The 1972–73
Southern Football League season was the 70th in the history of the league, an English
football competition.
Kettering Town won the championship, winning their third Southern League title, whilst
Atherstone Town,
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 ...
,
Maidstone United and
Tonbridge
Tonbridge ( ) is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, south west of Maidstone and south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Malling, it had an estimated populat ...
were all promoted to the Premier Division. Eight Southern League clubs applied to join
the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
at the end of the season, but none were successful.
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:
**
Burton Albion
Burton Albion Football Club is a professional association football club in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club moved its home grou ...
**
Kettering Town
*Two clubs promoted from Division One South:
**
Ramsgate Athletic, who were renamed Ramsgate at the end of the previous season
**
Waterlooville
Waterlooville is a market town in the Borough of Havant in Hampshire, England, approximately north northeast of Portsmouth. It is the largest town in the borough.
The town has a population of about 64,350 and is surrounded by Purbrook, Blendwort ...
League table
Division One North
Division One North consisted of 22 clubs, including 13 clubs from the
previous season and nine new clubs:
*Six clubs 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 ...
:
**
Atherstone Town
**
Bedworth United
**
Bromsgrove Rovers
**
Kidderminster Harriers
**
Redditch United
Redditch United Football Club is an English football club based in Redditch, Worcestershire. The club participates in the and play their home games at the V
Trico Stadium. They are managed by former Captain and Assistant Manager Matt Clarke.
...
**
Tamworth
*Plus:
**
Enderby Town, joined from the Leicestershire Senior League
**
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 ...
, joined from the
Midland League
The Midland Football League is an English football league that was founded in 2014 by the merger of the former Midland Alliance and Midland Combination. The league has four divisions that sit at levels 9–12 of the football pyramid.
History
T ...
**
Merthyr Tydfil, relegated from the Premier Division
At the end of the season
Lockheed Leamington was renamed
AP Leamington
Leamington Football Club is a football club based in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. They are currently members of and play at the New Windmill Ground near Bishop's Tachbrook.
History
The club was established in 1933 as the works te ...
.
League table
Division One South
Division One South consisted of 22 clubs, including 13 clubs from the
previous season and nine new clubs:
*Two clubs relegated from the Premier Division:
**
Bath City
Bath City Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Bath, Somerset, England. The club is affiliated to the Somerset FA and currently competes in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football. The club have ...
**
Gravesend & Northfleet
*Three clubs transferred from Division One North:
**
Bletchley Town
**
Dunstable Town
**
Wealdstone
Wealdstone () is a district located in the centre of the London Borough of Harrow, England. It is located just north of Harrow town centre and is south of Harrow Weald, west of Belmont and Kenton, and east of Headstone.
The area accommodates ...
*Three clubs joined from the
Western League
**
Bideford
Bideford ( ) is a historic port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is the main town of the Torridge local government district.
Toponymy
In ancient records Bideford is recorded as ''Bedeford'', ''By ...
**
Dorchester Town
**
Minehead
*Plus:
**
Bognor Regis Town
Bognor Regis Town Football Club is an English football club based in Bognor Regis, West Sussex. Nicknamed 'The Rocks',the club is an FA Chartered Standard Community club affiliated to the Sussex County Football Association. They currently compet ...
, joined from the
Sussex County League
League table
Football League elections
Alongside the four League clubs facing re-election, a total of 10 non-League clubs applied for election, eight of which were Southern League clubs. All the League clubs were re-elected.
A history of admission to the Football League
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See also
* Southern Football League
* 1972–73 Northern Premier League
References
RSSF – Southern Football League archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:1972-73 Southern Football League
Southern Football League seasons
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