LEAGUE STATS & FACTS

 

The League started in 1986 when 34 clubs and some of the management committee of the South Essex Sunday League left due to a disputed decision at the SESL Annual General Meeting. This is of course now history and the two Leagues often communicate on matters of football. There is just one founder member clubs left. They are Warren United. Some others (May & Bakers, and Cresta [County] Park) left the League briefly before returning, although some were different teams from the ones that left. The League constituted just three divisions (Senior, Premier and One) for several years, before Division Two was introduced in 1990, with Division Three following in 1996. The latter division was suspended from 2006 due to falling numbers of application teams. The increase in televised football and other activities is taking its toll.

 

Friendly Rivalry – Let’s face it, we have a lot in common with our friendly rival League, the Essex Sunday Football Combination. Although we were formed from another League, ours and the ESFC have shared many things in recent times. Clubs and Management have made transitions from one league to the other over the last few years, although other leagues also supply us with new clubs each season. The area in which we operate is littered with Sunday Leagues and some boundaries overlap, giving teams a wide choice of where to play their football. Apart from us, there are the following leagues: South Essex Sunday League, Essex Sunday Football Combination, Independent Sunday League, Redbridge Sunday League, Dagenham & District League, London City Airport League (London), Corinthian Sunday League (London) and the Forest & District Sunday League (London). Apologies to anyone left out. We also border some other Leagues, including the Thurrock Association Sunday League and the Mercury Waltham Sunday League.

 

League Websites – Football websites are now a common site, with many clubs and leagues throughout the football pyramid having an Internet presence. Indeed it's now a wonder how leagues operated without websites (rather like not having a mobile phone!). We are as sure as we can be that we had the first Sunday football league website in existence in Europe when we went online back in 1995, at the second part of the 1994/95 season (ok, only a handful of individuals could see it, but we were still first). That probably makes us the first in the world! The Essex Sunday Corinthian Football League - World Leaders!

 

Name Changes – There have been several name clubs name changes over the years. O’Grady’s were known for many years as Prince of Wales Sports (mainly playing in the Essex Sunday Football Combination) and Lighterman was Curzon when the league was formed. Former club St. Ethelburga became Dassia Park before their demise and Romford Vicktors are better known as North Romford these days. Prospectors Allstars started out as Glenfield Reserves before they out-stripped the first team and wanted their own identity. Probably the most unusual change involves Castlerow, who became Winchesterow for two years before reverting to the original name. We have no idea why.

 

Top To Bottom – Prospectors Allstars went from Division One to the Senior Division in consecutive seasons and won the League (Printers) Cup in their Senior Division debut season. Curzon went from Division Two to Senior step-by-step when the League contained four Divisions. Rialto went one better, going up in three years, by-passing Division One on their way. They were also Senior Division champions. Royal Falcons took their place in the Senior Division in 2006/07, having won the Premier Division, Division One and coming close in Division Two in the previous years. Spare a thought for Cambourne Wednesday, who have trailed in their wake but have managed a similar record in the same seasons.

 

Goal Blitz – Thameside United scored a whopping 122 goals in 20 Division Three games in 1998/99. And they didn’t even win the league! That honour went to Queens Athletic, who scored a mere 68 goals! Goresbrook United took Division Two in 2004/05 with 99 goals from 18 games and several teams have conceded in excess of 100 goals during a season, usually in Divisions Two and Three. Names have been withheld to protect the innocent!

 

Successes - Thames Water was one of the League’s most successful teams, notching up two Senior Division titles, two Printers Cup wins and two Corinthian Cups, including three league trophies in 95/96. They also appeared in three consecutive Essex Intermediate Cup finals (now Sunday Premier Cup), winning the cup once. LCS Manor won the Senior Division three times and the Corinthian Cup once. Old Ilfordians started the League’s first season as Premier Division champions and went on to win the Senior Division the next year. In more recent times Toby have now notched three Senior Division titles, as have Peacock, including two league/cup doubles in 1999/2000 and 2002/2003. Memorial Sports joined the League in season 2003/04 with a great pedigree and deservedly so! They won the Senior Division and Printers Cup within the League and the Essex Sunday Premier Cup against League rivals Toby. A quadruple was foiled when they lost in the final of the London Challenge Cup to south London team St. Anselms. Frenford became the first team in the League to complete a county double, winning the Essex Premier Cup and the London Intermediate Cup in 2006/07.

