The 2017–18 season was the 103rd season of the Isthmian League, which is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from London, East and South East England. It was also the twelfth season for the current incarnations of the Premier, North and South Divisions, the last to have two regional divisions, and the first as the Bostik League following a sponsorship deal with Bostik.
In May 2017, the FA chose the Southern League to create one additional division at Step 3 and the Isthmian League to create one at Step 4 as part of the next change to the structure, and in March 2018, the Northern Premier League voted to reorganise its Step 4 divisions into an east-west alignment, with all Step 3 divisions contracting to 22 clubs and those at Step 4 to 20, taking effect in the 2018–19 season.
Premier Division
The Premier Division consisted of 24 clubs: 19 clubs from the previous season, and five new clubs:
Brightlingsea Regent, promoted as champions of Division One North Dorking Wanderers, promoted as play-off winners in Division One South Margate, relegated from the National League South Thurrock, promoted as play-off winners in Division One North Tooting & Mitcham United, promoted as champions of Division One South
Billericay Town won the division and returned to National League South after five seasons in the Isthmian League. Dulwich Hamlet, who competed in the Isthmian League since its establishment in 1907, won the play-offs and followed them. Only one club was relegated from the Premier Division; Tooting & Mitcham finished bottom of the table and returned straight back to step 4.
At the end of the season a new step 3 division was created under the Southern Football League; seven Premier Division clubs were transferred to the Southern League Premier divisions. The number of clubs in the Premier Division was reduced to 22 for the next season.
League table
Top scorers PlayerClubGoalsElliott BuchananStaines Town39Jake RobinsonBillericay Town34Niko MuirHendon32Jordan ChiedozieMargate29Mohamed Bettamer Staines Town27Adeoye YusuffFolkestone Invicta27William HuntBrightlingsea Regent24Nyren ClunisDulwich Hamlet19Jake ReedLeiston19Adam CunningtonBillericay Town18James McShaneDorking Wanderers16Alexander AkrofiTonbridge Angels16
Play-offs
Semifinals
Final
Results table
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium CapacityBillericay Town New Lodge 3,500Brightlingsea Regent North Road 1,000Burgess Hill Town Leylands Park 2,500Dorking Wanderers Westhumble Community Ground 1,500Dulwich Hamlet Champion Hill 3,000Enfield Town Queen Elizabeth II Stadium 2,500Folkestone Invicta Cheriton Road 4,000Harrow Borough Earlsmead Stadium 3,070Harlow Town The Harlow Arena 3,500Hendon Silver Jubilee Park 1,990Kingstonian Fetcham Grove (groundshare with Leatherhead) 3,400Leatherhead Fetcham Grove 3,400Leiston Victory Road 2,500Lowestoft Town Crown Meadow 3,000Margate Hartsdown Park 3,000Merstham Moatside 2,000Metropolitan Police Imber Court 3,000Needham Market Bloomfields 4,000 Staines Town Wheatsheaf Park 3,009Thurrock Ship Lane 3,500Tonbridge Angels Longmead Stadium 3,000Tooting & Mitcham United Imperial Fields 3,500Wingate & Finchley The Harry Abrahams Stadium 1,500Worthing Woodside Road 4,000
North Division
North Division consisted of 24 clubs: 17 clubs from the previous season, and seven new clubs: AFC Sudbury, relegated from the Premier Division Barking, promoted from the Essex Senior League Canvey Island, relegated from the Premier Division Grays Athletic, relegated from the Premier Division Hertford Town, promoted from the Spartan South Midlands League Mildenhall Town, promoted from the Eastern Counties League Potters Bar Town, transferred from Southern League Division One Central
At the end of the season a new step 3 division was created, thus for this season three clubs were to be promoted from each step 4 divisions - champions, runners-up and play-off winners plus one third-placed club with highest points-per-game. Hornchurch won the division and returned to the Premier Division after three seasons in the North Division along with runners-up Potters Bar Town and play-off winners Haringey Borough who never competed at such level. Due to league system restructurisation only one club was relegated from each step 4 division. Norwich United finished bottom of the table and returned to the Eastern Counties League after two seasons in the Isthmian League.
