2025–26 Eastern Counties Football League
 | This article relies on a single source. (July 2025) |
The 2025–26 Eastern Counties Football League is the 83rd season 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 2025.[1]
Premier Division
[edit]| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Mulbarton Wanderers |
| Promoted | Mulbarton Wanderers Fakenham Town |
| Relegated | Hadleigh United |
| Matches | 306 |
| Goals | 1,034 (3.38 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Ryan Hawkins (Dereham Town/Harleston Town) (25 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Fakenham Town 7–0 Cornard United (30 August 2025) Ely City 8–1 Cornard United (17 January 2026) Haverhill Rovers 8–1 Stowmarket Town (3 February 2026) |
| Biggest away win | Woodbridge Town 0–5 Mulbarton Wanderers (9 August 2025) Ely City 0–5 Mulbarton Wanderers (8 November 2025) |
| Highest scoring | Haverhill Rovers 8–3 Woodbridge Town (14 February 2026) |
← 2024–25 2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 10 April 2026. | |
The Premier Division featured 16 teams from the previous season.
|
Two clubs joined the division:
|
Four clubs left the division:
|
Premier Division table
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mulbarton Wanderers (C, P) | 34 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 98 | 23 | +75 | 87 | Promoted to the Isthmian League |
| 2 | Haverhill Rovers | 34 | 20 | 6 | 8 | 78 | 49 | +29 | 66 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 3 | Ely City | 34 | 20 | 5 | 9 | 77 | 39 | +38 | 65 | |
| 4 | Soham Town Rangers | 34 | 21 | 2 | 11 | 71 | 41 | +30 | 65 | |
| 5 | Fakenham Town (O, P) | 34 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 66 | 40 | +26 | 63 | |
| 6 | Thetford Town | 34 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 61 | 40 | +21 | 59 | |
| 7 | Ipswich Wanderers | 34 | 18 | 5 | 11 | 58 | 37 | +21 | 59 | |
| 8 | Great Yarmouth Town | 34 | 17 | 4 | 13 | 55 | 45 | +10 | 55 | |
| 9 | Harleston Town | 34 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 45 | 53 | −8 | 46 | |
| 10 | Dereham Town | 34 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 51 | 46 | +5 | 45 | |
| 11 | Woodbridge Town | 34 | 13 | 2 | 19 | 55 | 82 | −27 | 41 | |
| 12 | Walsham-le-Willows | 34 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 57 | 63 | −6 | 38 | |
| 13 | Stowmarket Town | 34 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 56 | 83 | −27 | 37 | |
| 14 | Kirkley & Pakefield | 34 | 11 | 3 | 20 | 50 | 64 | −14 | 36 | |
| 15 | Heacham | 34 | 8 | 6 | 20 | 42 | 85 | −43 | 30 | |
| 16 | Cornard United | 34 | 8 | 5 | 21 | 41 | 83 | −42 | 29 | |
| 17 | Lakenheath | 34 | 7 | 6 | 21 | 38 | 76 | −38 | 27 | Reprieved from relegation |
| 18 | Hadleigh United (R) | 34 | 5 | 6 | 23 | 35 | 85 | −50 | 21 | Relegated to Division One North |
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]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[2]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Play-offs
[edit]| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 2 | Haverhill Rovers | 0 | |||||||
| 5 | Fakenham Town | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | Soham Town Rangers | 1 (6) | |||||||
| 5 | Fakenham Town | 1 (7) | |||||||
| 3 | Ely City | 1 | |||||||
| 4 | Soham Town Rangers | 3 | |||||||
Semifinals
[edit]| 25 April 2026 | Haverhill Rovers | 0–2 | Fakenham Town | Haverhill |
| 15:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: The New Croft Attendance: 504 Referee: Adam Everett |
Final
[edit]
