AFC Sudbury receive switch from Isthmian League to Southern League following promotion with Suffolk derbies to come against Leiston and Needham Market

Following their promotion AFC Sudbury have received a transfer to the Pitching In Southern League to join Suffolk’s other Step 3 sides, Leiston and Needham Market.

Today’s lunchtime announcement of the FA’s National League System (NLS) club allocations for Steps 1-6, subject to FA Council ratification, sees the King’s Marsh-based club depart the Pitching In Isthmian League for the first time since a two season spell in the Southern League Division One Midlands from 2008/09 and 2009/10.

It is understood club officials had been hoping to be put in the Isthmian League Premier Division, where they were last promoted to following winning the North Division under Jamie Godbold’s management in 2015/16. Their only other time as a Step 3 club had ended the following season as they finished bottom to be relegated back to the North Division.

Darren Eadie and Chris Wigger’s Leiston, who just missed out on an historic promotion to the National League’s second tier via a play-off semi-final defeat to Nuneaton Borough, will be set for county derbies with Rick Andrew’s Sudbury side along with Kevin Horlock’s Suffolk Premier Cup champions Needham Market.

The inclusion of the latter in the Southern League in 2018/19 following three seasons in the Isthmian League Premier Division, off the back of reorganisation of the Non-League pyramid, had been highly controversial at the time.

Like Needham before them, Sudbury will be looking to now see which of their current squad is happy with the new travel arrangements going forward, with a potential Tuesday trip along the A14, M6 and M54 to the AFC Telford, based in the Welsh border county of Shropshire, some 176 miles away and likely to take more than 3 hours 15 minutes one way. Nearby Stamford, Stourbridge and Redditch, all on the fringes of Birmingham, would be other eye-watering mid-week trips.

It also means Andrews is likely to have to look towards a different player pool than he may have previously been eyeing up, or even have begun discussions with, for new signings ahead of the club’s second ever season at Step 3.

Leiston and Needham will also be facing fellow promoted sides Berkhamsted, Halesowen Town, Long Eaton United and Stamford in 2023/24.

The clubs to have been relegated are AFC Telford United, Kettering Town and Leamington.

Down a rung on the ladder in the Step 4 Isthmian League North Division, Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division champions Ipswich Wanderers will replace AFC Sudbury as the fifth Suffolk side alongside Bury Town – now under the management of recently retired professional Cole Skuse – Felixstowe & Walton United, Lowestoft Town – who lost in the play-off semi-finals at home to Grays Athletic – and Stowmarket Town.

Newly-promoted teams alongside James Buckle and Mark Goldfinch’s Wanderers will be Enfield and Redbridge while Bowers & Pitsea, who currently allow Hashtag United to groundshare with them, and Brightlingsea Regent are the clubs coming down from Step 3.

At Step 5 of the pyramid, there are now just nine Suffolk clubs remaining in the Thurlow Nunn League (Eastern Counties League) Premier Division following Haverhill Rovers’ and Whitton United’s relegations as bottom two sides being confirmed, with Long Melford having gained a reprieve having finished second bottom last year.

Those nine clubs are: Brantham Athletic, Hadleigh United, Kirkley & Pakefield, Lakenheath, Long Melford, Mildenhall Town, Newmarket Town, Walsham-le-Willows and Woodbridge Town.

Thetford Town, who led the division for much of 2022/23, remain following losing their Inter-Step play-off at Barton Rovers earlier this month.

Other sides that fall under SuffolkNews’ geographical umbrella through our print titles are: Ely City, Harleston Town and Soham Town Rangers.

Dereham Town have been relegated into the division from the Northern League Midlands while Downham Town and Heacham are both promoted into the Premier Division from the First Division North.

The Step 6 First Division North is where both Haverhill Rovers and Whitton United will now be found alongside six other Suffolk outfits in: AFC Sudbury Reserves, Cornard United – who have just appointed a new manager –, Framlingham Town – who lost their play-off semi-final ahead of lifting the CNet Training Suffolk Senior Cup, Haverhill Borough – who like Rovers play at The New Croft site and now share an academy, Leiston Reserves and Needham Market Under-23s.

Those sides will also be set to take on new opposition in promoted Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers and FC Peterborough.

Four sides in the Premier Division have received lateral transfers from the Essesx Senior League and they are: Harwich & Parkeston, Holland FC, Stanway Pegasus and Wivenhoe Town.