Essex Senior Football League

Founder members

The Essex Senior League was formed in 1971 with nine founder members. The finishing positions for the 1971–72 season were as follows:

Promotion and relegation

The Essex Senior League states that a club must finish in the top 3 to be considered for promotion to the Isthmian League Division One North. However the process is governed by the FA Leagues Committee

In exchange for the promoted club, the Essex Senior League would typically receive a relegated club from a Step 4 league. Relegated clubs of Step 4 leagues are allocated an appropriate league based on their geographical locations. Thus the Essex Senior League is most likely to receive one of the relegated clubs from the Isthmian League Division One North.

There was no relegation from the Essex Senior League into a lower league since there was no Step 6 equivalent to the ESL A Step 6 division for Essex and East Anglia was announced in October 2017 to solve the relegation problem. Since 2018–19, the Eastern Counties League controls this new division.

Current Essex Senior League members

• Athletic Newham
• Barking
• Benfleet
• Buckhurst Hill
• FC Clacton
• Frenford
• Great Wakering Rovers
• Halstead Town
• Hullbridge Sports
• Ilford
• Little Oakley
• Romford
• Saffron Walden Town
• Stansted
• Stanway Rovers
• Sawbridgeworth
• Takeley
• West Essex
• White Ensign
• Woodford Town

Champions, runners up and third place finishers

League winners records

• 5 times – Basildon United
• 3 times – Billericay Town, Bowers & Pitsea, Concord Rangers, Great Wakering Rovers, Heybridge Swifts, Witham Town
• 2 times – Brentwood Town, Brightlingsea United, Canvey Island, Enfield, Enfield Town, Ford United, Romford, Saffron Walden Town
• 1 time – AFC Hornchurch, Barking, Burnham Ramblers, Haringey Borough, Hullbridge Sports, Leyton, Maldon Town, Purfleet, Stansted, Stanway Rovers, Southend Manor, Tilbury, Walthamstow

Errington Challenge Cup

The Essex Senior League Challenge Cup is a knock-out tournament competed for by teams in the Essex Senior Football League. As of the 2017–18 season the competition is referred to as the Errington Challenge Cup in recognition of the league's treasurer Margaret Errington who held the post for 26 years before her death in 2016. Brentwood Town and Basildon United hold the record jointly for the most cup wins, each lifting the trophy four times (Brentwood Town in 1975–76, 1978–79, 1990–91, 2006–07, Basildon United in 1977–78, 1993–94, 1997–98, 2015–16).

Final results

League and Cup double

On 14 occasions a team has won both the Essex Senior League and the Essex Senior League Challenge Cup in the same season. They are:

• 1972–73 – Billericay Town
• 1977–78 – Basildon United
• 1982–83 – Heybridge Swifts
• 1987–88 – Purfleet
• 1992–93 – Canvey Island
• 1993–94 – Basildon United
• 1995–96 – Romford
• 1998–99 – Bowers United
• 1999–00 – Saffron Walden Town
• 2005–06 – AFC Hornchurch
• 2006–07 – Brentwood Town
• 2011–12 – Witham Town
• 2013–14 – Great Wakering Rovers
• 2017–18 – Great Wakering Rovers

Former members

• AFC Hornchurch
• Barkingside
• Basildon United
• Beaumont Athletic
• Billericay Town
• Bowers & Pitsea
• Brentwood Town
• Brightlingsea United
• Burnham Ramblers
• Bury Academy
• Canvey Island
• Chelmsford City reserves
• Clapton
• Cockfosters
• Colchester United 'A'
• Concord Rangers
• East Ham United
• East Thurrock United
• Enfield
• Enfield Town
• Eton Manor
• FC Romania
• Hackney Wick
• Hadley
• Haringey Borough
• Hashtag United
• Heybridge Swifts
• Hoddesdon Town
• Leyton
• Leyton Athletic
• London APSA
• Maldon Town
• Pegasus Athletic
• Purfleet
• Redbridge
• Sawbridgeworth Town
• Southend Manor
• Southend United 'A'
• St Margaretsbury
• Stambridge
• Stansted
• Tiptree United
• Tower Hamlets
• Waltham Abbey
• Walthamstow
• Witham Town
• Wivenhoe Town
• Woodford Town
• Woodford Town reserves

Notable former Essex Senior League players

Several Essex Senior League players have also played for Football League or Premier League teams:

• Jimmy Greaves – Played for Brentwood Town after playing for West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, AC Milan, Chelsea and England.
• Alan Brazil – Played for Stambridge after Queens Park Rangers and other teams including Manchester United and Scotland.
• Kerry Dixon – Played in the Essex Senior League for Basildon after playing for other teams including Chelsea and England.
• Michael Kightly – left Basildon United to join Southend United circa 2003, playing for Burnley as of April 2016.
• Dwight Gayle – left Stansted to play for Dagenham & Redbridge, Peterborough United and Crystal Palace.
• Trevor Putney – left Brentwood to join Ipswich Town in 1980, also played for Norwich City, and Middlesbrough.
• Stuart Wardley – left Saffron Walden Town to join Queens Park Rangers in 1999.
• Steve Tilson – left Witham Town to join Southend United in 1989.
• Gary Hart – left Stansted for £1,000 and a set of kit to join Brighton & Hove Albion in 1998.
• Ben Barnett – left Southend Manor to briefly join Leyton Orient in 2000.
• John Warner – left Burnham Ramblers to join Colchester United in 1988.
• Scott Forbes – left Saffron Walden Town to join Southend United in 2000.

References

References

1. (8 October 2017). "New Step 6 announced".
2. "Brief History". Essex Senior League.
3. "National League System 2014–15". The FA.
4. "Essex Senior Football League".
5. (24 June 2008). "Kightly: His story in pictures".
6. (1 September 2013). "Crystal Palace's Dwight Gayle goes from £200-a-week carpenter to Prem match-winner in two years". Mirror.
7. (7 September 2011). "Stalwart former boss of football club dies at 83". Brentwood Gazette.
8. (15 June 2012). "Non-league football: Stuart Wardley returns to Saffron Walden Town F.C.". Saffron Walden Reporter.
9. (18 April 2014). "Tilson a Southend great".
10. "Brighton & Hove Albion legend Gary Hart bring experience to Royston Town".
11. "Comprehensive list of Football Transfers". BBC.
12. "Scott Forbes - Football Stats - No Club - 2000-2004 - Soccer Base".