Southern Counties East Football League

The Southern Counties East Football League is an English football league established in 1966, which has teams based in Kent, south east London, and East Sussex. Until 2013 it was known as the Kent League. There was a previous Kent League which existed from 1894 to 1959.

"Kent Football League" redirects here. For the league of the same name which existed from 1894 until 1959, see Kent Football League (1894–1959).

Southern Counties East Football League [SCEFL]
Founded1966
CountryEngland
Divisions2
Number of teams38
Level on pyramid9–10
Feeder toIsthmian League Division One North or South
Relegation toKent County League
Domestic cup(s)Southern Counties East League Cup, Southern Counties East Challenge Cup
Current championsCray Valley Paper Mills
(2018–19)
Websitescefl.com
2019–20 season

History

The first Kent League was formed in 1894 and folded in 1959. Despite many of the same clubs having spells in membership, there is no direct connection between the two competitions.

The current incarnation of the league was formed in 1966 as the Kent Premier League (changing to Kent Football League in 1968), and in its early years many of its members were reserve sides of Southern League teams. Gradually, the reserve sides were all shifted down into the lower divisions.

In 2013 the league changed its name to the Southern Counties East League, to reflect the fact that many of its member clubs no longer played within the county of Kent.[1]

At the end of the 2015–16 season, the league merged with the Kent Invicta League and the latter became the lower division of the merged league.[2][3]

Sponsorship

For the 2012–13 season, the league was sponsored by Hürlimann Sternbräu lager, brewed by Kentish brewers, Shepherd Neame and was therefore billed as the Kent Hurlimann Football League[4]

Current structure

The league had only one division until the 2015–16 season. In the past it included additional divisions for reserve teams. The league is now at Steps 5–6 of the National League System (which equates to Levels 9–10 of the overall English football league system) since the 2016–17 season, with clubs able to move upwards to the Step 4 divisions of the Isthmian League. Prior to the 2011–12 season, clubs could be relegated to the Kent County League, although in practice this rarely happened. The formation of the new Kent Invicta Football League for the 2011–12 season meant there was a Step 6 league allowing for more frequent promotion/relegation between the Southern Counties East League and the Kent Invicta League. After the merger with the latter league, the Southern Counties East League now has two divisions and is fed by the Kent County League.

List of champions
The area covered by the Southern Counties East Football League is coloured in maroon.
Cray Wanderers celebrate winning the title in 1981
Maidstone United celebrate winning the title in 2006
Year Champions
1966–67 Margate Reserves
1967–68 Margate Reserves
1968–69 Brett Sports
1969–70 Faversham Town
1970–71 Faversham Town
1971–72 Chatham
1972–73 Sheppey United
1973–74 Chatham
1974–75 Sheppey United
1975–76 Sittingbourne
1976–77 Medway
1977–78 Faversham Town
1978–79 Sheppey United
1979–80 Chatham Town
1980–81 Cray Wanderers
1981–82 Erith & Belvedere
1982–83 Crockenhill
1983–84 Sittingbourne
1984–85 Tunbridge Wells
1985–86 Alma Swanley
1986–87 Greenwich Borough
1987–88 Greenwich Borough
1988–89 Hythe Town
1989–90 Faversham Town
1990–91 Sittingbourne
1991–92 Herne Bay
1992–93 Tonbridge
Year Champions
1993–94 Herne Bay
1994–95 Sheppey United
1995–96 Furness
1996–97 Herne Bay
1997–98 Herne Bay
1998–99 Ramsgate
1999–2000 Deal Town
2000–01 Chatham Town
2001–02 Maidstone United
2002–03 Cray Wanderers
2003–04 Cray Wanderers
2004–05 Ramsgate
2005–06 Maidstone United
2006–07 Whitstable Town
2007–08 Thamesmead Town
2008–09 VCD Athletic
2009–10 Faversham Town
2010–11 Hythe Town
2011–12 Herne Bay
2012–13 Erith & Belvedere
2013–14 Whyteleafe
2014–15 Phoenix Sports
2015–16 Greenwich Borough
2016–17 Ashford United
2017–18 Sevenoaks Town
2018–19 Cray Valley Paper Mills
2019–20 Season abandoned
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References
  1. "Kent Football League change name to Southern Counties East Football League for 2013/14 season". Kent Online. 24 June 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  2. "Clubs from the Kent Invicta League and Southern Counties East League give go-ahead to merger". Kent Online. 3 December 2015.
  3. "Rusthall light up Jockey Farm". kentishfootball.co.uk. 6 January 2016.
  4. "Hurlimann lager agree deal to sponsor the Kent Football League". Kent Online. 3 August 2011.
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