At the end of the season a seventh step 4 division was created under the Isthmian League, as the South Division clubs were distributed between new South East and South Central divisions. Four North Division clubs were transferred to South Central Division. The number of clubs in the step 4 divisions was reduced to 20 for the next season.
League table
Top scorers PlayerClubGoalsMatthew PriceHeybridge Swifts36Cemal RamadanBury Town27Junior Ogedi-UzokweMaldon & Tiptree26George SykesCanvey Island25Jason HallettCheshunt25
Play-offs
Semifinals
Final
Results table
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium CapacityAFC Hornchurch Hornchurch Stadium 3,500AFC Sudbury King's Marsh 2,500Aveley Parkside 3,500Barking Mayesbrook Park 2,500Bowers & Pitsea Len Salmon Stadium 2,000Brentwood Town The Brentwood Centre Arena 1,800Bury Town Ram Meadow 3,500Canvey Island Park Lane 4,500Cheshunt Cheshunt Stadium 3,000Dereham Town Aldiss Park 3,000Grays Athletic Parkside (groundshare with Aveley) 3,500Haringey Borough Coles Park 1,500Hertford Town Hertingfordbury Park 6,500Heybridge Swifts Scraley Road 3,000Maldon & Tiptree Wallace Binder Ground 2,000Mildenhall Town Recreation Way 2,000Norwich United Plantation Park 3,000Potters Bar Town Parkfield 2,000Romford Ship Lane (groundshare with Thurrock) 3,500Soham Town Rangers Julius Martin Lane 2,000Tilbury Chadfields 4,000Waltham Abbey Capershotts 3,500Ware Wodson Park 3,300Witham Town Spa Road 2,500
South Division
South Division consisted of 24 clubs: 19 clubs from the previous season, and seven new clubs: Ashford United, promoted from the Southern Counties East League Phoenix Sports, transferred from Division One North Shoreham, promoted from the Southern Combination League Thamesmead Town, transferred from Division One North VCD Athletic, transferred from Division One North
At the end of the season a new step 3 division was created, thus for this season three clubs were to be promoted from each step 4 divisions - champions, runners-up and play-off winners plus one third-placed club with highest points-per-game. Carshalton Athletic won the division and returned to the Premier Division after four seasons in the South Division along with runners-up Lewes, who spent in the South Division two seasons after the relegation from Premier Division. Play-off winners Walton Casuals were promoted to the Southern League Premier Division South - the highest level they competed in their history. Corinthian-Casuals lost in play-off final but were promoted to the Premier Division as step 4 play-off final loser with highest points-per-game ratio after Thurrock from Premier Division folded. Corinthian-Casuals last competed in top division of the Isthmian League in the 1973–74 season. Due to league system restructurisation only one club was relegated from each step 4 division. Shoreham finished bottom of the table and returned straight back to the Southern Combination League.
At the end of the season a seventh step 4 division was created under the Isthmian League, as the South Division clubs were distributed between new South East and South Central divisions. The number of clubs in the step 4 divisions was reduced to 20 for the next season.
League table
Top scorers PlayerClubGoalsJack BarhamGreenwich Borough35Josh KellyWalton Casuals28Jack MazzoneSouth Park27Jake EmberyHerne Bay23Charlie MacDonaldCray Wanderers23
Play-offs
Semifinals
Final
Results table
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium CapacityAshford United The Homelands 3,200Carshalton Athletic War Memorial Sports Ground 5,000Chipstead High Road 2,000Corinthian-Casuals King George's Field 2,700Cray Wanderers Hayes Lane (groundshare with Bromley) 6,000East Grinstead Town East Court 1,000Faversham Town Salters Lane 2,000Greenwich Borough Badgers Sports Ground (groundshare with Cray Valley PM) 1,500Guernsey Footes Lane 5,000Hastings United The Pilot Field 4,050Herne Bay Winch's Field 4,000Horsham Gorings Mead 1,500Hythe Town Reachfields Stadium 3,000Lewes The Dripping Pan 3,000Molesey Walton Road Stadium 1,000Phoenix Sports Victory Road 2,000Ramsgate Southwood Stadium 2,500Shoreham Middle Road 2,000Sittingbourne Woodstock Park 3,000South Park King George's Field 2,000Thamesmead Town Princes Park (groundshare with Dartford) 4,100VCD Athletic Oakwood 1,180Walton Casuals Elmbridge Xcel Sports Hub 2,500Whyteleafe Church Road 2,000
League Cup
The 2017–18 Alan Turvey Trophy (formerly the Isthmian League Cup) was the 44th season of the Alan Turvey Trophy, the cup competition of the whole Isthmian League.
