1997–98 Isthmian League

The 1997–98 season was the 83rd 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

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Isthmian League
Premier Division
Season1997–98
ChampionsKingstonian
PromotedKingstonian
RelegatedHitchin Town
Oxford City
Yeading
Matches played462
Goals scored1,343 (2.91 per match)
Highest attendance2,019 – KingstonianSutton United, (15 November)
Total attendance206,905
Average attendance448 (-10.0% to previous season)

The Premier Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 18 clubs from the previous season and four new clubs:

Kingstonian won the division and were promoted to the Football Conference to reach the highest level in the club history. Yeading, Hitchin Town and Oxford City finished bottom of the table and relegated to the First Division.

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Kingstonian 42 25 12 5 84 35 +49 87 Promoted to the Football Conference
2 Boreham Wood 42 23 11 8 81 42 +39 80
3 Sutton United 42 22 12 8 83 56 +27 78
4 Dagenham & Redbridge 42 21 10 11 73 50 +23 73
5 Hendon 42 21 10 11 69 50 +19 73
6 Heybridge Swifts 42 18 11 13 74 62 +12 65
7 Enfield 42 18 8 16 66 58 +8 62
8 Basingstoke Town 42 17 11 14 56 60 −4 62
9 Walton & Hersham 42 18 6 18 50 70 −20 60
10 Purfleet 42 15 13 14 57 58 −1 58
11 St Albans City 42 17 7 18 54 59 −5 58
12 Harrow Borough 42 15 10 17 60 67 −7 55
13 Gravesend & Northfleet 42 15 8 19 65 67 −2 53
14 Chesham United 42 14 10 18 71 70 +1 52
15 Bromley 42 13 13 16 53 53 0 52
16 Dulwich Hamlet 42 13 11 18 56 67 −11 50
17 Carshalton Athletic 42 13 9 20 54 77 −23 48
18 Aylesbury United 42 13 8 21 55 70 −15 47
19 Bishop's Stortford 42 14 5 23 53 69 −16 47
20 Yeading 42 12 11 19 49 65 −16 47 Relegated to Division One
21 Hitchin Town 42 8 15 19 45 62 −17 39
22 Oxford City 42 7 9 26 35 76 −41 30
Source: fchd.com rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Division One

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Isthmian League
Division One
Season1997–98
ChampionsAldershot Town
PromotedAldershot Town
Billericay Town
Hampton
RelegatedAbingdon Town
Thame United
Wokingham Town
Matches played462
Goals scored1,382 (2.99 per match)
Highest attendance4,289 – Aldershot TownBerkhamsted Town, (2 May)
Total attendance142,653
Average attendance309 (+2.3% to previous season)

Division One consisted of 22 clubs, including 16 clubs from the previous season and six new clubs: Three clubs relegated from the Premier Division:

Three clubs promoted from Division Two:

Before the start of the season Collier Row & Romford F.C. were renamed Romford.

Aldershot Town won the division and were promoted to the Premier Division along with Billericay Town and Hampton. Wokingham Town, Abingdon Town and Thame United relegated to Division Two.

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Aldershot Town 42 28 8 6 89 36 +53 92 Promoted to the Premier Division
2 Billericay Town 42 25 6 11 78 44 +34 81
3 Hampton 42 22 15 5 75 47 +28 81
4 Maidenhead United 42 25 5 12 76 37 +39 80
5 Uxbridge 42 23 6 13 66 59 +7 75
6 Grays Athletic 42 21 10 11 79 49 +30 73
7 Romford 42 21 8 13 92 59 +33 71
8 Bognor Regis Town 42 20 9 13 77 45 +32 69
9 Leatherhead 42 18 11 13 70 51 +19 65
10 Leyton Pennant 42 17 11 14 66 58 +8 62
11 Chertsey Town 42 16 13 13 83 70 +13 61
12 Worthing 42 17 6 19 64 71 −7 57
13 Berkhamsted Town 42 15 8 19 59 69 −10 53
14 Staines Town 42 13 10 19 54 71 −17 49
15 Croydon 42 13 10 19 47 64 −17 49
16 Barton Rovers 42 11 13 18 53 72 −19 46
17 Wembley 42 10 15 17 38 61 −23 45
18 Molesey 42 10 11 21 47 65 −18 41
19 Whyteleafe 42 10 10 22 48 83 −35 40
20 Wokingham Town 42 7 10 25 41 74 −33 31 Relegated to Division Two
21 Abingdon Town 42 9 4 29 47 101 −54 31
22 Thame United 42 7 9 26 33 96 −63 30
Source: fchd.com rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Division Two

