Non-League and Academy football writer

The very good quality Essex Alliance Football League Premier Division season (2026/27) gets underway later on this month. And in the following piece I have written a bit of a preview of the Premier Division East (step 8) season. This season’s Premier Division East is bigger, by one team. As the division starts off with 14 teams in it. 

Let’s start off with the new teams who are joining this division. And starting with APSA, who it’s great to see return to senior football. A couple of years ago I interviewed Urfat Hussain on my blog, who was the old London APSA’s captain. It’s really good to see APSA (I’ll definitely be covering one of their games) participating in the Essex Alliance Football League for the upcoming season. And I reckon that they’ll do well this season in Premier Division East. Dagenham United were relegated from the Senior Division at the end of last season, and Chris Mascall’s side will be looking to bounce back and win promotion back to the Senior Division at the first attempt, this season.

Also joining the league are Frenford Reserves, with Old Parkonians winning promotion to the division from Division One, at the end of last season. There have of course been some moves across from the Premier Division West, ahead of the beginning of this season. With a very well established club, in Old Esthameians, moving across from the Premier Division West at the end of the previous season.

Both Old Barkabbeyans and Bealonians were promoted from this division, to the Senior Division, at the end of last season. Who will follow in their footsteps and win promotion to the Senior Division for next season? Well, I’m sure that former Senior Division sides AS Rapid Londra and Kit Out London will be up there competing for one of the two promotion spots this season, after their respective third and fourth placed finishes in this division in season 2025/26. Last season’s fifth place side, Inter Newbury are another side who I reckon could well challenge for promotion this season. A couple of seasons ago they won the Premier Division Cup.

Romford Town Flyers and Condor remain in the Premier Division East for this season. They would finish in eight and ninth places respectively, in 2025/26. As do Bakers693, who will be looking to build on a really fine finish to last season. Something From Nothing are the other side who remain in the Premier Division East, from last season. Redbridge Reserves (they have entered the prestigious London Senior Trophy, for this season) and Athletico Redbridge make up this division ahead of it starting next weekend. I’m aiming to get to a couple of the Premier Division East games during this season, and I would like to wish all of the teams well for the upcoming season. 

The teams who are competing in this season’s (2026/27) Essex Alliance Football League Premier Division East: APSA, Dagenham United, Frenford Reserves, Inter Newbury, Kit Out London, Old Esthameians, Redbridge Reserves, Romford Town Flyers, AS Rapid Londra, Athletico Redbridge, Bakers693, Condor, Old Parkonians, Something From Nothing.