Isthmian League Division One South East
The Isthmian League Division One South East is a football league that includes clubs from Greater London, East England, and the South East region of England. Most teams in this division operate on a semi-professional basis. The league is part of the eighth tier of English football and represents Step 4 of the National League System.
The Isthmian League Division One South East typically features 22 teams, similar to the other regional leagues, the North and the Central Divisions.
More info on the Isthmian League Division One South East
The Isthmian League was established in 1905 by amateur clubs in London, but the structure we recognise today began to take shape in 2002. In 1984, the Isthmian League was divided into two regional leagues, resulting in the creation of the North and South Divisions. Seven years later, the second and third divisions were introduced.
In 2002, the league underwent additional restructuring. The First and Second Divisions were merged into two new divisions: Division One North and Division One South. These were later simplified to just the North and South divisions. Additionally, the Third Division was renamed Division Two.
After several rounds of restructuring, the current setup of three divisions at the second tier was established in 2017. This change occurred after the Football Association decided to introduce an additional regional league to the Isthmian League system. Subsequently, the third second-tier regional division was introduced for the 2018/19 season.
When it comes to promotion, the team that clinches the title earns the sole automatic promotion spot to the Isthmian Premier Division. Furthermore, a second promotion spot is granted to the winner of the play-offs, which feature the teams that finish in second to fifth place in the league standings during the regular season.
Clubs are only promoted when they meet the minimum standards required for the higher league, in line with traditional promotion practices.
At the bottom end of the division, the two teams that finish in 21st and 22nd place in the table face relegation to various feeder leagues. These leagues include the Combined Counties League Premier Division (North and South), the Eastern Counties League Premier Division, and the Essex Senior League.
Top Teams
Despite the league only being established ahead of the 2018/19 season, there has been a team that has finished top of the table on three occasions: Hastings United.
Hastings were crowned champions of the division in 2022. However, they had also been topped of the table in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons, but both seasons were curtailed or abandoned due to the Coronavirus pandemic. No other club has finished top of the table in the division in its short history.
Recent Champions
| Season | Champions |
|---|---|
| 2018/19 | Cray Wanderers |
| 2019/20 | Hastings United* |
| 2020/21 | Hastings United* |
| 2021/22 | Hastings United |
| 2022/23 | Chatham Town |
| 2023/24 | Cray Valley Paper Mills |
| 2024/25 | Ramsgate |
The 2019–20 season ended on 26th March 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic. That meant that Hastings United were not officially crowned champions.
The following season, the division was terminated, but this time on 24th February 2021. Once again, Hastings United were top of the table when the league ended.