The 2022–23 season was the 80th 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, both at Step 6 of the English football league system.
The allocations for Steps 5 and 6 this season were announced by the Football Association and published on the league's website on 13 May 2022,[1] subject to appeals.
Ipswich Wanderers were champions, winning their first Eastern Counties Football League title and were promoted to the Isthmian League for the first time in their history, while Thetford Town lost their inter-step play-off tie.
Premier Division
| Season | 2022–23 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Ipswich Wanderers |
| Promoted | Ipswich Wanderers |
| Relegated | Haverhill Rovers Whitton United |
| Matches played | 380 |
| Goals scored | 1,304 (3.43 per match) |
← 2021–22 2023–24 → | |
The Premier Division featured 16 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with four new clubs:
- Harleston Town, promoted from Division One North
- Ipswich Wanderers, promoted from Division One South
- Sheringham, promoted from Division One North
- Soham Town Rangers, relegated from the Northern Premier League
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ipswich Wanderers | 38 | 28 | 5 | 5 | 94 | 36 | +58 | 89 | Promoted to the Isthmian League |
| 2 | Thetford Town | 38 | 26 | 4 | 8 | 102 | 48 | +54 | 82 | Qualified for an inter-step play-off |
| 3 | Harleston Town | 38 | 20 | 10 | 8 | 73 | 41 | +32 | 70 | |
| 4 | Woodbridge Town | 38 | 21 | 7 | 10 | 72 | 50 | +22 | 70 | |
| 5 | Lakenheath | 38 | 20 | 8 | 10 | 79 | 59 | +20 | 68 | |
| 6 | Mildenhall Town | 38 | 18 | 12 | 8 | 79 | 49 | +30 | 66 | |
| 7 | Sheringham | 38 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 77 | 54 | +23 | 63 | |
| 8 | Norwich United | 38 | 17 | 9 | 12 | 74 | 52 | +22 | 60 | |
| 9 | Hadleigh United | 38 | 17 | 9 | 12 | 64 | 49 | +15 | 60 | |
| 10 | Mulbarton Wanderers | 38 | 14 | 15 | 9 | 63 | 41 | +22 | 57 | |
| 11 | Long Melford | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 54 | 67 | −13 | 50 | |
| 12 | Newmarket Town | 38 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 70 | 63 | +7 | 49 | |
| 13 | Brantham Athletic | 38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 60 | 65 | −5 | 48 | |
| 14 | Walsham-le-Willows | 38 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 65 | 69 | −4 | 41 | |
| 15 | Soham Town Rangers | 38 | 12 | 5 | 21 | 61 | 71 | −10 | 41 | |
| 16 | Kirkley & Pakefield | 38 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 50 | 61 | −11 | 40 | |
| 17 | Fakenham Town | 38 | 11 | 3 | 24 | 53 | 79 | −26 | 36 | |
| 18 | Ely City | 38 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 44 | 86 | −42 | 36 | |
| 19 | Haverhill Rovers | 38 | 8 | 6 | 24 | 43 | 96 | −53 | 30 | Relegated to Division One North |
| 20 | Whitton United | 38 | 2 | 3 | 33 | 27 | 168 | −141 | 9 |
Source: The 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[2]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[2]
Inter-step play-off
| 29 April 2023 | Barton Rovers | 2–0 | Thetford Town | Barton-le-Clay |
| 15:00 | Stadium: Sharpenhoe Road |
Stadia and locations
Locations of the Premier Division clubs
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Brantham Athletic | Brantham Leisure Centre | 1,200 |
| Ely City | Unwin Sports Ground | 1,500 |
| Fakenham Town | Clipbush Park | 2,000 |
| Hadleigh United | Millfield | 3,000 |
| Harleston Town | Wilderness Lane | |
| Haverhill Rovers | New Croft | 3,000 |
| Ipswich Wanderers | Humber Doucy Lane | |
| 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 |
| Whitton United | King George V Playing Fields | 1,000 |
| Woodbridge Town | Notcutts Park | 3,000 |
Division One North
| Season | 2022–23 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Heacham |
| Promoted | Downham Town Heacham |
| Relegated | Debenham LC |
| Matches played | 342 |
| Goals scored | 1,267 (3.7 per match) |
← 2021–22 2023–24 → | |
Division One North featured eleven clubs which competed in the previous season, along with eight new clubs.
