2026–27 Southern Football League
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The 2026–27 Southern Football League season is the 124th 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 14 May 2026.[1] There will be 88 teams in the Southern League, 22 in each of the four divisions.
Premier Division Central
[edit]| Season | 2026–27 |
|---|---|
← 2025–26 2027–28 → | |
The Premier Division Central comprises 22 teams, 15 of which competed in the previous season.
Team changes
[edit]
Promoted from Division One Central Promoted from the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands Relegated from the National League North Transferred from the Northern Premier League Premier Division |
Promoted to the National League North Transferred to the Northern Premier League Premier Division Relegated to Division One Central Relegated to the Isthmian League North Division Relegated to the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands
|
Premier Division Central table
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Bedford | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 37 | 17 | +20 | 32 | Promotion to the National League North |
| 2 | Bury Town | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 24 | 20 | +4 | 31 | Qualification for the play-off semi-finals[a] |
| 3 | Bromsgrove Sporting | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 13 | +10 | 28 | |
| 4 | Rushall Olympic | 15 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 32 | 24 | +8 | 27 | Qualification for the play-off quarter-finals[a] |
| 5 | Kettering Town | 13 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 25 | 11 | +14 | 25 | |
| 6 | Needham Market | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 29 | 20 | +9 | 24 | |
| 7 | Alvechurch | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 24 | 12 | +12 | 23 | |
| 8 | Peterborough Sports | 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 27 | 23 | +4 | 23 | |
| 9 | Anstey Nomads | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 18 | +4 | 20 | |
| 10 | Halesowen Town | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 18 | −2 | 20 | |
| 11 | Stourbridge | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 16 | −1 | 19 | |
| 12 | Racing Club Warwick | 14 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 21 | 19 | +2 | 17 | |
| 13 | Redditch United | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 19 | 17 | +2 | 17 | |
| 14 | Leiston | 12 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 22 | 23 | −1 | 15 | |
| 15 | Hitchin Town | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 16 | 20 | −4 | 13 | |
| 16 | Bishop's Stortford | 14 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 17 | 24 | −7 | 13 | |
| 17 | Stratford Town | 14 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 18 | 26 | −8 | 13 | |
| 18 | Banbury United | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 16 | 26 | −10 | 13 | |
| 19 | Worcester City | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 16 | −5 | 10 | Relegation to Step 4 |
| 20 | Leamington | 14 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 19 | 26 | −7 | 10 | |
| 21 | Leighton Town | 13 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 27 | −13 | 6 | |
| 22 | Stamford | 14 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 35 | −31 | 4 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[2]
Notes:
- 1 2 Six teams play for one spot and promotion to the National League North
Results table
Stadia and locations
[edit]Premier Division South
[edit]| Season | 2026–27 |
|---|---|
← 2025–26 2027–28 → | |
The Premier Division South comprises 22 teams, 16 of which competed in the previous season.
