Southern Football League
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Southern Football League | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Country |  England |
| Founded |
1894 |
| Divisions | 3 |
| No. of teams | 66 |
| Feeder to | Football Conference |
| Level(s) on pyramid | Level 7 - 8 |
| Website | Link |
- For other uses, see Southern Football League (disambiguation).
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England. For historical reasons the Welsh club Merthyr Tydfil also currently play in the Southern League.
The structure of the Southern League has changed several times since its formation in 1894, and currently there are 66 clubs are divided into three divisions. The Premier Division is at Level 3 of the National League System, and is a feeder division to Conference South. Feeding the Premier Division are two regional divisions, known as Division One Midlands and Division One South & West, which are at Level 4 of the system. These divisions are in turn fed by various regional leagues.
For sponsorship reasons the Southern League is currently known as the British Gas Business Football League
Contents |
[edit] History
Professional football (and professional sport in general) developed more slowly in southern England than in the north. Professionalism was sanctioned by the The Football Association as early as 1885, but when The Football League was founded in 1888 it was based entirely in the north and midlands with the establishment and county FAs in the south being firmly opposed to professionalism.
Woolwich Arsenal (nowadays simply Arsenal) were the first London club to turn professional in 1891 and were one of the prime motivators behind an attempt to set up a Southern League to mirror the existing Northern- and Midlands-based Football League. However, this venture failed in the face of opposition from the London FA and Woolwich Arsenal instead joined the Football League as its only representative south of Birmingham in 1893.
Nonetheless, another attempt was made to form the Southern League, and this time it was successful; a competition for both professional and amateur clubs, was founded in 1894 under the initiative of Millwall Athletic (now simply Millwall). The nine founder members were:
- Chatham
- Clapton
- Ilford
- Luton Town
- Millwall Athletic
- Reading
- Royal Ordnance Factories
- 2nd Scots Guards (later withdrew and were replaced by Southampton St Mary's)
- Swindon Town
The competition was such a success that soon after its foundation, a second division was set up. Millwall Athletic were the champions for the first two years of its existence and runners up in its third.
The Southern League soon became the dominant competition outside The Football League in southern and central England. Indeed, in 1907, it accepted Bradford Park Avenue, a top northern club as a member, reflecting its senior position at the time.
Whilst still a Southern League club, Tottenham Hotspur became the first and so far only team to win the FA Cup after the establishment of the league as a non-League club; this happened in 1901, although Southampton reached the final in 1900 and 1902 showing the strength of the Southern League. The relative strengths of the two leagues was during this period elucidated through the annual Charity Shield.
In 1920, virtually the entire top division of the Southern League was absorbed by the Football League to become that league's new Third Division. A year later this became the Third Division South, the delay in the incorporation of the Third Division North being due to the lack of an overall coherent structure in the North outside of the Football League.
For the next six decades, the Football League and Southern League would exchange a limited number of clubs as a result of the older league's re-election process. From 1920 on, the Southern League's status as a semi-professional league was firmly established.
With its clubs seeking a more regular means of advancing to the Football League, in 1979 the Southern League became a feeder to the new Football Conference along with the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League, and the top Southern clubs of the day joined the new league. In turn, the Conference would eventually succeed in become a feeder to the Football League. The league lost more of its top clubs in 2004 when the Conference added two regional divisions below the existing Conference National.
[edit] Southern League clubs
Listed below are the clubs currently competing in the three divisions of the Southern League, for the 2006-07 season.
[edit] Past Southern League winners
| Season | Division One | Division Two |
|---|---|---|
| 1894-95 | Millwall Athletic | New Brompton |
| 1895-96 | Millwall Athletic | Wolverton L & NWR |
| 1896-97 | Southampton St Mary's | Dartford |
| 1897-98 | Southampton | Royal Artillery Portsmouth |
For the 1898-99 season, Division Two was divided into London and South-West sections, with a playoff contested between the winners of each section.
| Season | Division One | Division Two (London) | Division Two (SW) | Division Two Playoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898-99 | Southampton | Thames Ironworks | Cowes | Thames won 3-1 |
For the 1899-00 season, the league reverted to the old format.
| Season | Division One | Division Two |
|---|---|---|
| 1899-00 | Tottenham Hotspur | Watford |
| 1900-01 | Southampton | Brentford |
| 1901-02 | Portsmouth | Fulham |
| 1902-03 | Southampton | Fulham |
| 1903-04 | Southampton | Watford |
| 1904-05 | Bristol Rovers | Fulham Reserves |
| 1905-06 | Fulham | Crystal Palace |
| 1906-07 | Fulham | Southend United |
| 1907-08 | Queens Park Rangers | Southend United |
| 1908-09 | Northampton Town | Croydon Common |
For the 1909-10 season, Division Two was split into an 'A' section and a 'B' section, with the winners of each section contesting a play-off for the Division Two championship.
| Season | Division One | Division Two (A) | Division Two (B) | Division Two Playoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1909-10 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Stoke | Hastings & St Leonards | Stoke won 6-0 |
For the 1910-11 season, the league again reverted back to the previous format.
