The basics
There are still twenty-two clubs in the division, two to be promoted and four relegated as last year. The difference in 2026/7 is that the play-off places will be opened up to six clubs, with fourth to seventh playing a preliminary round before the winners go forward to meet second and third placed finishers in the semi-finals. At least that was the proposal but I’m still waiting to hear if the FA has accepted it. The assumption is that they will as clubs have voted for the recommendation albeit that it was not 100% in favour.
The new clubs
Via promotion
To be clear none of them are new to us though we haven’t met Winslow United before in league football. Our only meeting was back in 1983’s FA Vase, a 3-0 away defeat in Buckinghamshire. They were promoted from the Spartan South Midlands League in which they finished second on goal difference to Haringey Borough. The north London side have a complicated history which involves mergers and name changes. Taking those previous names into account we’ve been meeting them for over a hundred years. Our most recent meeting was a 0-0 home draw in the Isthmian League Division One (North). Borough’s White Hart Lane ground has an artificial surface.
Via relegation
Royston Town drop down from the Southern Premier (Central) after nine seasons at Step 3. We’ve been playing them since 1950 though league meetings didn’t start until the first day of 1985. They had a poor 2025/6 and only avoided bottom place in the table thanks to goal difference. Until last season they were seen as a club with substantial financial backing. Will they be looking to stabilise or are they hoping to follow Hitchin back up?
The same question coud be asked about Potters Bar Town who have just ended eight seasons at the higher level. They too had good financial backing and we lost good players to both clubs over time. The Scholars are another club to have invested in an artificial surface.
Through lateral transfer
Didcot Town return to our divison after two seasons in division one (south). I expect they’re glad to swop visits to the likes of Barnstaple, Exmouth, Falmouth and Tiverton for journeys to Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. Our last meeting was in the play-off final of 2023, a match settled by the penalty that never was. Last season they finished thirteenth in the south division. Waltham Abbey meanwhile were beaten in the Isthmian north play-off semi-final after finishing third in the table. It was their third successive appearance in the Step 4 play-offs and we can expect them to be among the pace setters again.
Where are they all?
The map showing all our league opponents’ grounds has been updated and is available here. The map will be updated with opponents from other competitions when they become known.
