The 2007–08 season was the 105th in the history of the Southern League, which is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales.
Premier Division The Premier Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 17 clubs from the previous season and five new clubs: Two clubs promoted from Division One Midlands: Brackley Town Bromsgrove Rovers
Two clubs promoted from Division One South & West: Bashley Swindon Supermarine
Plus: Bedford Town, relegated from the Conference South
King's Lynn won the Southern League Premier and were promoted to the Conference North, while play-off winners Team Bath were promoted to the Conference South. Bromsgrove Rovers, Cirencester Town and Cheshunt were relegated to Division One. Bedford Town also ended the season in the relegation zone but were reprieved from the second relegation in a row after Football Conference clubs Halifax Town folded and Nuneaton Borough were demoted to Division One Midlands.
League table
Play-offs
Results
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Capacity Banbury United Spencer Stadium 2,000 Bashley Bashley Road 2,000 Bedford Town The Eyrie 3,000 Brackley Town St. James Park 3,500 Bromsgrove Rovers Victoria Ground 4,893 Cheshunt Cheshunt Stadium 3,500 Chippenham Town Hardenhuish Park 2,815 Cirencester Town Corinium Stadium 4,500 Clevedon Town Hand Stadium 3,500 Corby Town Steel Park 3,893 Gloucester City The New Lawn (groundshare with Forest Green Rovers) 5,032 Halesowen Town The Grove 5,000 Hemel Hempstead Town Vauxhall Road 3,152 Hitchin Town Top Field 4,000 King's Lynn The Walks 5,733 Mangotsfield United Cossham Street 2,500 Merthyr Tydfil Penydarren Park 4,500 Rugby Town Butlin Road 6,000 Swindon Supermarine Hunts Copse Ground 3,000 Team Bath Twerton Park (groundshare with Bath City) 4,500 Tiverton Town Ladysmead 3,500 Yate Town Lodge Road 2,000
Division One Midlands Division One Midlands consisted of 21 clubs, including 18 clubs from previous season and three new clubs: Two clubs promoted from the Midland Alliance: Leamington Romulus
Plus: Chesham United, transferred from Division One South & West Slimbridge, promoted from the Hellenic League
Also, shortly before the start of the season Slimbridge withdrew and were not replaced. Therefore, the relegation zone was reduced to one place in order to make up the numbers for the next season.
Evesham United won the division and were promoted to the Premier Division along with play-off winners Stourbridge, who returned to the top Southern League division after the relegation in 1984. Berkhamsted finished bottom of the table and were the only club relegated this season.
League table
Play-offs
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Capacity Aylesbury United The Meadow (groundshare with Chesham United) 5,000 Barton Rovers Sharpenhoe Road 4,000 Bedworth United The Oval 3,000 Berkhamsted Broadwater 2,500 Bishops Cleeve Kayte Lane 1,500 Chasetown The Scholars Ground 2,000 Chesham United The Meadow 5,000 Cinderford Town Causeway Ground 3,500 Dunstable Town Creasey Park 3,200 Evesham United St George's Lane (groundshare with Worcester City) 3,000 Leamington New Windmill Ground 3,000 Leighton Town Bell Close 2,800 Malvern Town Langland Stadium 2,500 Romulus The Central Ground (groundshare with Sutton Coldfield Town) 2,000 Rothwell Town Cecil Street 3,500 Rushall Olympic Dales Lane 1,400 Stourbridge War Memorial Athletic Ground 2,626 Stourport Swifts Walshes Meadow 2,000 Sutton Coldfield Town The Central Ground 2,000 Willenhall Town Noose Lane 2,500 Woodford United Byfield Road 3,000
Division One South & West Division One South & West consisted of 22 clubs, including 16 clubs from previous season and six new clubs: Bridgwater Town, promoted from the Western League Farnborough, a newly formed phoenix club Fleet Town, transferred from Isthmian League Division One South Godalming Town, transferred from Isthmian League Division One South Gosport Borough, promoted from the Wessex League Slough Town, relegated from Isthmian League Premier Division
Also, Brook House were renamed A.F.C. Hayes prior to the start of the season.
Farnborough, who replaced Farnborough Town that folded at the end of the previous season, won the division and were promoted to the Premier Division along with play-off winners Oxford City. Slough Town finished in the relegation zone for the second season in a row, but this time were reprieved due to the expulsion of Halifax Town from the Football Conference, so only Newport (Isle of Wight) were relegated this season.
League table
Play-offs
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Capacity A.F.C. Hayes Farm Park 1,500 Abingdon United Northcourt Road 2,000 Andover Portway Stadium 3,000 Bracknell Town Larges Lane 2,500 Bridgwater Town Fairfax Park 2,500 Burnham The Gore 2,500 Didcot Town Draycott Engineering Loop Meadow Stadium 3,000 Farnborough Cherrywood Road 7,000 Fleet Town Calthorpe Park 2,000 Godalming Town Weycourt 3,000 Gosport Borough Privett Park 4,500 Hillingdon Borough Middlesex Stadium 3,587 Marlow Alfred Davis Memorial Ground 3,000 Newport (Isle of Wight) St Georges Park 3,200 Oxford City Court Place Farm 2,000 Paulton Rovers Athletic Field 2,500 Slough Town Holloways Park (groundshare with Beaconsfield SYCOB) 3,500 Taunton Town Wordsworth Drive 2,500 Thatcham Town Waterside Park 1,500 Uxbridge Honeycroft 3,770 Winchester City The City Ground 4,500 Windsor & Eton Stag Meadow 4,500
League Cup
First round 42 clubs, (all of the Division One Midlands and all but one of the Division One South & West clubs), entered at the first round. Bridgwater Town did not enter at this stage because there were only 21 clubs in Division One Midlands.
