The 2015–16 season is the 101st season of the Isthmian League, which is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from London, East and South East England. Also, it is the tenth season for the current incarnations of the Division One North and Division One South.
The league constitution was announced on 15 May 2015.
After the constitution was announced, Clevedon Town of Southern League Division One South & West were demoted because their floodlights were not to the required standard. As a result, Ware were transferred to Southern League Division One Central from Isthmian League Division One North, and Redbridge were reprieved from relegation.
Premier Division
The Premier Division consisted of 24 clubs: 18 clubs from the previous season, and six new clubs: Brentwood Town, promoted as play-off winners in Division One North Burgess Hill Town, promoted as champions of Division One South Farnborough, relegated from the Conference South Merstham, promoted as play-off winners in Division One South Needham Market, promoted as champions of Division One North Staines Town, relegated from the Conference South
Farnborough were required by the Isthmian League to pay their creditors in full before the league's 2016 AGM. If this wasn't fulfilled, the league were to relegate the club. Therefore, if Farnborough finished top, they were not to be promoted. If they finished in a play-off place, they were not to be eligible to take part in the play-off competition. If they finished between 6th and 20th, they were to be relegated to Step 4. If they finished between 21st and 24th, they were to be relegated two steps, to Step 5.
Hampton & Richmond Borough won the division and returned to the National League South after four seasons in the Isthmian League. They were joined by play-off winners East Thurrock United, who reached National League for the first time in their history. Farnborough finally finished 18th and were relegated one step, as the result, Burgess Hill Town were reprieved. Brentwood Town relegated straight back to Division One along with Lewes and VCD Athletic.
League table
Top scorers PlayerClubGoals Sam HigginsEast Thurrock United38 Jason PriorBognor Regis Town36 Martin TuohyCanvey Island24 Nathan ElderTonbridge Angels Thomas WraightEast Thurrock United21 Corey WhitelyEnfield Town Luke BlewdenTonbridge Angels20 Billy HealeyWingate & Finchley Charlie PennyMerstham
Play-offs Semifinals
Final
Results
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Capacity Billericay Town New Lodge 3,500 Bognor Regis Town Nyewood Lane 4,500 Brentwood Town The Brentwood Centre Arena 1,800 Burgess Hill Town Leylands Park 2,500 Canvey Island Park Lane 4,500 Dulwich Hamlet Champion Hill 3,000 East Thurrock United Rookery Hill 4,000 Enfield Town Queen Elizabeth II Stadium 2,500 Farnborough Paddy Power Park 4,000 Grays Athletic The Mill Field (groundshare with Aveley) 1,100 Hampton & Richmond Borough Beveree Stadium 3,500 Harrow Borough Earlsmead Stadium 3,070 Hendon Earlsmead Stadium (groundshare with Harrow Borough) 3,070 Kingstonian Kingsmeadow (groundshare with AFC Wimbledon) 4,850 Leatherhead Fetcham Grove 3,400 Leiston Victory Road 2,500 Lewes The Dripping Pan 3,000 Needham Market Bloomfields 4,000 Merstham Moatside 2,000 Metropolitan Police Imber Court 3,000 Staines Town Wheatsheaf Park 3,009 Tonbridge Angels Longmead Stadium 5,000 VCD Athletic Oakwood 1,180 Wingate & Finchley The Harry Abrahams Stadium 1,500
Division One North
Division One North consisted of 24 clubs: 19 clubs from the previous season, and five new clubs: AFC Hornchurch, relegated from the Premier Division Bury Town, relegated from the Premier Division Haringey Borough, promoted as champions of the Essex Senior League Phoenix Sports, promoted as champions of the Southern Counties East League Witham Town, relegated from the Premier Division
AFC Sudbury won the division and were promoted to the Premier Division for the first time in their history. Harlow Town won the play-offs and returned to the Premier Division after seven seasons of absence. Barkingside and Redbridge, both reprieved in the previous season, finished bottom of the table and were relegated, while Wroxham were reprieved from relegation as the best eighth level club finished in the relegation zone due to lack of promoting ninth level clubs.
