2017-18 Isthmian Leagues

[Paddy]

As the perennial Isthmian dweller of 1FF I guess it's time to start the new season thread.

Premier Division: Billericay Town, Brightlingsea Regent, Burgess Hill Town, Dorking Wanderers, Dulwich Hamlet, Enfield Town, Folkestone Invicta, Harlow Town, Harrow Borough, Hendon, Kingstonian, Leatherhead, Leiston, Lowestoft Town, Margate, Merstham, Metropolitan Police, Needham Market, Staines Town, Thurrock, Tonbridge Angels, Tooting and Mitcham United, Wingate and Finchley, Worthing.

Division One North: AFC Hornchurch, AFC Sudbury, Aveley, Barking, Bowers and Pitsea, Brentwood Town, Bury Town, Canvey Island, Cheshunt, Dereham Town, Grays Athletic, Haringey Borough, Heybridge Swifts, London Colney, Maldon and Tiptree, Mildenhall Town, Norwich United, Potters Bar Town, Romford, Soham Town Rangers, Tilbury, Waltham Abbey, Ware, Witham Town.

Division One South: Ashford United, Carshalton Athletic, Chipstead, Corinthian-Casuals, Cray Wanderers, East Grinstead Town, Faversham Town, Greenwich Borough, Guernsey FC, Hastings United, Haywards Heath Town, Herne Bay, Horsham, Hythe Town, Lewes, Molesey, Phoenix Sports, Ramsgate, Sittingbourne, South Park, Thamesmead Town, VCD Athletic, Walton Casuals, Whyteleafe.

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Can't look past the latest moneyed Isthmian shit-or-bust merchants Billericay Town for the Premier title; that, their love for R Kelly & penchant for slapping children should make for an interesting season up there in Essex. Other then that my only predictions are Dulwich Hamlet will lose in the Play Offs again & Dorking Wanderers will be the dark horses of the division.

 

[Murphy]

Up the Barking. Looking forward to seeing how Aveley get on in their first season in their new stadium as well.

You would think that division is Hornchurch's to lose, really.

 

[Paddy]

In my limited knowledge of the North of the Isthmian catchment area I'm inclined to agree about Hornchurch. Potentially Canvey Island to bounce straight back up too.

 

[Aberstone]

Tamplin's six wonder signings have been announced, in addition to Matt Paine joining from Boreham Wood:

Rob Evans from Wrexham
Ricky Modeste from Dover
Louie Theophanous from Chelmsford
Danny Waldren from Welling
Dan Walker from Welling
Josh Urquhart from Wealdstone

They're welcome to Urquhart who'd been in the gym last season and consequently lost his one decent attribute, athleticism. That said, their strikeforce of Bricknell, Cunnington, Robinson and now Theophanous is ridiculous from the Isthmian.

Edit: Sam Deering had just been announced too, but they've since removed the tweet. Yet to officially sign.

 

[The Paranoid Pineapple]

Just a quick comment on our last game at Kingsmeadow (as I didn't get round to posting anything earlier) - really enjoyed the game vs Havant. Was rather poignant but a really good occasion and was nice to see a decent turnout. In retrospect I wish I'd gone behind the goal rather than the main stand, as probably didn't get as good an atmosphere, but nevermind. Slightly strange conclusion with Havant winning the title, but I'll take nothing but good memories from the day. Kudos to Craig Edwards too. He's done a great job in the little time he's been at the club. Really steadied the ship and it was great to go into that last game in the knowledge that we were all but mathematically safe (a prospect that seemed unlikely a couple of weeks earlier)!

On to this season... well, we've lost Wells and Inns, as well as SJB, so that's a bit of a blow to our backline. On the plus side we have announced that five players have agreed terms for the new season: Rob Tolfrey, Aaron Goode, Aaron Lamont, Tom Derry and Lewis Taylor (with, seemingly, more to follow). Particularly great news about Tolfs (him and Goode are real mainstays and he's a very fine keeper). In all honestly I'm rather relaxed about player recruitment this year as Edwards is an experienced manager at this level and will have good contacts. Nothing could possibly be worse than last year when we went into the new season without a functioning midfield...

 

[Meadow]

Blimey, Leatherhead seem to be going for it. Not sure about inexperienced Sammy Moore as manager, but they've signed both Jack Midson and Sean Clohessy.

 

[Aberstone]

Margate are assembling what looks a decent side too, I rated Tom Wynter at Dartford last season but offering out a 2 year deal would suggest lessons once again haven't been learnt down in Thanet.

 

[Silver Stone]

Expecting them to pick up one or both of Flisher and Mills now they're on the outs.

 

[doveranddover]

Margate are assembling what looks a decent side too, I rated Tom Wynter at Dartford last season but offering out a 2 year deal would suggest lessons once again haven't been learnt down in Thanet.

Wynter's a pretty good full back. Works as a plumber so would prob have stayed at dartford if they hadn't gone 'full time'

 

[Paddy]

K's have signed left sided defender/midfielder Toby Little from Chesham.

 

[Aberstone]

K's have signed left sided defender/midfielder Toby Little from Chesham.