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)1Aylesbury United (M) 2–1Chesham United (M)2Paulton Rovers (SW) 2–2Gosport Borough (SW)Gosport Borough won 7–6 on penalties3A.F.C. Hayes (SW) 6–1Slough Town (SW)4Barton Rovers (M) 0–1Uxbridge (SW)5Berkhamsted Town (M) 4–2Woodford United (M)6Chasetown (M) 1–2Bedworth United (M)7Didcot Town (SW) 4–2Andover (SW)8Dunstable Town (M) 1–0Leighton Town (M)9Farnborough (SW) 2–2Abingdon United (SW)Farnborough won 3–2 on penalties10Godalming Town (SW) 3–2Thatcham Town (SW)11Hillingdon Borough (SW) 3–0Bracknell Town (SW)
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)12Marlow (SW) 4–3Burnham (SW)13Oxford City (SW) 4–2Fleet Town (SW)14Romulus (M) 2–1Rushall Olympic (M)15Stourbridge (M) 0–1Malvern Town (M)16Stourport Swifts (M) 1–2Evesham United (M)17Willenhall Town (M) 0–3Winchester City (M)18Windsor & Eton (SW) 1–0Winchester City (SW)19Bishops Cleeve (M) 1–2Cinderford Town (M)20Rothwell Town (M) 1–3Leamington (M)21Taunton Town (SW) 2–1Newport (Isle of Wight) (SW)
Second round The 12 fixtures of the Second Round were played on the weekend of 30 October 2007. Joining the winners of the previous round were Bridgwater Town, plus Chippenham Town and Gloucester City from the Premier Division.
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)22Berkhamsted Town (M) 1–1Aylesbury United (M)Berkhamsted Town won 5–4 on penalties23Bridgwater Town (SW) 2–3Chippenham Town (P)24Evesham United (M) 2–4Gloucester City (P)25Godalming Town (SW) 1–1Farnborough (SW)Godalming Town won 3–1 on penalties26Hillingdon Borough (SW) 2–0Windsor & Eton (SW)27Leamington (M) 1–0Bedworth United (M)
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)28Marlow (SW) 3–2A.F.C. Hayes (SW)29Oxford City (SW) 3–4Didcot Town (SW)30Romulus (M) 0–2Sutton Coldfield Town (M)31Uxbridge (SW) 1–0Dunstable Town (M)32Cinderford Town (M) 2–0Malvern Town (M)33Taunton Town (SW) 0–2Gosport Borough (SW)
Third round
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)34Banbury United (P) 2–0Brackley Town (P)35Bedford Town (P) 3–1Corby Town (P)36Clevedon Town (P) 2–1Tiverton Town (P)37Gosport Borough (SW) 0–2Didcot Town (SW)38Hillingdon Borough (SW) 3–0Berkhamsted Town (M)39King's Lynn (P) 3–1Hitchin Town (P)40Mangotsfield United (P) 4–1Yate Town (P)41Marlow (SW) 1–3Cheshunt (P)42Rugby Town (P) 2–0Halesowen Town (P)
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)43Swindon Supermarine (P) 5–1Merthyr Tydfil (P)44Team Bath (P) 2–1Chippenham Town (P)45Uxbridge (SW) 2–2Hemel Hempstead Town (P)Hemel Hempstead won 4–3 on penalties46Cirencester Town (P) 2–1Cinderford Town (M)47Sutton Coldfield Town (M) 3–1Gloucester City (P)48Bromsgrove Rovers (P) 2–2Leamington (M)Bromsgrove Rovers won 4–2 on penalties49Bashley (P) 1–0Godalming Town (SW)
Fourth round
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)50Cirencester Town (P) 3–2Sutton Coldfield Town (P)51Bashley (P) 3–3Hillingdon Borough (SW)Hillingdon Borough won 4–3 on penalties52Bromsgrove Rovers (P) 2–4Banbury United (P)53Didcot Town (SW) 4–0Cheshunt (P)
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)54Mangotsfield United (P) 0–2Swindon Supermarine (P)55Rugby Town (P) 1–0Bedford Town (P)56Team Bath (P) 0–1Clevedon Town (P)57King's Lynn (P) 1–1Hemel Hempstead Town (P)King's Lynn won 5–3 on penalties
Quarter-finals The quarter-finals were played on 12 February 2008.
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)58Banbury United (P)0–1Hillingdon Borough (SW)59Didcot Town (SW)2–2Cirencester Town (P)Didcot Town won 4–3 on penalties
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)60King's Lynn (P)4–1Rugby Town (P)61Swindon Supermarine (P)0–6Clevedon Town (P)
Semi-finals The semi-finals were played on 4 March 2008. TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)62Didcot Town (SW)1–2Clevedon Town (P)After Extra Time63King's Lynn (P)0–1Hillingdon Borough (SW)
Final The first leg was played on 8 April 2008, with the second leg on 22 April 2008. TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)First Leg64Hillingdon Borough (SW) 1–1Clevedon Town (P)Second Leg65Clevedon Town (P) 0–3Hillingdon Borough (SW)
See also Southern Football League 2007–08 Isthmian League 2007–08 Northern Premier League