Pitching In Isthmian Supporters Predictions 2020-21: North Division- The Final Outcome

As we witness every summer, it’s rather difficult to predict the outcome of a league season. No matter how much you study form, look at the squads, wonder how much importance you can give to pre-season results, and try to predict your own team somewhere around fifth place (it looks as if around 80% of respondents do this, as if they don’t want to tempt fate by going higher!), there are so many variables that you won’t be able to factor in that getting it right is well-nigh impossible.

So, keeping all that in mind, let’s take a look at how you think the North Division will end.

The first thing you were clear about was that you expected Aveley to take the title. Twenty five percent of you put them in first place, another twenty five percent placed them second, and nobody placed them any lower than fifth. Last season’s runaway leaders, Maldon & Tiptree, have been placed second- perhaps because they’ve had a fair amount of player turnover during the summer, or perhaps because you think that nobody can be quite that difficult to defeat for two seasons in a row.

You placed Romford, with their financial backing, in third place- but we’re still not sure what their squad looks like so that might be no more than educated guesswork. Canvey Island- who have brought in some top North Division performers, including a large amount of last season’s squad from Heybridge Swifts- and Tilbury make up your top five.

Bury Town just miss out on the playoffs, and you believe that Coggeshall Town will be just behind the side from Ram Meadow, with Swifts in eighth.

At the other end, due to pyramid restructuring, nobody will be automatically relegated. Instead, the bottom side will host a playoff match against a second placed side from Step Five for the right to remain in the Pitching In Isthmian League. You think the side doing that hosting will be Witham Town- and you’re absolutely sure of it, as fifty percent of all those who responded placed them in last place, with nobody believing they’ll finish up higher than seventeenth. There’s a statistic that the management team at the Simarco Stadium can pin to the dressing room wall to motivate their players!

Our opening day North Division fixtures look like this:

AFC Sudbury vs Coggeshall Town
Aveley vs Dereham Town
Basildon United vs Bury Town
Brentwood Town vs Grays Athletic
Cambridge City vs Tilbury
Canvey Island vs Romford
Great Wakering Rovers vs Felixstowe & Walton United
Heybridge Swifts vs Histon
Soham Town Rangers vs Maldon & Tiptree
Witham Town vs Hullbridge Sports

For probably the only time this season we won’t be previewing the matches, as there’s little we can say about form that will make much sense! But please head along. Make sure you’ve got face coverings for the areas of the ground where they are appropriate, be as cash-free as possible, and be prepared to register for track and trace purposes- many of our clubs are using the evePASS app, available on Apple and Android mobile phones.

Have a wonderful season!