The 2023–24 season was the 53rd in the history of the Essex Senior Football League, a football competition in England.
The allocations for Steps 5 and 6 this season were announced by The Football Association on 15 May 2023.[1] Beginning from this season, a four team play-off system was introduced at Step 5 (this league) to guarantee a second promotion place to Step 4, replacing the inter-step play-off.[2] Solely for this season, there was only one club relegated from this league.[3]
The league featured 14 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with six new clubs.
- Promoted from the Eastern Counties League:
- Relegated from the Isthmian League:
League table
edit| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Tilbury |
| Promoted | Tilbury Sporting Bengal United |
| Relegated | Coggeshall Town |
| Top goalscorer | Kane Gilbert (30 goals) |
← 2022–23 2024–25 → | |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tilbury (C, P) | 38 | 27 | 5 | 6 | 79 | 27 | +52 | 86 | Promotion to the Isthmian League |
| 2 | Woodford Town | 38 | 23 | 8 | 7 | 85 | 50 | +35 | 77 | Qualification for the play-offs[a] |
| 3 | Romford | 38 | 24 | 5 | 9 | 87 | 53 | +34 | 77 | |
| 4 | Barking | 38 | 20 | 10 | 8 | 78 | 47 | +31 | 70 | |
| 5 | Sporting Bengal United (O, P) | 38 | 21 | 7 | 10 | 80 | 57 | +23 | 70 | |
| 6 | Great Wakering Rovers | 38 | 20 | 7 | 11 | 80 | 47 | +33 | 67 | |
| 7 | Saffron Walden Town | 38 | 18 | 7 | 13 | 62 | 57 | +5 | 61 | |
| 8 | Stanway Rovers | 38 | 18 | 6 | 14 | 73 | 50 | +23 | 60 | |
| 9 | Little Oakley | 38 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 66 | 57 | +9 | 55 | |
| 10 | Halstead Town | 38 | 15 | 9 | 14 | 73 | 68 | +5 | 54 | |
| 11 | Athletic Newham | 38 | 16 | 4 | 18 | 58 | 59 | −1 | 52 | |
| 12 | Hullbridge Sports | 38 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 52 | 58 | −6 | 49 | |
| 13 | West Essex | 38 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 67 | 76 | −9 | 42 | |
| 14 | Buckhurst Hill | 38 | 13 | 3 | 22 | 50 | 71 | −21 | 42 | |
| 15 | Takeley | 38 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 59 | 76 | −17 | 40 | |
| 16 | White Ensign | 38 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 52 | 70 | −18 | 40 | |
| 17 | FC Clacton | 38 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 56 | 82 | −26 | 40 | |
| 18 | Frenford | 38 | 9 | 8 | 21 | 52 | 83 | −31 | 35 | |
| 19 | Ilford | 38 | 9 | 5 | 24 | 57 | 112 | −55 | 32 | |
| 20 | Coggeshall Town (R) | 38 | 4 | 5 | 29 | 40 | 106 | −66 | 17 | Relegation to the Eastern Counties League |
Source: Essex Senior League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[4]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[4]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Play-offs
edit| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 2 | Woodford Town | 1 (4) | |||||||
| 5 | Sporting Bengal United | 1 (5) | |||||||
| 3 | Romford | 1 | |||||||
| 5 | Sporting Bengal United | 3 | |||||||
| 3 | Romford | 1 | |||||||
| 4 | Barking | 0 | |||||||
Semifinals
edit| 3 May 2024 | Romford | 1–0 | Barking | Corringham |
| 19:45 |
|
Report | Stadium: Rookery Hill Attendance: 195 Referee: Brian Taylor |
| 3 May 2024 | Woodford Town | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–5 p) | Sporting Bengal United | Woodford |
| 19:45 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Ashton Playing Fields |
Final
edit| 6 May 2024 | Romford | 1–3 | Sporting Bengal United | Corringham |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: Rookery Hill Attendance: 424 Referee: George Barker |
Stadia and locations
edit
Athletic Newham
Barking
Buckhurst Hill
Frenford
Ilford
Sporting Bengal United
West Essex
Woodford Town
Locations of the Essex Senior League clubs
Greater London Essex Senior League football clubs
| Club | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athletic Newham | Plaistow | Terence McMillan Stadium | 2,000 |
| Barking | Barking | Mayesbrook Park | 2,500 |
| Buckhurst Hill | Buckhurst Hill | Roding Lane | |
| Coggeshall Town | Coggeshall | West Street | 2,000 |
| FC Clacton | Clacton-on-Sea | Austin Arena | 3,000 (200 seated) |
| Frenford | Ilford | The Jack Carter Centre | 2,000 |
| Great Wakering Rovers | Great Wakering | Burroughs Park | 2,500 |
| White Ensign | |||
| Halstead Town | Halstead | Rosemary Lane | |
| Hullbridge Sports | Hullbridge | Lower Road | 1,500 |
| Ilford | Ilford | Cricklefield Stadium | 3,500 (216 seated) |
| Little Oakley | Little Oakley | Memorial Ground | |
| Romford | Corringham | Rookery Hill | 3,500 |
| Saffron Walden Town | Saffron Walden | Catons Lane | 2,000 |
| Sporting Bengal United | Mile End | Mile End Stadium (groundshare with Tower Hamlets) | 2,000 (439 seated) |
| Stanway Rovers | Stanway | Hawthorns | 1,500 (100 seated) |
| Takeley | Takeley | Station Road | 2,000 |
| Tilbury | Tilbury | Chadfields | 4,000 |
| West Essex | Walthamstow | Wadham Lodge | 3,500 |
| Woodford Town | Woodford | Ashton Playing Fields |
References
edit- ^ The Football Association (15 May 2023). "NLS Step 1-6 allocations". The FA. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ The Football Association (17 March 2023). "Step 5 to 4 promotion/relegation update". The FA. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ "STEP 5 TO 4 PROMOTION/RELEGATION UPDATE". The FA. 16 March 2023.
- ^ "The FA Handbook 2022/2023 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA.