Following the publication of the National League System allocations for 2025-26, Basildon United – relegated from Isthmian League North at the end of last season – are one of five clubs joining the Essex Senior League. The league’s constitution for the coming season isn’t set in stone however, as it’s subject to appeals and Sawbridgeworth Town have appealed The FA’s decision to move them laterally back into the Spartan South Midland League, where they spent the 2023-24 season.

Basildon United are no strangers to the Essex Senior League, so it’s misleading to call them new boys. Formed in 1963, they were one of the league’s founder members in 1971, finishing sixth out of nine clubs in their debut season. In 1976-77 they won the ESL for the first time and having enjoyed that experience, won it again in each of the following three seasons.

In 1980, Basildon joined the Athenian League and in their only season in that league, finished second behind Windsor & Eton. They then moved to Isthmian League Division Two, which they won in 1983-84. They dropped into the Essex Senior League in 1991 and remained there until they finished second in 2017-18 to earn promotion to the Isthmian League. In their seven seasons of Isthmian football, their best finish was in 2023-24 when they finished ninth under the stewardship of ex-Boro player, Chris Taylor.

The Bees began last season well and were briefly top of the table before embarking on a terrible run of form that saw them slide down the table and ultimately finish 21st having not recorded a single win in their last 31 games. Their plight was not helped by the departure of Chris Taylor for Redbridge with the team well placed in the league; none of their subsequent managerial appointments - Michael Walter, then Billy Cove, and finally Dan Spinks – were able to arrest the slide. George Christou, formerly with Redbridge, was recently appointed manager for the coming season.

Leading scorer for The Bees last season was Ruben Bartlett-Antwi with 9 goals. What was remarkable about that was the fact that his last goal came in their final league win – 1-0 against Maldon & Tiptree in October 2024 – and that he subsequently left to join Isthmian South Central side Leatherhead, where he also finished the season as leading scorer.

Past Meetings:

Romford have met Basildon United 33 times since 1992 with Boro recording 19 wins and just 7 defeats. The majority (28) of these games have been in either the Essex Senior League or Isthmian League North.

The first time that Boro played Basildon was in 1992, when The Bees won an Essex Senior League game played at Gardiners Close with the score 3-1. It wasn’t until the sixth meeting that Romford managed a victory; that game ended 1-0 with Boro then unbeaten in the next nine encounters.

The most recent meetings between the teams came during the 2021-22 season when Boro lost 3-0 at Basildon and drew 1-1 at home in Isthmian League fixtures. There was also an Isthmian League Cup tie, played just three days after the league defeat, which Boro won 3-2.

Boro celebrate Tami Ogunnowo’s goal in the 1-1 draw in April 2022

Home Ground:

The road to Gardiners Close, where Basildon play their home games, is a well-trodden one for Boro supporters. The full address of the ground is Gardiners Close, Basildon, Essex SS14 3AW. By road, it’s 30-45 minutes along the A127 to the A176 turn off towards Basildon/Billericay, then left into Cranes Farm Road, left again into Gardiners Lane South, and finally left once more into Gardiners Close.

By public transport, getting to Basildon’s ground requires a train to Basildon on the C2C line and then the number 1 bus, at the end of which there’s still a 20 minute walk to the ground from the stop at Southcote Terrace. All in all, it’ll take about 1hr 45m, including the walk.