- Transferred from Division One South:
- Plus:
- Heacham, promoted from the Anglian Combination
- Holbeach United, relegated from the United Counties League
- Swaffham Town, relegated from the Premier Division
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heacham | 36 | 27 | 4 | 5 | 96 | 34 | +62 | 85 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Downham Town | 36 | 25 | 6 | 5 | 84 | 35 | +49 | 81 | Qualified for the play-offs, then promoted to the Premier Division |
| 3 | Framlingham Town | 36 | 22 | 5 | 9 | 93 | 42 | +51 | 71 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 4 | Harwich & Parkeston | 36 | 21 | 8 | 7 | 82 | 52 | +30 | 71 | |
| 5 | Whittlesey Athletic | 36 | 20 | 6 | 10 | 81 | 54 | +27 | 66 | |
| 6 | Cornard United | 36 | 17 | 5 | 14 | 83 | 64 | +19 | 56 | |
| 7 | Huntingdon Town | 36 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 71 | 54 | +17 | 58 | Transferred to the Spartan South Midlands League |
| 8 | AFC Sudbury reserves | 36 | 17 | 3 | 16 | 86 | 70 | +16 | 54 | |
| 9 | Norwich CBS | 36 | 16 | 4 | 16 | 76 | 74 | +2 | 52 | |
| 10 | Holbeach United | 36 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 68 | 56 | +12 | 47 | |
| 11 | Holland | 36 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 57 | 70 | −13 | 46 | |
| 12 | Diss Town | 36 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 44 | 54 | −10 | 42 | |
| 13 | Great Yarmouth Town | 36 | 11 | 5 | 20 | 52 | 66 | −14 | 38 | |
| 14 | Swaffham Town | 36 | 9 | 10 | 17 | 40 | 70 | −30 | 37 | |
| 15 | Needham Market under 23s | 36 | 10 | 4 | 22 | 59 | 99 | −40 | 34 | |
| 16 | Leiston reserves | 36 | 9 | 7 | 20 | 46 | 92 | −46 | 34 | |
| 17 | Haverhill Borough | 36 | 9 | 5 | 22 | 59 | 108 | −49 | 32 | |
| 18 | FC Parson Drove | 36 | 8 | 5 | 23 | 45 | 87 | −42 | 29 | Reprieved from relegation |
| 19 | Debenham LC | 36 | 5 | 11 | 20 | 45 | 86 | −41 | 26 | Relegated to the Suffolk and Ipswich League |
Source: The 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[2]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[2]
Play-offs
| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 2 | Downham Town | 4 | |||||||
| 5 | Whittlesey Athletic | 1 | |||||||
| 2 | Downham Town | 4 | |||||||
| 4 | Harwich & Parkeston | 0 | |||||||
| 3 | Framlingham Town | 1 (4) | |||||||
| 4 | Harwich & Parkeston | 1 (5) | |||||||
Stadia and locations
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| AFC Sudbury reserves | King's Marsh | 2,500 |
| Cornard United | Blackhouse Lane | |
| Debenham LC | Maitlands | 1,000 |
| Diss Town | Brewers Green Lane | 2,500 |
| Downham Town | Memorial Field | 1,000 |
| FC Parson Drove | Main Road | |
| 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 |
| Heacham | Station Road | |
| Holbeach United | Carters Park | 4,000 |
| Holland | Dulwich Road | |
| Huntingdon Town | Jubilee Park | |
| Leiston reserves | Victory Road | 2,500 |
| Needham Market reserves | Bloomfields | 4,000 |
| Norwich CBS | FDC Bowthorpe | |
| Swaffham Town | Shoemakers Lane | |
| Whittlesey Athletic | Feldale Field |
Division One South
| Season | 2022–23 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Frenford |
| Promoted | Frenford Sporting Bengal United |
| Relegated | Coggeshall United |
| Matches played | 342 |
| Goals scored | 1,248 (3.65 per match) |
← 2021–22 2023–24 → | |
Division One South featured eleven clubs which competed in the division last season, along with eight new clubs:
- Basildon Town, promoted from the Essex Olympian League
- Cannons Wood, formerly DTFC, promoted from the Essex Alliance League
- Enfield Borough, transferred from the Combined Counties League
- NW London, promoted from the Middlesex County League
- Sporting Bengal United, relegated from the Essex Senior League
