2023–24 Southern Football League

Southern Football League 2023–24
Season information
Season statistics
← 2022–23	2024–25 →

The 2023–24 Southern Football League season was the 121st in the history of the Southern League since its establishment in 1894. The league has two Premier divisions (Central and South) at Step 3 of the National League System (NLS) and two Division One divisions (Central and South) at Step 4. These correspond to levels 7 and 8 of the English football league system.

The allocations for Step 4 this season were announced by The Football Association (FA) on 15 May 2023.

Premier Division Central

Main article: 2023–24 Southern Football League Premier Central

Southern Football League Premier Division Central 2023–24
Season information
Winners	Needham Market
Promoted	Needham Market Leamington
Relegated	Hitchin Town (reprieved) Long Eaton United Berkhamsted Nuneaton Borough (resigned)
Season statistics
← 2022–23	2024–25 →

Premier Division Central comprises 22 teams, 14 of which competed in the previous season.

Team changes

To the Premier Division Central

Relegated from the National League North

• AFC Telford United
• Kettering Town
• Leamington

Promoted from the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands

• Halesowen Town
• Stamford

Promoted from the Northern Premier League East Division

• Long Eaton United

Promoted from Division One Central

• Berkhamsted

Promoted from the Isthmian League North Division

• AFC Sudbury

From the Premier Division Central

Promoted to the National League North

• Tamworth
• Rushall Olympic

Transferred to the Northern Premier League Premier Division

• Basford United
• Ilkeston Town

Relegated to Division One Central

• Kings Langley
• Bedford Town

Relegated to the Northern Premier League Division One West

• Hednesford Town

Relegated to the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands

• AFC Rushden & Diamonds

Premier Division Central table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion, qualification or relegation
1	Needham Market (C, P)	40	26	7	7	74	34	+40	85	Promotion to the National League North
2	AFC Telford United	40	24	10	6	69	34	+35	82	Qualification for the play-offs
3	Leamington (O, P)	40	19	14	7	61	32	+29	71
4	Redditch United	40	21	7	12	65	52	+13	70
5	Mickleover	40	25	6	9	77	43	+34	69
6	Stratford Town	40	21	6	13	69	57	+12	69
7	Stamford	40	19	9	12	80	58	+22	66
8	Halesowen Town	40	18	8	14	54	50	+4	62
9	St Ives Town	40	18	4	18	87	72	+15	58
10	Royston Town	40	17	6	17	63	61	+2	57
11	Coalville Town	40	15	10	15	68	57	+11	55	Resigned from the league
12	Stourbridge	40	14	10	16	52	50	+2	52
13	Leiston	40	14	10	16	56	71	−15	52
14	Barwell	40	13	12	15	64	65	−1	51
15	Kettering Town	40	13	9	18	49	74	−25	48
16	Alvechurch	40	12	9	19	49	70	−21	45
17	Bromsgrove Sporting	40	12	8	20	44	51	−7	44
18	AFC Sudbury	40	10	10	20	53	62	−9	40
19	Hitchin Town	40	11	6	23	46	64	−18	39	Reprieve from relegation
20	Long Eaton United (R)	40	5	7	28	39	109	−70	22	Relegation to the Northern Premier League
21	Berkhamsted (R)	40	3	12	25	31	84	−53	21	Relegation to Division One Central
22	Nuneaton Borough	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Resigned from the league

Source: Southern League, Non League Matters
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Play-offs

		Semi-finals				Final
	2	AFC Telford United	2
	5	Mickleover	0
						2	AFC Telford United	0
						3	Leamington	1
	3	Leamington	1
	4	Redditch United	0

Premier Division South

Main article: 2023–24 Southern Football League Premier South

Southern Football League Premier Division South 2023–24
Season information
Winners	Chesham United
Promoted	Chesham United Salisbury
Relegated	Beaconsfield Town Hayes & Yeading United Harrow Borough Didcot Town
Season statistics
← 2022–23	2024–25 →

Premier Division South comprises 22 teams, 16 of which competed in the previous season.