Results table
[edit]Stadia and locations
[edit]
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornard United | Sudbury (Little Cornard) | Blackhouse Lane | |
| Dereham Town | Dereham | Aldiss Park | 3,000 |
| Ely City | Ely | Unwin Sports Ground | 1,500 |
| Fakenham Town | Fakenham | Clipbush Park | 2,000 |
| Great Yarmouth Town | Great Yarmouth | Wellesley Recreation Ground | 3,600 |
| Hadleigh United | Hadleigh | Millfield | 3,000 |
| Harleston Town | Harleston | Wilderness Lane | |
| Haverhill Rovers | Haverhill | New Croft | 3,000 |
| Heacham | Heacham | Station Road | |
| Ipswich Wanderers | Ipswich | Humber Doucy Lane | 550 |
| Kirkley & Pakefield | Lowestoft | Walmer Road | 2,000 |
| Lakenheath | Lakenheath | The Nest | |
| Mulbarton Wanderers | Mulbarton | Mulberry Park | |
| Soham Town Rangers | Soham | Julius Martin Lane | 2,000 |
| Stowmarket Town | Stowmarket | Greens Meadow | 1,000 |
| Thetford Town | Thetford | Mundford Road | 1,500 |
| Walsham-le-Willows | Walsham le Willows | Summer Road | 1,000 |
| Woodbridge Town | Martlesham | Notcutts Park | 3,000 |
Statistics
[edit]Division One North
[edit]| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Kings Park Rangers |
| Promoted | Kings Park Rangers |
| Matches | 380 |
| Goals | 1,385 (3.64 per match) |
| Biggest home win | Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers 7–1 Holbeach United (16 August 2025) Holland 6–0 Haverhill Borough (15 November 2025) Framlingham Town 6–0 Wroxham reserves (20 December 2025) Holland 6–0 AFC Sudbury reserves (7 February 2026) |
| Biggest away win | Leiston under 23s 0–6 Framlingham Town (12 August 2025) AFC Sudbury reserves 0–6 Wroxham reserves (31 January 2026) |
| Highest scoring | Holbeach United 4–6 Diss Town (17 January 2026) Leiston under 23s 6–4 FC Parson Drove (28 February 2026) |
← 2024–25 2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 9 March 2026. | |
Division One North featured 15 clubs which competed in the previous season.
|
Five clubs joined the division:
|
Five clubs left the division:
|
League table
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kings Park Rangers (C) | 38 | 30 | 5 | 3 | 88 | 30 | +58 | 95 | Folded at the end of the season |
| 2 | Holland | 38 | 28 | 6 | 4 | 115 | 44 | +71 | 90 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 3 | Framlingham Town | 38 | 23 | 7 | 8 | 89 | 45 | +44 | 76 | |
| 4 | FC Peterborough (O, P) | 38 | 23 | 6 | 9 | 91 | 51 | +40 | 75 | |
| 5 | Wroxham reserves | 38 | 21 | 8 | 9 | 77 | 46 | +31 | 71 | |
| 6 | Stanway Pegasus | 38 | 21 | 6 | 11 | 84 | 52 | +32 | 69 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 7 | Haverhill Borough | 38 | 18 | 7 | 13 | 69 | 56 | +13 | 61 | Resigned from the league |
| 8 | Halesworth Town | 38 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 64 | 55 | +9 | 58 | |
| 9 | Whittlesey Athletic | 38 | 17 | 5 | 16 | 71 | 65 | +6 | 56 | |
| 10 | Long Melford | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 62 | 76 | −14 | 50 | |
| 11 | FC Clacton | 38 | 14 | 4 | 20 | 68 | 77 | −9 | 46 | |
| 12 | Gorleston reserves | 38 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 68 | 76 | −8 | 45 | |
| 13 | AFC Sudbury reserves | 38 | 14 | 3 | 21 | 64 | 100 | −36 | 45 | |
| 14 | Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers | 38 | 13 | 3 | 22 | 55 | 74 | −19 | 42 | |
| 15 | FC Parson Drove | 38 | 12 | 6 | 20 | 61 | 87 | −26 | 42 | |
| 16 | Holbeach United | 38 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 53 | 90 | −37 | 41 | |
