The 2012–13 season was the 110th in the history of the
Southern League, which is an English
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales. From the previous season onwards, the Southern League was known as The Evo-Stik League Southern, following a sponsorship deal with
Evo-Stik.
Due to step three leagues increasing their number of clubs from 22 to 24 from the 2013–14 season onwards, only two clubs were relegated from the Premier Division, and only one club was relegated from each of Division One Central and South & West this season.
Premier Division
The Premier Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 17 clubs from the
previous season and seven new clubs:
*Two clubs promoted from Division One Central:
**
Bedworth United
Bedworth United Football Club is a football club based in Bedworth, Warwickshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Oval.
History
The first club from which the modern Bedworth United traces its lineage was Bedworth ...
**
St Neots Town
*Two clubs promoted from Division One South & West:
**
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 ...
**
Gosport Borough
*Plus:
**
Kettering Town
Kettering Town Football Club is a football club based in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of and play at Latimer Park in Burton Latimer. Kettering were the first club to wear sponsorship on their shirts in ...
, demoted from the
Conference National
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profes ...
for financial reasons
Hinckley United and
Maidenhead United
Maidenhead United Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. They are currently members of and have played at York Road since 1871, making it the 'oldest senior football ground continuously ...
were originally relegated to this division from the Conference North/South, but were reprieved after the liquidation of
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town.
In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...
and the resignation of
Kettering Town
Kettering Town Football Club is a football club based in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of and play at Latimer Park in Burton Latimer. Kettering were the first club to wear sponsorship on their shirts in ...
from the Conference National. Darlington were relegated to the
Northern League, and Kettering applied to join the Southern League, allowing for a further reprieve for
Hemel Hempstead Town
Hemel Hempstead Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. Affiliated to the Hertfordshire County Football Association, they are currently members of the National League South and pl ...
.
Leamington won the division and were promoted to the Conference North, while play-off winners Gosport Borough were promoted to the Conference South. Hemel Hempstead Town reached the play-off final after two relegation reprieves in the previous three seasons. Only two clubs were relegated this season due to the expansion of the Premier Division to 24 clubs for the next season. Bedworth United were relegated straight back to step 4, while Kettering Town continued their fall to Division One Central.
League table
Play-offs
Semi-finals
Final
Results
Stadia and locations
Division One Central
Division One Central consisted of 22 clubs, including 18 clubs from
previous season and four new clubs:
*
Godalming Town, transferred from
Isthmian League Division One South
The Isthmian League () is a regional men's football league covering Greater London, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs.
Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, the league now consists of 82 teams ...
*
Guildford City
Guildford City Football Club (formerly Guildford United and AFC Guildford) is a football club based in Guildford, Surrey, England. The club was established in 1921, folded in 1974 and was reformed in 1996. Guildford City play in the .
Histo ...
, promoted from the
Combined Counties League
The Combined Counties Football League is a regional men's football league in south-eastern England with members in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Jersey, Kent, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, Surrey, and the western half and sou ...
*
Royston Town
Royston may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Royston, Queensland, a rural locality
Canada
* Royston, British Columbia, a small hamlet
England
*Royston, Hertfordshire, a town and civil parish, formerly partly in Cambridgeshire
* Royston, South Yorks ...
, promoted from the
Spartan South Midlands League
The Spartan South Midlands Football League is an English football league covering Hertfordshire, northwest Greater London, central Buckinghamshire and southern Bedfordshire. It is a feeder to the Southern Football League or the Isthmian League, ...
*
Thatcham Town, transferred from Division One South & West
Burnham won the division on the final day of the season and were promoted to the Premier Division along with play-off winners Biggleswade Town. Woodford United lost all their matches and were the only club relegated from division this season.
League table
Play-offs
Semi-finals
Final
Results
Stadia and locations
Division One South & West
Division One South & West consisted of 22 clubs, including 16 clubs from
previous season and four new clubs:
*Three clubs relegated from the Premier Division:
**
Cirencester Town
**
Evesham United
**
Swindon Supermarine
*Plus:
**
Merthyr Town
Merthyr Town Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Tref Merthyr) is a Welsh semi-professional association football, football club based in Merthyr Tydfil, currently playing in the , in the seventh tier of the English football league system.
The ...
, promoted from the
Western League
**
Shortwood United, promoted from the
Hellenic League
**
Winchester City, promoted from the
Wessex League
The Wessex Football League is an English association football league formed in 1986, with its premier division currently at the fifth step of the National League System, or the ninth tier of the overall English football league system. The par ...
Poole Town won the division in their second season in the league, and were promoted to the Premier Division along with play-off winners Hungerford Town. Winchester City finished bottom and left the Southern League for the Wessex League for the second time in four seasons.
Sholing
Sholing, previously Scholing, is a district on the eastern side of the city of Southampton in Southern England. It is located between the districts of Bitterne, Thornhill and Woolston.
Various explanations from where the name derives b ...
resigned at the end of the season for financial reasons, and dropped down to the
Wessex League
The Wessex Football League is an English association football league formed in 1986, with its premier division currently at the fifth step of the National League System, or the ninth tier of the overall English football league system. The par ...
.
On 12 May 2013,
Abingdon United also resigned from the league for financial reasons, and dropped down to the
Hellenic League.
League table
Play-offs
Semi-finals
Final
Results
Stadia and locations
League Cup
The Southern League Cup 2012–13 (billed as the RedInsure Cup 2012–13 for sponsorship reasons) is the 75th season of the
Southern League Cup, the cup competition of the
Southern Football League
The Southern League is a men's football competition featuring semi-professional clubs from the South and Midlands of England. Together with the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League it forms levels seven and eight of the English fo ...
.
Preliminary round
First round
Second round
Third Round
Quarter-finals
Semi-final
Final
First leg
Second leg
See also
*
Southern Football League
The Southern League is a men's football competition featuring semi-professional clubs from the South and Midlands of England. Together with the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League it forms levels seven and eight of the English fo ...
*
2012–13 Isthmian League
*
2012–13 Northern Premier League
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Southern Football League 2012-13
2012-13
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