The 1988–89 season was the 74th season of the Isthmian League, which is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from London, East and South East England.
The league consisted of three divisions. Division Two was divided into two sections.
Leytonstone/Ilford were 1989 champions, winning their first Isthmian League title after renaming in 1983. In the summer of 1988, Oxford City had left the league after losing its ground. Also in the summer of 1988, Walthamstow Avenue merged into Leytonstone/Ilford: the new club regained Leytonstone/Ilford's name and place in the Premier Division.
Premier Division
The Premier Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 19 clubs from the previous season and three new clubs: Dagenham, relegated from the Football Conference Grays Athletic, promoted as champions of Division One Marlow, promoted as runners-up in Division One
At the end of the previous season First Division club Walthamstow Avenue merged into Leytonstone/Ilford. The new club started next season in the Premier Division under the name of the Premier Division club.
At the end of the season Leytonstone/Ilford were refused in promotion due to ground problems. The club changed its name into Redbridge Forest before the next season started.
Farnborough Town finished second and were promoted back to the Conference after four years in the Isthmian League.
League table
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Barking Mayesbrook Park Bishop's Stortford Woodside Park Bognor Regis Town Nyewood Lane Bromley Hayes Lane Carshalton Athletic War Memorial Sports Ground Croydon Croydon Sports Arena Dagenham Victoria Road Dulwich Hamlet Champion Hill Farnborough Town Cherrywood Road Grays Athletic New Recreation Ground Hayes Church Road Harrow Borough Earlsmead Stadium Hendon Claremont Road Kingstonian Kingsmeadow Leytonstone/Ilford Victoria Road Leyton-Wingate Wadham Lodge Marlow Alfred Davis Memorial Ground Slough Town Wexham Park St Albans City Clarence Park Tooting & Mitcham United Imperial Fields Windsor & Eton Stag Meadow Wokingham Town Cantley Park
Division One
Division One consisted of 21 clubs, including 15 clubs from the previous season and six new clubs:
Two clubs relegated from the Premier Division: Basingstoke Town Hitchin Town
Two clubs promoted from Division Two North: Collier Row Wivenhoe Town
Two clubs promoted from Division Two South: Chalfont St Peter Metropolitan Police
Division One started the season one club short after Oxford City left the league after losing its ground, and Walthamstow Avenue merged into Leytonstone/Ilford at the end of the previous season.
League table
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Basildon United Gardiners Close Basingstoke Town The Camrose Boreham Wood Meadow Park Bracknell Town Larges Lane Chalfont St Peter Mill Meadow Chesham United The Meadow Collier Row Sungate Hampton Beveree Stadium Hitchin Town Top Field Kingsbury Town Avenue Park Leatherhead Fetcham Grove Lewes The Dripping Pan Metropolitan Police Imber Court Southwick Old Barn Way Staines Town Wheatsheaf Park Uxbridge Honeycroft Walton & Hersham The Sports Ground Wembley Vale Farm Wivenhoe Town Broad Lane Woking The Laithwaite Community Stadium Worthing Woodside Road
Division Two North
Division Two North consisted of 22 clubs, including 18 clubs from the previous season and four new clubs:
Billericay Town, relegated from Division One Purfleet, joined from the Essex Senior League Stevenage Borough, relegated from Division One Wolverton Town, relegated from Division One
League table
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Aveley The Mill Field Barton Rovers Sharpenhoe Road Berkhamsted Town Broadwater Billericay Town New Lodge Clapton The Old Spotted Dog Ground Harlow Town Harlow Sportcentre Hemel Hempstead Vauxhall Road Hertford Town Hertingfordbury Park Heybridge Swifts Scraley Road Hornchurch Hornchurch Stadium Letchworth Garden City Baldock Road Purfleet Ship Lane Rainham Town Deri Park Royston Town Garden Walk Saffron Walden Town Catons Lane Stevenage Borough The Lamex Stadium Tilbury Chadfields Tring Town Pendley Ground Vauxhall Motors Brache Estate Ware Wodson Park Witham Town Spa Road Wolverton Town Wolverton Park
Division Two South
Division Two South consisted of 21 clubs, including 20 clubs from the previous season and one new club:
Finchley, transferred from Division Two North
League table
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Banstead Athletic Merland Rise Camberley Town Kroomer Park Chertsey Town Alwyns Lane Dorking Meadowbank Stadium Eastbourne United The Oval Egham Town The Runnymede Stadium Epsom & Ewell Merland Rise (groundshare with Banstead Athletic) Feltham The Orchard Finchley Summers Lane Flackwell Heath Wilks Park Harefield United Preston Park Horsham Queen Street Hungerford Town Bulpit Lane Maidenhead United York Road Molesey Walton Road Stadium Newbury Town Town Ground Petersfield United The Southdowns Builders Stadium Ruislip Manor Grosvenor Vale Southall Robert Parker Stadium Whyteleafe Church Road Yeading The Warren
See also Isthmian League 1988–89 Northern Premier League 1988–89 Southern Football League
References