An Additional Reserve Division After the expansion to the Senior Section in the previous season, this season saw the Reserve Section increased to two divisions. Although Civil Service Olympian dropped out after only one season, three new clubs Hambros Bank. Shell Club and South Woodham Ferrers joined the league. With all of the new clubs and the clubs who had joined us in the previous season entering in teams, the only club not to have a team in the Reserve section were Essex Police. For the second season running Herongate Athletic achieved the Senior double by winning both the League and Cup. The league was won by a comfortable six points with Springfield runners-up. Both cup finals were victims of the weather and after a draw at Epping Town, Herongate Athletic secured the double by beating Takeley in the replay at Old Chelmsfordians. Having gained promotion to the top division in the previous season, Old Chelmsfordians joined Essex Police as the two relegated teams at the end of the season, whilst Dunmow won Senior Division Two and with Great Baddow won automatic promotion. In a very close battle, Takeley were crowned Reserve Division Champions by one point from runners-up Runwell Hospital, but Runwell Hospital did not finish the season empty handed as they won the Reserve Division Cup by defeating Benfleet. The first Reserve Division Two winners Basildon Town and runners up Rayleigh Athletic, exchanged places with Upminster and Ongar Town who were the first teams to suffer Reserve relegation. Herongate Athletic did not have things all their own way in the Senior Section, and came away empty handed from the pre-season Challenge Cup match, when they were beaten by Benfleet. The Reserve Division Challenge match went to the previous seasons double winners Writtle, who overcame Rayleigh Town. The Representative side gained a valuable scalp when,in their only match of the season, they beat an Essex County XI side by two goals to one. Tailpiece
Dunmow First XI were worthy winners of the Sportsmanship Award for a second time and for the third time in the clubs history. Not only did Dunmow win Senior Division Two, but they managed to do it without having a single player cautioned or sent off. SENIOR DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A PTS Herongate Athletic 28 18 7 3 60 21 43 Springfield 28 13 11 4 53 38 37 Runwell Hospital 28 13 6 9 48 43 32 Rayleigh Town 28 10 11 7 54 39 31 Harold Wood Athletic 28 11 7 10 54 41 29 Writtle 28 11 6 11 46 46 28 Cossor Sports 28 9 10 9 49 51 28 Rayleigh Athletic 28 10 7 11 43 59 27 Burnham Ramblers 28 9 8 11 40 39 26 Takeley 28 8 10 10 39 40 26 Ongar Town 28 8 9 11 36 43 25 Upminster 28 9 7 12 42 52 25 Benfleet 28 9 6 13 34 40 24 Old Chelmsfordians 28 7 6 15 39 67 20 Essex Police 28 5 9 14 29 47 19 SENIOR DIVISION TWO
P W D L F A PTS Dunmow 24 20 2 2 91 35 42 Great Baddow 24 16 2 6 50 40 34 Caribbean Int. Sports 24 15 2 7 74 35 32 Shell Club 24 13 2 9 52 43 28 Hambros Bank 24 12 4 8 46 38 28 Standard (Harlow) 24 9 6 9 42 46 24 South Woodham Ferrers 24 8 7 9 45 49 23 Bishops Stortford Swifts 24 8 4 12 36 49 20 Baddow Royals 24 7 5 12 35 50 19 Ekco Sports 24 9 0 15 50 65 18 Basildon Town 24 7 2 15 36 54 16 Chigwell Villa 24 6 4 14 40 60 16 Coopersale 24 5 2 17 27 60 12 RESERVE DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A PTS Takeley 26 16 9 1 63 23 41 Runwell Hospital 26 17 6 3 53 20 40 Writtle 26 15 8 3 67 21 38 Benfleet 26 12 9 5 46 29 33 Herongate Athletic 26 13 7 6 44 29 33 Burnham Ramblers 26 13 4 9 58 48 30 Springfield 26 9 5 12 49 40 23 Bishops Stortford Swifts 26 11 1 14 67 64 23 Harold Wood Athletic 26 7 5 14 41 61 19 Rayleigh Town 26 8 3 15 40 63 19 Old Chelmsfordians 26 6 7 13 29 53 19 Standard (Harlow) 26 6 5 15 36 59 17 Upminster 26 5 5 16 27 59 15 Ongar Town 26 6 2 18 31 82 14 RESERVE DIVISION TWO
P W D L F A PTS Basildon Town 24 17 4 3 68 38 38 Rayleigh Athletic 24 13 7 4 66 35 33 Shell Club 24 12 5 7 63 41 29 Baddow Royals 24 10 8 6 61 41 28 Hambros Bank 24 11 5 8 65 43 27 Great Baddow 24 10 5 9 46 41 25 Cossor Sports 24 10 5 9 44 42 25 Dunmow 24 11 3 10 66 65 25 South Woodham Ferrers 24 8 6 10 50 59 22 Ekco Sports 24 8 3 13 46 67 19 Chigwell Villa 24 6 5 13 45 68 17 Coopersale 24 5 5 14 31 58 15 Caribbean Int. Sports 24 3 3 18 35 88 9 |