Isthmian League Division One North
The Isthmian League Division One North is a league that covers Greater London, East and South East England, with most clubs in the division semi-professional. The Division One North is part of the eighth tier of English football and Step 4 of the National League System.
The Isthmian League Division One North typically comprises 22 teams, with the same number of teams in the other regional leagues, the South Central and South East Divisions.
More info on the Isthmian League Division One North
The Isthmian League, as a whole, was established in 1905 by a group of amateur clubs in London. However, the structure as we now know it didn’t start to take shape until 2002. However, the Isthmian League had already split into two regional leagues in 1984 with the creation of the North and South Divisions. Seven years later, the second and third divisions were established.
In 2002, the league underwent another restructuring. This involved merging the First and Second Divisions into Division One North and Division One South, which were later renamed simply as the North and South divisions. Additionally, the Third Division was renamed Division Two.
Following various restructurings, the current configuration of three divisions at the second tier was established in 2017, following the Football Association’s decision to introduce a third regional league to the Isthmian League system.
When it comes to promotion, the team that wins the title are given the only automatic promotion spot to the Isthmian Premier Division. A second promotion spot is available to the winner of the play-offs, which features teams that finish from second to fifth place in the table over the regular season.
As always with promotions, the clubs are only promoted if they meet the minimum requirements of the higher league. At the other end of the spectrum, the two teams that finish bottom of the table are relegated to various feeder leagues, such as the Combined Counties League Premier Division North or South, Eastern Counties League Premier Division and the Essex Senior League.
Isthmian League Division One North Winners
| Season | Champions |
|---|---|
| 2015/16 | AFC Sudbury |
| 2016/17 | Brightlingsea Regent |
| 2017/18 | AFC Hornchurch |
| 2018/19 | Bowers & Pitsea |
| 2019/20 | Maldon & Tiptree |
| 2020/21 | Tilbury |
| 2021/22 | Aveley |
| 2022/23 | Hashtag United |
| 2023/24 | Lowestoft Town |
| 2024/25 | Brentwood Town |
Not many clubs have won the Division One North title multiple times in its short history. However, Aveley and Lowestoft Town have won the division title on two occasions.
One interesting recent champion of the division is Hashtag United, a club created by YouTuber Spencer Owen, also known as Spencer FC. The Tags claimed the division title in the 2022/23 season.