The 1977–78 Southern Football League

Southern Football League

The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...

 season saw Bath City

Bath City F.C.

Bath City Football Club are a semi-professional football club based in Bath, Somerset. They play in the Conference National league after gaining promotion from the Conference South via the play-offs in May 2010...

 win the Premier Division. Minehead, Dover

Dover F.C.

Dover F.C. was a football club based in Dover, Kent, England. The club joined the Kent League in 1894, but folded in 1901. Dover F.C. was revived a year later, this time as a purely amateur club, and rejoined the Kent League, but folded again in 1909...

, Bedford Town

Bedford Town F.C.

Bedford Town F.C. is an English football club based in the Borough of Bedford. The club are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division and play at The New Eyrie in Cardington, a parish on the outskirts of Bedford....

 and Grantham

Grantham Town F.C.

Grantham Town F.C. is a football club, based in Grantham, Lincolnshire, currently playing in the Northern Premier League Division One South. They are nicknamed The Gingerbreads and they play their home matches at the South Kesteven Sports Stadium . They were established in August 1874...

 were relegated from the Premier Division, whilst Witney Town, Margate

Margate F.C.

Margate Football Club is an English football team based in the seaside resort of Margate, Kent, currently playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The club was known for a number of years during the 1980s as Thanet United....

, Bridgend Town

Bridgend Town F.C.

Bridgend Town F.C. is a Welsh football club that currently play in the Welsh Football League First Division. They are based in Bridgend in south Wales. Historically, their local rivals were Maesteg Park who disbanded in 2009...

 and Dorchester Town

Dorchester Town F.C.

Dorchester Town Football Club are a semi-professional football club, based in Dorchester, Dorset, England, and currently playing in the Blue Square Bet South...

 were all promoted to the Premier Division, the former two as champions. Romford

Romford F.C.

Romford F.C. is an English football club based in Romford, Greater London. The club are currently members of Division One North of the Isthmian League, and play at Mill Field in Aveley.-History:...

 folded at the end of the season.

Premier Division

The Premier Division featured four new clubs:

• Barnet (promoted from Division One South)
• Cheltenham Town (promoted from the Division One North)
• Hastings United (promoted from Division One South)
• Worcester City (promoted from the Division One North)

