The 2021–22 season was the 51st in the history of the Essex Senior Football League, a football competition in England.
The proposed constitution for this season was published on 22 May 2021, based on allocations for Steps 5 and 6 announced by the FA five days earlier, and it was subject to appeal. The constitution was ratified at the league's annual general meeting (AGM) on 24 June.
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.
The league featured 16 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with five new clubs.
- Promoted from the Eastern Counties League Division One South:
- Transferred from the Eastern Counties League Premier Division:
Cockfosters were initially moved to the Spartan South Midlands League, but they won their appeal and the transfer was reversed.
Walthamstow were champions, winning their first Essex Senior League title and were promoted to the Southern League. Runners-up Saffron Walden Town lost interstep playoff match.
League table
Football league season| Season | 2021–22 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Walthamstow |
| Promoted | Walthamstow |
| Relegated | Sporting Bengal United St Margaretsbury |
| Matches played | 420 |
| Goals scored | 1,405 (3.35 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Richard Kone (31 goals) |
| ← 2020–21 2022–23 → | |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walthamstow | 40 | 28 | 8 | 4 | 92 | 30 | +62 | 92 | Promoted to the Southern League |
| 2 | Saffron Walden Town | 40 | 26 | 5 | 9 | 101 | 48 | +53 | 83 | Qualified for an inter-step play-off |
| 3 | Redbridge | 40 | 24 | 9 | 7 | 89 | 50 | +39 | 81 | |
| 4 | Stansted | 40 | 22 | 9 | 9 | 81 | 45 | +36 | 75 | |
| 5 | Enfield | 40 | 22 | 7 | 11 | 82 | 40 | +42 | 73 | |
| 6 | Little Oakley | 40 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 83 | 53 | +30 | 70 | |
| 7 | FC Clacton | 40 | 20 | 7 | 13 | 71 | 61 | +10 | 67 | |
| 8 | Athletic Newham | 40 | 18 | 12 | 10 | 78 | 55 | +23 | 66 | |
| 9 | Cockfosters | 40 | 17 | 9 | 14 | 78 | 65 | +13 | 60 | Transferred to the Spartan South Midlands League |
| 10 | Takeley | 40 | 18 | 6 | 16 | 73 | 73 | 0 | 60 | |
| 11 | White Ensign | 40 | 16 | 11 | 13 | 85 | 67 | +18 | 59 | |
| 12 | Stanway Rovers | 40 | 16 | 9 | 15 | 67 | 52 | +15 | 57 | |
| 13 | West Essex | 40 | 16 | 9 | 15 | 68 | 67 | +1 | 57 | |
| 14 | Woodford Town | 40 | 16 | 7 | 17 | 68 | 64 | +4 | 55 | |
| 15 | Hoddesdon Town | 40 | 15 | 9 | 16 | 54 | 63 | −9 | 54 | Transferred to the Spartan South Midlands League |
| 16 | Ilford | 40 | 11 | 8 | 21 | 43 | 72 | −29 | 41 | |
| 17 | Southend Manor | 40 | 9 | 7 | 24 | 39 | 87 | −48 | 34 | |
| 18 | Clapton | 40 | 6 | 9 | 25 | 45 | 90 | −45 | 27 | |
| 19 | Sawbridgeworth Town | 40 | 7 | 6 | 27 | 37 | 94 | −57 | 27 | |
| 20 | St Margaretsbury | 40 | 6 | 7 | 27 | 40 | 89 | −49 | 25 | Relegated to the Eastern Counties League |
| 21 | Sporting Bengal United | 40 | 3 | 4 | 33 | 31 | 140 | −109 | 13 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results
Notes:
- Contested an inter-step play-off match as one of the six runners-up from Step 5 with the fewest points per game (PPG) at the end of the 2021–22 season against one of the six third-from-bottom clubs also with the fewest PPG from the eight divisions at Step 4. The winner stayed at Step 4 for the 2022–23 season, while the loser remained at Step 5.
- Relegated as one of four clubs with the fewest PPG out of 16 that were second-from-bottom at Step 5.
