2008–09 Southern Football League


The 2008–09 season was the 106th 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.
At the end of the season Division One Midlands was renamed Division One Central.

Premier Division

The Premier Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 17 clubs from the previous season and five new clubs:
Corby Town won the Premier Division and along with play-off winners Gloucester City got a place in the Conference North next year.
Mangotsfield United, Yate Town and Hitchin Town relegated to the divisions One, while Banbury United were reprieved from relegation after two Conference South clubs folded.

League table

Play-offs

Results

Stadia and locations

ClubStadiumCapacity
Banbury UnitedSpencer Stadium2,000
BashleyBashley Road2,000
Bedford TownThe Eyrie3,000
Brackley TownSt. James Park3,500
Cambridge CityCity Ground2,300
Chippenham TownHardenhuish Park2,815
Clevedon TownHand Stadium3,500
Corby TownSteel Park3,893
Evesham UnitedSt George's Lane 3,000
FarnboroughCherrywood Road7,000
Gloucester CityThe Corinium Stadium 4,500
Halesowen TownThe Grove5,000
Hemel Hempstead TownVauxhall Road3,152
Hitchin TownTop Field4,000
Mangotsfield UnitedCossham Street2,500
Merthyr TydfilPenydarren Park4,500
Oxford CityCourt Place Farm2,000
Rugby TownButlin Road6,000
StourbridgeWar Memorial Athletic Ground2,626
Swindon SupermarineHunts Copse Ground3,000
Tiverton TownLadysmead3,500
Yate TownLodge Road2,000

Division One Midlands

Division One Midlands consisted of 22 clubs, including 14 clubs from previous season and eight new clubs:
Nuneaton Borough, finished 7th in the Conference North went into liquidation due to financial difficulties, were immediately reformed under the name Nuneaton Town and placed two divisions below in Midlands division.
Leamington won the division in the second attempt and got a place in Premier Division along with play-off winners Nuneaton Town. Dunstable and Malvern finished bottom of the table and were relegated to the lower leagues. At the end of the season Division One Midlands was renamed Division One Central.

League table

Play-offs

Results

Stadia and locations

ClubStadiumCapacity
AFC SudburyKing's Marsh3,800
Arlesey TownHitchin Road2,920
Atherstone TownSheepy Road3,500
Aylesbury UnitedThe Meadow 5,000
Barton RoversSharpenhoe Road4,000
Bedworth UnitedThe Oval3,000
Bromsgrove RoversVictoria Ground4,893
Bury TownRam Meadow3,500
ChasetownThe Scholars Ground2,000
Chesham UnitedThe Meadow5,000
Dunstable TownCreasey Park3,200
LeamingtonNew Windmill Ground3,000
Leighton TownBell Close2,800
Malvern TownLangland Stadium2,500
MarlowAlfred Davis Memorial Ground3,000
Nuneaton BoroughLiberty Way4,614
RomulusThe Central Ground 2,000
Rothwell TownCecil Street3,500
Soham Town RangersJulius Martin Lane2,000
Stourport SwiftsWalshes Meadow2,000
Sutton Coldfield TownThe Central Ground2,000
Woodford UnitedByfield Road3,000

Division One South & West

Division One South & West consisted of 22 clubs, including 15 clubs from previous season and seven new clubs:
Truro City won the division in an inaugural season and got a place in Premier Division along with play-off winners Didcot Town. Bracknell Town finished second bottom but were reprieved from relegation due to higher league clubs' problems. Winchester City finished bottom of the table and were relegated to the lower league.

League table

Play-offs

Results

Stadia and locations

ClubStadiumCapacity
A.F.C. HayesFarm Park1,500
AFC TottonTestwood Stadium3,000
Abingdon UnitedNorthcourt Road2,000
AndoverPortway Stadium3,000
Beaconsfield SYCOBHolloways Park3,500
Bishops CleeveKayte Lane1,500
Bracknell TownLarges Lane2,500
Bridgwater TownFairfax Park2,500
BurnhamThe Gore2,500
Cinderford TownCauseway Ground3,500
Cirencester TownCorinium Stadium4,500
Didcot TownDraycott Engineering Loop Meadow Stadium3,000
Gosport BoroughPrivett Park4,500
North LeighEynsham Hall Park Sports Ground2,000
Paulton RoversAthletic Field2,500
Slough TownHolloways Park 3,500
Taunton TownWordsworth Drive2,500
Thatcham TownWaterside Park1,500
Truro CityTreyew Road3,200
UxbridgeHoneycroft3,770
Winchester CityThe City Ground4,500
Windsor & EtonStag Meadow4,500

League Cup

Preliminary round

First round

TieHome Team ScoreAway Team
18Gosport Borough 1–0A.F.C. Totton -
19Halesowen Town 1–0Stourbridge -
20Hemel Hempstead Town 3–0Bedford Town -
21Hitchin Town 4–0Arlesey Town -
22Leighton Town 3–0Slough Town -
23Malvern Town 1–2Cirencester Town -
24Mangotsfield United 3–1Clevedon Town -
25Merthyr Tydfil 4–2Bishops Cleeve -
26Paulton Rovers 0–1Yate Town -
27Rugby Town 1–2Bedworth United -
28Soham Town Rangers 3–4Cambridge City -
29Stourport Swifts 3–4Cinderford Town -
30Thatcham Town 2-4Chesham United -
31Tiverton Town 3–4Truro City -
32Uxbridge 3–4A.F.C. Hayes -
33Winchester City 3–4Bashley -
34Woodford United 0–1North Leigh -

Second round

TieHome Team ScoreAway Team
35A.F.C. Hayes 2–4Chesham United -
36Andover 2–1Bashley -
37Atherstone Town 2–1Leamington -
38Brackley Town 3–2Romulus -
39Cinderford Town 4–3Merthyr Tydfil -
40Gloucester City 3–0Abingdon United -
41Hitchin Town 1–0Cambridge City -
42Gosport Borough 1–2Beaconsfield SYCOB -

Third round

TieHome Team ScoreAway Team
55Dunstable Town 1–2Windsor & Eton -
56Gloucester City 3–0Yate Town -
57Halesowen Town 0–2Atherstone Town -
58Andover 2–6Swindon Supermarine -

Quarterfinals

TieHome Team ScoreAway Team '
59Atherstone Town 2–0Brackley Town -
60Bridgwater Town 2–1Gloucester City -

TieHome Team ScoreAway Team '
61Bury Town 3–1Chesham United -
62Swindon Supermarine 3–0Windsor & Eton -

Semifinals

Final