League table
Top scorers PlayerClubGoals Jason HallettCheshunt39 George PurcellAFC Hornchurch33 Alexander ReadHarlow Town31 Christian AssombalongaWaltham Abbey26 Luke TuttleDereham Town
Play-offs
Semifinals
Final
Results
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Capacity AFC Hornchurch Hornchurch Stadium 3,500 AFC Sudbury King's Marsh 2,500 Aveley The Mill Field 1,100 Barkingside Cricklefield Stadium (groundshare with Ilford) 3,500 Brightlingsea Regent North Road 1,000 Bury Town Ram Meadow 3,500 Cheshunt Cheshunt Stadium 3,000 Cray Wanderers Hayes Lane (groundshare with Bromley) 6,000 Dereham Town Aldiss Park 3,000 Great Wakering Rovers Burroughs Park 2,500 Haringey Borough Coles Park 1,500 Harlow Town Barrows Farm 3,500 Heybridge Swifts Scraley Road 3,000 Maldon & Tiptree Wallace Binder Ground 2,000 Phoenix Sports Victory Road 2,000 Redbridge Oakside 3,000 Romford Ship Lane (groundshare with Thurrock) 3,500 Soham Town Rangers Julius Martin Lane 2,000 Thamesmead Town Bayliss Avenue 6,000 Thurrock Ship Lane 3,500 Tilbury Chadfields 4,000 Waltham Abbey Capershotts 3,500 Witham Town Spa Road 2,500 Wroxham Trafford Park 2,000
Division One South
Division One South consisted of 24 clubs: 20 clubs from the previous season, and four new clubs: Chatham Town, transferred from Division One North Dorking Wanderers, promoted from the Sussex County League Molesey, promoted as champions of the Combined Counties League Peacehaven & Telscombe, relegated from the Premier Division
Folkestone Invicta won the division and returned to the Premier Division after four consecutive play-off defeats. Worthing won the play-offs and joined them after nine seasons in Division One South. Peacehaven & Telscombe suffered second consecutive relegation and left the league along with Whitstable Town and Walton & Hersham. Both clubs also spent nine seasons in the division.
League table
Top scorers PlayerClubGoals Ian DraycottFolkestone Invicta37 Tom TolfreyDorking Wanderers36 Joe Taylor Ramsgate33 Ross AllenGuernsey32 Billy MedlockHastings United25
Play-offs Semifinals
Final
Results
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Capacity Carshalton Athletic War Memorial Sports Ground 5,000 Chatham Town The Sports Ground 5,000 Chipstead High Road 2,000 Corinthian-Casuals King George's Field 2,700 Dorking Wanderers Westhumble Community Ground 1,500 East Grinstead Town East Court 1,000 Faversham Town Shepherd Neame Stadium 2,000 Folkestone Invicta Cheriton Road 4,000 Guernsey Footes Lane 5,000 Hastings United The Pilot Field 4,050 Herne Bay Winch's Field 4,000 Hythe Town Reachfields Stadium 3,000 Molesey Walton Road Stadium 1,000 Peacehaven & Telscombe The Sports Park 1,500 Ramsgate Southwood Stadium 2,500 Sittingbourne Woodstock Park 3,000 South Park King George's Field 2,000 Three Bridges Jubilee Field 1,500 Tooting & Mitcham United Imperial Fields 3,500 Walton & Hersham The Sports Ground 2,000 Walton Casuals Moatside (groundshare with Merstham) 2,000 Whitstable Town The Belmont Ground 3,000 Whyteleafe Church Road 2,000 Worthing Worthing Stadium 4,000
League Cup
The 2015–16 Alan Turvey Trophy sponsored by Robert Dyas (formerly the Isthmian League Cup) is the 42nd season of the Alan Turvey Trophy, the cup competition of the whole Isthmian League.The Isthmian archive
Calendar Round Dates Matches Clubs Premilinary round 17 August to 18 August 3 67 → 64 First round 18 August to 5 October 32 64 → 32 Second round 6 October to 19 October 16 32 → 16 Third round 9 November to 8 December 8 16 → 8 Quarterfinals 12 January to 16 February 4 8 → 4 Semifinals 29 February to 1 March 2 4 → 2 Final 6 April 1 2 → 1
The Isthmian League Cup was voluntary this season, five clubs decided not to take part in the competition: Bognor Regis Town Cray Wanderers Dereham Town Guernsey Wroxham
Premilinary round Six clubs participated in the Premilinary round, while all other clubs received a bye to the first round. TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)1AFC Sudbury (N)1–5Brightlingsea Regent (N)1362Barkingside (N)0–9AFC Hornchurch (N)1453Billericay Town (P)1–2Aveley (N)121
First round The three clubs to have made it through the Premilinary round were entered into the draw with every other Isthmian League club, making sixty-four teams.