| 17 | Diss Town | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | 54 | 81 | −27 | 40 | |
| 18 | Needham Market reserves | 38 | 9 | 3 | 26 | 61 | 87 | −26 | 30 | Reprieved from relegation |
| 19 | Wivenhoe Town | 38 | 8 | 3 | 27 | 41 | 91 | −50 | 27 | |
| 20 | Leiston under 23s (R) | 38 | 6 | 5 | 27 | 50 | 102 | −52 | 23 | Relegated to the Suffolk & 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]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[2]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Play-offs
[edit]| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 2 | Holland | 0 | |||||||
| 5 | Stanway Pegasus | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | FC Peterborough | 3 | |||||||
| 6 | Stanway Pegasus | 0 | |||||||
| 3 | Framlingham Town | 1 | |||||||
| 4 | FC Peterborough | 5 | |||||||
Semifinals
[edit]| 25 April 2026 | Holland | 0–2 | Stanway Pegasus | Holland-on-Sea |
| 15:00 GMT | Report |
|
Stadium: Dulwich Road Referee: Sam Jones |
| 25 April 2026 | Framlingham Town | 1–5 | FC Peterborough | Framlingham |
| 15:00 GMT | Report | Stadium: Badingham Road Attendance: 303 Referee: Andrew Denikiewicz |
Final
[edit]| 2 May 2026 | FC Peterborough | 3–0 | Stanway Pegasus | Peterborough |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: The Focus Centre Attendance: 725 Referee: Francesca Catchpole |
Results table
[edit]Stadia and locations
[edit]Statistics
[edit]*Holbeach United, Holland and Whittlesey Athletic attendances are limited on FA Full Time therefore an average cannot be found.
Division One South
[edit]| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Hutton |
| Promoted | Hutton |
| Matches | 419 |
| Goals | 1,640 (3.91 per match) |
| Biggest home win | Stansted 11–0 NW London (22 November 2025) |
| Biggest away win | AS London 0–7 Rayleigh Town (1 November 2025) |
| Highest scoring | Stansted 11–0 NW London (22 November 2025) |
| Highest attendance | 2,375 Clapton Community 4–2 Rayleigh Town 2 May 2026 |
← 2024–25 2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 9 March 2026. | |
Division One South featured 17 clubs which competed in the division last season.
|
Four clubs joined the division:
|
Three clubs left the division:
|
League table
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hutton (C, P) | 40 | 28 | 9 | 3 | 107 | 45 | +62 | 93 | Promoted to the Essex Senior League |
| 2 | Clapton Community (O, P) | 40 | 28 | 6 | 6 | 100 | 45 | +55 | 90 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 3 | Coggeshall Town | 40 | 25 | 10 | 5 | 92 | 43 | +49 | 85 | |
| 4 | Rayleigh Town | 40 | 22 | 7 | 11 | 105 | 50 | +55 | 73 | |
| 5 | Lymore Gardens | 40 | 22 | 5 | 13 | 79 | 63 | +16 | 71 | |
| 6 | Newbury Forest | 40 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 106 | 64 | +42 | 70 | |
| 7 | Brimsdown | 40 | 19 | 12 | 9 | 90 | 63 | +27 | 69 | |
| 8 | Stansted | 40 | 16 | 15 | 9 | 79 | 51 | +28 | 63 | |
| 9 | Hoddesdon Town | 40 | 18 | 7 | 15 | 58 | 67 | −9 | 61 | |
| 10 | Basildon Town | 40 | 17 | 9 | 14 | 88 | 75 | +13 | 60 | |
| 11 | Burnham Ramblers | 40 | 17 | 8 | 15 | 86 | 76 | +10 | 59 | |
| 12 | Cannons Wood | 40 | 15 | 5 | 20 | 86 | 92 | −6 | 50 | |
| 13 | AS London | 40 | 12 | 8 | 20 | 58 | 81 | −23 | 44 | |
| 14 | FC Baresi | 40 | 11 | 7 | 22 | 69 | 96 | −27 | 40 | |
| 15 | Enfield Borough | 40 | 12 | 4 | 24 | 67 | 99 | −32 | 40 | |
| 16 | Dunmow Town | 40 | 9 | 10 | 21 | 75 | 104 | −29 | 37 | |
| 17 | Southend Manor | 40 | 11 | 4 | 25 | 56 | 117 | −61 | 37 | |
| 18 | May & Baker | 40 | 9 | 9 | 22 | 66 | 104 | −38 | 36 | |
