East Berkshire Football League Division One promotion race hotting up

Division One of the East Berkshire Football League has been quietly bubbling away with fixtures this season but as we enter into the final stages of the season, no less than six teams could be in with a chance of promotion.

Slough Heating Laurencians Reserves and FC Bracknell have been playing cat and mouse with the title all season and just two points and a game in hand separate the pair with 43 and 45 points respectively. Slough Heating will be vying for a third title having won Division One in it’s debut season in 2005/06 and for a second time in the 2018/19 season. FC Bracknell confirmed their promotion to the Premier Division on the 23rd of March, but will no doubt want to secure a first division title for the team lead by Bailey Gandolfi. 

With 218 goals between them, scoring 109 each, and the points shared with a win each on the tally, Slough look to have sealed their fate almost but it’s up to either Caversham, Hype Train or Prospect to muscle in.

Slough Heating form: P 17, W 15, D 0, L 2 – points 45

FC Bracknell form: P 18, W 14, D 1, L 3 – points 43

All that said, there’s a chance for promotion to the Premier Division for the top four teams and it may well go down to the wire with five points separating third place Caversham United, in their debut season in the league, and sixth placed Prospect FC.

Caversham put the cat amongst the pigeons when they defeated FC Bracknell with a last gasp goal from Bevan Van Wyk after FC Bracknell had converted a penalty in the 88th minute. The Goats are making quite the impact in their first season venturing into Saturday football having been a stalwart Sunday side for a decade now.

Caversham United form: P 17, W 12, D 0, L 5 – points 36

Meanwhile, Old Windsor Reserves and Hype Train had an afternoon off in the league having faced one another on Friday night in the East Berks President’s Cup final where Hype Train ran out a 4-1 win over the 2023/24 champions.

Despite multiple cup successes, neither side has won the Division title since joining so it will no doubt be in their ambitions.

Old Windsor Reserves form: P 16, W 10, D 1, L 5 – points 31

Hype Train form: P 16, W 10, D 1, L 5 – points 31

Prospect had themselves yet another weekend off having not played since the 9th of April, where they beat Hype Train 3-2, and are not set to play another fixture until the 10th of May when they welcome seventh placed Eton Wick to Calcite Recreation Ground. Whilst there chance looks a little more outside having played the most games of the five, they’ll be keeping close tabs on the results above them. The side also boasts the division’s top goalscorer in David Jarzebowski with 28 goals in 19 appearances.

Prospect FC form: P 18, W 10, D 1, L 5 – points 30

The teams all have the chance to nab points off one another in the coming weeks as the division enters it’s concluding month for the 2024/25 season.

Up next for the quintet:

03.05.25 – Slough Heating v Taplow United Swans
07.05.25 – Old Windsor v Hype Train
10.05.25 – Caversham United v Slough Heating
10.05.25 – FC Bracknell v Old Windsor
10.05.25 – Prospect v Eton Wick