| Essex Alliance League | |
| Country: | England |
| Founded: | 2014 |
| Teams: | 75 |
| Feeds: | Eastern Counties Football League |
| Promotion: | Eastern Counties Football League Division One South |
| Levels: | 11 to 16 |
| Domest Cup: | County level: Essex Premier Cup Essex Junior Cup Essex Junior Trophy London Senior Trophy London Junior Cup Amateur FA Intermediate Cup Anagrams Records Trophy |
| League Cup: | Fenton Cup Fenton Trophy Senior Division Cup Premier Division Cup Division 1 Cup Division 2 Cup Division 3 Cup |
| Champions: | FC Baresi |
| Season: | 2023-24 |
The Essex Alliance Football League is an English football league for clubs based in Essex and north-eastern Greater London. The league has six divisions (Senior, Premier, Divisions One, Two, Three and Four), of which the Senior Division sits at 11th level in the English football league system, formerly Step 7 in the National League System, following the Football Association's approval to become a Regional NLS Feeder League (Step 7) from season 2021–22 onwards.[1] Teams that finish in the top five of the league can apply for promotion to the Division One South of the Eastern Counties Football League (Step 6), subject to their facilities meeting criteria and other conditions.
The league was founded in 2014 through the merging of the Ilford and District and the Essex Business House football leagues, which both shared a common aim to support and promote local grassroots football in Essex and East London while bridging the gap with other neighbouring leagues in the region. The league permits member clubs to play on grounds in the boroughs of Havering, Barking & Dagenham, Redbridge, Newham, Waltham Forest, Harlow and Epping Forest.
The league currently has a membership of 76 teams, many of whom were existing members of the aforementioned leagues and were joined by many new clubs as the league seeks to buck the trend of the local Saturday football scene which had been diminishing in numbers over the past few years.[2]
In 2022, history was made in the league as the first direct promotion to senior football was confirmed with DT FC, champions of the Senior Division, successfully promoted to Step 6 within the Eastern Counties Football League Division One South. This was followed by Brimsdown in 2023 and by FC Baresi in 2024.
During the 2022/23 season, it was announced by the Football Association that four leagues in England would pilot the first ever referee body worn camera trial, the Essex Alliance League one of those chosen to take part for a period of 18-24 months, alongside leagues in Middlesbrough, Liverpool and Worcestershire. [3]
| Season | Senior Division | Premier Division | Division One | Division Two | Division Three | Division Four |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | – | Chingford Athletic | Blue Marlin | Grove United | ||
| 2015–16 | – | Chingford Athletic | Grove United | London ASPA | ||
| 2016–17 | – | Jolof Sports | Colebrook Royals | Ryan Reserves | Wapping | |
| 2017–18 | – | Colebrook Royals | Docklands Albion | Chingford Athletic Reserves | Haver Town Reserves | |
| 2018–19 | Jolof Sports | – | Chingford Athletic Development | Haver Town Reserves | Sungate Reserves | |
| 2019–20 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | |||||
| 2020–21 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | |||||
| 2021–22 | Frenford 'A' | Belfry | Fairlop Rovers | FC Baresi U23 | Sporting Pillars | |
| 2022–23 | Brimsdown | Chingford Athletic (East) CSM London (West) | Newham Wanderers | Snaresbrook | Newbury East | Romford U19 |
| 2023–24 | Fairlop Rovers (East) Philip United (West) | Saint City | Rainham & Barking Phoenix | Woodford Town U23 | ||
Note: From season 2022/23, the Premier Division was split geographically with East and West divisions