Monday 27 June 2011

REGENT JOIN THE EASTERN COUNTIES LEAGUE

The 'Kent Blaxhill' Essex and Suffolk Border League Premier Division Champions of 2010/11 have been accepted into the Eastern Counties League for next season.

Brightlingsea Regent rejoin the league they left in the former guise of Brightlingsea United in 2002. In 2005 a merger with Regent Park Rangers created the new name for the club.

Regent won the title last season by winning an incredible 31 of the 34 league games played losing only one game and drawing two. They scored 111 goals and only let in 20 at the other end amassing a goal difference of +96!! The only league game the club lost was away to Gas Recreation on the 19th March which the home side and eventual runners-up won 4-1. Regent's superb league season included an 11-0 home win against a famous old non-league name in Harwich and Parkeston. Forward Terry Rymer scored a grand total of 46 goals in 41 league and cup matches last season attracting interest from club's higher up the pyramid. The good news for manager James Webster is that Rymer has committed to the club for next season.

The name of Brightlingsea last appeared in the FA Cup in 1994 when Canvey Island won 1-3 at North Road and in the FA Vase in 2001 with an unsuccessful trip to Bicester Town - the result being 2-0 to the home side. The club have never got past the preliminary rounds of the FA Cup with their best ever performance in the Vase being reaching the 2nd Round on three different occasions. The last being in 1989/90 when Stevenage Borough recorded a 0-2 victory in Essex. Look where they are now??

Brightlingsea United were members of the Essex Senior League from 1972 through to 1990 when after two successive title winning seasons the club moved on to the Eastern Counties League where, as stated above, they were members until 2002.

The Town will be represented in the Vase for the first time in over a decade as the club have applied to the FA to be included.

Situated between Colchester and Clacton-On-Sea at the mouth of the River Colne the Town does have a beach for all the Seaside lovers among the fans in the Eastern Counties League Division One for the 2011/12 season.

Regent start their pre-season friendlies with a short trip to play FC Clacton on the 12th July followed by trips to Wivenhoe Town, Halstead Town and Wormingford Wanderers amongst others.

A charity match has also been arranged between a Brightlingsea Regent XI and the Tottenham Legends side to be played at North Road on Saturday 30th July all in aid of Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).

Regent are the only new name in the league for the coming season with no club's promoted or relegated from other leagues. The full constitution for the Eastern Counties League for 2011/12 is -

PREMIER DIVISION


Brantham Athletic
CRC
Dereham Town
Diss Town
Ely City
Felixstowe & Walton United
FC Clacton
Gorleston
Great Yarmouth Town
Hadleigh United
Haverhill Rovers
Kirkley & Pakefield
Mildenhall Town
Newmarket Town
Norwich United
Stanway Rovers
Walsham le Willows
Wisbech Town
Wivenhoe Town
Woodbridge Town
Wroxham

FIRST DIVISION

Brightlingsea Regent
Cambridge University Press
Cornard United
Debenham LC
Downham Town
Fakenham Town
Godmanchester Rovers
Halstead Town
Ipswich Wanderers
Long Melford
March Town United
Saffron Walden Town
Stowmarket Town
Swaffham Town
Team Bury
Thetford Town
Whitton United 

The Great Yarmouth Town v Gorleston local derby matches will be hotly anticipated by fans on the Norfolk coast with the rival's last matches in Division One (2009/10) drawing crowds of 440 and 214.

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