1978–79 Isthmian League

The 1978–79 season was the 64th season of the Isthmian League, an English football competition.

At the end of the season Alliance Premier League was created. As a result of it, Isthmian League teams lost possibility to take part in the elections to the Football League as only highest placed team from Alliance Premier League who met the Football League requirements may apply. The Isthmian League refused to participate in the formation of the new league.

Premier Division

Isthmian League
Premier Division

Season	1978–79
Champions	Barking
Relegated	Kingstonian Leytonstone
Matches played	462
Goals scored	1,284 (2.78 per match)
← 1977–78 1979–80 →

The Premier Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 20 clubs from the previous season and two new clubs, promoted from Division One:

• Dulwich Hamlet
• Oxford City

This season was the last one when Isthmian League clubs may have applied for election to the Football League. Though, no clubs participated in the elections.

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Relegation
1	Barking	42	28	9	5	92	50	+42	93
2	Dagenham	42	25	6	11	83	63	+20	81
3	Enfield	42	22	11	9	69	37	+32	77
4	Dulwich Hamlet	42	21	13	8	69	39	+30	76
5	Slough Town	42	20	12	10	61	44	+17	72
6	Wycombe Wanderers	42	20	9	13	59	44	+15	69
7	Woking	42	18	14	10	79	59	+20	68
8	Croydon	42	19	9	14	61	51	+10	66
9	Hendon	42	16	14	12	55	48	+7	62
10	Leatherhead	42	17	9	16	57	45	+12	60
11	Sutton United	42	17	9	16	62	51	+11	60
12	Tooting & Mitcham United	42	15	14	13	52	52	0	59
13	Walthamstow Avenue	42	15	6	21	61	69	−8	51
14	Tilbury	42	13	11	18	60	76	−16	50
15	Boreham Wood	42	13	10	19	50	67	−17	49
16	Hitchin Town	42	12	11	19	59	71	−12	47
17	Carshalton Athletic	42	10	16	16	49	69	−20	46
18	Hayes	42	9	18	15	45	58	−13	45
19	Oxford City	42	12	7	23	50	80	−30	43
20	Staines Town	42	6	16	20	40	64	−24	34
21	Leytonstone	42	8	7	27	36	75	−39	31^[a]	Relegated to Division One
22	Kingstonian	42	3	15	24	35	72	−37	24

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

1. Leytonstone merged with Ilford at the end of the season.

Division One

Isthmian League
Division One

Season	1978–79
Champions	Harlow Town
Promoted	Harlow Town Harrow Borough
Relegated	Southall & Ealing Borough
Matches played	462
Goals scored	1,353 (2.93 per match)
← 1977–78 1979–80 →

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

Two clubs relegated from the Premier Division:

• Bishop's Stortford
• Southall & Ealing Borough

Two clubs promoted from Division Two:

• Epsom & Ewell
• Metropolitan Police

At the end of the season Leytonstone, relegated from the Premier Division, merged with Ilford to form Leytonstone & Ilford. Subsequently, St Albans City were given a reprieve.

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Harlow Town	42	31	7	4	93	32	+61	100	Promoted to the Premier Division
2	Harrow Borough	42	26	8	8	85	49	+36	86
3	Maidenhead United	42	25	6	11	72	50	+22	81
4	Bishop's Stortford	42	22	11	9	68	40	+28	77
5	Hertford Town	42	21	11	10	62	41	+21	74
6	Horsham	42	22	8	12	62	47	+15	74
7	Harwich & Parkeston	42	22	5	15	90	57	+33	71
8	Bromley	42	18	12	12	76	50	+26	66
9	Hampton	42	17	11	14	59	47	+12	62
10	Epsom & Ewell	42	18	7	17	69	57	+12	61
11	Wembley	42	15	14	13	57	50	+7	59
12	Aveley	42	17	7	18	57	66	−9	58
13	Wokingham Town	42	17	8	17	64	68	−4	56^[a]
14	Clapton	42	15	8	19	67	80	−13	53
15	Metropolitan Police	42	12	13	17	58	55	+3	49
16	Walton & Hersham	42	12	9	21	47	71	−24	45
17	Ilford	42	13	5	24	48	80	−32	44^[b]	Merged into Leytonstone
18	Ware	42	11	10	21	46	69	−23	43
19	Chesham United	42	11	9	22	46	66	−20	42
20	Finchley	42	7	15	20	43	74	−31	36
21	St Albans City	42	7	7	28	43	90	−47	28^[b]	Reprieved from relegation
22	Southall & Ealing Borough	42	5	5	32	41	114	−73	20	Relegated to Second Division

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

1. Wokingham Town were deducted three points.
2. Ilford merged with Leytonstone at the end of the season. Thus, St Albans were reprieved.

Division Two

Isthmian League
Division Two

Season	1978–79
Champions	Farnborough Town
Promoted	Camberley Town Farnborough Town
Matches played	306
Goals scored	871 (2.85 per match)
← 1977–78 1979–80 →

Division Two consisted of 18 clubs, including 15 clubs from the previous season and three new clubs:

• Corinthian-Casuals, relegated from Division One
• Hornchurch, relegated from Division One
• Hungerford Town, joined from the Hellenic Football League

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion
1	Farnborough Town	34	26	3	5	77	34	+43	81	Promoted to Division One
2	Camberley Town	34	21	8	5	71	32	+39	71
3	Molesey	34	19	11	4	55	33	+22	68
4	Lewes	34	19	6	9	66	50	+16	63
5	Feltham	34	16	7	11	47	36	+11	55
6	Letchworth Garden City	34	14	10	10	56	48	+8	52
7	Eastbourne United	34	16	4	14	47	46	+1	52
8	Hemel Hempstead	34	13	11	10	46	37	+9	50
9	Epping Town	34	14	7	13	49	44	+5	49
10	Rainham Town	34	13	10	11	42	41	+1	49
11	Cheshunt	34	11	8	15	43	49	−6	41
12	Hungerford Town	34	11	8	15	48	58	−10	41
13	Worthing	34	9	8	17	40	50	−10	35
14	Hornchurch	34	9	8	17	38	61	−23	35
15	Egham Town	34	7	12	15	49	54	−5	33
16	Tring Town	34	6	8	20	33	56	−23	26
17	Willesden	34	6	8	20	41	77	−36	26
18	Corinthian-Casuals	34	4	7	23	23	65	−42	19

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

References