The South Midlands League was a football league covering Bedfordshire and some adjoining counties in England. It was founded in 1922 as the Bedfordshire County League and merged with the Spartan League in 1997 to form the Spartan South Midlands League.
History The league was formed in 1922 as the Bedfordshire County League, beginning with eight clubs; Arlesey Town, Biggleswade & District Reserves, Leighton United, Letchworth Town, Luton Clarence Reserves, RAF Henlow, Stotfold Athletic and Waterlows Athletic.South Midlands League 1922–1950 Non-League Matters In 1924 the league was renamed the Bedfordshire & District County League. A second division was added in 1925, and in 1929 it was renamed the South Midlands League.
Division Two had only six clubs in 1930–31 and 1931–32, and was not played in 1932–33. However, it was reintroduced for the 1933–34 season with nine clubs, all but two of which were reserve teams.
The league was abandoned in 1939 due to World War II, before returning for the 1946–47 season. In 1947 Division One was renamed the Premier Division and Division Two became Division One, with a new third division added, named Division Two. The league gained another division in 1949 when Division Two was split into Division Two A and B, with a play-off between the two division winners to determine the overall Division Two champions. The following season Division Two reverted to being a single division.South Midlands League 1950–1966 Non-League Matters
Division Two was abolished in 1955 after having shrunk to only eight clubs in 1954–55. The league then remained unchanged until 1993 when Division One was renamed the Senior Division and a new division (Division One) added as a third tier.South Midlands League 1983–1997 Non-League Matters In 1997 the league merged with the Spartan League to form the Spartan South Midlands League. The new league initially ran with two Premier Divisions (north and south), a Senior Division and two Division Ones (north and south).Spartan South Midlands League 1997–2004 Non-League Matters
During the evolution of the National League System, the league became a feeder to the Isthmian League, with clubs such as Leighton Town, Oxford City and Bedford Town earning promotion.
Although clubs from the league played in the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup from the late 1920s onwards, none ever reached the first round proper. The best performance came from Barton Rovers in 1976–77 when they reached the fourth qualifying round. South Midlands League clubs had more success in the FA Vase, with Barton Rovers reaching the final in 1977–78 and Arlesey Town winning the competition in 1994–95.
Divisional champions SeasonChampions1922–23Waterlows Athletic1923–24Biggleswade & District Reserves1924–25Waterlows AthleticSeasonDivision OneDivision Two1925–26Waterlows AthleticWaterlows Athletic Reserves1926–27Leagrave & DistrictBatford Old Boys1927–28Baldock TownLeighton United1928–29Luton Amateur & RamblersLuton Davis Athletic1929–30WaterlowsArlesey Town1930–31RAF HenlowStevenage Town1931–32Vauxhall MotorsArlesey TownSeasonChampions1932–33St Neots & DistrictSeasonDivision OneDivision Two1933–34Vauxhall MotorsDunstable Athletic1934–35Bedford Town ReservesStewartby Works1935–36Kettering Town ReservesBiscot Sports1936–37Vauxhall MotorsArlesey Town1937–38Vauxhall MotorsVauxhall Motors Reserves1938–39Wolverton TownEsavian SportsCompetition abandoned due to World War II1946–47Luton Town ColtsBedford St Cuthbert'sSeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision Two1947–48Wootton Blue CrossPeartree Old BoysBaldock Town1948–49Cambridge Town ReservesLuton Hitchin Road Old BoysLynton WorksSeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision Two ADivision Two B1949–50Rushden Town ReservesBaldock TownHoughton RangersCranfield UnitedSeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision Two1950–51Bletchley TownLuton Kents AthleticVauxhall Motors 'A'1951–52Arlesey TownBedford Town 'A'Arlesey Town Reserves1952–53Arlesey TownBiggleswade Town ReservesLuton Skefco Athletic1953–54Shefford TownStotfoldLuton Davis Athletic1954–55Shefford TownHunting Percival AthleticBarton RoversSeasonPremier DivisionDivision One1955–56Bletchley & WIPACLuton Town 'B'1956–57Bletchley BBOBLuton Town 'B'1957–58Bletchley UnitedPeartree Old Boys1958–59Luton Skefko AthleticStewartby Works1959–60Ampthill TownSandy Albion1960–61Hemel Hempstead UnitedWaterlows1961–62Harpenden TownTotternhoe1962–63ElectroluxAddmult1963–64ElectroluxHoughton Regis1964–65Harpenden TownBarton Rovers1965–66Baldock TownEsavian Sports1966–67Leighton TownHanslope1967–68Baldock TownRootes Sports1968–69AddmultSelby1969–70Baldock TownWelwyn Garden United1970–71Barton RoversTowcester Town1971–72Barton RoversEaton Bray United1972–73Barton RoversPirton1973–74Welwyn Garden CityAspley