The 2026–27 Southern Counties East Football League season is the 61st in the history of the Southern Counties East Football League, a football competition in South East England.
The league comprises two divisions: the Premier Division (at level 9 of the English football league system, Step 5 National League System) and the First Division at level 10 or Step 6. Additionally, there are two cup competitions: the League Challenge Cup, a knockout competition open to all the league's clubs; and the Division One Cup, a knockout competition for First Division clubs only.
Premier Division
Four clubs had left the division after the previous season: Hythe Town, relegated to Division One Punjab United, promoted as promotion play-off winners to the Isthmian League South East Division Stansfeld, relegated to Division One Whitstable Town, promoted as champions to the Isthmian League South East Division
The 2026–27 Premier Division club allocations from the FA Leagues Committee (subject to appeal) were announced on 15 May 2026, and the constitution of the division was adopted at the league's AGM on 25 June 2026. The division comprises 18 clubs, 15 remaining from the previous season plus 3 additions: AFC Greenwich Borough, promoted as champions of the First Division Beckenham Town, relegated from the Isthmian League South East Division SE Dons, promoted as promotion play-off winners of the First Division
Holmesdale were renamed Petts Wood & Holmesdale following their merger with local amateur club Petts Wood.
League Table
Results Table
Stadia and locations
ClubLocationStadiumCapacityAFC Greenwich Borough Eltham GB10 Sports Bearsted Otham Otham Sports Ground 1,000Beckenham Town Beckenham Eden Park Avenue 4,000Chislehurst Glebe Chislehurst Foxbury Avenue 1,200Corinthian Longfield Gay Dawn Farm 2,000Erith & Belvedere Welling Acclaim Handling Community Stadium(groundshare with Welling United) 4,000Faversham Strike Force Whitstable The YMS Stadium (groundshare with Whitstable Town) 3,000Fisher Rotherhithe St Paul's Sports Ground 2,500Hollands & Blair Gillingham Star Meadow 1,000Petts Wood & Holmesdale Bromley Oakley Road Kennington Kingsnorth Greenbox Stadium (groundshare with Ashford United) 3,200Larkfield & New Hythe Wanderers Larkfield Eden Estates Stadium 3,000Phoenix Sports Barnehurst The Christopher Russell Stadium 2,000Rusthall Rusthall The Jockey Farm Stadium 1,500SE Dons Crayford The Oakwood 5,000Snodland Town Snodland G I Landscape Stadium 1,000Sutton Athletic Hextable Capital Roofing Community Stadium Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells Culverden Stadium 3,750 source: SCEFL Club Directory 2026–27: Premier Division
First Division
Three clubs had left the division after the previous season: AFC Greenwich Borough, promoted as champions to the Premier Division Chessington & Hook United, relegated to the Surrey Premier League SE Dons, promoted as promotion play-off winners to the Premier Division
The 2026–27 First Division club allocations from the FA Leagues Committee (subject to appeal) were announced on 15 May 2026, and the constitution of the division was adopted at the league's AGM on 25 June 2026. The division comprises 18 clubs, 15 remaining from the previous season plus 3 additions: Hythe Town, relegated from the Premier Division Minster, promoted as runners-up from the Kent County League Premier Division Stansfeld, relegated from the Premier Division
League Table
Results Table
Stadia and locations
ClubLocationStadiumCapacityBanstead Athletic Tadworth Merland Rise 1,500Bridon Ropes Charlton Meridian Sports & Social Club Croydon Croydon Croydon Arena 8,000FC Elmstead Tonbridge Yeomans Community Stadium Lower Road(groundshare with Tonbridge Angels) Greenways Strood Rochester Utilities Stadium(groundshare with Rochester United) 1,000Halls Athletic Dartford Princes Park (groundshare with Dartford) 4,100Hythe Town Hythe Reachfields Stadium 3,000Lewisham Borough Catford Alex Lee Ladywell Arena Lordswood Lordswoood K G Property Stadium 600Lydd Town Lydd The Lindsey Field 1,000Minster Margate Hartsdown Park (groundshare with Margate) 3,000Rochester United Strood Rochester Utilities Stadium 1,000Sheppey Sports Isle of Sheppey Holm Park (groundshare with Sheppey United) 1,530Sporting Club Thamesmead Thamesmead The Masher Brothers Community Stadium(groundshare with Erith Town) 800Stansfeld Eltham The Artic Stadium (groundshare withCray Valley Paper Mills) 1,550Staplehurst Monarchs Staplehurst Jubilee Sports Ground 1,000Tooting Bec Tooting Bec NRT Stadium (groundshare with Chipstead) 2,000Welling Town Welling Erith Leisure Centre Community Stadium source: SCEFL Club Directory 2026–27: First Division
League Challenge Cup The 2026–27 SCEFL Challenge Cup was a knock-out competition contested by all 36 clubs from both the Premier and First divisions (indicated by and respectively in the results listings below).
First round The first round was contested by eight teams over four ties with the remaining 28 teams receiving a bye to the next round.
TieHome team ScoreAway team 1 Lewisham Borough 0–1 Bridon Ropes 2 Corinthian 2–0 Welling Town 3 Sporting Club Thamesmead 3–1 Tunbridge Wells 4 Lordswood 3–0 Bearsted
Second round The second round comprised sixteen ties featuring the 32 teams remaining in the competition.
TieHome team ScoreAway team 1 Fisher v Beckenham Town 2 Tooting Bec v Croydon 3 AFC Greenwich Borough v Phoenix Sports 4 Sporting Club Thamesmead v FC Elmstead 5 Chislehurst Glebe v Stansfeld 6 Erith & Belvedere v Bridon Ropes 7 Corinthian v Rusthall 8 SE Dons v Sutton Athletic 9 Banstead Athletic v Petts Wood & Holmesdale 10 Halls Athletic v Snodland Town 11 Lordswood v Rochester United 12 Larkfield & New Hythe Wanderers v Greenways 13 Kennington v Sheppey Sports 14 Hollands & Blair v Staplehurst Monarchs 15 Faversham Strike Force v Hythe Town 16 Lydd Town v Minster source:
Division One Cup The 2026–27 SCEFL Division One Cup is a supplementary knock-out competition contested by the eighteen First Division clubs.
First round Four clubs were drawn into two first round ties, with byes for the other 14 clubs TieHome teamScoreAway team 1 Rochester United v Sheppey Sports 2 Tooting Bec v Welling Town
Second round The remaining sixteen clubs were drawn into eight second round ties TieHome teamScoreAway team 1 First round match 1 winner v Minster 2 Greenways v Lordswood 3 Hythe Town v Lydd Town 4 Croydon v Sporting Club Thamesmead 5 First round match 2 winner v Bridon Ropes 6 Lewisham Borough v FC Elmstead 7 Stansfeld v Banstead Athletic 8 Halls Athletic v Staplehurst Monarchs source:
References