NON-LEAGUE NEWS: With some crunch games scheduled for the weeks through to the end of the year, both our local clubs are still in the promotion race in their respective leagues, as ANDREW SINCLAIR reports
Returning hope: Brandon Pierrick’s goals have boosted Croydon Athletic
Danny Kidwell’s Croydon Athletic are still in the mix for the Isthmian League South-East Division promotion race, having won two of their last three games, including putting five past Merstham last week and then winning 3-1 against Hassocks at the Mayfield Stadium on Tuesday.
As we approach the halfway point in the league season, with the excitement of their FA Cup run in the autumn now behind them, the Rams sit fourth in the table, comfortably in the play-off spots and just six points off leaders Three Bridges.
Tuesday’s win saw Brandon Pierrick, the former Crystal Palace youth player, scoring twice, taking his tally to six in eight games since his return from a spell in the National League South with Tonbridge Angels.
Having their star man of the last couple of seasons back in the side has certainly given the Athletic a boost, as have two other recent additions. Prolific striker Louie Theophanous has returned, and he’s joined by former Crystal Palace, Peterborough and Dulwich Hamlet left-back Jerome Binnom-Williams, who made his Rams debut against Merstham.
Those signings could prove key in a big month ahead. While they’ll be expecting wins against the likes of Sevenoaks, East Grinstead and VCD Athletic, their trips to Faversham Town and AFC Whyteleafe will be huge for momentum going into the new year.
Isthmian South East Division 2025-2026, as at November 21
Faversham are third in the table, level on points with the Rams but ahead on goal difference. Whyteleafe are two points ahead in second, Ennio Gonnella’s side scoring goals for fun this season. Crucially, the Leafe have also already beaten the Rams twice this season, 3-1 in FA Trophy qualifying and more recently 4-3 in the Velocity Cup last month.
With only the division winners guaranteed promotion (second, third, fourth and fifth face end-of-season play-offs), wins in these key head-to-heads with their rivals will be seen as a priority for Kidwell and his squad at the club where Stormzy and Wilf Zaha are among the owners.
New signing: Rams’ left-back Jerome Binnom-Williams has league experience at Palace
Across the borough at Croydon Arena, Croydon FC find themselves four points outside the play-off slots in SCEFL Division One.
The side’s league form has been improving, despite a narrow defeat to table-toppers Rochester United in their last game. But the Trams have the fourth-best attack in their league this season, recording dominant 6-0, 4-1 and 3-2 wins against Halls, Tooting Bec and Lordswood.
Those results have Croydon seventh, with games in hand on the sides immediately above them.
Alex White, Croydon’s joint manager, said, “We’ve faced major challenges with the number of injuries we’ve had, but I have been really proud with how hard everyone has worked and rallied together.”
White also had praise for Croydon’s youth system, after giving senior first-team debuts to four youngsters in recent weeks.
SCEFL Div 1 2025-2026, as at Nov 21
“We have another tricky batch of games coming up prior to the end of the year. If we can maintain and replicate the levels of performance we have had in recent weeks, I am totally confident that come the turn of the year we will be right in amongst it.”
The first of those “tricky batch of games” in the league is a trip next Saturday to surprise package AFC Greenwich Borough (no relation to another club called Greenwich Borough, which went into liquidation in 2020). Formed in 2023, Greenwich only entered this division this year and are unbeaten through their first 12 games of the season, conceding just six goals in the league.
Keeping their eye on the ball: Croydon FC’s season hinges on the next five weeks
The Trams then end the year at home by hosting rivals SE Dons on December 27.
Previously known as Forest Hill Park, SE Dons are managed by Antonio Gonnella, a former Croydon manager who took almost a coachload of Trams players with him when taking the reins at the Dons, now based in Chatham.
Recent form doesn’t favour the Trams, with SE Dons winning the clubs’ two prior meetings this season 4-1 and 3-0 (although there’s more to that latter result than the mere scoreline).
Trams’ prospects in their other games look more encouraging: Staplehurst Monarchs are winless away from home this season, and Banstead and Elmstead were both on the receiving end of four-goal Croydon wins earlier in the season.
The Trams’ hopes of silverware are not over yet, either. They face current FA Vase-holders Whitstable Town in the second round of the Kent Senior Trophy at the Arena tomorrow, before hosting FC Baresi in the London Senior Trophy on Wednesday.
The Trams were beaten by SE Dons 3-0 in the first round of the Trophy, but that result was overturned by the London FA, so they’ll get a second chance to progress.
Fixtures
(Subject to change. Check the clubs’ online fixture lists)
Croydon Athletic
Tomorrow: Isthmian SE Div v Sheppey Utd (A)
Sat Nov 29: Isthmian SE Div v Sevenoaks T (H)
Sat Dec 6: Isthmian SE Div v East Grinstead T (H)
Sat Dec 13: Isthmian SE Div v Faversham T (A)
Sat Dec 20: Isthmian SE Div v VCD Ath (H)
Sat Dec 27: Isthmian SE Div v AFC Whyteleafe (A)
Croydon FC
Tomorrow: Kent Senior Trophy Rd 2 v Whitstable T (H)
Wed Nov 26: London Senior Trophy v FC Baresi (H)
Sat Nov 29: SCEFL Div 1 v Greenwich Borough (A)
Sat Dec 6: SCEFL Div 1 v Staplehurst Monarchs (H)
Sat Dec 13: SCEFL Div 1 v Banstead Ath (A)
Wed Dec 17: SCEFL Div 1 Cup v Tooting Bec (H)
Sat Dec 20: SCEFL Div 1 v Elmstead (H)
Sat Dec 27: SCEFL Div 1 v SE Dons (H)
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