Team changes

To the Premier Division South

Promoted from Division One Central

• Didcot Town

Promoted from Division One South

• AFC Totton
• Sholing

Promoted from the Isthmian League South Central Divison

• Basingstoke Town
• Walton & Hersham

Relegated from the National League South

• Hungerford Town

From the Premier Division South

Promoted to the National League South

• Truro City
• Weston-super-Mare

Relegated to Division One Central

• North Leigh

Relegated to Division One South

• Yate Town

Relegated to the Isthmian League South Central Division

• Hartley Wintney
• Metropolitan Police

Premier Division South table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion, qualification or relegation
1	Chesham United (C, P)	42	28	6	8	83	46	+37	90	Promotion to the National League South
2	AFC Totton	42	23	12	7	89	45	+44	81	Qualification for the play-offs
3	Salisbury (O, P)	42	23	10	9	70	46	+24	79
4	Gosport Borough	42	23	9	10	75	43	+32	78
5	Bracknell Town	42	21	5	16	84	71	+13	68
6	Merthyr Town	42	20	7	15	85	59	+26	67
7	Walton & Hersham	42	18	11	13	78	67	+11	65
8	Hungerford Town	42	18	10	14	77	70	+7	64
9	Dorchester Town	42	17	9	16	66	77	−11	60
10	Hendon	42	14	16	12	70	65	+5	58
11	Winchester City	42	15	12	15	63	67	−4	57
12	Basingstoke Town	42	15	8	19	69	83	−14	53
13	Poole Town	42	16	4	22	70	76	−6	52
14	Tiverton Town	42	14	10	18	64	74	−10	52
15	Sholing	42	13	10	19	52	63	−11	49
16	Swindon Supermarine	42	13	10	19	73	92	−19	49
17	Hanwell Town	42	12	12	18	64	71	−7	48
18	Plymouth Parkway	42	12	12	18	60	68	−8	48
19	Beaconsfield Town (R)	42	13	9	20	63	78	−15	48	Relegation to Division One Central
20	Hayes & Yeading United (R)	42	11	13	18	59	67	−8	46	Relegation to the Isthmian League
21	Harrow Borough (R)	42	10	9	23	60	97	−37	39
22	Didcot Town (R)	42	6	10	26	45	94	−49	28	Relegation to Division One South

Source: Southern League, Non League Matters
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

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Play-offs

		Semi-finals				Final
	2	AFC Totton	2
	5	Bracknell Town	1
						2	AFC Totton	2 (3)
						3	Salisbury	2 (4)
	3	Salisbury	2
	4	Gosport Borough	1

Division One Central

Main article: 2023–24 Southern Football League Division One Central

Southern Football League Division One Central 2023–24
Season information
Winners	Biggleswade Town
Promoted	Biggleswade Town
Relegated	Kempston Rovers
Season statistics
← 2022–23	2024–25 →

Division One Central comprises 20 teams, 14 of which competed in the previous season.

