The Sevenoaks & District Football League (S&DFL) has announced it’s constitution for the 2022/23 season and there are a few surprises as teams move somewhat freely between divisions post season with little to no explanation coming from the league themselves.
Southborough and Nomads were both relegated from the Premier Division with Blackham & Ashurst being demoted as well despite two team pulling out of the division mid-season. Penshurst Park and Leigh were given automatic promotion and Ide Hill 3rd have been handed a bit of luck by being boosted up the league after finishing third in Division One last year. Waterbury Wanderers complete the Premier Division after applying to the league as a new club.
Halls AFC 3rd and Horsmonden are promoted to Division One with Tunbridge Wells Foresters another new club to the league. Division Two see’s Swanley Oaks and Rusthall Development relegated from last season alongside Division Three promoted sides AFC Green Court, TJFC Seniors and Cudham United. AFC Orpington re-join the league after a few years in the wilderness.
In Division Three, new teams Cudham United Reserves and Tunbridge Wells Foresters Reserves join recently relegated Orpington Reserves and West Farleigh Reserves whilst Westerham Reserves are promoted after finishing second in Division Four last year.
FC Borough Green are the last new club to join the league this season and they will join Kings Hill Development and St Lawrence Reserves in Division Four after they were relegated from Division Three. Noticeably missing from this season’s constitution are the following club and or teams: Green St Green Rovers Reserves, Halls AFC 3rd, Kings Hill Reserves, Seal and Swanley.
The S&DFL and associated cups have been around for many years now, with plenty of football clubs coming and going, however with the free movement of clubs between divisions post season, we wonder if there is any point in teams or clubs going for promotion at all. They could simply raise a hand at the end of the year and say “we should be promoted not them”.
Points won on the pitch should stand at the end of the year, with teams being promoted and relegated against the pre-season rules. If a team is too good for a particular division, then let them climb the ladder accordingly, all new teams should start their S&DFL journey in the bottom division. We hope that the S&DFL address this issue when they plan their constitution for the 2023/24 season.
The new constitutions are below and provide an explanation of how the teams got there:
Premier Division
| # | Team | 2021/22 season |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC Revo | Won Premier Division title |
| 2 | Hawkenbury | Finished 3rd in Premier Division |
| 3 | Ide Hill 3rd | Boosted from Division One (3rd place) |
| 4 | Leigh | Promoted from Division One (2nd place) |
| 5 | Malgo | Finished 7th in Premier Division |
| 6 | Penshurst Park | Promoted from Division One (winners) |
| 7 | Potters | Finished 2nd in Premier Division |
| 8 | St Lawrence | Finished 4th in Premier Division |
| 9 | Wateringbury Wanderers | New club to the league |
| 10 | Westerham | Finished 6th in Premier Division |
Division One
| # | Team | 2021/22 season |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blackham & Ashurst | Demoted from Premier Division |
| 2 | Eynsford | Finished 6th in Division One |
| 3 | Fleetdown United A | Finished 7th in Division One |
| 4 | Horsmonden | Promoted from Division Two (2nd place) |
| 5 | Halls AFC 3rd | Promoted from Division Two (winners) |
| 6 | Kemsing United | Finished 4th in Division One |
| 7 | Nomads | Relegated from Premier Division |
| 8 | Southborough | Relegated from Premier Division |
| 9 | Tunbridge Wells Foresters | New club to the league |
| 10 | Tunbridge Wells Youth | Finished 5th in Division One |
Division Two
| # | Team | 2021/22 season |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AFC Green Court | Promoted from Division Three (2nd place) |
| 2 | AFC Orpington | New club to league |
| 3 | Chipstead Development | Finished 4th in Division Two |
| 4 | Cudham United | Boosted from Division Three (3rd place) |
| 5 | Green St Green Reserves | Finished 3rd in Division Two |
| 6 | Ightham | Finished 7th in Division Two |
| 7 | Pembury | Finished 6th in Division Two |
| 8 | Roselands | Finished 5th in Division Two |
| 9 | Rusthall Development | Relegated from Division One |
| 10 | Swanley Oaks | Relegated from Division One |
| 11 | TJFC Seniors | Promoted from Division Three (winners) |
| 12 | West Kingsdown Reserves | Finished 9th in Division Two |
Division Three
| # | Team | 2021/22 season |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borough Green | Finished 7th in Division Three |
| 2 | Cudham United Reserves | New team to league |
| 3 | Five Oak Green | Finished 6th in Division Three |
| 4 | Kemsing United Reserves | Finished 5th in Division Three |
| 5 | Leigh Reserves | Finished 8th in Division Three |
| 6 | Orpington Reserves | Relegated from Division Two |
| 7 | Tunbridge Wells Foresters Reserves | New club to league |
| 8 | Westerham Reserves | Promoted from Division Four (2nd place) |
| 9 | West Farleigh Reserves | Relegated from Division Two |
| 10 | Woodlands | Finished 4th in Division Three |
Division Four
| # | Team | 2021/22 season |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dartford Celtic Reserves | Finished 4th in Division Four |
| 2 | FC Borough Green | New club to league |
| 3 | Hawkenbury Reserves | Finished 8th in Division Four |
| 4 | Ide Hill 4th | Finished 10th in Division Four |
| 5 | Kings Hill Development | Relegated from Division Three |
| 6 | St Lawrence Reserves | Relegated from Division Three |
| 7 | Swanley Rangers | Finished 3rd in Division Four |
| 8 | Tatsfield Rovers | Finished 6th in Division Four |
| 9 | Weald Wolves | Finished 7th in Division Four |
| 10 | Wilderpark | Finished 11th in Division Four |
