# 1996–97 Eastern Counties Football League

The 1996–97 season was the 55th in the history of Eastern Counties Football League a football competition in England.
Wroxham were champions, winning their fourth Eastern Counties Football League title, while Wisbech Town were promoted to the Southern Football League, returning to the Southern League after seventeen seasons in the Eastern Counties Football League.

## Premier Division

The Premier Division featured 20 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with three new clubs:
* Bury Town, relegated from the Southern Football League
* Gorleston, promoted from Division One
* Warboys Town, promoted from Division One
Also, Felixstowe Town changed name to Felixstowe Port & Town.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Wroxham | 44 | 34 | 7 | 3 | 122 | 25 | +97 | 109 | |
| 2 | Wisbech Town | 44 | 32 | 8 | 4 | 141 | 37 | +104 | 104 | Promoted to the Southern Football League |
| 3 | Harwich & Parkeston | 44 | 32 | 8 | 4 | 133 | 34 | +99 | 104 | |
| 4 | Diss Town | 44 | 29 | 4 | 11 | 81 | 41 | +40 | 91 | |
| 5 | Great Yarmouth Town | 44 | 26 | 7 | 11 | 87 | 51 | +36 | 85 | |
| 6 | Gorleston | 44 | 26 | 5 | 13 | 86 | 54 | +32 | 83 | |
| 7 | Bury Town | 44 | 23 | 10 | 11 | 101 | 54 | +47 | 79 | |
| 8 | Newmarket Town | 44 | 23 | 8 | 13 | 97 | 75 | +22 | 77 | |
| 9 | Lowestoft Town | 44 | 22 | 9 | 13 | 84 | 56 | +28 | 75 | |
| 10 | Stowmarket Town | 44 | 22 | 4 | 18 | 74 | 62 | +12 | 70 | |
| 11 | Tiptree United | 44 | 19 | 8 | 17 | 64 | 59 | +5 | 65 | |
| 12 | Halstead Town | 44 | 19 | 6 | 19 | 87 | 79 | +8 | 63 | |
| 13 | Soham Town Rangers | 44 | 17 | 7 | 20 | 82 | 87 | −5 | 58 | |
| 14 | Fakenham Town | 44 | 15 | 11 | 18 | 78 | 80 | −2 | 56 | |
| 15 | Warboys Town | 44 | 15 | 10 | 19 | 62 | 72 | −10 | 55 | |
| 16 | Woodbridge Town | 44 | 12 | 12 | 20 | 51 | 63 | −12 | 48 | |
| 17 | Sudbury Wanderers | 44 | 13 | 5 | 26 | 61 | 100 | −39 | 44 | |
| 18 | Felixstowe Port & Town | 44 | 11 | 6 | 27 | 56 | 103 | −47 | 39 | |
| 19 | Watton United | 44 | 10 | 6 | 28 | 49 | 106 | −57 | 36 | |
| 20 | Sudbury Town reserves | 44 | 7 | 7 | 30 | 46 | 96 | −50 | 28 | Resigned from the league |
| 21 | Clacton Town | 44 | 7 | 5 | 32 | 43 | 156 | −113 | 26 | |
| 22 | Hadleigh United | 44 | 5 | 8 | 31 | 41 | 128 | −87 | 23 | Relegated to Division One |
| 23 | March Town United | 44 | 5 | 3 | 36 | 25 | 133 | −108 | 18 | Relegated to Division One |

## Division One

Division One featured 13 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with five new clubs:
* Cambridge City reserves
* Cornard United, relegated from the Premier Division
* Haverhill Rovers, relegated from the Premier Division
* Maldon Town, transferred from the Essex Senior League
* Needham Market, joined from the Suffolk & Ipswich League

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
| 1 | Ely City | 34 | 27 | 5 | 2 | 93 | 36 | +57 | 86 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Histon | 34 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 85 | 31 | +54 | 73 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 3 | Maldon Town | 34 | 21 | 6 | 7 | 89 | 44 | +45 | 69 | |
| 4 | Needham Market | 34 | 19 | 11 | 4 | 67 | 24 | +43 | 68 | |
| 5 | Ipswich Wanderers | 34 | 20 | 6 | 8 | 80 | 35 | +45 | 66 | |
| 6 | Brightlingsea United | 34 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 50 | 33 | +17 | 56 | |
| 7 | Swaffham Town | 34 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 62 | 48 | +14 | 52 | |
| 8 | Haverhill Rovers | 34 | 15 | 7 | 12 | 54 | 46 | +8 | 52 | |
| 9 | Stanway Rovers | 34 | 15 | 7 | 12 | 55 | 49 | +6 | 52 | |
| 10 | Whitton United | 34 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 45 | 58 | −13 | 39 | |
| 11 | Norwich United | 34 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 48 | 61 | −13 | 38 | |
| 12 | Cambridge City reserves | 34 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 51 | 68 | −17 | 37 | |
| 13 | Downham Town | 34 | 9 | 4 | 21 | 45 | 88 | −43 | 31 | |
| 14 | Thetford Town | 34 | 7 | 9 | 18 | 34 | 66 | −32 | 30 | |
| 15 | Mildenhall Town | 34 | 7 | 8 | 19 | 35 | 61 | −26 | 29 | |
| 16 | Cornard United | 34 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 40 | 70 | −30 | 26 | |
| 17 | Somersham Town | 34 | 5 | 10 | 19 | 23 | 69 | −46 | 25 | |
| 18 | Chatteris Town | 34 | 2 | 9 | 23 | 27 | 96 | −69 | 15 | |