Burnham Ramblers Fly The Flag For the second season running, a team from the Essex Olympian League reached the final of the Essex Intermediate Cup. Unfortunately as happened to Herongate Athletic the previous season, Burnham Ramblers came away empty handed after going down by a single goal to Leytonstone and Ilford Reserves. After finishing as runners-up to Essex Police in the previous season, Rayleigh Town repeated their success of the 1978/79 season by winning the Senior Division, this time by a clear eight points. For the fourth year running they also scored over 100 goals. With their first team finishing as runners-up in the Senior Division, Herongate Athletic Reserves went one better in the Reserve Division and finished as Champions by seven points ahead of Rayleigh Town, having scored 101 goals which was exactly the same as the Senior Division Champions. Runwell Hospital prevented Rayleigh Town from competing the double when, for the second season running, they overcame their neighbours in the final of the Senior Division Cup. The Reserve Division Cup went to Writtle who, having finished third in the league and scored 104 league goals, beat Standard (Harlow) in the final The Senior Division Challenge Cup went to Essex Police who defeated Runwell Hospital, and for the second season running Runwell Hospital won the Reserve Division Challenge Cup this time by beating Herongate Athletic. The Sportsmanship Award went to Springfield First XI who were enjoying their first season in the league. One representative match was played during the season, but it unfortunately saw the League suffer a defeat against the Southend Sunday League. Tailpiece
After what had been a very mild winter with very few disruptions to the programme, the heavens opened during April and May causing major disruptions to the final weeks of the season. As a result of this the Senior Division Cup Final suffered two postponements before it was eventually played at Writtle in early June. SENIOR DIVISION TABLE
P W D L F A PTS Rayleigh Town 34 27 4 3 101 25 58 Herongate Athletic 34 22 6 6 84 34 50 Writtle 34 20 8 6 62 33 48 Benfleet 34 17 9 8 58 34 43 Takeley 34 16 8 10 70 56 40 Burnham Ramblers 34 13 11 10 63 50 37 Springfield 34 14 9 11 62 57 37 Runwell Hospital 34 14 8 12 72 50 36 Harold Wood Athletic 34 15 6 13 74 64 36 Standard (Harlow) 34 15 6 13 59 49 36 Ongar Town 34 12 11 11 74 62 35 Essex Police 34 15 5 14 43 54 35 Upminster 34 12 9 13 39 52 33 Coopersale 34 6 11 17 39 52 23 Dunmow 34 6 7 21 61 89 19 Old Chelmsfordians 34 6 6 22 45 99 18 Bishops Stortford Swifts 34 5 6 23 29 89 16 Great Baddow 34 4 4 26 40 116 12 RESERVE DIVISION TABLE
P W D L F A PTS Herongate Athletic 32 26 4 2 101 27 56 Rayleigh Town 32 23 3 6 72 29 49 Writtle 32 23 1 8 104 46 47 Takeley 32 19 8 5 78 47 46 Standard (Harlow) 32 19 5 8 93 48 43 Runwell Hospital 32 15 7 10 67 52 37 Springfield 32 16 5 11 73 64 37 Old Chelmsfordians 32 11 12 9 71 59 34 Burnham Ramblers 32 13 6 13 54 46 32 Ongar Town 32 12 5 15 64 67 29 Harold Wood Athletic 32 11 5 16 51 70 27 Dunmow 32 8 8 16 58 73 24 Bishops Stortford Swifts 32 8 4 20 47 80 20 Coopersale 32 8 2 22 39 103 18 Benfleet 32 6 5 21 42 74 17 Upminster 32 6 3 23 46 113 15 Great Baddow 32 4 5 23 40 102 13 |