Guise1974–75Barton RoversWinslow United1975–76Barton RoversBAC1976–77Barton RoversNew Bradwell St Peter1977–78Barton RoversRoyston Town1978–79Barton RoversBAC1979–80PirtonHatfield Town1980–81StotfoldThe 611981–82PirtonWelwyn Garden1982–83PirtonGS Ashcroft Co-Op1983–84Shefford TownNew Bradwell St Peter1984–85Eaton Bray UnitedMilton Keynes Borough1985–86SelbyBuckingham Athletic1986–87SelbyElectrolux1987–88ShillingtonPitstone & Ivinghoe1988–89LangfordWelwyn Garden United1989–90Pitstone & IvinghoeHarpenden Town1990–91Thame UnitedBuckingham Athletic1991–92Leighton TownAshcroft1992–93Oxford CityBedford TownSeasonPremier DivisionSenior DivisionDivision One1993–94Bedford TownToddington RoversStony Stratford Town1994–95Arlesey TownLondon ColneyHoughton Town1995–96Arlesey TownHolmer GreenMercedes-Benz1996–97Potters Bar TownLeverstock GreenBiggleswade United
Member teams
AC Delco Reserves AC Sphinx AC Sphinx Reserves Abbey National ACD Tridon Addmult AML Ampthill Town Aspley Guise Arlesey Town Arlesey Town Reserves Ashcroft Bagshawes Baldock Town Baldock Town Reserves Barton Rovers Batford Old Boys Bedford Avenue Reserves Bedford Corinthians Bedford Eagles Bedford North End Bedford Queen's Works Bedford Queen's Works Reserves Bedford St Cuthbert's Bedford St. Cuthbert's Reserves Bedford Town Bedford Town 'A' Bedford Town Reserves Bedford United Bell Sports Biggleswade & District Reserves Biggleswade Town Biggleswade Town Reserves Biggleswade United Biscot Sports Bletchley Centre Bletchley LMS Bletchley Sports Bletchley Sports Reserves Bletchley Town Bletchley Town Reserves Bletchley United Bondor Borg Warner Bow Brickhill Brache Sparta Bridger Packaging Britannia Works British Aircraft Corporation (Luton) British Aircraft Corporation (Stevenage) Brooklands Buckingham Athletic Buckingham Town Buckingham United Caddington Cambridge Town Reserves Chipperfield Clifton Old Boys Cranfield United Cranfield United Reserves Crawley Green Sports De Havilland (Hatfield) Dunstable Athletic Dunstable Athletic Reserves Dunstable Town Reserves Dunstable United Eaton Bray Eaton Bray United Electrolux Elstow Abbey Emberton Esavian Sports Eynesbury Rovers Flamstead Flitwick Athletic Flitwick Rovers GIF (Luton) Hanslope Harlington Stars Harpenden Town Harrold United Hatfield Town Haynes Hemel Hempstead United Henlow Histon Institute Reserves Hitchin Blue Cross Hitchin Blue Cross Reserves Hitchin Imps Hitchin Town Reserves Hoddesdon Town Holmer Green Houghton Regis Houghton Town Hunting Athletic ICL Letchworth Ickleford Inter City Karrier Motors Kempston Rovers Kent Athletic Kettering Town Reserves Knebworth Kodak Kryn & Lahy Langford Leagrave & District Leagrave & District Reserves Leighton Athletic Leighton Marley Leighton Town Leighton United Reserves Letchworth Letchworth Town Reserves Leverstock Green Limbury Old Boys London Brick London Brick Reserves London Colney Lucas Sports Luton Amateur Luton Amateur Reserves Luton Amateurs & Ramblers Luton Amateurs & Ramblers Reserves Luton Athletic Luton Chapel Street Sports Luton Clarence Luton Clarence Reserves Luton Davis Athletic Luton Frickers Athletic Luton Gas Works Athletic Luton Hitchin Road Old Boys Luton Kent's Athletic Luton Kent's Athletic Reserves Luton Old Boys Luton Old Modernians Luton Percival Athletic Luton Ramblers Luton Town 'B' Luton Town Colts Lynton Works Marshmoor F.C.|Marshmoor Marston Shelton Rovers Marston Shelton Rovers Reserves Marston Sports Mercedes Benz Milford Villa Milton Keynes Milton Keynes Borough Milton Keynes County Milton Keynes Town Mowlem Mursley United Napier/English Electric New Bradwell St Peter Newport Pagnell Town Old Bradwell United Old Dunstablians Old Lutonians Oxford City Peartree Old Boys Peartree Old Boys Reserves Pirton Pitstone & Ivinghoe Potters Bar Crusaders Potters Bar Town Potton United Pye Radio RAF Cardington RAF Henlow RAF Henlow Reserves Risborough Rangers Roade Rootes Sports Royston Town Rushden Sports Rushden Town Reserves Sandy Albion Scot Selby Shefford Town Shenley & Loughton Shillington Shredded Wheat Shredded Wheat Reserves Silsoe SKF Slip End United St Neots & District St Neots & District Reserves St Neots St. Mary's Steeple Claydon Stevenage Town Stevenage Town Reserves Stewartby Works Stewartby Works Reserves Stony Stratford Sports Stony Stratford Town Stotfold Stotfold Athletic Stotfold Rovers Thame United The 61 Tickford Sports Toddington Rovers Totternhoe Towcester Town Tring Athletic Vauxhall (Dunstable) Vauxhall Motors Vauxhall Motors 'A' Vauxhall Motors Reserves Waddesdon Walden Rangers Waterlows Waterlows Reserves Wellingborough Town Reserves Welwyn Garden City Welwyn Garden City Reserves Welwyn Garden United Westbourne Athletic Wiltonians Wingate & Finchley Wingate Winslow United Wolverton Wolverton Town Reserves Wootton Blue Cross Wootton Blue Cross Reserves
References