1998–99 Isthmian League

The 1998–99 season was the 84th 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

Isthmian League
Premier Division

Season	1998–99
Champions	Sutton United
Promoted	Sutton United
Relegated	Bishop's Stortford Bromley
Matches played	462
Goals scored	1,356 (2.94 per match)
Highest attendance	2,810 – Basingstoke Town – Aldershot Town, (28 December)
Total attendance	263,644
Average attendance	571 (+27.4% to previous season)
← 1997–98 1999–2000 →

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

• Aldershot Town, promoted as champions of Division One
• Billericay Town, promoted as runners-up in Division One
• Hampton, promoted as third in Division One
• Slough Town, demoted from the Football Conference

Sutton United won the division and were promoted to the Football Conference. Bishop's Stortford and Bromley finished bottom of the table and relegated to Division One, while Carshalton Athletic were reprieved after Wealdstone, finished third in Division One, were refused promotion due to ground grading.

At the end of the season Hampton changed name into Hampton & Richmond Borough.

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Sutton United	42	27	7	8	89	39	+50	88	Promoted to the Football Conference
2	Aylesbury United	42	23	8	11	67	38	+29	77
3	Dagenham & Redbridge	42	20	13	9	71	44	+27	73
4	Purfleet	42	22	7	13	71	52	+19	73
5	Enfield	42	21	9	12	73	49	+24	72
6	St Albans City	42	17	17	8	71	52	+19	68
7	Aldershot Town	42	16	14	12	83	48	+35	62
8	Basingstoke Town	42	17	10	15	63	53	+10	61
9	Harrow Borough	42	17	9	16	72	66	+6	60
10	Gravesend & Northfleet	42	18	6	18	54	53	+1	60
11	Slough Town	42	16	11	15	60	53	+7	59
12	Billericay Town	42	15	13	14	54	56	−2	58
13	Hendon	42	16	9	17	70	71	−1	57
14	Boreham Wood	42	14	15	13	59	63	−4	57
15	Chesham United	42	15	9	18	58	79	−21	54
16	Dulwich Hamlet	42	14	8	20	53	63	−10	50
17	Heybridge Swifts	42	13	9	20	51	85	−34	48
18	Walton & Hersham	42	12	7	23	50	77	−27	43
19	Hampton	42	10	12	20	41	71	−30	42
20	Carshalton Athletic	42	10	10	22	47	82	−35	40	Reprieved from relegation
21	Bishop's Stortford	42	9	10	23	49	90	−41	37	Relegated to Division One
22	Bromley	42	8	11	23	50	72	−22	35

Source: fchd.com rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Division One

Isthmian League
Division One

Season	1998–99
Champions	Canvey Island
Promoted	Canvey Island Hitchin Town
Relegated	Berkhamsted Town Molesey Wembley
Matches played	462
Goals scored	1,209 (2.62 per match)
Highest attendance	1,058 – Worthing – Bognor Regis Town, (28 December)
Total attendance	93,147
Average attendance	202 (-34.6% to previous season)
← 1997–98 1999–2000 →

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

Two clubs relegated from the Premier Division:

• Hitchin Town
• Oxford City
• Yeading

Three clubs promoted from Division Two:

• Braintree Town
• Canvey Island
• Wealdstone

Canvey Island won the division to get a second consecutive promotion. Hitchin Town finished second and returned to the Premier Division at the first attempt, while Wealdtone, finished third, were refused promotion due to ground grading. Molesey, Wembley and Berkhamsted Town relegated to Division Two.

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Canvey Island	42	28	6	8	76	41	+35	90	Promoted to the Premier Division
2	Hitchin Town	42	25	10	7	75	38	+37	85
3	Wealdstone	42	26	6	10	75	48	+27	84
4	Braintree Town	42	20	10	12	75	48	+27	70
5	Bognor Regis Town	42	20	8	14	63	44	+19	68
6	Grays Athletic	42	19	11	12	56	42	+14	68
7	Oxford City	42	16	14	12	58	51	+7	62
8	Croydon	42	16	13	13	53	53	0	61
9	Chertsey Town	42	14	16	12	57	57	0	58
10	Romford	42	14	15	13	58	63	−5	57
11	Maidenhead United	42	13	15	14	50	46	+4	54
12	Worthing	42	13	13	16	47	61	−14	52
13	Leyton Pennant	42	13	12	17	62	70	−8	51
14	Uxbridge	42	13	11	18	54	51	+3	50
15	Barton Rovers	42	11	15	16	43	49	−6	48
16	Yeading	42	12	10	20	51	55	−4	46
17	Leatherhead	42	12	9	21	48	59	−11	45
18	Whyteleafe	42	13	6	23	51	72	−21	45
19	Staines Town	42	10	15	17	33	57	−24	45
20	Molesey	42	8	20	14	35	52	−17	44	Relegated to Division Two
21	Wembley	42	10	10	22	36	71	−35	40
22	Berkhamsted Town	42	10	7	25	53	81	−28	37

Source: fchd.com rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Division Two