Calendar Round Dates Matches Clubs First round 22 August to 27 September 31 63 → 32 Second round 3 October to 22 November 16 32 → 16 Third round 22 November to 30 January 8 16 → 8 Quarterfinals 9 January to 8 March 4 8 → 4 Semifinals 19 February to 13 March 2 4 → 2 Final 12 April 1 2 → 1
The Isthmian League Cup was voluntary this season, nine clubs decided not to take part in the competition:
Cray Wanderers Dereham Town Guernsey Hastings United Lewes
Lowestoft Town Needham Market Norwich United Thurrock
First round Sixty two clubs participated in the first round, while one club received a bye to the second round: Hendon
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)1Harrow Borough (P)1–3Metropolitan Police (P)1222Wingate & Finchley (P)3–0Haringey Borough (N)783Canvey Island (N)0–1Brentwood Town (N)2384South Park (S)3–1Molesey (S)515Tonbridge Angels (P)10–1Herne Bay (S)1806Thamesmead Town (S)4–3Phoenix Sports (S)597Ashford United (S)0–2Greenwich Borough (S)1428Carshalton Athletic (S)1–3Dorking Wanderers (P)1139AFC Hornchurch (N)5–1Aveley (N)9810AFC Sudbury (N)5–1Brightlingsea Regent (P)11311Bowers & Pitsea (N)0–2Grays Athletic (N)11312Cheshunt (N)2–0Waltham Abbey (N)10813Chipstead (S)5–0Leatherhead (P)8914Faversham Town (S)2–5Hythe Town (S)9715Harlow Town (P)1–1Bury Town (N)113Bury Town advance 4–3 on penalties16Maldon & Tiptree (N)1–1Leiston (P)77Maldon & Tiptree advance 5–4 on penalties17Margate (P)2–1East Grinstead Town (S)196
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)18Shoreham (S)4–1Worthing (P)14219Soham Town Rangers (N)0–0Witham Town (N)93Soham Town Rangers advance 9–8 on penalties20Staines Town (P)1–1Dulwich Hamlet (P)125Dulwich Hamlet advance 4–2 on penalties21Tooting & Mitcham United (P)1–1Merstham (P)74Merstham advance 4–3 on penalties22Walton Casuals (S)2–1Kingstonian (P)15723Whyteleafe (S)1–2Corinthian-Casuals (S)7724Romford (N)1–1Tilbury (N)53Romford advance 5–3 on penalties25Billericay Town (P)5–1Barking (N)51826Enfield Town (P)1–1Hertford Town (N)178Enfield Town advance 9–8 on penalties27Potters Bar Town (N)4–1Ware (N)6328Sittingbourne (S)2–0Ramsgate (S)10429VCD Athletic (S)0–3Folkestone Invicta (P)4730Horsham (S)4–2Burgess Hill Town (P)8331Heybridge Swifts4–2Mildenhall Town (N)108
Second round Thirty clubs to have made it through the first round were entered into the draw with two clubs who get a bye, making thirty-two teams.
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)32Sittingbourne (S)1–0Merstham (P)12633Wingate & Finchley (P)2–1Potters Bar Town6034Bury Town (N)0–0Heybridge Swifts179Heybridge Swifts advance 5–4 on penalties35Margate (P)2–2Corinthian-Casuals (S)253Corinthian-Casuals advance 5–3 on penalties36Soham Town Rangers (N)2–3Brentwood Town (N)8837South Park (S)2–5Chipstead (S)6838Romford (N)2–1AFC Hornchurch (N)10539Dulwich Hamlet (P)4–1Greenwich Borough (S)444