Team changes
[edit]
Promoted from Division One South Promoted from the Isthmian League South Central Division Relegated from the National League South Transferred from the Isthmian League Premier Division |
Promoted to the National League South Relegated to Division One South
|
Premier Division South table
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uxbridge | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 8 | +17 | 29 | Promotion to the National League South |
| 2 | Poole Town | 13 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 24 | 15 | +9 | 28 | Qualification for the play-off semi-finals[a] |
| 3 | Hanworth Villa | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 27 | 16 | +11 | 27 | |
| 4 | Plymouth Parkway | 13 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 27 | 14 | +13 | 26 | Qualification for the play-off quarter-finals[a] |
| 5 | Bath City | 13 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 10 | +9 | 26 | |
| 6 | Chichester City | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 24 | 23 | +1 | 22 | |
| 7 | Gosport Borough | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 22 | 18 | +4 | 21 | |
| 8 | Chertsey Town | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 27 | 20 | +7 | 20 | |
| 9 | Wimborne Town | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 20 | 9 | +11 | 19 | |
| 10 | Taunton Town | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 32 | 25 | +7 | 19 | |
| 11 | Frome Town | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 16 | +4 | 19 | |
| 12 | Berkhamsted | 13 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 16 | 18 | −2 | 17 | |
| 13 | Basingstoke Town | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 21 | 27 | −6 | 15 | |
| 14 | Hanwell Town | 12 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 15 | +1 | 14 | |
| 15 | Yate Town | 13 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 25 | −9 | 14 | |
| 16 | Bracknell Town | 14 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 30 | −16 | 14 | |
| 17 | Sholing | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 18 | −4 | 13 | |
| 18 | Evesham United | 13 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 15 | 26 | −11 | 13 | |
| 19 | Malvern Town | 13 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 19 | 34 | −15 | 11 | Relegation to Step 4 |
| 20 | Gloucester City | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 19 | −4 | 10 | |
| 21 | Havant & Waterlooville | 14 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 19 | 32 | −13 | 9 | |
| 22 | Chippenham Town | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 25 | −14 | 9 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[2]
Notes:
- 1 2 Six teams play for one spot and promotion to the National League South
Results table
Stadia and locations
[edit]| Club | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basingstoke Town | Basingstoke | Winklebury Football Complex (Basingstoke) | 2,000 |
| Bath City | Bath (Twerton) | Twerton Park | 8,840 |
| Berkhamsted | Berkhamsted | Broadwater | 1,950 |
| Bracknell Town | Sandhurst | SB Stadium | 1,950 |
| Chertsey Town | Chertsey | Alwyns Lane | 2,500 |
| Chichester City | Chichester | Oaklands Park | 2,000 |
| Chippenham Town | Chippenham | Hardenhuish Park | 3,000 |
| Evesham United | Evesham | Jubilee Stadium | 3,000 |
| Frome Town | Frome | Badgers Hill | 3,000 |
| Gloucester City | Gloucester | Meadow Park | 4,000 |
| Gosport Borough | Gosport | Privett Park | 4,500 |
| Hanwell Town | London (Perivale) | Powerday Stadium | 3,000 |
| Hanworth Villa | London (Hanworth) | Rectory Meadow | 1,800 |
| Havant & Waterlooville | Havant | Westleigh Park | 5,300 |
| Malvern Town | Malvern | Langland Stadium | 2,500 |
| Plymouth Parkway | Plymouth | Bolitho Park | 3,500 |
| Poole Town | Poole | The BlackGold Stadium | 2,500 |
| Sholing | Southampton (Sholing) | Universal Stadium | 2,500 |
| Taunton Town | Taunton | Wordsworth Drive | 3,000 |
| Uxbridge | London (West Drayton) | Honeycroft | 3,770 |
| Wimborne Town | Wimborne Minster | The Cuthbury | 3,250 |
| Yate Town | Yate | Lodge Road | 2,000 |
Division One Central
[edit]| Season | 2026–27 |
|---|---|
← 2025–26 2027–28 → | |
Division One Central comprises 22 teams, 16 of which competed in the previous season.
