2023–24 Essex Senior Football League

The 2023–24 season is 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.

League table

Football league season
Essex Senior
Football League
Season2023–24
ChampionsTilbury
PromotedTilbury
Sporting Bengal United
RelegatedCoggeshall Town
2024–25 →
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Tilbury (C, P) 37 27 5 5 79 25 +54 86 Promotion to Step 4
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 37 19 7 11 80 47 +33 64
7 Stanway Rovers 38 18 6 14 73 50 +23 60
8 Saffron Walden Town 37 17 7 13 60 57 +3 58
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 37 10 10 17 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 Step 6
Updated to match(es) played on 29 April 2024. 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:
  1. ^ Four teams play for one spot and promotion to Step 4.

Play-offs

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

Romford v Barking
3 May 2024 Romford 1–0BarkingCorringham
19:45
  • Newby 45+3'
Report Stadium: Rookery Hill
Attendance: 195
Referee: Brian Taylor
Woodford Town v Sporting Bengal United
3 May 2024 Woodford Town1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–5 p)
Sporting Bengal United Woodford
19:45
  • Jewers 44'
Report
  • Gregory 53'
Stadium: Ashton Playing Fields

Final

Romford v Sporting Bengal United
6 May 2024 Romford1–3 Sporting Bengal United Corringham
15:00 Report Stadium: Rookery Hill
Attendance: 424
Referee: George Barker

Stadia and locations

2023–24 Essex Senior Football League is located in East of England
Athletic Newham
Athletic Newham
Barking
Barking
Buckhurst Hill
Buckhurst Hill
Frenford
Frenford
Ilford
Ilford
Little Oakley
Little
Oakley
Sporting Bengal United
Sporting Bengal United
West Essex
West Essex
Woodford Town
Woodford Town
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Locations of the Essex Senior League clubs
class=notpageimage|
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

  1. ^ The Football Association (15 May 2023). "NLS Step 1-6 allocations". The FA. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  2. ^ The Football Association (17 March 2023). "Step 5 to 4 promotion/relegation update". The FA. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  3. ^ "STEP 5 TO 4 PROMOTION/RELEGATION UPDATE". The FA. 16 March 2023.
  4. ^ "The FA Handbook 2022/2023 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA.
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