Football Review – A Non-League Football Review

The Essex Alliance Football League Senior Division came to an end on April 27, as Sporting Hackney beat Priory Park Rangers and Rapid Chingford got a walkover against Aveley U23’s, but the competitive league showed why it remains one of the best at Step 7.

After finishing second during the 2022/23 season, FC Baresi claimed the title by 13 points over Woodford East. Out of their 28 games, the club were victorious in 22 of them, drawing five others and losing just one [with the defeat against Rapid Chingford], but that hadn’t stopped them netting over 100 goals in a truly successful season, which resulting in their first promotion to Step 6.

Behind them were Woodford East, who fell just short of top spot. Halil Hassan’s men won 18 of their 28 games, but six defeats compared to Baresi’s one proved far too much of a gulf as they had to settle for the runners-up spot. A third and fourth place respectively during the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons meant it had been an improved for the club, but not what they had hoped for.

The remainder of the top five was made up by Haringey Borough U23’s, Chadwell Heath Spartans and Frenford A. Haringey Borough U23’s finished 3rd this term with a haul of 52 points. The Borough youngsters won 16, drew 4 and lost 8, but were six points short of second place, despite scoring seven more goals than the Peacocks and conceding just two more goals. It was a very good season for the club, having joined the league at the start of the season. Chadwell Heath Spartans made an improvement from last season, having finished 9th during the 2022/23 season, but couldn’t repeat the feat they achieved in the 2021/22 season of a second placed finished. That season had only been a 13 team division, but 17 wins in their 24 games didn’t prove enough for promotion to Step 6 as they were beaten to the title by Cannons Wood, a difference of five points. They won 14 of their 28 games this season, drawing 5 and losing 9, but giving them something to improve on next time. Their second season in the Senior Division, Frenford A made a huge improvement from the 2022/23 season. They had improved from 10th place last season, winning 12 of their 32 games to now winning 15 of their 28. Despite losing 12 games, they finished a point off the Spartans, but remained highly competitive throughout the season.

FC Petrocub had finished seventh twice in two years following the conclusions of the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons, but made a slight improvement as they finished 6th this term. A run of 12 wins, 6 draws and 10 losses put them ahead of Lymore Gardens and Rapid Chingford, but wasn’t enough to see them break into the top five this time around. Both Lymore Gardens and Rapid Chingford finished with a record of won 12, drew 5 and lost 11. Whilst the Gardens had conceded 14 goals more than their rivals, a haul of 18 more goals scored meant a +24 goal different [Lymore having +15 and Chingford having -9] was enough to finish 7th.

After coming across from the Essex Senior League Reserve Division at the end of the 2021/22 season, Walthamstow Reserves had finished in 13th last term, but made an improvement with an 11th place finish this season. Just nine wins for the Stow boys [during the 2022/23 season] had been slightly bettered this time with 11 wins in their 28 games. That combined with 5 draws and 12 losses put them on 38 points for the season, but they impressed in front of goal with 91, the second most in the league and just 10 short of the champions. CSM London had also won 11, but one defeat more put them in 10th. The London club set a marker down in their return to the Alliance League, having been relegated to the Premier Division West for the 2022/23 season, and it was a vast improvement from their previous season as they had only recorded five wins from 24 games.

A difference of 8 goals separated Aveley U23’s and May & Baker Reserves. Aveley U23’s debut season in the Senior Division saw them win 7, draw 7 and lose 14 compared to May & Baker Reserves’ record of 9 wins, 4 draws and 15 defeats, but despite finishing level on 28 points, the former conceding nine less goals than Bakers meant they took 11th spot. It had also been a difficult season for the Baker Reserves as they went from 6th during the 2022/23 season, having won 18 of their 32 games and collecting 30 points more than they managed this term, to 12th.

The bottom three was made up of Sporting Hackney, Priory Park Rangers and Kit Out London. Sporting Hackney finished a point off May & Baker Reserves having won 8, drawn 3 and lost 17, but it had been another huge drop off as they had finished within the top three last season. After 32 games in the 2022/23 season, Sporting had won 19 of those games, giving them 62 points but almost as many losses this term meant they were at the wrong end of the table. Priory Park Rangers and Kit Out London made up the bottom two having won five and four games respectively. 18 defeats for the Rangers put them a single point ahead of Kit Out, who lost 19 of their 28 games. Whilst they scored 39 and 41 goals during the season, their lack of defence meant they were no stranger to conceding with 85 goals going into the Priory Park net and 111 being conceded by Kit Out.

The 2024/25 season will see Fairlop Rovers and Philip United joined by two of either Dagenham United or Ongar Town and Snaresbrook or Renegade in the Senior Division whilst the currently division loses Sporting Hackney, Priory Park Rangers and Kit Out London [with the fourth promoted side replacing Chingford Athletic, who folded during the season].