- St Margaretsbury, relegated from the Essex Senior League
- Stanway Pegasus, promoted from the Essex and Suffolk Border League
- Tower Hamlets, relegated from the Southern Counties East League
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frenford | 36 | 25 | 6 | 5 | 82 | 51 | +31 | 81 | Promoted to the Essex Senior League |
| 2 | Basildon Town | 36 | 24 | 8 | 4 | 90 | 50 | +40 | 80 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 3 | Wormley Rovers | 36 | 23 | 7 | 6 | 89 | 39 | +50 | 76 | |
| 4 | Sporting Bengal United | 36 | 23 | 4 | 9 | 82 | 61 | +21 | 73 | Qualified for the play-offs, then promoted to the Essex Senior League |
| 5 | Stanway Pegasus | 36 | 20 | 6 | 10 | 80 | 57 | +23 | 66 | Qualified for the play-offs, then transferred to Division One North |
| 6 | Benfleet | 36 | 20 | 4 | 12 | 74 | 50 | +24 | 64 | |
| 7 | Burnham Ramblers | 36 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 72 | 44 | +28 | 61 | |
| 8 | May & Baker | 36 | 17 | 7 | 12 | 59 | 51 | +8 | 58 | |
| 9 | Cannons Wood | 36 | 15 | 5 | 16 | 74 | 65 | +9 | 50 | |
| 10 | St Margaretsbury | 36 | 15 | 4 | 17 | 61 | 68 | −7 | 49 | |
| 11 | Park View | 36 | 13 | 5 | 18 | 58 | 69 | −11 | 44 | |
| 12 | Barkingside | 36 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 51 | 58 | −7 | 40 | |
| 13 | Enfield Borough | 36 | 11 | 6 | 19 | 53 | 68 | −15 | 39 | |
| 14 | Tower Hamlets | 36 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 52 | 78 | −26 | 35 | |
| 15 | Wivenhoe Town | 36 | 9 | 7 | 20 | 58 | 87 | −29 | 34 | Transferred to Division One North |
| 16 | Newbury Forest | 36 | 9 | 6 | 21 | 58 | 90 | −32 | 33 | |
| 17 | NW London | 36 | 8 | 8 | 20 | 70 | 91 | −21 | 32 | |
| 18 | Hackney Wick | 36 | 7 | 10 | 19 | 39 | 67 | −28 | 31 | Reprieved from relegation |
| 19 | Coggeshall United | 36 | 4 | 6 | 26 | 46 | 104 | −58 | 18 | Club folded |
Source: The 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[2]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[2]
Play-offs
| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 2 | Basildon Town | 0 | |||||||
| 5 | Stanway Pegasus | 1 | |||||||
| 5 | Stanway Pegasus | 2 (2) | |||||||
| 4 | Sporting Bengal United | 2 (4) | |||||||
| 3 | Wormley Rovers | 0 | |||||||
| 4 | Sporting Bengal United | 2 | |||||||
Stadia and locations
Barkingside
Enfield Borough
Frenford
May & Baker
Newbury Forest
NW London
Park View
Sporting Bengal United & Tower Hamlets
Locations of Division One South clubs
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 |
| Burnham Ramblers | Leslie Fields | 2,000 |
| Cannons Wood | The Harlow Arena (groundshare with Harlow Town) | 3,500 |
| Coggeshall United | West Street (groundshare with Coggeshall Town) | |
| Enfield Borough | The Maurice Rebak Stadium (groundshare with Wingate & Finchley) | 1,500 |
| Frenford | The Jack Carter Centre | 2,000 |
| Hackney Wick | Spa Road (groundshare with Witham Town) | 2,500 |
| May & Baker | Parkside Stadium (groundshare with Aveley) | 3,500 |
| Newbury Forest | Oakside Stadium (groundshare with Redbridge) | 3,000 |
| NW London | Brickfield Lane (groundshare with Hadley) | 2,000 |
| Park View | New River Stadium | 5,000 |
| Sporting Bengal United | Mile End Stadium (groundshare with Tower Hamlets) | 2,000 |
| St Margaretsbury | Recreation Ground | 1,000 |
| Stanway Pegasus | The Stanway School | |
| Tower Hamlets | Mile End Stadium (groundshare with Sporting Bengal United) | 2,000 |
| Wivenhoe Town | Broad Lane | 2,876 |
| Wormley Rovers | Wormley Playing Fields | 500 |
References
- ↑ "FA Announce 2022/23 League Allocations". Thurlow Nunn League. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- 1 2 3 "The FA Handbook 2022/2023 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA.
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