| Season | Division One | Division Two |
|---|---|---|
| 1910-11 | Swindon Town | Reading |
| 1911-12 | Queens Park Rangers | Merthyr Town |
| 1912-13 | Plymouth Argyle | Cardiff City |
| 1913-14 | Swindon Town | Croydon Common |
| 1914-15 | Watford | Stoke |
| 1919-20 | Portsmouth | Mid Rhondda |
At the end of the 1919-20 season, the majority of the teams in the First Division moved into the new Third Division (South) of the Football League. The Southern League was therefore split into two national sections for England and Wales, with the winners of each section contesting a playoff for the Southern League championship.
| Season | English Section | Welsh Section | Championship Playoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920-21 | Brighton & Hove Albion Reserves | Barry | Brighton won 2-1 |
| 1921-22 | Plymouth Argyle Reserves | Ebbw Vale | Plymouth won 3-0 |
| 1922-23 | Bristol City Reserves | Ebbw Vale | Ebbw Vale won 2-1 |
For the 1923-24 season, the league was split into two regional sections, with the winners of each section contesting a playoff for the Southern League championship.
| Season | Eastern Section | Western Section | Championship Playoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1923-24 | Peterborough & Fletton United | Yeovil & Petters United | Yeovil won 3-1 |
| 1924-25 | Southampton Reserves | Swansea Town Reserves | Southampton won 2-1 |
| 1925-26 | Millwall Reserves | Plymouth Argyle Reserves | Plymouth won 1-0 |
| 1926-27 | Brighton & Hove Albion Reserves | Torquay United | Brighton won 4-0 |
| 1927-28 | Kettering Town | Bristol City Reserves | Kettering won 5-0 |
| 1928-29 | Kettering Town | Plymouth Argyle Reserves | Plymouth won 4-2 |
| 1929-30 | Aldershot Town | Bath City | Aldershot won 3-2 |
| 1930-31 | Dartford | Exeter City Reserves | Dartford won 7-2 |
| 1931-32 | Dartford | Yeovil & Petters United | Dartford won 2-1 |
| 1932-33 | Norwich City Reserves | Bath City | Norwich won 2-1 |
| 1933-34 | Norwich City Reserves | Plymouth Argyle Reserves | Plymouth won 3-0 |
| 1934-35 | Norwich City Reserves | Yeovil & Petters United | Norwich won 7-2 |
| 1935-36 | Margate | Plymouth Argyle Reserves | Margate won 3-1 |
For the 1936-37 season, the Eastern and Western sections were merged into a single division.
| Season | Southern League |
|---|---|
| 1936-37 | Ipswich Town |
| 1937-38 | Guildford City |
| 1938-39 | Colchester United |
| 1945-46 | Chelmsford City |
| 1946-47 | Gillingham |
| 1947-48 | Merthyr Tydfil |
| 1948-49 | Gillingham |
| 1949-50 | Merthyr Tydfil |
| 1950-51 | Merthyr Tydfil |
| 1951-52 | Merthyr Tydfil |
| 1952-53 | Headington United |
| 1953-54 | Merthyr Tydfil |
| 1954-55 | Yeovil Town |
| 1955-56 | Guildford City |
| 1956-57 | Kettering Town |
| 1957-58 | Gravesend & Northfleet |
For the 1958-59 season the Southern League was again divided into two sections: North-Western and South-Eastern. The winners of each section contested a playoff for the Southern League championship
| Season | North-Western Section | South-Eastern Section | Championship Playoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-59 | Hereford United | Bedford Town | Bedford won 3-0 |
The following season saw the two sections merged to form a Premier Division, and a new Division One introduced.
| Season | Premier Division | Division One |
|---|---|---|
| 1959-60 | Bath City | Clacton Town |
| 1960-61 | Oxford United | Kettering Town |
| 1961-62 | Oxford United | Wisbech Town |
| 1962-63 | Cambridge City | Margate |
| 1963-64 | Yeovil Town | Folkestone Town |
| 1964-65 | Weymouth | Hereford United |
| 1965-66 | Weymouth | Barnet |
| 1966-67 | Romford | Dover |
| 1967-68 | Chelmsford City | Worcester City |
| 1968-69 | Cambridge United | Brentwood Town |
| 1969-70 | Cambridge United | Bedford Town |
| 1970-71 | Yeovil Town | Guildford City |
For the 1971-72 season Division One was regionalised.
| Season | Premier Division | Division One North | Division One South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-72 | Chelmsford City | Kettering Town | Waterlooville |
| 1972-73 | Kettering Town | Grantham | Maidstone United |
| 1973-74 | Dartford | Stourbridge | Wealdstone |
| 1974-75 | Wimbledon | Bedford Town | Gravesend & Northfleet |
| 1975-76 | Wimbledon | Redditch United | Minehead |
| 1976-77 | Wimbledon | Worcester City | Barnet |
| 1977-78 | Bath City | Witney Town | Margate |
| 1978-79 | Worcester City | Grantham | Dover |
For the 1979-80 season, thirteen Premier Division clubs joined the newly-formed Alliance Premier League. The Premier Division and Division One were subsequently merged, and two regional divisions formed.