Pos	Club	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Notes
1	Bath City Bath City F.C. Bath City Football Club are a semi-professional football club based in Bath, Somerset. They play in the Conference National league after gaining promotion from the Conference South via the play-offs in May 2010...	42	22	18	2	83	32	51	62
2	Weymouth Weymouth F.C. Weymouth F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Weymouth, who currently play in the Southern League Premier Division.-History:Weymouth Football Club were founded in 1890 and played their first game on 24 September of that year...	42	21	16	5	64	36	28	58
3	Maidstone United Maidstone United F.C. Maidstone United Football Club is an English football team from Maidstone, Kent.The current club is a continuation of the old Maidstone United, which was a member of the Football League between 1989 and 1992. The club was forced out of the league by financial ruin but the youth squad formed the...	42	20	11	11	59	41	18	51
4	Worcester City Worcester City F.C. Worcester City Football Club is an English football club based in Worcester, Worcestershire. The club are currently members of the Conference North and play at St George's Lane.-History:...	42	20	11	11	67	50	17	51
5	Gravesend & Northfleet	42	19	11	12	57	42	15	49
6	Kettering Town Kettering Town F.C. Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08...	42	18	11	13	58	48	10	47
7	Barnet Barnet F.C. Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....	42	18	11	13	63	58	5	47
8	Wealdstone Wealdstone F.C. Wealdstone Football Club are an English semi-professional football club who formed in Wealdstone, in the London Borough of Harrow, but are currently based a few miles away in Ruislip, in the London Borough of Hillingdon. At present, the club are members of the Isthmian League Premier Division. They...	42	16	14	12	54	48	6	46
9	Telford United Telford United F.C. Telford United F.C. was an English football club based in Telford, Shropshire.The club existed under various names for a total of 132 years from its formation in 1872. The club was founder members of the Alliance Premier League in 1979 and played at this level for 25 years before being wound up in...	42	17	11	14	52	45	7	45
10	Nuneaton Borough	42	15	14	13	38	36	2	44
11	Dartford Dartford F.C. Dartford F.C. are an English football club based in Dartford, Kent. After finishing as champions of the Isthmian League Division One North in the 2007–08 season, they compete in the Isthmian League Premier Division. They finished in 8th position in their first season...	42	14	15	13	57	65
43
12	Yeovil Town Yeovil Town F.C. Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...	42	14	14	14	57	49	8	42
13	Hastings United Hastings United F.C. Hastings United is a semi-professional English football club who currently play in the Isthmian League Premier Division and are affiliated to the Sussex County Football Association and the Hastings Football Association....	42	15	9	18	49	60
39
14	Cheltenham Town Cheltenham Town F.C. Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...	42	12	14	16	43	52
38
15	Hillingdon Borough Hillingdon Borough F.C. Hillingdon Borough Football Club are a semi-professional football club based in Ruislip, in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It was also the name of a now-extinct club that existed between 1965 and 1987.-Historic club:...	42	13	9	20	45	54
35
16	Atherstone Town Atherstone Town F.C. Atherstone Town Football Club is a football club based in Atherstone, Warwickshire, England.They were officially established in 2004 after a previous club bearing the same name folded in 1979...	42	10	15	17	41	56
35
17	Redditch United Redditch United F.C. Redditch United F.C. is an English football club based in Redditch, Worcestershire. The club are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division and play at the Valley.-Birmingham Combination:...	42	15	5	22	40	55
35
18	AP Leamington	42	11	13	18	34	57
35
19	Minehead	42	11	12	19	43	48
34	Relegated to Division One
20		Dover Dover F.C. Dover F.C. was a football club based in Dover, Kent, England. The club joined the Kent League in 1894, but folded in 1901. Dover F.C. was revived a year later, this time as a purely amateur club, and rejoined the Kent League, but folded again in 1909...	42	9	13	20	41	63
31
21		Bedford Town Bedford Town F.C. Bedford Town F.C. is an English football club based in the Borough of Bedford. The club are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division and play at The New Eyrie in Cardington, a parish on the outskirts of Bedford....	42	8	13	21	51	75
29
22	Grantham Grantham Town F.C. Grantham Town F.C. is a football club, based in Grantham, Lincolnshire, currently playing in the Northern Premier League Division One South. They are nicknamed The Gingerbreads and they play their home matches at the South Kesteven Sports Stadium . They were established in August 1874...	42	11	6	25	40	66
28

Football League elections

At the end of the season, the bottom four of the Football League had to be re-elected to retain their place, with one club from each of the Southern League and Northern Premier League

Northern Premier League

The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...

 also on the ballot. Champions Bath City participated in the vote, but finished bottom. NPL club Wigan Athletic

Wigan Athletic F.C.

Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...

 were elected to the League after beating Southport

Southport F.C.

Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...

 in a second round of voting.

Club	League	First round votes	Second round votes
York City York City F.C. York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...	Football League Division Four	49
Rochdale Rochdale A.F.C. Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...	Football League Division Four	39
Hartepool United Hartlepool United F.C. Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...	Football League Division Four	37
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic F.C. Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...	Northern Premier League	27	29
Southport Southport F.C. Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...	Football League Division Four	21	20
Bath City Bath City F.C. Bath City Football Club are a semi-professional football club based in Bath, Somerset. They play in the Conference National league after gaining promotion from the Conference South via the play-offs in May 2010...	Southern League	23

Division One North

Division One North featured three new clubs, all of which had been relegated from the Premier Division the previous season:

• Bridgend Town (elected from the Welsh Football League
  Welsh Football League
  The Welsh Football League is a club football league in Wales. Division One of the Welsh Football League is at Level 2 of the Welsh football league system, immediately below the national Welsh Premier League.The Welsh Football League's history stretches back to 1904 when the competition was first...
  
  
• Burton Albion (relegated from the Premier Division)

