The last five seasons

League	Season	Position	Top goalscorer
Essex Senior League	2024/25	13/20	Nathan Scarborough 14
Essex Senior League	2023/24	10/20	Kane Gilbert 33
Essex Senior League	2022/23	15/20	Joel Older 8
Eastern Counties League Div 1 South	2021/22	4/20	Adam Hampson 22
Eastern Counties League Div 1 South	2020/21	ABAND	N/A

No.	Player	Appearances
1	Joel Older	27
2	Robbie Bennett	26
3	Jamie Bennett	25
4	Theo Duffin	25
5	Matt Travell	25
6	Matt Coppen	24
7	Jack Cherry	23
8	Tom Graves	23
9	George Frodsham	22
10	Marc Holland	21
11	Kane Gilbert	20
12	Alfie Cleal	16
13	Andrew Ross Wright	15
14	Luke Burgess	14
15	Lewis Clifford	14
16	Billy Jamison	14
17	Ollie Micallef	11
18	Kane Munday	8
19	Fraser Bull	7
20	Dean Ager	6
21	Owen Betts	6
22	Josh Ricca	4
23	Scott Sloots	3
24	Harry Wadforth	3
25	Josh Woodrow	3
26	Jordan Palmer	2
27	Harry Pinkney	2
28	Charlie Turner	2
29	Joe Turpin	2
30	Keagan Askew-butt	1
31	Sam Byran	1
32	Jordan Hudson	1
33	Callum Watson	1
34	Matt Wooldridge	1

No.	Player	Goals	Appearances	Ratio
1	Kane Gilbert	11	20	1.818181818
2	Joel Older	11	27	2.454545455
3	Robbie Bennett	7	26	3.714285714
4	George Frodsham	5	22	4.4
5	Jamie Bennett	4	25	6.25
6	Marc Holland	3	21	7
7	Owen Betts	2	6	3
8	Alfie Cleal	2	16	8
9	Matt Coppen	2	24	12
10	Fraser Bull	1	7	7
11	Luke Burgess	1	14	14
12	Lewis Clifford	1	14	14
13	Theo Duffin	1	25	25
14	Tom Graves	1	23	23

Not bad really…
As The Humbugs are currently 9th in the table, with 39 points from 26 matches and a 42%-win ratio. From their 26 matches, they have 11 wins, 6 draws and 9 defeats. Their record at home is 7 wins, 4 draws and 2 defeats, with only Little Oakley and Ilford managing to take all three points from Rosemary Lane. Sporting Bengal United, Woodford Town, Benfleet and Romford all shared the spoils there, making up the four home draws. The Bridge have been good on the road recently, so can they make it away win number 3?

Progress Report
The Humbugs started the season in 10th place after game 1 and gradually worked their way up the table until they were 2nd by game 9. They hung around the 2nd to 4th places until game 15 and have gradually dropped away since then to end up in their current 9th place at game 26. Currently, they are just three points off the last play-off place occupied by Ilford, so everything to play for.

The Cups
In the FA Cup, they went out at the Extra Preliminary Round stage, losing 3-1 at Haringey Borough.

In the FA Vase, they beat Coggeshall Town 2-1 at home in the 2nd qualifying round before bowing out in Round One at Haverhill Rovers, losing 2-4.

In the BBC Essex Senior Cup, they won 7-0 at Cannons Wood in Round One before losing at home to Stanway Rovers in the Second Round. The game finished 1-1, and Stanway won 5-3 on penalties; however, Stanway fielded an ineligible player, so Halstead went through before losing at home to Chelmsford City 3-0 in Round Three.

In the Errington Challenge Cup, they beat Barking at home 2-0 in Round One and Romford 5- 1 away in Round Two. They are at home to Woodford Town in the quarter-final.
In the Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy, they lost 4-3 at SOUL Tower Hamlets in Round Two.

Results over the last six matches are:

Opponents	Venue	Competition	Res	Score
Frenford	Home	Essex Senior League Premier	W	4 - 2
Little Oakley	Away	Essex Senior League Premier	L	0 - 3
Ilford	Home	Essex Senior League Premier	L	1 - 3
Romford	Away	Errington Challenge Cup 2	W	5 - 1
Great Wakering Rovers	Away	Essex Senior League Premier	L	0 - 3
Saffron Walden Town	Away	Essex Senior League Premier	W	2 - 1

Current Season
Saturday 20th December 2025
The Bridge 3 Halstead Town 2
150 watched a good home win for The Bridge, who led with a Kamel Sassi header after 27 minutes before Joel Older equalised two minutes later. Kane Gilbert then scored a 51st-minute ‘worldie’, and it looked bleak for The Bridge until Darren Phillips made it 2-2 after 69 minutes, and Ellis Devereux secured the points with an 87th-minute winner.

Both teams have been in the ESL Premier since The Bridge were relegated from the Isthmian League North in season 2022-23, so there have been a few meetings between the sides. Here’s what happened over the last two seasons.

The second match between the teams was on Tuesday, 25th March 2025, under the lights at Lower Road. The Bridge won the match 3-2, taking the lead with a goal from Connor Hart before Joel Older equalised for The Humbugs. Piers Hatcliff then scored two quick goals to put The Bridge 3-1 up before James Eveleigh reduced the deficit, but The Bridge held on for the win.

The first meeting of that season saw The Bridge win at Rosemary Lane in the second match of the season. A Charlie Morris hat-trick sent The Bridge on their way, although Dean Ager got one back before Charlie scored his third. A Matt Travell own goal made it 1-4, and Ade Adeyemi made it 2-4 as The Bridge took the three points.

Season 2023-24 saw the sides meet twice. The second match was at Lower Road, and The Bridge were 1-0 winners on the 27th of January 2024, with the solitary goal coming from Michael Agboola. The first meeting that season at Rosemary Lane on the 12th of September 2023 was a 2-1 win for the hosts with goals from Kane Gilbert and Julian Simon-Parsons. Solomon Ofori replied for The Bridge.

Kane Gilbert, Joel Older and Robbie Bennett have been the main scorers for The Humbugs this season. Kane is always a prolific scorer and has four goals in the last six matches. Joel and Robbie are consistently on the scoresheet too, so watch out for all of them if they make the line-up. Other recent scorers (last six matches) have been Marc Holland, Billy Jamieson, George Frodsham and Fraser Bull.