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Isthmian League
Division Two
Season1997–98
ChampionsCanvey Island
PromotedBraintree Town
Canvey Island
Wealdstone
RelegatedCheshunt
Egham Town
Tilbury
Matches played462
Goals scored1,496 (3.24 per match)
Highest attendance1,108 – Canvey IslandBraintree Town, (3 January)
Total attendance78,257
Average attendance169 (+24.3% to previous season)

Division Two consisted of 22 clubs, including 16 clubs from the previous season and six new clubs:

Three clubs relegated from Division One:

Three clubs promoted from Division Three:

Canvey Island won the division and returned to Division One straight after relegation from it along with Braintree Town and Wealdstone, both achieved the second promotions in two seasons. Tilbury relegated to Division Three along with Egham Town and Abingdon Town.

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Canvey Island 42 30 8 4 116 41 +75 98 Promoted to Division One
2 Braintree Town 42 29 11 2 117 45 +72 98
3 Wealdstone 42 24 11 7 81 46 +35 83
4 Bedford Town 42 22 12 8 55 25 +30 78
5 Metropolitan Police 42 21 8 13 80 65 +15 71
6 Wivenhoe Town 42 18 12 12 84 66 +18 66
7 Edgware Town 42 18 10 14 81 65 +16 64
8 Chalfont St Peter 42 17 13 12 63 60 +3 64
9 Northwood 42 17 11 14 65 69 −4 62
10 Windsor & Eton 42 17 7 18 74 72 +2 58
11 Tooting & Mitcham United 42 16 9 17 58 56 +2 57
12 Barking 42 15 12 15 62 75 −13 57
13 Banstead Athletic 42 15 9 18 60 63 −3 54
14 Marlow 42 16 5 21 64 78 −14 53
15 Horsham 42 13 9 20 67 75 −8 48
16 Bracknell Town 42 13 8 21 68 93 −25 47
17 Leighton Town 42 13 6 23 45 78 −33 45
18 Hungerford Town 42 11 11 20 66 77 −11 44
19 Witham Town 42 9 13 20 55 68 −13 40
20 Tilbury 42 9 12 21 57 88 −31 39 Relegated to Division Three
21 Egham Town 42 9 5 28 47 101 −54 32
22 Cheshunt 42 4 10 28 31 90 −59 22
Source: fchd.com rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Division Three

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Isthmian League
Division Three
Season1997–98
ChampionsHemel Hempstead
PromotedHarlow Town
Hemel Hempstead
Hertford Town
Matches played380
Goals scored1,221 (3.21 per match)
Highest attendance480 – Hertford TownWare, (27 December)
Total attendance29,119
Average attendance77 (-31.3% to previous season)

Division Three consisted of 20 clubs, including 14 clubs from the previous season and six new clubs:

Three clubs relegated from Division Two:

Plus:

Hemel Hempstead won the division and returned to Division Two straight after relegation along with Hertford Town and Harlow Town.

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Hemel Hempstead 38 27 6 5 84 28 +56 87 Promoted to Division Two
2 Hertford Town 38 26 5 7 77 31 +46 83
3 Harlow Town 38 24 11 3 81 42 +39 83
4 Camberley Town 38 24 7 7 93 43 +50 79
5 Ford United 38 23 9 6 90 34 +56 78
6 East Thurrock United 38 23 7 8 70 40 +30 76
7 Ware 38 17 6 15 69 57 +12 57
8 Epsom & Ewell 38 17 6 15 68 57 +11 57
9 Aveley 38 16 7 15 65 57 +8 55
10 Corinthian-Casuals 38 16 6 16 59 57 +2 54
11 Hornchurch 38 12 9 17 55 68 −13 45
12 Clapton 38 13 6 19 46 61 −15 45
13 Flackwell Heath 38 12 9 17 50 76 −26 45
14 Croydon Athletic 38 12 7 19 58 63 −5 43
15 Tring Town 38 12 7 19 51 69 −18 43
16 Southall 38 10 6 22 41 85 −44 36
17 Dorking 38 9 6 23 49 94 −45 33
18 Wingate & Finchley 38 7 8 23 46 80 −34 29
19 Lewes 38 7 5 26 34 88 −54 26
20 Kingsbury Town 38 5 3 30 35 91 −56 18
Source: fchd.com rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

See also

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References

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