The Essex Senior League may have been null and voided for
another year due to Covid-19 but the league has created a new competition to
get us all through April and May with some competitive football in the shape of
The Len Cordell Memorial Cup and Trophy. Len sadly died back in February and
was heavily involved in Essex non-league football for over fifty years and had
previously been Redbridge Match Day Secretary who are members of the Essex
Senior League of course, so it was decided to create these tournaments in his
honour and memory.
Both competitions are invitational, the Cup is for First
Teams whilst the Trophy is for Reserve Teams, I will be concentrating on the
First Team competition and this season’s competition sees twenty sides across
Steps Four to Seven of the local non-league pyramid do battle to see who will
be crowned the inaugural winners of the Len Cordell Memorial Cup.
There are five groups of four teams, let’s look at each
group in detail…
Group A
Cockfosters (Essex Senior – Step Five)
DTFC (Essex Alliance Senior – Step Seven)
Hoddesdon Town (Essex Senior – Step Five)
St Margaretsbury (Essex Senior – Step Five)
Fixtures
Saturday April 10
DTFC v Cockfosters
St Margaretsbury v Hoddesdon Town
Saturday April 17
Cockfosters v St Margaretsbury
DTFC v Hoddesdon Town
Saturday April 24
Cockfosters v Hoddesdon Town
DTFC v St Margaretsbury
Three ESL sides and an Alliance Premier side make up Group
A, Cockfosters sat fourth in the division after eight wins from eleven,
Hoddesdon were three further places below them in seventh after six wins from
thirteen games, whilst St Mags were in 13th spot with just three
wins in eleven games. This will be a
step up for DTFC by two levels, but they have some decent players on show and
were top of the Senior Division of the Alliance league having won eight from
eight, netting forty-seven goals and conceding just four, so not a bad record
indeed. Can they rattle the three ESL sides in this division, we shall find out…
Group B
Barkingside (Thurlow Nunn South – Step Six)
Clapton (Essex Senior – Step Five)
Redbridge (Essex Senior – Step Five)
Woodford Town (Essex Senior – Step Five)
Fixtures
Saturday April 10
Redbridge v Clapton
Woodford Town v Barkingside
Saturday April 17
Barkingside v Redbridge
Clapton v Woodford Town
Friday April 23
Clapton v Barkingside
Saturday April 24
Woodford Town v Redbridge
Three more ESL sides in this group, whilst Barkingside, who
have competed in the ESL themselves for much of their history, currently play
in the league below in the Thurlow Nunn South, and last season sat tenth after
nine games played with four wins. Redbridge had four wins from nine games in
the ESL and were in eleventh, however Clapton and Woodford Town made up the
bottom two in the division, Woodford were second bottom having lost eleven of
their thirteen games and Clapton were at the foot having not won any of their
eleven games although they did have a decent run in the FA Vase, so they had
won some games. No doubt Redbridge though would like to win this group and try
and do their upmost for Len in a competition created in his memory.
Group C
Billericay Town Reserves (Essex Senior Reserve
Division – No Step)
FC Clacton (Thurlow Nunn Premier – Step Five)
Holland (Thurlow Nunn South – Step Six)
Stansted (Essex Senior – Step Five)
Fixtures
Saturday April 10
Billericay Town Reserves v Holland
FC Clacton v Stansted
Saturday April 17
FC Clacton v Billericay Town Reserves
Holland v Stansted
Saturday April 24
Billericay Town Reserves v Stansted
Holland v FC Clacton
Billericay Reserves (also known as their U23s) are the only
none first team side in the competition but they do play in the ESL Reserve
Division and were doing very well this season, and they have a good young squad
who will love the challenge against Senior Mens sides. The two Clacton sides
also compete in this group as well, FC Clacton sat in tenth with just four wins
from ten games, Holland were down in 14th (fourth bottom) in the
South division with just one win, but they had only played seven games, whilst
Stansted, the only ESL side in this group, were having a very good season and
sat second and just two points behind leaders Hashtag United with nine wins in
their fifteen games, so they will fancy a good run in this competition no
doubt, and maybe even hold hopes of winning it too.
Group D
Barking (Isthmian South Central – Step Four)
Frenford (Thurlow Nunn South – Step Six)
Hackney Wick (Thurlow Nunn South – Step Six)
West Essex (Essex Senior – Step Five)
Fixtures
Friday April 9
Hackney Wick v West Essex
Saturday April 10
Frenford v Barking
Friday April 16
West Essex v Frenford
Tuesday April 20
Barking v Hackney Wick
Saturday April 24
Barking v West Essex
Frenford v Hackney Wick
Barking are one of two Isthmian Step Four sides who have
entered the competition but were ESL members for a time before their promotion,
they have West Essex, who ground share with them at Mayesbrook Park till the
end of this season, and Hackney Wick, who will be playing at Mayesbrook for
this tournament as well in this group with them. Frenford are the other member of this group
and will not be playing their home games at Mayesbrook though as they have their
own 3G facility a few miles across the East End but expect Barking to be
favourites to win this group and be one of the favourites to win the whole
competition.
Group E
Athletic Newham (Thurlow Nunn South – Step Six)
Brimsdown (Thurlow Nunn South – Step Six)
Great Wakering Rovers (Isthmian North – Step Four)
White Ensign (Thurlow Nunn South – Step Six)
Fixtures
Saturday April 10
Athletic Newham v Brimsdown
Great Wakering Rovers v White Ensign
Saturday April 17
Athletic Newham v White Ensign
Brimsdown v Great Wakering Rovers
Saturday April 24
Athletic Newham v Great Wakering Rovers
Brimsdown v White Ensign
Great Wakering Rovers are the other Isthmian Step Four side
in the competition and will fancy winning this group and maybe the whole
competition after they are in a group with three Thurlow Nunn South sides,
although Ensign, who ground share with Rovers of course, will certainly want to
beat their landlords in this one. Athletic Newham will also give them a decent
game too as they have been promotion contenders along with Ensign for the last
two seasons in the Thurlow Nunn South, Brimsdown will be the outsiders for sure
after struggling somewhat down at the bottom of that division this season.
Once the group stages are done, the top three from each group and the best fourth placed side will go through to the Main Cup knockout stage (last 16) whilst the other four sides will go into a Plate semi-final. I will be covering some games in this competition for the Essex Senior League, check my twitter (@ped1980) for information on those games as well as this blog for reports on the games I attend plus a round up of every weekend of the competition.
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