| Season | Midland Division | Southern Division |
|---|---|---|
| 1979-80 | Bridgend Town | Dorchester Town |
| 1980-81 | Alvechurch | Dartford |
| 1981-82 | Nuneaton Borough | Wealdstone |
For the 1982-83 season, the Premier Division was re-introduced, above the regional divisions.
| Season | Premier Division | Midland Division | Southern Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-83 | Leamington | Cheltenham Town | Fisher Athletic |
| 1983-84 | Dartford | Willenhall Town | Road-Sea Southampton |
| 1984-85 | Cheltenham Town | Dudley Town | Basingstoke Town |
| 1985-86 | Welling United | Bromsgrove Rovers | Cambridge City |
| 1986-87 | Fisher Athletic | VS Rugby | Dorchester Town |
| 1987-88 | Aylesbury United | Merthyr Tydfil | Dover Athletic |
| 1988-89 | Merthyr Tydfil | Gloucester City | Chelmsford City |
| 1989-90 | Dover Athletic | Halesowen Town | Bashley |
| 1990-91 | Farnborough Town | Stourbridge | Buckingham Town |
| 1991-92 | Bromsgrove Rovers | Solihull Borough | Hastings Town |
| 1992-93 | Dover Athletic | Nuneaton Borough | Sittingbourne |
| 1993-94 | Farnborough Town | Rushden & Diamonds | Gravesend & Northfleet |
| 1994-95 | Hednesford Town | Newport County A.F.C. | Salisbury City |
| 1995-96 | Rushden & Diamonds | Nuneaton Borough | Sittingbourne |
| 1996-97 | Gresley Rovers | Tamworth | Forest Green Rovers |
| 1997-98 | Forest Green Rovers | Grantham Town | Weymouth |
| 1998-99 | Nuneaton Borough | Clevedon Town | Havant & Waterlooville |
| 1999-00 | Boston United | Stafford Rangers | Fisher Athletic |
For the 2000-01 season, the regional divisions were renamed the Western and Eastern divisions.
| Season | Premier Division | Western Division | Eastern Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01 | Margate | Hinckley United | Newport IOW |
| 2001-02 | Kettering Town | Halesowen Town | Hastings Town |
| 2002-03 | Tamworth | Merthyr Tydfil | Dorchester Town |
| 2003-04 | Crawley Town | Redditch United | King's Lynn |
| 2004-05 | Histon | Mangotsfield United | Fisher Athletic |
| 2005-06 | Salisbury City | Clevedon Town | Boreham Wood |
For the 2006-07 season, the two regional divisions were renamed Division One Midlands and Division One South & West.
[edit] League structure
The league structure has changed several times over the years, and currently consists of a Premier Division at step 3 of the pyramid, and Division One South & West and Division One Midlands at step 4. The winners of the Premier Division, together with the winners of a playoff, will be promoted to the Conference North or Conference South divisions, depending on their location.
Clubs relegated from the Southern League can be placed in any of the fourteen leagues below, but in practice it is likely to be one of the following (based on geography):
- Combined Counties League
- Eastern Counties League
- Essex Senior League
- Hellenic League
- Midland Football Alliance
- Spartan South Midlands League
- United Counties League
- Wessex League
- Western League
[edit] See also
- Southern Football League Premier Division 2006-07
- Southern Football League Division One Midlands 2006-07
- Southern Football League Division One South & West 2006-07
- Southern League Cup 2006-07
[edit] External links
| Southern League Premier Division 2006/07 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Banbury United | Bath City | Cheshunt | Chippenham Town | Cirencester Town | Clevedon Town | Corby Town | Gloucester City | Halesowen Town | Hemel Hempstead Town | Hitchin Town | King's Lynn | Maidenhead United | Mangotsfield United | Merthyr Tydfil | Northwood | Rugby Town | Stamford | Team Bath | Tiverton Town | Wealdstone | Yate Town edit |
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| Southern League Division One Midlands 2006/07 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Aylesbury United | Barton Rovers | Bedworth United | Berkhamsted Town | Bishop's Cleeve | Brackley Town | Bromsgrove Rovers | Chasetown | Cinderford Town | Dunstable Town | Evesham United | Leighton Town | Malvern Town | Rothwell Town | Rushall Olympic | Solihull Borough | Spalding United | Stourbridge | Stourport Swifts | Sutton Coldfield Town | Woodford United | Willenhall Town edit |
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| Southern League Division One South & West 2006/07 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Abingdon United | Andover | Bashley | Beaconsfield SYCOB | Bracknell Town | Brook House | Burnham | Chesham United | Didcot Town | Hanwell Town | Hillingdon Borough | Lymington & New Milton | Marlow | Newport IoW | Oxford City | Paulton Rovers | Swindon Supermarine | Taunton Town | Thatcham Town | Uxbridge | Winchester City | Windsor & Eton edit |
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| English football league system - Level 7 & 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Promotion to: Conference South or Conference North | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relegation to: Combined Counties League, Eastern Counties League, Essex Senior League, Hellenic League, Midland Football Alliance, Spartan South Midlands League, United Counties League, Wessex League, Western League | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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