 

What Was That! – Again featuring Memorial Sports. Having joined the League for one very successful season, they folded! Proving success doesn’t buy happiness.

 

Mine’s A Double – League & Cup Double Winners:

Senior Division

Thames Water (95/96), Coach & Horses (97/98), Peacock (99/00 & 02/03), Memorial Sports (03/04), Toby (04/05)

Premier Division

Old Ilfordians (86/87), Romford Royals (87/88), Denmark (90/91), Rainham Rangers (95/96), Morris Dancer (96/97), Prospectors Allstars (00/01)

Division One

Romford Royals (86/87), Pinewood Park (90/91), Curzon (93/94), Epping Forest (97/98), Prospectors Allstars (99/00), Queens Athletic (00/01), Chads (05/06)

Division Two

E.M.H. (92/93), Frenford (93/94), Pegstonians (96/97), Southchurch United (99/00), Racing Club Fantana (05/06)

Division Three

Queens Athletic (98/99)

 

County Cups - The League has often provided teams in the final stages of the county cups, including several winners. In 1998/99 five of the eight Intermediate Cup quarter-finalists were our clubs, with three in the semis. This resulted in an all-Corinthian Intermediate Cup Final, with Brannigans beating Coach & Horses 5-4 after extra time in a pulsating final. The one semi-finalist from outside the League was Inter Prema, who joined the League the following season. Once again the League provided both finalists in the renamed Essex Premier Cup in 2003/2004 when Memorial Sports beat Toby 5-2. Frenford won the both the Essex Premier Cup and the London Intermediate Cup in 2006/2007. Incidentally some of the Frenford management previously ran Memorial Sports and the county double was probably an exorcism from that bad Sunday in 2004 in the London Challenge Cup.

 

What’s In A Name – There haven’t been too many memorable team names with the league. F.C. Vikings survived for a few years, but one club from the 80’s failed to see out a full season. Rock Steady Rovers possibly faded out from shame! One of the latest in the strange name category are La Chiesa del Corno. Need an explanation? Well, based in Hornchurch, the club’s name is Italian and the literal translation is the Church of the Horn (Hornchurch – get it!). From the 2004/2005 season the League had another Italian slant – albeit altered – in the form of Ladzio.

 

Management Teams – Most of the league’s management either played for or ran clubs during their time. Secretary Stan Hamilton had a founder club in Wrights and Mike Shepherd ran Lion F.C.. Joe Williams was the manager of Fairbairn House and then a secretary, with Newmartin Youth Centre (NCY). Peter George was a player and then secretary with Curzon (Lighterman) and Dave O’Donnell was a player for Old Ilfordians. Ray Claydon was the secretary of Allied and Michael Parker used to play for Lonsdale and was until recently their secretary to boot! Steve Goldsmith ran and played for Queens Athletic and one person worthy of mention is John Osborne. Although John has never been on a league committee, he was the longest surviving secretary, having run Epping Forest since the formation of the league until they folded in 2004. Frank Marsh hasn't owned up to anything yet, but we are aware that several referees were Sunday players before they saw the light.

 

Want to add some league stats or facts? E-Mail pgeorge@ntlworld.com with your stats.

 

In Memoriam

N. Lovett (1991). Secretary, Theydon Bois F.C..

Bill Nolan (1992). League President and President of Belhus Park Athletic F.C..

M. Doyle (1992). Secretary, South Ilford Catholics F.C..

Arthur Anthony (1997). League Officer and Referee.

Brian Davenport (1997). League Officer and Secretary, Berwick Manor F.C..

Fred Simmonds (1998). League President.

Dave Nicholls (1998). Secretary, Morris Dancer F.C..

Ron Bickerstaff (2000). Secretary, EMWA F.C..

Les Bamford (2002). League Officer.

Jan Cleaver (2002) Secretary, Prospectors Allstars F.C..

Colin Starr (2003) Referee & Secretary, Bryant Rovers F.C..

 

 

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