deducted one point on 7 October for a contravention of league rules.

Stadia and locations

Team Stadium Capacity
Brantham AthleticBrantham Leisure Centre1,200
Coggeshall TownWest Street
Ely CityUnwin Sports Ground1,500
Fakenham TownClipbush Park2,000
ClactonThe Rush Green Bowl3,000
Felixstowe & Walton UnitedDellwood Avenue2,000
Godmanchester RoversBearscroft Lane1,050
GorlestonEmerald Park3,000
Great Yarmouth TownWellesley Recreation Ground3,600
Hadleigh UnitedMillfield3,000
Haverhill BoroughNew Croft (artificial, groundshare with Haverhill Rovers)3,000
Haverhill RoversNew Croft3,000
HistonBridge Road4,300
Ipswich WanderersHumber Doucy Lane1,000
Kirkley & PakefieldWalmer Road2,000
Long MelfordStoneylands
Newmarket TownCricket Field Road2,750
Saffron Walden TownCatons Lane2,000
Stanway RoversHawthorns1,500
Stowmarket TownGreens Meadow1,000
Thetford TownMundford Road1,500
Walsham-le-WillowsSummer Road1,000
Wivenhoe TownBroad Lane2,876
WroxhamTrafford Park2,000

Division One

Eastern Counties
Football League
Division One
Season2017–18
ChampionsWoodbridge Town
PromotedFramlingham Town
Whitton United
Woodbridge Town
Matches played416
Goals scored1,673 (4.02 per match)

Division One featured 17 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with four new clubs:

League table

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]

Stadia and locations

Team Stadium Capacity
A.F.C. Sudbury reservesKing's Marsh2,500
Braintree Town reservesCressing Road4,202
Cornard UnitedBlackhouse Lane2,000
Debenham LCMaitlands1,000
Diss TownBrewers Green Lane2,500
Downham TownMemorial Field1,000
Framlingham TownBadingham Road
Halstead TownRosemary Lane1,000
HollandRush Green Bowl (groundshare with F.C. Clacton)3,000
King's Lynn Town reservesThe Walks5,733
Leiston reservesVictory Road2,500
Little OakleyMemorial Ground
March Town UnitedThe GER Sports Ground
Needham Market reservesBloomfields4,000
Norwich CBSthe FDC
Norwich United reservesPlantation Park3,000
Swaffham TownShoemakers Lane
Team BuryRam Meadow3,500
Whitton UnitedKing George V Playing Fields1,000
Wisbech St MaryBeechings Close
Woodbridge TownNotcutts Park3,000

References

  1. ↑ "Eastern Counties League 2017–18". Non League Matters.
  2. ↑ "Club Allocations for Step 5–6" (PDF). FA. 26 May 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  3. ↑ "Constitution ratified". Eastern Counties League. 18 June 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  4. ↑ Cambridge News (4 May 2018). "Haverhill Borough down but not out following harsh demotion". Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  5. 1 2 "The FA Handbook Standardised Rules 2017-2018 (page 539, section 12.2)". The FA. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
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