2020–21 Eastern Counties Football League

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
Eastern Counties
Football League
Premier Division
Season2020–21
PromotedStowmarket Town
Matches played105
Goals scored350 (3.33 per match)

The Premier Division comprised the same set of 20 teams which competed in the aborted competition the previous season.

League 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 Transferred 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 Transferred to the Essex Senior League
11 Stowmarket Town 7 4 3 0 10 5 +5 15 Promoted to the Isthmian League[lower-alpha 1]
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 Transferred to the United Counties League
17 Woodbridge Town 11 2 2 7 16 22 −6 8
18 Haverhill Rovers 11 2 1 8 9 28 −19 7
19 Long Melford 8 1 2 5 12 19 −7 5
20 Thetford Town 11 1 0 10 6 24 −18 3
Source: 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[4]
Notes:
  1. Promoted based on points per game calculations from 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons combined.

Stadia and locations
Locations of the Premier Division teams

Division One North
Eastern Counties
Football League
Division One North
Season2020–21
PromotedFakenham Town
March Town United
Lakenheath
Mulbarton Wanderers
Matches played106
Goals scored453 (4.27 per match)

Division One North comprised 19 teams, one less than in the previous season, following the resignation of Felixstowe & Walton United reserves.

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or qualification
1 Fakenham Town 11 9 2 0 34 8 +26 29 Promoted to the Premier Division[lower-alpha 1]
2 Ipswich Wanderers 10 9 1 0 33 9 +24 28 Transferred to Division One South
3 March Town United 11 9 0 2 32 11 +21 27 Promoted to the Premier Division[lower-alpha 1]
4 Lakenheath 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 10 5 3 2 27 7 +20 18 Promoted to the Premier Division[lower-alpha 1]
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 Resigned from the league
14 Cornard United 12 3 2 7 20 28 −8 11 Transferred to Division 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 Transferred to Division One South
19 Wisbech St Mary 14 1 0 13 16 71 −55 3
Source: 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[4]
Notes:
  1. Promoted based on points per game calculations from 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons combined.

Division One South (Eastern Senior League)
Eastern Counties
Football League
Division One South
(Eastern Senior League)
Season2020–21
PromotedAthletic Newham
White Ensign
Little Oakley
Matches played84
Goals scored301 (3.58 per match)

Division One South featured 16 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with one new club:

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.[5]

League 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 12 5 6 1 20 13 +7 21 Promoted to the Essex Senior League[lower-alpha 1]
3 White Ensign 10 6 2 2 22 14 +8 20
4 Wivenhoe Town 11 6 1 4 20 14 +6 19
5 Little Oakley 8 6 0 2 23 12 +11 18 Promoted to the Essex Senior League[lower-alpha 1]
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
Source: 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[4]
Notes:
  1. Promoted based on points per game calculations from 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons combined.

References
  1. "National League System club allocations – Steps 5–6, Season 2020–21" (PDF). Non League Paper. 21 July 2020.
  2. "FA Update On Steps 3-6". 24 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  3. "EXPLAINED: The 2021-22 Non-League restructure". The Non-League Paper. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  4. "The FA Handbook 2020/2021 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  5. 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.
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