2012–13 Kent Football League

The 2012–13 Kent Football League season (known as the 2012–13 Hurlimann Kent Football League for sponsorship reasons) was the 47th in the history of Kent Football League, a football competition in England.

At the end of the season the league changed its name to the Southern Counties East Football League, to reflect that many of its member clubs no longer played within the county boundaries of Kent.

The League structure comprised two divisions: a Premier Division and Division One – the latter was known as the Reserves Section, comprising reserves teams which were not permitted in the Premier Division. Additionally there were two league cup competitions, the Challenge Cup for the Premier Division clubs and another for the teams in the Reserves Section.

Premier Division
The division comprised teams from17 clubs, 15 from the previous season together with two additional clubs:
 * Rochester United (formerly Bly Spartans), promoted from the Kent Invicta League
 * Whyteleafe, relegated from the Isthmian League

Owing to expansion of the Isthmian League Divisions One North and South from 22 to 24 clubs for the following season two clubs, selected on a points per game (PPG) basis, from the following six Step 5 leagues were to be promoted: Combined Counties League, Eastern Counties League, Essex Senior League, Kent League, Spartan South Midlands League and the Sussex County League. From the Kent Premier League Erith & Belvedere (who were promoted as champions), Erith Town, Tunbridge Wells, VCD Athletic and Whyteleafe applied for promotion. Subsequently, VCD Athletic were promoted as one of the two runners-up with the best PPG.

Challenge Cup
The 2012–13 Kent Football League Challenge Cup, known as the Macron Kent League Cup (to reflect sponsorship by the Macron Sportswear brand), was won by Erith & Belvedere to complete a League and Cup double.

The competition was contested by the 17 teams from the Premier Division and was played over a total of five rounds: four on an aggregate basis (home and away matches) followed by a final match played on a neutral ground (at Welling United F.C. this season).

First Round

 * VCD Athletic 1 – 3 Corinthian (1st Leg 0–1; 2nd Leg 1–2)
 * Holmesdale 7 – 4 Rochester United (1st Leg 1–0; 2nd Leg 6–4)
 * Cray Valley Paper Mills 5 – 3 Erith Town (1st Leg 2–2; 2nd Leg 3–1)
 * Fisher 1 – 7 Deal Town (1st Leg 1–1; 2nd Leg 0–6)
 * Erith & Belvedere 6 – 1 Greenwich Borough (1st Leg 3–0; 2nd Leg 3–1)
 * Sevenoaks Town 3 – 5 Whyteleafe (1st Leg 3–1; 2nd Leg 0–4)
 * Canterbury City 3 – 5 Lordswood (1st Leg 3–1; 2nd Leg 0–4)
 * Tunbridge Wells 3 – 2 Woodstock Sports (1st Leg 2–1; 2nd Leg 1–1)

Preliminary Round
Source: SCEFL Archives
 * Beckenham Town 3 – 4 Erith Town (1st Leg 2–2; 2nd Leg 1–2)

Reserves Section
The letter "R" following team names indicates a club’s reserves team.

The 2012–13 season Reserves Section comprised a single division (amalgamated from the previous season's two). Promotion from the Reserves Section into the Premier Division was not permitted. There was a League Cup competition for the teams of the Reserves Section.

Division One
The division comprised 14 teams, six of which competed in the previous season together with seven from the previous season's Division Two plus one additional team, Rusthall R.

At the end of the season the division was discontinued.

Reserves Cup
The 2012–13 Kent Football League Reserves Cup was won by Phoenix Sports R.

The competition was contested by the 14 teams from Division One and was played over four rounds: the first two comprised single knock-out matches, followed by the semi-finals, which were decided on an aggregate basis (home and away matches), and culminated in the final match, played on a neutral ground (at Corinthian F.C. this season).

First Round

 * VCD Athletic R 5 – 1 Margate R
 * Lordswood R 0 – 4 Maidstone United R
 * Erith Town R 4 – 1 Holmesdale R
 * Whitstable Town R 5 – 0 Rusthall R
 * Herne Bay R 2 – 1 Chatham Town R
 * Woodstock Sports R 7 – 4 Deal Town R

Bye to next round: Phoenix Sports R and Ramsgate R

Source: Kent League Archived