The 1978–79
Southern Football League season was the 76th in the history of the league, an English
football competition.
Worcester City
Worcester City Football Club is an English football club based in Worcester, Worcestershire. The club play in the Midland Football League, the ninth tier of English football. Established in 1902, the club play at Claines Lane.
Worcester City's ...
won the championship, winning their first Southern League title. At the end of the season the
Alliance Premier League
The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
was established as a new, national top division of non-League football. Thirteen clubs from the Premier Division joined the new league, leading to a restructuring of the Southern League for the
next season, in which it was divided solely into Midland and Southern divisions.
Due to the forthcoming changes, there was no relegation or promotion between the Southern League's divisions, although the Premier Division clubs that remained in the Southern League had effectively been relegated one level, being placed in the Midland or Southern divisions the following season. Several clubs left the Division One North at the end of the season to join the
Northern Premier League, which had also lost clubs to the new Alliance Premier League, whilst Premier Division club
Atherstone Town folded.
Premier Division
The Premier Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 18 clubs from the
previous season and four new clubs:
*Two clubs promoted from Division One North:
**
Bridgend Town
**
Witney Town
*Two clubs promoted from Division One South:
**
Dorchester Town
**
Margate
Margate is a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in south-east England. The town is estimated to be 1.5 miles long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay and Westbrook.
The town has been a significan ...
At the end of the season most of the Premier Division clubs left the league to join newly created
Alliance Premier League
The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
.
Atherstone Town folded at the end of the season. The rest of the clubs were distributed between newly created Midland and Southern divisions.
League table
Division One North
Division One North consisted of 20 clubs, including 17 clubs from the
previous season and three new clubs:
*
Alvechurch
Alvechurch ( ) is a large village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove district in northeast Worcestershire, England, in the valley of the River Arrow. The Lickey Hills Country Park is 2.5 miles (4 km) to the northwest. It is south of Bir ...
, joined from the
West Midlands (Regional) League
The West Midlands (Regional) League is an English association football competition for semi-professional and amateur teams based in the West Midlands county, Shropshire, Worcestershire, southern Staffordshire and northern Herefordshire. It has tw ...
*
Bedford Town, relegated from the Premier Division
*
Grantham
Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln and ...
, relegated from the Premier Division
At the end of the season
Alliance Premier League
The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
on the top of non-league was created. Following that Southern Football League was restructured with Midland and Southern divisions replacing three old divisions. Most of the Division One North clubs were placed to the Midland Division.
League table
Division One South
Division One South expanded up to 21 clubs, including 17 clubs from the
previous season and four new clubs:
*
Dover, relegated from the Premier Division
*
Dunstable
Dunstable ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, east of the Chiltern Hills, north of London. There are several steep chalk escarpments, most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the ...
, transferred from the Southern League Division One North
*
Gosport Borough, promoted from the
Hampshire League
The Hampshire League was a football league in Hampshire, England. During its heyday its constitution consisted of four divisions with over 60 clubs taking part - this included a vast number of semi-professional teams and Reserve/’A’ sides of ...
*
Minehead, relegated from the Premier Division
At the end of the season
Alliance Premier League
The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
on the top of non-league was created. Following that Southern Football League was restructured with Midland and Southern divisions replacing three old divisions. Most of the Division One South clubs were placed to the Southern Division.
League table
Football League election
Runners-up Kettering Town were the only Southern League club to apply for election to the Football League. However, all four Football League clubs were re-elected.
A history of admission to the Football League
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See also
* Southern Football League
* 1978–79 Northern Premier League
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:1978-79 Southern Football League
Southern Football League seasons
S