The 1996–97 season was the 82nd 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 four divisions.
Premier Division
The Premier Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 18 clubs from the previous season and four new clubs: Dagenham & Redbridge, relegated from the Football Conference Heybridge Swifts, promoted as runners-up in Division One Oxford City, promoted as champions of Division One Staines Town, promoted as third in Division One
League table
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Aylesbury United Buckingham Road Bishop's Stortford Woodside Park Boreham Wood Meadow Park Bromley Hayes Lane Carshalton Athletic War Memorial Sports Ground Chertsey Town Alwyns Lane Enfield Meadow Park (groundshare with Boreham Wood) Dagenham & Redbridge Victoria Road Dulwich Hamlet Champion Hill Grays Athletic New Recreation Ground Harrow Borough Earlsmead Stadium Hendon Claremont Road Heybridge Swifts Scraley Road Hitchin Town Top Field Kingstonian Kingsmeadow Oxford City Marsh Lane St Albans City Clarence Park Staines Town Wheatsheaf Park Sutton United Gander Green Lane Thurrock Ship Lane Yeading The Warren Yeovil Town Huish Park
Division One
Division One consisted of 22 clubs, including 16 clubs from the previous season and six new teams:
Three clubs relegated from the Premier Division: Molesey Walton & Hersham Worthing
Three clubs promoted from Division Two: Canvey Island Croydon Hampton
League table
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Abingdon Town Culham Road Aldershot Town Recreation Ground Barton Rovers Sharpenhoe Road Basingstoke Town The Camrose Berkhamsted Town Broadwater Billericay Town New Lodge Bognor Regis Town Nyewood Lane Canvey Island Brockwell Stadium Chesham United The Meadow Croydon Croydon Sports Arena Hampton Beveree Stadium Leyton Pennant Wadham Lodge Maidenhead United York Road Marlow Alfred Davis Memorial Ground Molesey Walton Road Stadium Thame United Windmill Road Tooting & Mitcham United Imperial Fields Uxbridge Honeycroft Walton & Hersham The Sports Ground Whyteleafe Church Road Wokingham Town Cantley Park Worthing Woodside Road
Division Two
Division Two consisted of 22 clubs, including 17 clubs from the previous season and five new clubs:
Two clubs relegated from Division One: Barking Wembley
Three clubs promoted from Division Three: Horsham Leighton Town Windsor & Eton
Also, Collier Row & Romford, formed from a merger between Collier Row and Romford
League table
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Banstead Athletic Merland Rise Barking Mayesbrook Park Bedford Town The Eyrie Bracknell Town Larges Lane Chalfont St Peter Mill Meadow Cheshunt Cheshunt Stadium Collier Row & Romford Sungate Dorking Meadowbank Stadium Edgware Town White Lion Egham Town The Runnymede Stadium Hemel Hempstead Vauxhall Road Horsham Queen Street Hungerford Town Bulpit Lane Leatherhead Fetcham Grove Leighton Town Bell Close Metropolitan Police Imber Court Tilbury Chadfields Ware Wodson Park Wembley Vale Farm Windsor & Eton Stag Meadow Witham Town Spa Road Wivenhoe Town Broad Lane
Division Three
Division Three consisted of 17 clubs, including 16 clubs from the previous season and one new club:
Braintree Town, transferred from Southern League Southern Division
Before the start of the season Cove and Harefield United resigned from the league.
League table
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Aveley The Mill Field Braintree Town Cressing Road Camberley Town Kroomer Park Clapton The Old Spotted Dog Ground East Thurrock United Rookery Hill Epsom & Ewell Merland Rise (groundshare with Banstead Athletic) Flackwell Heath Wilks Park Harlow Town Harlow Sportcentre Hertford Town Hertingfordbury Park Hornchurch Hornchurch Stadium Kingsbury Town Avenue Park Lewes The Dripping Pan Northwood Chestnut Avenue Southall Robert Parker Stadium Tring Town Pendley Ground Wealdstone White Lion (groundshare with Edgware Town) Wingate & Finchley The Harry Abrahams Stadium
See also Isthmian League 1996–97 Northern Premier League 1996–97 Southern Football League
References