Eastern Counties League Division One South

The Eastern Counties Football League Division One South is an English football league at level 10, also known as Step 6, of the National League System.

The league includes clubs from Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, eastern Hertfordshire, southern Lincolnshire, and north and east London, typically featuring 20 clubs. This division serves as a feeder league to the Eastern Counties League Premier Division.

More info on Division One South

The league was formed in February 1935 after discussions among clubs from various amateur leagues, aiming to create a league that would cover the entire East Anglia region.

In February 1935, a meeting took place that included representatives from ten clubs across various leagues, such as the Southern Amateur League, the Spartan League, the Norfolk & Suffolk League, the London League, and the Ipswich & District League. The goal of this meeting was to finalise the details for forming a new league.

The first season of the Eastern Counties Football League began on August 31, 1935. The league faced several challenges in the early 1930s and experienced a hiatus during the Second World War.

However, it eventually stabilised. By the 1948-49 season, the league had expanded to 16 teams, which included reserve teams from Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United.

The number of teams varied, and by 1964, only 14 clubs were competing in the division. However, two years later, the league had restored its membership to 16 clubs, and by the 1988/89 season, a second division was introduced.

In 2017, a restructuring of non-league football led to the splitting of the second division into two regional leagues. The Eastern Counties League Division One South was established alongside its Northern counterpart before the start of the 2018/19 season.

The Eastern Counties League Division One South acts as a feeder league for promotion to the Premier Division, the Isthmian League Division One North, or the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands.

Each season, two teams from Division One South are promoted. The division champions secure automatic promotion, while the play-off winners, determined from the teams placing second through fifth in the standings, also go up. However, these clubs must meet Step 5 league criteria to gain entry.

Typically, two teams are relegated from Division One South to a feeder league, such as the Anglian Combination or the Suffolk & Ipswich League, although other feeder leagues may be used to maintain regional balance.

The number of relegated teams can change depending on the FA’s annual restructuring of the National League System to ensure divisional balance.

If an increased number of teams drop from the ECL Premier Division (Step 5) to Division One South, extra teams may also be relegated to a feeder league (formerly step 7) to keep the league size typically between 20 and 22 teams.

If a team qualifies for promotion from Division One South to Step 5 but either opts out or is deemed ineligible due to ground grading or financial constraints, they may be relegated to a feeder league instead. This scenario could also influence how many teams at the bottom of the table face relegation.

Teams relegated from Division One South are placed in a suitable feeder league depending on their geographic location. For instance, Norfolk-based clubs may join the Anglian Combination, while those in Suffolk could compete in the Suffolk & Ipswich League.

Teams that have been successful in the league

Since the league only completed its inaugural campaign in season 2018/19, no club has had a chance to dominate the division. No club has won multiple titles.

The most high-profile winners of the division were Hashtag United in the league’s inaugural campaign. YouTuber Spencer Owen founded Hashtag in 2016, and the club has only gone from strength to strength.