2021–22 Eastern Counties Football League

The 2021–22 season was the 79th 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 18 May 2021,^[1] subject to appeals. The league constitution was published on 27 June.^[2] After the abandonment of the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England, numerous promotions were decided on a points per game basis over the previous two seasons.^[3][4][5]

Gorleston were champions, winning their first Eastern Counties Football League title and were promoted to the Isthmian League for the first time in their history. Wroxham finished second and returned to the Isthmian League after five years as one of ten runners-up from Step 5 with the most points per game.

Premier Division

Eastern Counties
Football League
Premier Division

Season	2021–22
Champions	Gorleston
Promoted	Gorleston Wroxham
Relegated	Swaffham Town
Matches played	380
Goals scored	1,220 (3.21 per match)
← 2020–21 2022–23 →

The Premier Division featured 16 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with four new clubs, promoted from Division One North:

• Fakenham Town
• Lakenheath
• March Town United
• Mulbarton Wanderers

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion, qualification or relegation
1	Gorleston	38	26	6	6	87	36	+51	84	Promoted to the Isthmian League[a]
2	Wroxham	38	26	5	7	104	28	+76	83
3	Mildenhall Town	38	21	7	10	79	42	+37	70
4	Mulbarton Wanderers	38	20	8	10	67	48	+19	68
5	Norwich United	38	20	7	11	62	45	+17	67
6	Fakenham Town	38	19	6	13	68	56	+12	63
7	Walsham-le-Willows	38	18	7	13	63	47	+16	61
8	Newmarket Town	38	18	6	14	71	59	+12	60
9	Kirkley & Pakefield	38	17	8	13	63	48	+15	59
10	March Town United	38	17	6	15	72	63	+9	57	Transferred to the United Counties League
11	Woodbridge Town	38	15	9	14	64	63	+1	54
12	Lakenheath	38	13	11	14	63	56	+7	50
13	Ely City	38	12	9	17	60	77	−17	45
14	Thetford Town	38	12	8	18	61	60	+1	44
15	Hadleigh United	38	11	10	17	46	62	−16	43
16	Whitton United	38	10	8	20	46	94	−48	38
17	Haverhill Rovers	38	10	6	22	46	71	−25	36
18	Brantham Athletic	38	9	9	20	32	63	−31	36
19	Long Melford	38	6	14	18	46	70	−24	32	Reprieved from relegation[b]
20	Swaffham Town	38	3	4	31	20	132	−112	13	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^[7]
Notes:

1. Wroxham were automatically promoted as one of ten runners-up from Step 5 with the most points per game (PPG).^[6]
2. Reprieved as one of twelve clubs with the most PPG out of 16 that were second-from-bottom in Step 5.^[6]

Stadia and locations

Brantham Athletic

Ely City

Fakenham Town

Gorleston

Hadleigh United

Haverhill Rovers

Kirkley & Pakefield

Lakenheath

Long Melford

March Town United

Mildenhall Town

Mulbarton Wanderers

Newmarket Town

Norwich United

Swaffham Town

Thetford Town

Walsham-le-Willows

Whitton United

Wroxham

Woodbridge Town

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
Gorleston	Emerald Park	3,000
Hadleigh United	Millfield	3,000
Haverhill Rovers	New Croft	3,000
Kirkley & Pakefield	Walmer Road	2,000
Lakenheath	The Nest
Long Melford	Stoneylands
March Town United	The GER Sports Ground
Mildenhall Town	Recreation Way	2,000
Mulbarton Wanderers	The Common
Newmarket Town	Cricket Field Road	2,750
Norwich United	Plantation Park	3,000
Swaffham Town	Shoemakers Lane
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
Wroxham	Trafford Park	2,000

Division One North

Eastern Counties
Football League
Division One North

Season	2021–22
Champions	Sheringham
Promoted	Harleston Town Sheringham
Relegated	Peterborough North End Sports Wisbech St Mary
Matches played	240
Goals scored	826 (3.44 per match)
← 2020–21 2022–23 →

Division One North featured ten clubs which competed in the previous season, along with six new clubs.

• Clubs, promoted from the Anglian Combination:
  • Harleston Town
  • University of East Anglia
• Promoted from the Peterborough and District League:
  • FC Parson Drove
  • Peterborough North End Sports
• Transferred from the United Counties League:
  • Huntingdon Town
  • Whittlesey Athletic

Also, Blackstones and Bourne Town were initially moved to this division from the United Counties League but they successfully appealed and their transfers were rescinded.

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion, qualification or relegation
1	Sheringham	30	24	3	3	84	28	+56	75	Promoted to the Premier Division
2	Harleston Town	30	23	4	3	77	23	+54	73	Qualified for the play-offs, then promoted to the Premier Division
3	Downham Town	30	18	9	3	56	26	+30	63	Qualified for the play-offs
4	Norwich CBS	30	16	4	10	68	48	+20	52
5	Framlingham Town	30	15	4	11	56	43	+13	49
6	Whittlesey Athletic	30	12	9	9	60	52	+8	45
7	Huntingdon Town	30	11	9	10	48	49	−1	42
8	Peterborough North End Sports	30	10	8	12	50	50	0	38	Resigned from the league[a]
9	Leiston reserves	30	9	9	12	49	54	−5	36
10	Great Yarmouth Town	30	9	9	12	43	51	−8	36
11	Debenham LC	30	10	6	14	50	64	−14	36
12	University of East Anglia	30	10	5	15	41	40	+1	35	Resigned from the league
13	Diss Town	30	8	6	16	46	56	−10	30
14	Needham Market reserves	30	8	5	17	54	71	−17	29
15	FC Parson Drove	30	7	7	16	28	62	−34	28	Reprieved from relegation[b]
16	Wisbech St Mary	30	0	3	27	16	109	−93	3	Relegated to the Cambridgeshire County 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^[7]
Notes:

1. Peterborough North End Sports requested a voluntary relegation to the Peterborough and District League at the end of the season.^[8] They were placed bottom for relegation purposes.^[9]
2. All third-from-bottom clubs at Step 6 were reprieved from relegation. The top 15 second-from-bottom sides were also reprieved on a PPG basis.^[9]

Play-offs

	Semifinals					Final
	2	Harleston Town	2
	5	Framlingham Town	1
						2	Harleston Town	3
						3	Downham Town	1
	3	Downham Town	1
	4	Norwich CBS	0

Stadia and locations

Debenham LC

Diss Town

Downham Town

FC Parson Drove

Framlingham Town

Great Yarmouth Town

Harleston Town

Huntingdon Town

Leiston
res

Needham Market res

Norwich CBS

Peterborough North End Sports

Sheringham

University of East Anglia

Whittlesey Athletic

Wisbech St Mary

Locations of Division One North clubs

Team	Stadium	Capacity
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
Harleston Town	Wilderness Lane
Huntingdon Town	Jubilee Park
Leiston reserves	Victory Road	2,500
Needham Market reserves	Bloomfields	4,000
Norwich CBS	FDC Bowthorpe
Peterborough North End Sports	Lincoln Road (groundshare with Peterborough Sports)	2,300
Sheringham	Weybourne Road
University of East Anglia	Aldiss Park (groundshare with Dereham Town)	2,500
Whittlesey Athletic	Feldale Field
Wisbech St Mary	Beechings Close

Division One South

Eastern Counties
Football League
Division One South

Season	2021–22
Champions	Ipswich Wanderers
Promoted	Ipswich Wanderers Halstead Town Buckhurst Hill
Relegated	Brimsdown
Matches played	380
Goals scored	1,473 (3.88 per match)
← 2020–21 2022–23 →

Division One South featured 14 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with six new clubs:

• Clubs, transferred from Division One North:
  • AFC Sudbury reserves
  • Cornard United
  • Haverhill Borough
  • Ipswich Wanderers

• Plus:
  • Buckhurst Hill, promoted from the Essex Olympian League
  • Park View, transferred from the Spartan South Midlands League