We signed him ahead of our first season in the Conference South and then binned him off after a couple of months. That said, he's had a decent couple of years at Chesham and is probably a very good acquisition at Step 3.

 

[Paddy]

http://nonleague.pitchero.com/news/...sion/edwards-vow-incredible-kingstonian-fans/

I cannot wait for the new season with this guy leading us!

 

[Kim Mitten]

More on the Billericay signings, tamplin has made the not at all grandiose comment that it's made Billericay 'the best non league team on the planet'
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/sport/15...___the_best_non_league_team_on_the_planet___/

 

[Aberstone]

Which is funny when Chelmsford or Dartford knock them out in the 1st round proper of the Trophy.

 

[rudebwoyben]

Which is funny when Chelmsford or Dartford knock them out in the 1st round proper of the Trophy.

It would be even funnier if Finchley beat them in front of 150 down Summers Lane...

 

[Kim Mitten]

Tamplin's thrown his toys out of his pram after the Concord chairman tweeted this: "Spent less than £2,500 a week getting out of the Ryman Premier League #justsaying.”
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/sport/15...y_following__personal_and_negative_comments_/

 

[doveranddover]

National League powerhouses Leyton Orient

 

[Paddy]

Love how it starts off all 'me me me' then goes on to make out its about fan safety!

I wonder if I can get one of our chairmen to slate him on twitter then he'll not turn up to our league fixtures & award us 6 points.

 

[Riverside64]

A change to Isthmian Division 1 North. Issues at London Colney mean they won't be promoted to the ILD1N. Hertford Town who finished runners-up in the Spartan South Midland Premier take their place.

http://www.hertsad.co.uk/sport/foot...ey-could-be-on-the-verge-of-folding-1-5050917

On an Urchins note we've re-signed most of our defence from last season (Mott, Bentley, Cooper and Lee) + midfielder Chouman. Signed Sean Roberts from Cray and Theo Fairweather-Johnson from Phoenix.

 

[Paddy]

Blimey, Leatherhead seem to be going for it. Not sure about inexperienced Sammy Moore as manager, but they've signed both Jack Midson and Sean Clohessy.

I know right. It's almost like they've found a new revenue stream from some where!

 

[Riverside64]

The Bostik league then ....
http://www.isthmian.co.uk/sponsors-bostik-kick-off-new-era-37005

 

[Paddy]

That's all 3 of the leagues got by the Bostik comoamy then. At least this one retains a bit of autonomy & isn't called the EvoStick South East League.

Shame Ryman has ended the longest sponsorship in football. Any milage that this is to do with Ryman's owner Theo Paphitis's side Walton & Hersham not being in the divisions?

 

[Kim Mitten]

Get ready everybody Billericay have their own TV show: http://www.echo-news.co.uk/sport/15361993.Filming_begins_for_new_Billericay_Town_documentary/

 

[Paddy]

Bill & Rickay TV - because we want to see Leatherhead fans get slapped in slow motion from multiple angles to the backing of R Kelly music.

Fair play to them for pretending they've already achieved all those promotions they are targeting though.

Gives me an idea, as a non league collective on 1FF we should play shit or bust bingo... every time a tin pot side gets unsustainable investment we should wager on how long it will last before they 'AFC' it & how many steps of the National League System they manage to climb.

 

[Raymondo316]

It sounds like Alan Bowers who wanted to buy Orient is now getting involved with Billericay.
https://twitter.com/glenntamplin/status/879730669768896512

 

[rudebwoyben]

It sounds like Alan Bowers who wanted to buy Orient is now getting involved with Billericay.
https://twitter.com/glenntamplin/status/879730669768896512

Judging by his correspondence with the LOFT, it sounds like he, Tamplin and Billericay are made for each other.

 

[Shrimpurh]

Billericay will win the league. If it starts to go wrong Tamplin will just chuck more money at it. Have to say if someone offered me a Southend promotion or for it go totally tits up for Billericay it would be a hard choice

 

[E10rifle]

Bowers and Tamplin are a match made in, well, Gants Hill's Faces probably. Turned Rickay into a vulgar little club.

 

[Paddy]

Billericay will win the league. If it starts to go wrong Tamplin will just chuck more money at it. Have to say if someone offered me a Southend promotion or for it go totally tits up for Billericay it would be a hard choice

Winning the Isthmian will be a cakewalk. Only Margate has managed to miss the championship in a full season of shit-or-bust (they still went up in the play offs mind).

It's how they cope up one level in the Conference South that'll be interesting to see.

 

[Pink Panther]

Winning the Isthmian will be a cakewalk. Only Margate has managed to miss the championship in a full season of shit-or-bust (they still went up in the play offs mind).

Couldn't disagree more. I thik there's a very good chance of themcoming no closer to winning the championship than Margate did. A whole squad of players who are only there for the cash when they really ought to be playing at least one level higher, and the weakest manager in the league. Unless he appoints a proper manager and lets him get on with the job without interference I believe they'll come unstuck too frequently to be champions. Tamplin himself comes across as impulsive and unstable, and when things start going wrong an a Tuesday night away to a well organsied and better coached team in front of a small crowd some of those 'galacticos' may well start wondering why they're there.