Inter-step play-off
Witham Town v Saffron Walden Town| 30 April 2022 | Witham Town | 3–0 | Saffron Walden Town | Witham |
| 15:00 BST | McLean  41'Osude 56'Wallace 63' |
Stadium: Spa Road Attendance: 697 |
Results
| Home \ Away | ATH | CLA | COC | ENF | CLC | HOD | ILF | OAK | RED | SAF | SAW | SOU | SBU | STM | STS | STN | TAK | WAL | WSX | WHI | WOD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athletic Newham | — | 2–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 6–0 | 2–1 | 6–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–6 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–3 |
| Clapton | 2–0 | — | 1–2 | 1–4 | 0–4 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–5 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–4 | 0–4 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 0–4 |
| Cockfosters | 0–1 | 1–1 | — | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 5–0 | 5–1 | 4–3 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 6–1 |
| Enfield | 1–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | — | 1–2 | 5–0 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 5–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 6–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 |
| F.C. Clacton | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | — | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–5 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–4 | 1–3 |
| Hoddesdon Town | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | — | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 0–5 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 4–3 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–4 | 1–2 |
| Ilford | 2–3 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–3 | — | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 |
| Little Oakley | 1–1 | 3–5 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 3–4 | 3–0 | 0–0 | — | 1–3 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 8–0 | 1–1 | 4–3 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 4–3 | 2–1 |
| Redbridge | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | — | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 4–2 |
| Saffron Walden Town | 2–2 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 4–3 | 0–1 | 1–3 | — | 2–0 | 4–2 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 7–1 | 2–3 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 3–1 |
| Sawbridgesworth Town | 0–6 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–5 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–5 | 0–3 | 0–3 | — | 3–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 |
| Southend Manor | 3–4 | 1–0 | 3–5 | 0–4 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 1–0 | — | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–8 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 0–1 |
| Sporting Bengal United | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 0–5 | 1–5 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–5 | 0–7 | 2–2 | 0–3 | — | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 1–0 |
| St Margaretsbury | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 5–1 | 0–3 | 2–1 | — | 1–5 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–5 | 1–2 |
| Stansted | 2–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 9–2 | 5–1 | — | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 |
| Stanway Rovers | 3–3 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 4–4 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–4 | 1–2 | 4–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | — | 5–0 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 0–3 |
| Takeley | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–4 | 4–2 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 1–4 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | — | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–5 |
| Walthamstow | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 5–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | — | 4–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 |
| West Essex | 2–0 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 8–1 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | — | 1–1 | 1–0 |
| White Ensign | 0–2 | 3–3 | 8–3 | 1–0 | 4–3 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–4 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 7–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–5 | 1–1 | — | 2–3 |
| Woodford Town | 0–1 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 1–2 | 3–1 | — |
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Stadia and locations
Clacton
Athletic Newham & ClaptonCockfostersEnfieldHoddesdon TownIlfordLittleOakley
RedbridgeSaffron Walden TownSawbridgeworth TownSouthend ManorSporting Bengal UnitedSt. MargaretsburyStanstedStanway RoversTakeleyWalthamstow & West EssexWhite EnsignWoodford Townclass=notpageimage| Locations of the Essex Senior League clubs
Athletic Newham & ClaptonCockfostersIlfordRedbridgeSporting Bengal UnitedWalthamstow & West EssexWoodford Townclass=notpageimage| Greater London Essex Senior League football clubs
| Club | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athletic Newham | Plaistow | Terence McMillan Stadium | 2,000 |
| Clapton | |||
| Cockfosters | Cockfosters | Chalk Lane | 1,000 |
| Enfield | Bishop's Stortford | Woodside Park (groundshare with Bishop's Stortford) | 4,525 (525 seated) |
| FC Clacton | Clacton-on-Sea | Austin Arena | 3,000 (200 seated) |
| Hoddesdon Town | Hoddesdon | Lowfield | 3,000 (100 seated) |
| Ilford | Ilford | Cricklefield Stadium | 3,500 (216 seated) |
| Little Oakley | Little Oakley | Memorial Ground | |
| Redbridge | Barkingside | Oakside Stadium | 3,000 (316 seated) |
| Saffron Walden Town | Saffron Walden | Catons Lane | 2,000 |
| Sawbridgeworth Town | Sawbridgeworth | Crofters End | 2,500 (175 seated) |
| Sporting Bengal United | Mile End | Mile End Stadium | 2,000 (439 seated) |
| Southend Manor | Southend-on-Sea | Southchurch Park | 2,000 (500 seated) |
| St Margaretsbury | Stanstead Abbotts | Recreation Ground | 1,000 (60 seated) |
| Stansted | Stansted Mountfitchet | Hargrave Park | 2,000 (200 seated) |
| Stanway Rovers | Stanway | Hawthorns | 1,500 (100 seated) |
| Takeley | Takeley | Station Road | 2,000 |
| Walthamstow | Walthamstow | Wadham Lodge | 3,500 |
| West Essex | |||
| White Ensign | Great Wakering | Burroughs Park (groundshare with Great Wakering Rovers) | 3,000 (250 seated) |
| Woodford Town | Woodford | Ashton Playing Fields |
References
- "Proposed ESL Constitution 2021/22". Essex Senior Football League. 22 May 2021.
- ^ "Revised Premier Division Constitution As Cockfosters Win Appeal". Essex Senior Football League. 27 June 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
- "Coronavirus: All football below National League to end". BBC Sport. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
- "FA provides update on NLS Steps 3-6". The Football Association. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
- "EXPLAINED: The 2021-22 Non-League restructure". The Non-League Paper. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
- ^ Miller, Pete. "Non League 21/22 Promotion and Relegation". Google Docs.
- "The FA Handbook 2020/2021 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA. Retrieved 23 August 2020.