The 1919–20 season was the 22nd in the history of the
Southern League, and the first following
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
won the Southern League championship for the second time, whilst
Mid Rhondda won Division Two. There were no promotions or relegations between divisions at the end of the season as all of the clubs in Division One bar
Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...
were elected to the new
Division Three
The Football League Third Division was the third tier of the English football league system in 1920–21 and again from 1958 until 1992. When the FA Premier League was formed, the Third Division become the fourth tier of English football. In 2 ...
of
the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in the world, and was the top-level football league in England from ...
, with Cardiff elected to
Division Two.
With only 10 clubs remaining (
Caerphilly
Caerphilly (, ; , ) is a town and community (Wales), community in Wales. It is situated at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley and separated from the Cardiff suburbs of Lisvane and Rhiwbina by Caerphilly Mountain.
It is north of Cardiff an ...
left the league) the league went through a realignment. The league was split into two national sections for England and Wales, with the winners of each section contesting a playoff for the Southern League championship. The remaining clubs in Division Two moved to the Welsh Section. In the English Section,
Brighton & Hove Albion Reserves,
Chatham Town,
Millwall Reserves,
Portsmouth Reserves,
Reading Reserves,
Southampton Reserves, and
Watford Reserves rejoined the Southern League. New clubs to join were
Boscombe
Boscombe () is a suburb in Bournemouth England. Historically in Hampshire, but today in Dorset, it is located to the east of Bournemouth town centre and west of Southbourne.
Originally a sparsely inhabited area of heathland, from around 1865 ...
,
Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Charlton, south-east London, England. The team compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
Their home ground is ...
,
Gillingham Reserves,
Luton Town Reserves,
Norwich City Reserves, and
Thornycrofts.
Division One
A total of 22 teams contest the division, including 18 sides from previous season and four new teams.
Teams promoted from
1914–15 Division Two:
*
Merthyr Town
*
Swansea Town
*
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross.
Its economy has dive ...
*
Newport County
Division Two
A total of 11 teams contested the division, six from the previous season and five new teams. All the teams in Division Two were from Wales.
Newly elected teams:
* Aberaman Athletic
* Abertillery
* Caerphilly
* Mardy
* Porth Athletic
Football League elections
Cardiff City were the only Southern League club to apply for election to the Football League.
A history of admission to the Football League
/ref> They were successful and, along with Leeds United, replaced Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Nicknamed "the Mariners", the club was f ...
and Lincoln City in the Football League Second Division.
After the voting, 21 clubs remained in Southern League alongside Grimsby, having gained more votes than other non-elected clubs, were then elected into the newly created Third Division.
References
External links
Southern League First Division Tables
RSSSF
RSSSF
Football Club History Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Southern Football League, 1919-20
1919-20
1919–20 in English football leagues
1919–20 in Welsh football