Isthmian League
Division Two

Season	1998–99
Champions	Bedford Town
Promoted	Bedford Town Harlow Town Thame United
Relegated	Abingdon Town Bracknell Town Hertford Town
Matches played	462
Goals scored	1,495 (3.24 per match)
Highest attendance	806 – Bedford Town – Leighton Town, (28 December)
Total attendance	60,932
Average attendance	132 (-21.9% to previous season)
← 1997–98 1999–2000 →

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

Three clubs relegated from Division One:

• Abingdon Town
• Thame United
• Wokingham Town

Three clubs promoted from Division Three:

• Harlow Town
• Hemel Hempstead
• Hertford Town

Bedford Town won the division and were promoted to Division One along with Harlow Town, who achieved a second consecutive promotion and Thame United, who returned to Division One after the relegation. Hertford Town relegated back to Division Three along with Bracknell Town and Abingdon Town, who get a second consecutive relegation.

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Bedford Town	42	29	7	6	89	31	+58	94	Promoted to the Division One
2	Harlow Town	42	27	8	7	100	47	+53	89
3	Thame United	42	26	8	8	89	50	+39	86
4	Hemel Hempstead	42	21	12	9	90	50	+40	75
5	Windsor & Eton	42	22	6	14	84	55	+29	72
6	Banstead Athletic	42	21	8	13	83	62	+21	71
7	Northwood	42	20	7	15	67	68	−1	67
8	Tooting & Mitcham United	42	19	9	14	63	62	+1	66
9	Chalfont St Peter	42	16	12	14	70	71	−1	60
10	Metropolitan Police	42	17	8	17	61	58	+3	59
11	Leighton Town	42	16	10	16	60	64	−4	58
12	Horsham	42	17	6	19	74	67	+7	57
13	Marlow	42	16	9	17	72	68	+4	57
14	Edgware Town	42	14	10	18	65	68	−3	52
15	Witham Town	42	12	15	15	64	64	0	51
16	Hungerford Town	42	13	12	17	59	61	−2	51
17	Wivenhoe Town	42	14	8	20	71	83	−12	50
18	Wokingham Town	42	14	4	24	44	79	−35	46
19	Barking	42	10	11	21	50	75	−25	41
20	Hertford Town	42	11	2	29	44	96	−52	35	Relegated to Division Three
21	Bracknell Town	42	7	10	25	48	92	−44	31
22	Abingdon Town	42	6	6	30	48	124	−76	24

Source: fchd.com rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Division Three

Isthmian League
Division Three

Season	1998–99
Champions	Ford United
Promoted	Cheshunt Ford United Wingate & Finchley
Matches played	380
Goals scored	1,319 (3.47 per match)
Highest attendance	380 – Wingate & Finchley – Cheshunt, (10 April)
Total attendance	28,737
Average attendance	76 (-1.3% to previous season)
← 1997–98 1999–2000 →

Division Three consisted of 20 clubs, including 17 clubs from the previous season and three new clubs:

Three clubs relegated from Division Two:

• Cheshunt
• Egham Town
• Tilbury

Ford United won the division and were promoted along with Wingate & Finchley and Cheshunt, who returned straight after the relegation from Division Two.

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Ford United	38	27	5	6	110	42	+68	86	Promoted to Division Two
2	Wingate & Finchley	38	25	5	8	79	38	+41	80
3	Cheshunt	38	23	10	5	70	41	+29	79
4	Lewes	38	25	3	10	86	45	+41	78
5	Epsom & Ewell	38	19	5	14	61	51	+10	62
6	Ware	38	19	4	15	79	60	+19	61
7	Tilbury	38	17	8	13	74	52	+22	59
8	Croydon Athletic	38	16	10	12	82	59	+23	58
9	East Thurrock United	38	15	13	10	74	56	+18	58
10	Egham Town	38	16	8	14	65	58	+7	56
11	Corinthian-Casuals	38	16	7	15	70	71	−1	55
12	Southall	38	14	9	15	68	66	+2	51
13	Camberley Town	38	14	8	16	66	77	−11	50
14	Aveley	38	12	7	19	50	67	−17	43
15	Flackwell Heath	38	11	9	18	59	70	−11	42
16	Hornchurch	38	10	9	19	48	73	−25	39
17	Clapton	38	11	6	21	48	89	−41	39
18	Dorking	38	8	7	23	52	98	−46	31
19	Kingsbury Town	38	6	3	29	40	98	−58	21
20	Tring Town	38	5	6	27	38	108	−70	21

Source: fchd.com rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Cup Competitions

The results from the finals of the league's three cup competitions:

Ryman League Cup: The league's premier cup competition, with clubs from all four divisions competing.

• Aldershot Town 2–1 Boreham Wood (played at Southampton F.C.)

Puma Full Members Cup: Featuring teams from the top two divisions.

• Hendon 1-0 Worthing (played at Sutton United)

Vandanel Trophy: Featuring teams from the bottom two divisions.

• Leighton Town 1-0 Windsor & Eton (played at Chesham United)

See also

• Isthmian League
• 1998–99 Northern Premier League
• 1998–99 Southern Football League

References

• The Official Football Association Non League Club Directory 2000 ISBN 1-869833-44-9