| 19 | NW London | 40 | 10 | 6 | 24 | 73 | 121 | −48 | 36 | Reprieved from relegation |
| 20 | FC Romania (R) | 40 | 9 | 7 | 24 | 68 | 99 | −31 | 34 | Relegated, then folded |
| 21 | Barkingside (R) | 40 | 8 | 6 | 26 | 37 | 90 | −53 | 30 | Relegated to the Essex Alliance 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]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[2]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Play-offs
[edit]| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 2 | Clapton Community | 4 | |||||||
| 5 | Lymore Gardens | 1 | |||||||
| 2 | Clapton Community | 4 | |||||||
| 4 | Rayleigh Town | 2 | |||||||
| 3 | Coggeshall Town | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | Rayleigh Town | 3 | |||||||
Semifinals
[edit]| 25 April 2026 | Clapton Community | 4–1 | Lymore Gardens | Forest Gate |
| 15:00 GMT | Report |
|
Stadium: The Old Spotted Dog Ground Attendance: 1,377 Referee: Steve Tovey |
| 25 April 2026 | Coggeshall Town | 2–3 | Rayleigh Town | Coggeshall |
| 15:00 GMT | Report |
|
Stadium: West Street Referee: Robert Maris |
Final
[edit]| 2 May 2026 | Clapton Community | 4–2 (a.e.t.) | Rayleigh Town | Forest Gate |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: The Old Spotted Dog Ground Attendance: 2,375 Referee: Cameron Saunders |
Results table
[edit]Stadia and locations
[edit]
AS London
Barkingside
Cannons Wood
Clapton Community
Enfield Borough
May & Baker
Lymore Gardens & Newbury Forest
NW London
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AS London | London (Wood Green) | New River Stadium | 5,000 |
| Barkingside | Ilford (Barkingside) | Cricklefield Stadium (groundshare with Ilford) | 3,500 |
| Basildon Town | Basildon | Gardiners Close (groundshare with Basildon United) | 2,000 |
| Brimsdown | London (Brimsdown) | Wormley Playing Fields (groundshare with Wormley Rovers) | 500 |
| Burnham Ramblers | Burnham-on-Crouch | Leslie Fields | 2,000 |
| Cannons Wood | Harlow | Parkside Stadium (groundshare with Aveley) | 3,500 |
| Clapton Community | London (Forest Gate) | The Old Spotted Dog Ground | 2,000 |
| Coggeshall Town | Coggeshall | West Street | 2,000 |
| Dunmow Town | Great Dunmow | Scraley Road (groundshare with Heybridge Swifts) | 3,000 |
| Enfield Borough | Enfield | The Maurice Rebak Stadium (groundshare with Wingate & Finchley) | 1,500 |
| FC Baresi | London | Wodson Park (groundshare with Ware) | 3,300 |
| FC Romania | Cheshunt | Theobalds Lane (groundshare with Cheshunt) | 3,000 |
| Hoddesdon Town | Hoddesdon | Lowfield | 3,000 |
| Hutton | Hutton | New Lodge (groundshare with Billericay Town) | 3,500 |
| Lymore Gardens | London (Waltham Forest) | Oakside Stadium (groundshare with Redbridge) | 3,000 |
| May & Baker | Dagenham | Parsloes Park (groundshare with Athletic Newham) | 1,500 |
| Newbury Forest | Ilford (Barkingside) | Oakside Stadium (groundshare with Redbridge) | 3,000 |
| NW London | London (Tottenham) | Coles Park (groundshare with Haringey Borough) | 2,500 |
| Rayleigh Town | Rayleigh | Thames Road (groundshare with Concord Rangers) | 3,300 |
| Southend Manor | Southend-on-Sea | Southchurch Park | 2,000 |
| Stansted | Stansted Mountfitchet | Hargrave Park | 2,000 |
Statistics
[edit]*Enfield Borough & May & Baker attendances are limited on FA Full Time therefore an average cannot be found.
References
[edit]- ↑ "The FA releases National League System club allocations for Steps 1-6 in 2024-25 term". www.thefa.com. 17 May 2024.
- 1 2 3 "The FA Handbook 2022/2023 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA.
