Southern Football League

The Southern League (currently sponsored by Dr Martens and known as the Dr Martens League) is an English football league for semi-professional and amateur teams.

Originally founded in 1900, the Southern League became the dominant competition outside The Football League in southern and central England. Along with the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League, it is a feeder to the Football Conference.

The league structure has changed several times over the years, and currently consists of a Premier Division at step 3 of the pyramid, and Division One West and Division One East at step 4. The winners of the Premier Division, together with the winners of a playoff, will be promoted to the new Conference North or Conference South divisions, depending on their location.

The leagues below the Southern League are as follows:

• Division One West:
  • Midland Football Alliance
  • Hellenic League
  • Western League
  • Wessex League
• Division One East:
  • United Counties League
  • Eastern Counties League
  • Essex Senior League
  • Spartan South Midlands League

These arrangements are new for the 2004-05 season, and so are not yet certain.

Premier Division teams (2004-05)

• Aylesbury United
• Banbury United
• Bath City
• Bedford Town
• Chesham United
• Chippenham Town
• Cirencester Town
• Dunstable Town
• Gloucester City
• Grantham Town
• Halesowen Town
• Hednesford Town
• Hemel Hempstead Town
• Histon
• Hitchin Town
• King's Lynn
• Merthyr Tydfil
• Rugby United
• Solihull Borough
• Stamford
• Team Bath
• Tiverton Town

This article is part of the series: Football in England
League competitions	The FA	Cup competitions
FA Premier League		FA Cup
The Football League (Ch, 1, 2)	England team	Football League Cup
National League System		FA Community Shield
Football Conference (Nat, N, S)	List of clubs	Football League Trophy
Northern Premier League (Pr, 1)		FA Trophy
Southern League (Pr, 1W, 1E)	Records	FA Vase
Isthmian League (Pr, 1, 2)		FA NLS Cup