Team changes
[edit]
Promoted from the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division Relegated from the Premier Division Central Relegated from the Isthmian League Premier Division Transferred from Division One South Transferred from the Isthmian League North Division |
Promoted to the Premier Division Central Relegated to the Combined Counties League Premier Division North Relegated to the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division Merged with Dunstable Town
|
Division One Central table
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Didcot Town | 13 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 34 | 15 | +19 | 28 | Promotion to Premier Division Central |
| 2 | Winslow United | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 32 | 15 | +17 | 27 | Qualification for the play-off semi-finals[a] |
| 3 | Potters Bar Town | 15 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 30 | 19 | +11 | 26 | |
| 4 | Royston Town | 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 29 | 19 | +10 | 23 | Qualification for the play-off quarter-finals[a] |
| 5 | Marlow | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 28 | 20 | +8 | 23 | |
| 6 | Stotfold | 14 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 20 | 19 | +1 | 22 | |
| 7 | London Lions | 15 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 27 | 32 | −5 | 22 | |
| 8 | Welwyn Garden City | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 28 | 19 | +9 | 21 | |
| 9 | Waltham Abbey | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 31 | 20 | +11 | 20 | |
| 10 | Biggleswade | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 24 | 20 | +4 | 20 | |
| 11 | Haringey Borough | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 20 | 23 | −3 | 20 | |
| 12 | Thame United | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 24 | 17 | +7 | 19 | |
| 13 | Milton Keynes Irish | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 19 | 30 | −11 | 18 | |
| 14 | Beaconsfield Town | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 18 | 31 | −13 | 18 | |
| 15 | Hertford Town | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 20 | 25 | −5 | 16 | |
| 16 | Barton Rovers | 15 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 16 | 25 | −9 | 15 | |
| 17 | Leverstock Green | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 14 | |
| 18 | Biggleswade Town | 13 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 18 | −1 | 13 | |
| 19 | Aylesbury United | 13 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 23 | 32 | −9 | 10 | Relegation to Step 5 |
| 20 | Hadley | 14 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 31 | −13 | 10 | |
| 21 | Ware | 12 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 30 | −15 | 9 | |
| 22 | Flackwell Heath | 13 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 17 | 30 | −13 | 8 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[2]
Notes:
Results table
Stadia and locations
[edit]Division One South
[edit]| Season | 2026–27 |
|---|---|
← 2025–26 2027–28 → | |
Division One South comprises 22 teams, 13 of which competed in the previous season.
Team changes
[edit]
Promoted from the Hellenic League Premier Division Promoted from the Wessex League Premier Division Promoted from the Western League Premier Division Relegated from the Premier Division South |
Promoted to the Premier Division South Transferred to Division One Central Transferred to the Isthmian League South Central Division Relegated to the Western League Premier Division Relegated to the Wessex League Premier Division Resigned to the South West Peninsula League Premier Division West
|
Division One South table
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weymouth | 12 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 9 | +24 | 34 | Promotion to Premier Division South |
| 2 | Swindon Supermarine | 15 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 28 | 16 | +12 | 34 | Qualification for the play-off semi-finals[a] |
| 3 | Dorchester Town | 13 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 27 | 16 | +11 | 31 | |
| 4 | Hungerford Town | 13 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 9 | +15 | 26 | Qualification for the play-off quarter-finals[a] |
| 5 | Westbury United | 15 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 25 | 18 | +7 | 26 | |
| 6 | Falmouth Town | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 23 | 19 | +4 | 24 | |
| 7 | Bishop's Cleeve | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 23 | 12 | +11 | 22 | |
| 8 | Worcester Raiders | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 22 | |
| 9 | Hartpury | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 22 | 19 | +3 | 21 | |
| 10 | Sporting Club Inkberrow | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 22 | 20 | +2 | 18 | |
| 11 | Portland United | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 20 | 23 | −3 | 18 | |
| 12 | Tiverton Town | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 22 | 21 | +1 | 16 | |
| 13 | Shaftesbury | 15 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 26 | 32 | −6 | 16 | |
| 14 | Willand Rovers | 12 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 19 | 21 | −2 | 15 | |
| 15 | Bideford | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 20 | 27 | −7 | 14 | |
| 16 | Exmouth Town | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 17 | 26 | −9 | 14 | |
| 17 | Barnstaple Town | 15 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 20 | 25 | −5 | 13 | |
| 18 | Paulton Rovers | 12 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 17 | −6 | 12 | |
| 19 | Larkhall Athletic | 14 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 18 | 27 | −9 | 11 | Relegation to Step 5 |
| 20 | Slimbridge | 13 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 30 | −15 | 11 | |
| 21 | Melksham Town | 13 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 22 | −11 | 9 | |
| 22 | Bristol Manor Farm | 15 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 27 | −17 | 9 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[2]
Notes:
Results table
Stadia and locations
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "The FA releases National League System allocations for Steps 1-6 in 2026-27 season". www.thefa.com. 14 May 2026. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "The FA Handbook 2022/2023 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA.