2020–21 Eastern Counties Football League
Season | 2020–21 |
---|---|
← 2019–20 2021–22 → |
The 2020–21 Eastern Counties Football League, also known as the Thurlow Nunn League for sponsorship reasons, was the 78th season in the history of the Eastern Counties Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were 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 allocations for Steps 5 and 6 for season 2020–21 were announced by the FA on 21 July,[1] and were subject to appeal.
The 2020–21 season started in September and was suspended in December a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The league season was subsequently abandoned.[2]
Promotions, relegation and restructure[]
The scheduled restructure of non-League took place at the end of the season, with new divisions added to the Combined Counties and the United Counties League at step 5 for 2021-22, along with new a division in the Northern Premier League at step 4.[3] Promotions from steps 5 to 4 and 6 to 5 were based on points per game across all matches over the two cancelled seasons (2019-20 and 2020-21), while teams were promoted to step 6 on the basis of a subjective application process.[3]
Premier Division[]
Season | 2020–21 |
---|---|
Champions | None |
Promoted | Stowmarket Town |
Relegated | None |
The Premier Division comprised the same set of 20 teams which competed in the aborted competition the previous season.
Premier Division table[]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Wroxham | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 8 | +20 | 30 | |
2 | Norwich United | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 9 | +15 | 29 | |
3 | Brantham Athletic | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 21 | 13 | +8 | 22 | |
4 | Walsham-le-Willows | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 30 | 21 | +9 | 21 | |
5 | Ely City | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 20 | |
6 | Kirkley & Pakefield | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 21 | 23 | −2 | 19 | |
7 | Stanway Rovers | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 25 | 17 | +8 | 16 | Transfer to the Essex Senior League |
8 | Hadleigh United | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 14 | +2 | 16 | |
9 | Mildenhall Town | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 10 | +9 | 15 | |
10 | FC Clacton | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 22 | 16 | +6 | 15 | Transfer to the Essex Senior League |
11 | Stowmarket Town (P) | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 15 | Promotion to the Isthmian League North Division |
12 | Gorleston | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 20 | −4 | 15 | |
13 | Newmarket Town | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 16 | 22 | −6 | 10 | |
14 | Swaffham Town | 13 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 27 | −11 | 10 | |
15 | Whitton United | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 22 | −5 | 9 | |
16 | Godmanchester Rovers | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 22 | −8 | 9 | Transfer to the United Counties League |
17 | Woodbridge Town | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 16 | 22 | −6 | 8 | |
18 | Haverhill Rovers | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 19 | 28 | −9 | 7 | |
19 | Long Melford | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 19 | −7 | 5 | |
20 | Thetford Town | 11 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 24 | −18 | 3 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[4]
(P) Promoted
Division One North[]
Season | 2020–21 |
---|---|
Champions | None |
Promoted | Fakenham Town March Town United Lakenheath Mulbarton Wanderers |
Relegated | None |
Division One North comprised 19 teams, one less than in the previous season, following the resignation of Felixstowe & Walton United Reserves.
Division One North table[]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fakenham Town (P) | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 8 | +26 | 29 | Promotion to the Eastern Counties Premier |
2 | Ipswich Wanderers | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 9 | +24 | 28 | Transfer to the Eastern Counties One South |
3 | March Town United (P) | 11 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 32 | 11 | +21 | 27 | Promotion to the Eastern Counties Premier |
4 | Lakenheath (P) | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 30 | 12 | +18 | 22 | |
5 | Sheringham | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 32 | 26 | +6 | 21 | |
6 | Leiston Reserves | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 20 | +2 | 21 | |
7 | Great Yarmouth Town | 13 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 25 | 27 | −2 | 19 | |
8 | Mulbarton Wanderers (P) | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 27 | 7 | +20 | 18 | Promotion to the Eastern Counties Premier |
9 | Downham Town | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 24 | 19 | +5 | 18 | |
10 | Diss Town | 12 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 27 | 27 | 0 | 15 | |
11 | Framlingham Town | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 26 | 29 | −3 | 13 | |
12 | Needham Market Reserves | 12 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 24 | 34 | −10 | 13 | |
13 | King's Lynn Town Reserves | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 28 | 32 | −4 | 12 | Withdrawal after the season |
14 | Cornard United | 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 28 | −8 | 11 | Transfer to the Eastern Counties One South |
15 | AFC Sudbury Reserves | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 27 | −12 | 11 | |
16 | Debenham LC | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 21 | −9 | 10 | |
17 | Norwich CBS | 10 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 19 | 18 | +1 | 9 | |
18 | Haverhill Borough | 11 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 27 | −20 | 4 | Transfer to the Eastern Counties One South |
19 | Wisbech St Mary | 14 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 16 | 71 | −55 | 3 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[4]
(P) Promoted
Division One South (Eastern Senior League)[]
Season | 2020–21 |
---|---|
Champions | None |
Promoted | Athletic Newham White Ensign Little Oakley |
Relegated | None |
Division One South comprised 17 teams, one less than those competing at the time the previous season was aborted. There were two departures:
- Brightlingsea Regent Reserves resigned at the end of the season
- Fire United, who resigned prior to the 2020–21 season[5]
and one arrival:
- Brimsdown, relocated from the Spartan South Midlands League
In addition, Hackney Wick were relocated to the Spartan South Midlands League, but this relocation was reversed. On 27 August 2020, Lopes Tavares announced the renaming of the club to Athletic Newham.[6]
Division One South table[]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Newbury Forest | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 16 | +5 | 22 | |
2 | Athletic Newham (P) | 12 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 20 | 13 | +7 | 21 | Promotion to the Essex Senior League |
3 | White Ensign (P) | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 14 | +8 | 20 | |
4 | Wivenhoe Town | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 14 | +6 | 19 | |
5 | Little Oakley (P) | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 12 | +11 | 18 | Promotion to the Essex Senior League |
6 | Frenford | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 22 | 14 | +8 | 17 | |
7 | Wormley Rovers | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 14 | +3 | 17 | |
8 | Benfleet | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 25 | 26 | −1 | 17 | |
9 | Coggeshall United | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 15 | |
10 | Barkingside | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 13 | |
11 | Hackney Wick | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 23 | 30 | −7 | 13 | |
12 | Burnham Ramblers | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 18 | 21 | −3 | 11 | |
13 | Halstead Town | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 17 | +4 | 9 | |
14 | Holland | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 12 | −4 | 6 | |
15 | Harwich & Parkeston | 11 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 20 | −10 | 5 | |
16 | Brimsdown | 10 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 40 | −23 | 5 | |
17 | May & Baker | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 12 | −4 | 4 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[4]
(P) Promoted
References[]
- ^ "National League System club allocations – Steps 5–6, Season 2020–21" (PDF). Non League Paper. 21 July 2020.
- ^ "FA Update On Steps 3-6". 24 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
- ^ a b "EXPLAINED: The 2021-22 Non-League restructure". The Non-League Paper. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
- ^ a b c "The FA Handbook 2020/2021 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ Eastern Counties Football League [@ThurlowNunnL] (27 August 2020). "Early season fixtures for the Thurlow Nunn League are now viewable on the FA's Full Time System. The fixtures do not include Fire United, who will not be taking their place in the league this season" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Athletic Newham F.C. [@Athleticnewham] (27 August 2020). "It is with great pride that we officially announce our new club name 'ATHLETIC NEWHAM FC' and also reveal our new club badge. Through sports we will focus on the wellbeing of the Newham community. We hope to get the support of the community as we aim to continuously develop" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- Eastern Counties Football League seasons
- 2020–21 in English football leagues
- Association football events curtailed and voided due to the COVID-19 pandemic