Team changes

To Division One Central

Promoted from the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division

• Leighton Town
• Stotfold

Relegated from the Premier Division Central

• North Leigh

Relegated from the Premier Division South

• Bedford Town
• Kings Langley

From Division One Central

Promoted to the Premier Division Central

• Berkhamsted

Promoted to the Premier Division South

• Didcot Town

Relegated to the Hellenic League Premier Division

• Highworth Town

Relegated to the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division

• FC Romania

Resigned from the league, joined the Eastern Counties League

• Harlow Town

Transferred to the Isthmian League North Division

• Walthamstow

Division One Central table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion, qualification or relegation
1	Biggleswade Town (C, P)	36	22	6	8	77	39	+38	72	Promotion to the Premier Division Central
2	Bedford Town (O, P)	36	20	9	7	78	37	+41	69	Qualification for the play-offs
3	AFC Dunstable	36	20	4	12	77	66	+11	64
4	Waltham Abbey	36	18	7	11	70	55	+15	61	Qualification for the play-offs, then transfer to the Isthmian League
5	Ware	36	18	5	13	69	61	+8	59	Qualification for the play-offs
6	Cirencester Town (R)	36	16	9	11	66	44	+22	57	Resigned and demoted to the Hellenic League
7	Stotfold	36	16	7	13	67	56	+11	55
8	Hadley	36	17	4	15	64	60	+4	55
9	Welwyn Garden City	36	17	3	16	79	79	0	54
10	Biggleswade	36	14	6	16	62	58	+4	48
11	Kings Langley	36	13	9	14	71	74	−3	48
12	Barton Rovers	36	11	11	14	58	65	−7	44
13	Kidlington	36	12	8	16	49	60	−11	44
14	Hertford Town	36	13	5	18	55	73	−18	44
15	Aylesbury United	36	12	7	17	61	74	−13	43
16	North Leigh	36	14	1	21	52	80	−28	43
17	Leighton Town	36	12	6	18	51	62	−11	42
18	Thame United	36	11	4	21	51	70	−19	37	Reprieve from relegation
19	Kempston Rovers (R)	36	8	5	23	36	80	−44	29	Relegation to the Spartan South Midlands League

Source: Southern League, Non League Matters
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Play-offs

		Semi-finals				Final
	2	Bedford Town	2
	5	Ware	1
						2	Bedford Town	2
						4	Waltham Abbey	1
	3	AFC Dunstable	3 (7)
	4	Waltham Abbey	3 (8)

Division One South

Main article: 2023–24 Southern Football League Division One South

Southern Football League Division One South 2023–24
Season information
Winners	Wimborne Town
Promoted	Wimborne Town Frome Town
Relegated	Paulton Rovers
Season statistics
← 2022–23	2024–25 →

Division One South comprises 20 teams, 15 of which competed in the previous season.

Team changes

To Division One South

Promoted from the Hellenic League Premier Division

• Cribbs
• Malvern Town

Promoted from the Wessex League Premier Division

• Bemerton Heath Harlequins

Promoted from the Western League Premier Division

• Mousehole

Relegated from the Premier Division South

• Yate Town

From Division One South

Promoted to the Premier Division South

• AFC Totton
• Sholing

Relegated to the Hellenic League Premier Division

• Cinderford Town
• Slimbridge

Relegated to the Western League Premier Division

• Lymington Town

Division One South table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion, qualification or relegation
1	Wimborne Town (C, P)	36	24	7	5	76	42	+34	79	Promotion to the Premier Division South
2	Frome Town (O, P)	36	22	9	5	74	42	+32	75	Qualification for the play-offs
3	Cribbs	36	18	12	6	56	46	+10	66
4	Bristol Manor Farm	36	17	8	11	67	50	+17	59
5	Mousehole	36	17	7	12	82	58	+24	58
6	Larkhall Athletic	36	16	10	10	67	53	+14	58
7	Evesham United	36	13	12	11	56	47	+9	51
8	Yate Town	36	13	11	12	56	46	+10	50
9	Bishop's Cleeve	36	13	9	14	68	63	+5	48
10	Malvern Town	36	13	8	15	59	61	−2	47
11	Tavistock	36	13	7	16	62	71	−9	46
12	Bideford	36	13	7	16	46	58	−12	46
13	Bemerton Heath Harlequins	36	12	7	17	52	71	−19	43
14	Willand Rovers	36	11	9	16	50	60	−10	42
15	Bashley	36	11	9	16	45	59	−14	42
16	Melksham Town	36	10	10	16	52	65	−13	40
17	Westbury United	36	8	10	18	45	62	−17	34
18	Exmouth Town	36	9	6	21	49	67	−18	33
19	Paulton Rovers (R)	36	6	8	22	37	78	−41	26	Relegation to the Western League
20	Hamworthy United	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Resigned from the league

Source: Southern League website, Non League Matters
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Play-offs

		Semi-finals				Final
	2	Frome Town	3
	5	Mousehole	0
						2	Frome Town	3
						4	Bristol Manor Farm	1
	3	Cribbs	1
	4	Bristol Manor Farm	2

See also

• Southern Football League
• 2023–24 Isthmian League
• 2023–24 Northern Premier League

External links

• Official website