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion, qualification or relegation
1	Ipswich Wanderers	38	33	4	1	127	19	+108	103	Promoted to the Premier Division
2	Buckhurst Hill	38	31	5	2	144	29	+115	98	Qualified for the play-offs, then promoted to the Essex Senior League[a]
3	Benfleet	38	23	5	10	74	48	+26	74	Qualified for the play-offs
4	Halstead Town	38	23	2	13	99	72	+27	71	Qualified for the play-offs, then promoted to the Essex Senior League
5	Wivenhoe Town	38	21	7	10	83	59	+24	70	Qualified for the play-offs
6	Burnham Ramblers	38	21	5	12	91	66	+25	68
7	Wormley Rovers	38	17	7	14	70	75	−5	58
8	Holland	38	17	6	15	72	73	−1	57	Transferred to Division One North
9	Frenford	38	14	9	15	80	77	+3	51
10	May & Baker	38	12	13	13	60	60	0	49
11	Barkingside	38	15	4	19	55	76	−21	49
12	Hackney Wick	38	11	11	16	65	72	−7	44
13	Harwich & Parkeston	38	11	11	16	53	61	−8	44	Transferred to Division One North
14	AFC Sudbury reserves	38	13	5	20	74	103	−29	44
15	Coggeshall United	38	12	7	19	51	67	−16	43
16	Newbury Forest	38	12	2	24	70	104	−34	38
17	Park View	38	10	6	22	65	103	−38	36
18	Cornard United	38	10	5	23	52	93	−41	35	Reprieved from relegation, then transferred to Division One North[b]
19	Haverhill Borough	38	6	7	25	43	98	−55	25
20	Brimsdown	38	4	7	27	45	118	−73	19	Relegated to the Spartan South Midlands 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^[7]
Notes:

1. Losing play-off finalists Buckhurst Hill promoted to fill a vacancy made by Brislington's voluntary relegation from the Western League Premier Division.
2. All third-from-bottom clubs at Step 6 were reprieved from relegation. The top 15 second-from-bottom sides were also reprieved on a PPG basis.^[9]

Play-offs

	Semifinals					Final
	2	Buckhurst Hill	3
	5	Wivenhoe Town	2
						2	Buckhurst Hill	1
						4	Halstead Town	2
	3	Benfleet	1
	4	Halstead Town (a.e.t.)	2

Stadia and locations

Sudbury res

Barkingside

Benfleet

Brimsdown

Buckhurst Hill

Burnham Ramblers

Coggeshall United

Cornard United

Frenford

Hackney Wick

Halstead Town

Harwich & Parkeston

Haverhill Borough

Holland

Ipswich Wanderers

May & Baker

Newbury Forest

Park View

Wivenhoe Town

Wormley Rovers

Locations of Division One South clubs

Barkingside

Buckhurst Hill

Frenford

May & Baker

Park View

Newbury Forest

Greater London Division One South football clubs

Team	Stadium	Capacity
AFC Sudbury reserves	King's Marsh	2,500
Barkingside	Cricklefield Stadium (groundshare with Ilford)	3,500
Benfleet	Park Lane (groundshare with Canvey Island)	4,100
Brimsdown	Chadfields (groundshare with Tilbury)	4,000
Buckhurst Hill	Roding Lane
Burnham Ramblers	Leslie Fields	2,000
Coggeshall United	West Street (groundshare with Coggeshall Town)
Cornard United	Blackhouse Lane
Frenford	The Jack Carter Centre	2,000
Hackney Wick	Spa Road (groundshare with Witham Town)	2,500
Halstead Town	Rosemary Lane
Harwich & Parkeston	Royal Oak
Haverhill Borough	New Croft (groundshare with Haverhill Rovers)	3,000
Holland	Dulwich Road
Ipswich Wanderers	Humber Doucy Lane
May & Baker	Parkside Stadium (groundshare with Aveley)	3,500
Newbury Forest	Oakside Stadium (groundshare with Redbridge)	3,000
Park View	New River Stadium	5,000
Wivenhoe Town	Broad Lane	2,876
Wormley Rovers	Wormley Playing Fields	500