Stanway Rovers and Woodbridge Town certainly gave notice of their title aspirations on Wednesday evening. Stanway came away from Long Melford with an eye catching 9-1 victory, including a hat trick from Andrew Wood. But it was Woodbridge who went to the top of the table after beating Walsham le Willows 5-1, with Mark Ray netting a brace.
Top of the Premier Division
Mulbarton Wanderers missed a chance to move back to the top of First Division North after crashing 4-0 at Great Yarmouth Town on Wednesday. Ipswich Wanderers had taken over top spot after coming from behind to beat Haverhill Borough 3-1 on Tuesday evening.
Norwich United maintained pole position in the Premier Division with a 3-1 success at Brantham Athletic, with Ben Fowkes striking twice in the final 10 minutes. The other three teams with 100% league records also won, although Woodbridge Town and Stanway Rovers both had to come from behind. Haverhill Rovers‘ 4-2 home win over Whitton United was more straightforward.
In First Division North it’s Mulbarton Wanderers who continue to set the pace, beating Debenham LC 4-1. Downham Town are also looking good with a third successive away victory and a third successive clean sheet, this time 2-0 at Framlingham Town. Ipswich Wanderers won 2-1 at Fakenham Town to go third and new boys Sheringham are up to fourth after ending March Town United’s good start with a 2-0 win in Cambridgeshire.
Home wins for Halstead Town (1-0 against Burnham Ramblers) and Little Oakley (2-0 over Fire United) have seen them move into the top two positions in First Division South, but several teams below them have games in hand at this early stage of the season.
Seventeen Thurlow Nunn League sides have won their Extra Preliminary Round ties to reach the Preliminary Round on 24th August.
The outstanding result was probably earned by Stanway Rovers who won 2-1 at Step 4 Hullbridge Sports, while five First Division sides knocked out Step 5 opponents. March Town United beat Premier Division leaders Norwich United 2-1, Barkingside overcame Stansted 4-1, Harwich & Parkeston left Ilford with a 2-1 victory, Halstead Town won 3-1 at Sawbridgeworth Town. and White Ensign beat Woodford Town after a replay that went to extra time.
Josh Mayhew scored a hat trick for Stowmarket Town in the biggest win, 6-0 away to Clapton. The highest attendance was probably the 300 plus at Mulbarton Wanderers, who made their FA Cup debut with a 0-0 draw against Boston Town, before losing out in a Lincolnshire replay.
The Preliminary Round on 24th August looks like this:-
Thirty three Thurlow Nunn League teams begin their road to Wembley with FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round ties this weekend. Four of those teams – White Ensign, Norwich CBS, Mulbarton Wanderers and Coggeshall United are making their debuts in the competition.
There have been several changes of date, kick-off time and venue since the draw was made. Full details below:-
Friday 9 August, ko 7.45
Woodford Town v. White Ensign
Friday 10 August, ko 8.00pm
Hackney Wick v. Framlingham Town(at Framlingham Town FC)
Saturday 10 August, ko 3.00pm
Biggleswade v. Mildenhall Town
Biggleswade United v. Swaffham Town
Bugbrooke St Michaels v. Norwich CBS
Clapton v. Stowmarket Town(at Aveley FC)
FC Clacton v. St Margaretsbury
Gorleston v. Pinchbeck United
Great Yarmouth Town v. Wellingborough Whitworths
Haverhill Rovers v. Colney Heath
Holbeach United v. Fakenham Town
Hullbridge Sports v. Stanway Rovers
Ilford v. Harwich & Parkeston
Leyton Athletic v. Cockfosters (at Cockfosters FC)
A Liam Jackson hat trick helped Norwich United to an 8-0 win over Gorleston on Tuesday evening and to the top of the Premier Division. Ely City, Swaffham Town and Stanway Rovers are other sides to have won their opening two matches. Jordan Foster grabbed a hat trick in Ely City’s 3-1 success over recently relegated Mildenhall Town. There were 297 spectators at fancied Stowmarket Town to witness their 3-0 win over Brantham Athletic.
Mulbarton Wanderers continued their free scoring start to the season, beating Norwich CBS 4-1 in First Division North. March Town United are the other side in the division with two wins out of two so far, while Sheringham grabbed their first ever Thurlow Nunn League win by beating Great Yarmouth Town via a single penalty. Match of the night may well have been at Framlingham Town where the home side came back from a 3-0 half time deficit against Ipswich Wanderers to draw 5-5.
Holland lead First Division South after a 2-2 draw at Harwich & Parkeston, a match watched by a crowd of 219. Meanwhile Halstead Town came away from Brightingsea Regent Reserves with a 5-1 success after losing their opening game on Saturday 5-0 at home to Wormley Rovers.
The 2019/20 Thurlow Nunn League Season is almost here.
First matches are on Friday 2nd August with curtain raisers at Thetford Town and May & Baker. Thetford Town are at home to Walsham le Willows in the Premier Division, while in First Division South May & Baker entertain White Ensign at heir new home at Parkfields, Aveley. Kick offs are at 7.45pm.
Saturday the 3rd sees most of the other teams begin their campaigns with a full list of fixtures accessible via a link from the Tables, Fixtures and Results tab on this website.
Fixtures for the Premier Division, the two First Divisions and the Reserve League have been released and are available on the Full Time website (accessible by a link from the Tables, Fixtures and Results tab on this website.
As the non-league structure moves towards a more symmetrical pyramid for season 2020-21 the following promotions and relegations will apply for Season 2019-20:-
Premier Division
Top team automatically promoted to Step 4.
Second placed team will be promoted to Step 4 if one of the 4 highest positioned teams (on a points per game basis) across the 11 most southerly based Step 5 leagues. If not one of the 4 highest positioned teams then the second paced team will have a play-off match against one of the bottom placed Step 4 teams with the winner securing a Step 4 place and the loser to play at Step 5 in 2020-21.
The bottom team will be relegated unless it is one of the two highest positioned teams (on a points per game basis) across the 14 Step 5 leagues.
First Division North and South
Top 4 teams from each division automatically promoted to Step 5. This can probably be defined as top 4 eligible teams.
Bottom 2 teams in each division liable to relegation to Step 7.
Footprint
With an increase in the number of Step 5 leagues from 2020-21 and a decrease in the number of Step 6 leagues it is likely that the footprints of the Thurlow Nunn League divisions will be slightly changed.
The Thurlow Nunn League AGM was informed that the 2019/20 constitutions for the Premier and the two First Divisions remain as previously advised by the FA but were subject to clarification on some outstanding issues.
The 2019/20 constitutions for the Reserve and Youth Leagues were agreed as follows:-
