The 2023–24 Eastern Counties Football League was the 81st season in the history of the Eastern Counties Football League, a football competition in England. Teams are divided into three divisions, the Premier Division at Step 5, and the geographically separated Division One North and Division One South (Eastern Senior League), both at Step 6 of the English football league system.
The constitution was announced on 15 May 2023.[1] Starting this season, the Premier Division in the league promotes two clubs; one as champions and one via a four-team play-off. This replaced the previous inter-step play-off system. For this season only, there was only one club relegated from the Step 5 division.[2]
| Competition: | Eastern Counties Football League Premier Division |
| Season: | 2023–24 |
| Winners: | Mildenhall Town |
| Promoted: | Mildenhall Town |
| Matches: | 342 |
| League Topscorer: | Ashley Jarvis (31) |
| Biggest Away Win: | Soham Town Rangers 0–6 Mulbarton Wanderers (20 April 2024) |
| Highest Scoring: | Dereham Town 5–6 Mulbarton Wanderers (2 March 2024) |
| Prevseason: | 2022–23 |
| Nextseason: | 2024–25 |
The Premier Division featured 17 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with three new clubs:
Note: Thetford Town played an ineligible player in their play-off semi-final away at Mulbarton Wanderers on 27 April 2024. The league originally removed Thetford from the playoffs and instated Mulbarton into the final. Following an appeal by Thetford, the FA ordered the semi-final to be replayed.[3]
| Team | Stadium | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brantham Leisure Centre | 1,200 | ||
| Aldiss Park | 3,000 | ||
| Memorial Field | 1,000 | ||
| Unwin Sports Ground | 1,500 | ||
| Clipbush Park | 2,000 | ||
| Millfield | 3,000 | ||
| Wilderness Lane | |||
| Station Road | |||
| Walmer Road | 2,000 | ||
| The Nest | |||
| Stoneylands | |||
| Recreation Way | 2,000 | ||
| The Common | |||
| Cricket Field Road | 2,750 | ||
| Plantation Park | 3,000 | ||
| Weybourne Road | |||
| Julius Martin Lane | 2,000 | ||
| Mundford Road | 1,500 | ||
| Summer Road | 1,000 | ||
| Notcutts Park | 3,000 |
| Competition: | Eastern Counties Football League Division One North |
| Season: | 2023–24 |
| Winners: | Great Yarmouth Town |
| Promoted: | Great Yarmouth Town Cornard United |
| Matches: | 420 |
| League Topscorer: | Kyle Richardson (36) |
| Biggest Home Win: | AFC Sudbury reserves 10–0 Needham Market under 23s (26 August 2023) |
| Biggest Away Win: | Leiston reserves 0–7 AFC Sudbury reserves (1 August 2023) |
| Highest Scoring: | Norwich CBS 7–4 Haverhill Borough (9 March 2024) |
| Prevseason: | 2022–23 |
| Nextseason: | 2024–25 |
Division One North featured 15 clubs which competed in the previous season, along with six new clubs.
| Team | Stadium | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Sudbury reserves | King's Marsh | 2,500 | |
| Blackhouse Lane | |||
| Brewers Green Lane | 2,500 | ||
| The Nest | 1,000 | ||
| Main Road | |||
| The Focus Centre | |||
| Badingham Road | |||
| Wellesley Recreation Ground | 3,600 | ||
| Royal Oak | |||
| New Croft (artificial, groundshare with Haverhill Rovers) | 3,000 | ||
| New Croft | 3,000 | ||
| Carters Park | 4,000 | ||
| Dulwich Road | |||
| Leiston reserves | Victory Road | 2,500 | |
| Needham Market reserves | Bloomfields | 4,000 | |
| FDC Bowthorpe | |||
| Shoemakers Lane | |||
| Feldale Field | |||
| King George V Playing Fields | 1,000 | ||
| Broad Lane | 2,876 |
| Competition: | Eastern Counties Football League Division One South |
| Season: | 2023–24 |
| Winners: | Benfleet |
| Promoted: | Benfleet Wormley Rovers |
| Matches: | 462 |
| League Topscorer: | Stuart Zanone (36) |
| Biggest Away Win: | Barkingside 1–9 Wormley Rovers (1 March 2024) |
| Highest Scoring: | St Margaretsbury 8–3 Basildon Town (21 October 2023) |
| Prevseason: | 2022–23 |
| Nextseason: | 2024–25 |
Division One South featured 14 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with eight new clubs:
| Team | Stadium | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cricklefield Stadium (groundshare with Ilford) | 3,500 | ||
| Rookery Hill (groundshare with East Thurrock United) | 3,500 | ||
| Park Lane (groundshare with Canvey Island) | 4,100 | ||
| Wormley Playing Fields (groundshare with Wormley Rovers) | 500 | ||
| Leslie Fields | 2,000 | ||
| Parkside Stadium (groundshare with Aveley) | 3,500 | ||
| Terence McMillan Stadium (groundshare with Athletic Newham) | 2,000 | ||
| 2,000 | |||
| Scraley Road (groundshare with Heybridge Swifts) | 3,000 | ||
| The Maurice Rebak Stadium (groundshare with Wingate & Finchley) | 1,500 | ||
| Spa Road (groundshare with Witham Town) | 2,500 | ||
| The Harlow Arena | 3,500 | ||
| Lowfield | 3,000 | ||
| New Lodge (groundshare with Billericay Town) | 3,500 | ||
| Parkside Stadium (groundshare with Aveley) | 3,500 | ||
| Oakside Stadium (groundshare with Redbridge) | 3,000 | ||
| The Harlow Arena (groundshare with Harlow Town) | 2,000 | ||
| 5,000 | |||
| 2,000 | |||
| Recreation Ground | 1,000 | ||
| Mile End Stadium (groundshare with Sporting Bengal United) | 2,000 | ||
| Wormley Playing Fields | 500 |