2017–18 Essex Senior Football League

The 2017–18 season was the 47th in the history of Essex Senior Football League, a football competition in England.

The constitution for Step 5 and Step 6 divisions for 2017–18 was announced on 26 May 2017.[1] The constitution for the Essex Senior League was ratified at the league's AGM on 22 June, although Ilford were expelled for missing deadlines and fines.[2] The club were readmitted to the league on 17 July following an appeal.[3]

The league featured 20 clubs which competed in the league last season, along with one new club:

Also, London Bari merged with Middlesex County League club Hackney Wick and took their name, while Haringey & Waltham changed name to Woodford Town 2017.

Great Wakering Rovers were champions, winning their third Essex Senior League title and returned straight back to the Isthmian League along with FC Romania, who reached this level for the first time in their history and Basilodon United, who returned to the Isthmian League after 27 seasons in the Essex Senior League. Burnham Ramblers and Hackney Wick became the first Essex Senior League to be relegated in the history of the league.

League table

Essex Senior
Football League
Season2017–18
ChampionsGreat Wakering Rovers
PromotedBasildon United
FC Romania
Great Wakering Rovers
RelegatedBurnham Ramblers
Hackney Wick
Matches played420
Goals scored1,509 (3.59 per match)
Top goalscorerBrian Moses (29 goals)
Highest attendance785
Hackney Wick 1–2 Clapton (7 October 2017)
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Great Wakering Rovers 40 30 4 6 107 29 +78 94 Promoted to the Isthmian League
2 Basildon United 40 29 5 6 83 29 +54 92
3 FC Romania 40 28 7 5 98 37 +61 91 Promoted to the Isthmian League
4 Redbridge 40 28 4 8 97 56 +41 88
5 Takeley 40 26 4 10 104 36 +68 82
6 Clapton 40 19 6 15 64 62 +2 63
7 West Essex 40 19 5 16 73 73 0 62
8 Sawbridgeworth Town 40 15 10 15 76 75 +1 55
9 Enfield 1893 40 15 6 19 64 75 −11 51
10 Sporting Bengal United 40 15 5 20 69 87 −18 50
11 Tower Hamlets 40 14 7 19 63 78 −15 49
12 Woodford Town 2017 40 13 9 18 66 86 −20 48
13 Ilford 40 14 5 21 53 66 −13 47
14 Southend Manor 40 12 10 18 65 81 −16 46
15 Hullbridge Sports 40 12 9 19 69 97 −28 45
16 Barkingside 40 12 7 21 64 74 −10 43
17 Waltham Forest 40 11 9 20 62 87 −25 42
18 Stansted 40 12 4 24 54 70 −16 40
19 Wadham Lodge 40 10 10 20 66 102 −36 40
20 Burnham Ramblers 40 10 4 26 64 120 −56 34 Relegated to the Eastern Counties League
21 Hackney Wick 40 10 2 28 48 89 −41 29[a]
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 [4]
Notes:
  1. ^ Hackney Wick were deducted three points on 29 March for fielding an ineligible player.

References

  1. ^ "Club Allocations for Step 5–6" (PDF). FA. 26 May 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ "SHOCK AS ILFORD FC VOTED OUT OF ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE". Clapton FC News. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  3. ^ Essex Senior League: Ilford win appeal and back in the division Archived 17 July 2017 at the Wayback Machine Ilford Recorder, 17 July 2017
  4. ^ "The FA Handbook Standardised Rules 2017-2018 (page 539, section 12.2)". The FA. Retrieved 21 July 2017.