Clapton CFC Men’s First Team have been allocated in the same division, the Southern Counties East Football League Division One, for a second season.

Today the FA have announced which teams will play in what division across the fotball pyramid for the 2025/26 season and have opted to keep Clapton CFC in the SCEFL. We’re now the only team north of the river.

The line-up for the 19 team division, with new teams in bold:

• AFC Greenwich Borough
• Banstead Athletic
• Bridon Ropes
• Chessington & Hook United
• Clapton Community
• Croydon
• FC Elmstead
• Forest Hill Park
• Greenways
• Halls Athletic
• Lewisham Borough
• Lordswood
• Rochester United
• Sheppey Sports
• Snodland Town or Lydd Town
• Sporting Club Thamesmead
• Staplehurst Monarchs
• Tooting Bec
• Welling Town

Lordswood and one of Snodland Town and Lydd Town will join us via relegation from the division above; Banstead Athletic and Chessington & Hook United from lateral movement from the Combined Counties League; while AFC Greenwich Borough appear to be a new team.

The departing teams are Faversham Strike Force and Soul Tower Hamlets, via promotion; and Canterbury City and Meridian VP, via relegation.

Our first season at this Step 6 level was played in the Eastern Counties League Division One South, against teams in East London and Essex, but then we were laterally moved by the FA to the SCEFL for 2024/25.

The FA’s aim was to try to balance out the numbers of teams across divisions at our Step 6 level with the SCEFL having run at 16 teams the previous season.

Our appeal against this move to play south of the river Thames was rejected last summer. Earlier this year, we formally applied for a move back to the ECL which has obviously been rejected.

The Men’s First Team committee have indicated they will appeal once again this summer.