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)4Brentwood Town (P)1–2Enfield Town (P)855Bury Town (N)0–3Leiston (P)1616Canvey Island (P)2–2Grays Athletic (P)153Grays Athletic advance 3–1 on penalties7Chipstead (S)1–2Walton & Hersham (S)418Corinthian-Casuals (S)4–0South Park (S)679Dorking Wanderers (S)2–1Peacehaven & Telscombe (S)3310Dulwich Hamlet (P)2–0Thamesmead Town (N)24511Farnborough (P)3–2Lewes (P)9112Folkestone Invicta (S)2–0Ramsgate (S)18713Haringey Borough (N)2–2Metropolitan Police (P)42Metropolitan Police advance 4–3 on penalties14Harrow Borough (P)2–3Kingstonian (P)5515Hastings United (S)3–2Hythe Town (S)22116Merstham (P)1–2Sittingbourne (S)8417Molesey (S)0–2Hendon (P)3518Needham Market (P)5–0Heybridge Swifts (N)13019Redbridge (N)0–3Cheshunt (N)4520Romford (N)0–3East Thurrock United (P)9621Soham Town Rangers (N)0–3Brightlingsea Regent (N)63
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)22Staines Town (P)2–0Hampton & Richmond Borough (P)20923Three Bridges (S)1–1Leatherhead (P)81Three Bridges advance 11–10 on penalties24Thurrock (N)2–1Aveley (N)6125Tilbury (N)1–3Great Wakering Rovers (N)5926Tonbridge Angels (P)2–0Herne Bay (S)22827Tooting & Mitcham United (S)5–1Phoenix Sports (N)9828VCD Athletic (P)1–2Chatham Town (S)6129Waltham Abbey (N)1–1AFC Hornchurch (N)84Waltham Abbey advance 4–3 on penalties30Walton Casuals (S)4–0East Grinstead Town (S)7331Whitstable Town (S)1–1Faversham Town (S)157Faversham Town advance 5–4 on penalties32Whyteleafe (S)1–1Carshalton Athletic (S)76Carshalton Athletic advance 5–4 on penalties33Wingate & Finchley (P)1–0Harlow Town (N)8134Witham Town (N)2–3Maldon & Tiptree (N)6735Worthing (S)2–2Burgess Hill Town (P)211Burgess Hill Town advance 4–3 on penalties
Second round
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)36Chatham Town (S)0–1Sittingbourne (S)12737Corinthian-Casuals (S)3–1Carshalton Athletic (S)7538Dorking Wanderers (S)3–1Burgess Hill Town (P)6739Dulwich Hamlet (P)2–1Staines Town (P)22440Enfield Town (P)1–0Cheshunt (N)17041Farnborough (P)4–0Three Bridges (S)10242Faversham Town (S)2–1Folkestone Invicta (S)17843Grays Athletic (P)2–2East Thurrock United (P)159Grays Athletic advance 3–2 on penalties44Great Wakering Rovers (N)5–1Thurrock (N)68
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)45Hendon (P)2–2Kingstonian (P)83Kingstonian advance 3–1 on penalties46Maldon & Tiptree (N)0–3Leiston (P)4347Needham Market (P)1–3Brightlingsea Regent (N)12648Tonbridge Angels (P)2–2Hastings United (S)294Hastings United advance 3–0 on penalties49Tooting & Mitcham United (S)4–1Metropolitan Police (P)9250Waltham Abbey (N)3–4Wingate & Finchley (P)6551Walton Casuals (S)2–5Walton & Hersham (S)49
Third round
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)52Brightlingsea Regent (N)1–2Enfield Town (P)9453Dulwich Hamlet (P)1–2Faversham Town (S)37254Hastings United (S)1–1Sittingbourne (S)132Sittingbourne advance 4–3 on penalties55Kingstonian (P)2–1Farnborough (P)149
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)56Leiston (P)2–1Great Wakering Rovers (N)8457Tooting & Mitcham United (S)2–1Corinthian-Casuals (S)88Tooting & Mitcham played an ineligible player, Corinthian-Casuals advance58Walton & Hersham (S)0–2Dorking Wanderers (S)5059Wingate & Finchley (P)5–4Grays Athletic (P)75
Quarterfinals
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)60Enfield Town (P)1–3Wingate & Finchley (P)15561Faversham Town (S)1–0Dorking Wanderers (S)110