Ben Mapp Journalism

What the Christmas Table Really Tells Us About the Isthmian Premier League Many football supporters use Christmas as the first real marker for judging how their season is unfolding. Often close to the halfway point, the festive period arrives after the optimism of August has faded and reality has set in. League tables begin to feel less theoretical and more instructive, and fans scan the standings not just out of curiosity, but in search of clues about where their campaign might truly be heading. The question, however, remains whether Christmas is genuinely a reliable indicator of how a season will end. The Isthmian Premier League has long carried a reputation as one of the most unpredictable divisions in the non-league system. It is a division shaped by shocks, overperforming and underperforming sides, dramatic swings in form, and post-Christmas upheaval that can leave the final table looking very different from what December appeared to suggest. This article looks back at the las...

The Isthmian Premier League has never been more competitive, blending seasoned pros, experienced veterans, and a growing crop of young talent eager to make their mark in a notoriously tough league. In such a challenging environment, standing out as an U23 player is no small feat, yet this season has seen several young stars rise to the occasion. This article highlights ten of the league’s brightest talents aged 22 and under, players already making an impact and showing they could soon be moving further up the football pyramid.  The following list is in no particular order. Bryan Ifeanyi – 22 – Carshalton Athletic One of the Isthmian Premier League’s most dangerous wingers, Ifeanyi plays with the confidence and composure of a player with a decade of non-league experience. Thriving in Peter Adeniyi’s expansive, free-flowing system, his pace and trickery are a constant headache for even the league’s most stubborn right-backs. Carshalton aren’t shy about giving youngsters their...

The 2025/26 Isthmian Premier League season is already more than a third complete and has delivered plenty of surprises in its opening months. The division’s classic unpredictability is on full display, with early favourites stumbling, promoted sides impressing, relegated teams struggling, managerial changes shaking things up, and unexpected contenders emerging. This piece highlights eleven teams who have stood out for different reasons. Four sides are exceeding expectations, three pre-season favourites made slow starts but are now finding their rhythm, and four clubs already face significant challenges as they try to turn their season around. It offers a snapshot of the campaign so far and a sense of what might lie ahead as we move into the vital festive period. THE STANDOUT PERFORMERS Folkestone Invicta Invicta have been the team to beat so far. A summer of significant change on and off the pitch saw Jay Saunders assemble a new squad to compete at a revamped Cheriton Road, com...

CHAPTER ONE - THE SCENE-SETTER The ancient oak still stands sentinel in the corner of New Lodge, its branches stretching over the same patch of Blunts Wall Road long before the ground was ever a football pitch. Supporters file through the turnstiles in the same familiar rhythm, having the same conversations with the same people week in, week out. It is always the same, the comfort of a Saturday ritual in deepest Essex. Until it isn’t. Billericay Town Football Club, founded in 1880, carry with them a history and a presence that belie their non-league standing. Their story has spilled far beyond the commuter belt, drawing attention and intrigue from across the English game. For regulars here, though, it is not the headlines that are of interest, but instead the walk down Blunts Wall Road, the sight of the oak, the smell of fresh onions being loaded onto burgers, the first glimpse of blue shirts warming up on the pitch. This week, though, something feels different. There is a buzz, ...