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 Steps 3 and 4 this season were announced by The Football Association (FA) on 15 May 2023. There were to be 84 teams in the Southern League, 22 in each of the Step 3 divisions and 20 in each of the Step 4 divisions. However, Marlow successfully appealed against their transfer from the Isthmian League leaving an unfilled vacancy in Division One Central, which therefore comprised 19 teams instead of 20.
Premier Division Central
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
Results table
Play-offs
Semi-finals
Final
Stadia and locations
Club Location Stadium Capacity AFC Sudbury Sudbury King's Marsh 2,500 AFC Telford United Telford New Bucks Head 6,300 Alvechurch Alvechurch Lye Meadow 3,000 Barwell Barwell Kirkby Road 2,500 Berkhamsted Berkhamsted Broadwater 2,500 Bromsgrove Sporting Bromsgrove Victoria Ground 4,893 Coalville Town Coalville Owen Street Sports Ground 2,000 Halesowen Town Halesowen The Grove 3,150 Hitchin Town Hitchin Top Field 4,554 Kettering Town Kettering Latimer Park (groundshare with Burton Park Wanderers) 2,400 Leamington Leamington New Windmill Ground 3,050 Leiston Leiston Victory Road 2,250 Long Eaton United Long Eaton Grange Park 3,000 Mickleover Derby Station Road 1,500 Needham Market Needham Market Bloomfields 4,000 Nuneaton Borough Nuneaton Liberty Way 4,614 Redditch United Redditch The Valley 5,000 Royston Town Royston Garden Walk 5,000 Stamford Stamford Borderville Sports Centre 2,000 St Ives Town St Ives Westwood Road 2,000 Stourbridge Stourbridge War Memorial Athletic Ground 2,626 Stratford Town Stratford-upon-Avon Knights Lane 2,000
Top goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Jonathan Edwards St. Ives Town272 Callum Ebanks Stratford Town273 Oliver Greaves Mickleover184 Callum Stewart Leamington17 Miracle Okafor Halesowen Town6 Timothy Berridge Coalville Town167 Alex Cameron Redditch United15 Jamar Loza Leiston Brady Hickey Barwell Jamie McGrath Needham Market11 Reece Flanagan Redditch United1412 Beck-Ray Enoru Barwell13
Premier Division South
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 Division 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
Results table
Play-offs
Semi-finals
Final
Stadia and locations
Club Location Stadium Capacity AFC Totton Totton Testwood Stadium 3,000 Basingstoke Town Basingstoke Winklebury Football Complex 2,000 Beaconsfield Town Beaconsfield Holloways Park 3,500 Bracknell Town Sandhurst SB Stadium 1,950 Chesham United Chesham The Meadow 5,000 Didcot Town Didcot Loop Meadow 3,000 Dorchester Town Dorchester The Avenue Stadium 5,000 Gosport Borough Gosport Privett Park 4,500 Hanwell Town Perivale Powerday Stadium 3,000 Harrow Borough Harrow Earlsmead Stadium 3,000 Hayes & Yeading United Hayes, Hillingdon SkyEx Community Stadium 3,000 Hendon Hendon Silver Jubilee Park 2,000 Hungerford Town Hungerford Bulpit Lane 2,500 Merthyr Town Merthyr Tydfil Penydarren Park 4,000 Plymouth Parkway Plymouth Bolitho Park 3,500 Poole Town Poole The BlackGold Stadium 2,500 Salisbury Salisbury Raymond McEnhill Stadium 5,000 Sholing Sholing Universal Stadium 1,000 Swindon Supermarine South Marston Hunts Copse Ground 3,000 Tiverton Town Tiverton Ladysmead 3,500 Walton & Hersham Walton-on-Thames Elmbridge Sports Hub 2,500 Winchester City Winchester The City Ground 4,500
Division One Central
Division One Central comprises 19 teams, 14 of which competed in the previous season. It had been intended that there be 20 teams, but Marlow, due to have transferred from the Isthmian League, successfully appealed against the transfer.
Team changes
To Division One Central Promoted from the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division Leighton Town Stotfold
Relegated from the Premier Division South North Leigh
Relegated from the Premier Division Central Bedford Town Kings Langley
From Division One Central Promoted to the Premier Division Central Berkhamsted
Promoted to the Premier Division South Didcot Town
Transferred to the Isthmian League North Division Walthamstow
Relegated to the Hellenic League Premier Division Highworth Town
Relegated to the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division FC Romania
Resigned to the Eastern Counties League Division One South Harlow Town
Division One Central table
Results table
Play-offs
Semi-finals
Final
Stadia and locations
Club Location Stadium Capacity AFC Dunstable Dunstable Creasey Park 3,200 Aylesbury United Chesham The Meadow (groundshare with Chesham United) 5,000 Barton Rovers Barton-le-Clay Sharpenhoe Road 4,000 Bedford Town Bedford The Eyrie 3,000 Biggleswade Biggleswade The Eyrie (groundshare with Bedford Town) 3,000 Biggleswade Town Biggleswade Langford Road 3,000 Cirencester Town Cirencester Corinium Stadium 4,500 Hadley London (Arkley) Brickfield Lane 2,000 Hertford Town Hertford Hertingfordbury Park 6,500 Kempston Rovers Kempston Hillgrounds Leisure 2,000 Kidlington Kidlington Yarnton Road 1,500 Kings Langley Kings Langley Sadiku Stadium 1,963 Leighton Town Leighton Buzzard Bell Close 2,800 North Leigh North Leigh Eynsham Hall Park Sports Ground 2,000 Stotfold Stotfold The JSJ Stadium 1,500 Thame United Thame Meadow View Park 2,000 Waltham Abbey Waltham Abbey Capershotts 3,500 Ware Ware Wodson Park 3,300 Welwyn Garden City Welwyn Garden City Herns Way 1,000
Division One South
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 Wessex League Premier Division Lymington Town
Division One South table
Results table
Play-offs
Semi-finals
Final
Stadia and locations
Club Location Stadium Capacity Bashley Bashley Bashley Road 4,250 Bemerton Heath Harlequins Bemerton Moon Park 2,100 Bideford Bideford The Sports Ground 2,000 Bishop's Cleeve Bishop's Cleeve Kayte Lane 1,500 Bristol Manor Farm Bristol The Creek 2,000 Cribbs Cribbs Causeway The Lawns 1,000 Evesham United Evesham Jubilee Stadium 3,000 Exmouth Town Exmouth Southern Road n/a Frome Town Frome Badgers Hill 2,000 Hamworthy United Hamworthy The Country Ground 2,000 Larkhall Athletic Bath The Plain Ham Ground 1,000 Malvern Town Malvern Langland Stadium 2,500 Melksham Town Melksham Oakfield Stadium 2,500 Mousehole Mousehole Trungle Parc n/a Paulton Rovers Paulton Athletic Field 2,500 Tavistock Tavistock Langsford Park 2,000 Westbury United Westbury Meadow Lane n/a Willand Rovers Willand The Stan Robinson Stadium 1,000 Wimborne Town Wimborne Minster The Cuthbury 3,000 Yate Town Yate Lodge Road 2,000
See also Southern Football League 2023–24 Isthmian League 2023–24 Northern Premier League
References
External links Official website