Pos	Club	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Notes
1	Witney Town	38	20	15	3	54	27	27	55	Promoted to the Premier Division
2	Bridgend Town Bridgend Town F.C. Bridgend Town F.C. is a Welsh football club that currently play in the Welsh Football League First Division. They are based in Bridgend in south Wales. Historically, their local rivals were Maesteg Park who disbanded in 2009...	38	20	9	9	59	45	14	49
3	Burton Albion Burton Albion F.C. Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...	38	17	11	10	48	32	16	45
4	Enderby Town	38	17	10	11	59	44	15	44
5	Bromsgrove Rovers Bromsgrove Rovers F.C. Bromsgrove Rovers F.C. were a non-League football club from the town of Bromsgrove in Worcestershire. The peak of the club's success was in 1993 when Rovers finished runner-up in the Football Conference...	38	16	12	10	56	41	15	44
6	Banbury United Banbury United F.C. Banbury United is a football club based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, who play in the Southern League Premier Division. They are nicknamed The Puritans and they play their home matches at the Spencer Stadium...	38	17	10	11	52	47	5	44
7	Kidderminster Harriers Kidderminster Harriers F.C. Kidderminster Harriers F.C. are an English football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire formed in 1886 They currently play in the Conference National and have played at Aggborough Stadium since they were formed...	38	16	11	11	58	41	17	43
8	Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil F.C. Merthyr Tydfil Football Club was a Welsh football club based at the Penydarren Park ground in Merthyr Tydfil. In 2010 the club was liquidated and reformed under the name Merthyr Town, which was accepted into Division One of the Western League.-History:...	38	18	6	14	85	62	23	42
9	Cambridge City Cambridge City F.C. Cambridge City Football Club is an English football club currently playing in the Southern League Premier Division.-History:The club was founded in 1908 Cambridge Town F.C., as Cambridge had not been granted city status at that point, and were committed to amateur sport...	38	14	12	12	56	45	11	40
10	Barry Town Barry Town F.C. Barry Town FC are a football team based in Barry. They dominated the League of Wales during the 1990s, but finished bottom in 2003-04 and were relegated...	38	14	11	13	58	48	10	39
11	Wellingborough Town	38	11	15	12	47	43	4	37
12	King's Lynn King's Lynn F.C. King's Lynn F.C. was an English football club based in King's Lynn, Norfolk. Established in 1879, they were wound up at the High Court on 25 November 2009 with debts of £77,000 and went out of business in December after a failed appeal...	38	12	13	13	55	55	0	37
13	Gloucester City	38	14	8	16	68	75
36
14	Corby Town Corby Town F.C. Corby Town F.C. is an English football club based in Corby, Northamptonshire. They will be members of the Conference North for the 2011–12 season. The Steelmen play their home games at the newly built Steel Park, adjacent to their previous ground, Rockingham Triangle Sports Stadium, which is...	38	9	17	12	46	48
35
15	Dunstable	38	11	13	14	49	59
35	Transferred to Division One South at end of season
16	Stourbridge Stourbridge F.C. Stourbridge Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Stourbridge, West Midlands. The club currently plays in the Southern League Premier Division.-Early years:The club was founded in 1876 and was originally known as Stourbridge Standard...	38	9	15	14	52	53
33
17	Tamworth Tamworth F.C. Tamworth Football Club are an English semi-professional football club based in the town of Tamworth, Staffordshire. Nicknamed 'The Lambs', they are currently members of the Conference National, the fifth highest tier in the English league system....	38	10	11	17	37	48
31
18	Bedworth United Bedworth United F.C. Bedworth United Football Club is a football club based in Bedworth, Warwickshire, England, currently playing in the Southern League Division One Central....	38	8	14	16	36	58
30
19	Milton Keynes City Milton Keynes City F.C. Milton Keynes City Football Club are a defunct football club that was based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. The name has been used by two English non-League football teams from the Milton Keynes area during the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s....	38	5	11	22	26	74
21
20	Oswestry Town Oswestry Town F.C. Oswestry Town F.C. was a football club, formerly playing in the League of Wales.The club was founded as Oswestry United in 1860, which meant they were one of the world's oldest football clubs. Matches were latterly played at Park Hall stadium, Oswestry, after a spell at Victoria Road...	38	6	8	24	29	85
20

Division One South

Division One South featured five new clubs:

• Addlestone (promoted from the Athenian League
  Athenian League
  The Athenian League was an English amateur football league for clubs in and around London. The league was formed in 1912 with ten clubs, but had to close down in 1914 due to the onset of World War I. When it reformed in 1920, only three of the previous teams rejoined...
  
  )
• Chelmsford City (relegated from the Premier Division)
• Hounslow (promoted from the Athenian League
  Athenian League
  The Athenian League was an English amateur football league for clubs in and around London. The league was formed in 1912 with ten clubs, but had to close down in 1914 due to the onset of World War I. When it reformed in 1920, only three of the previous teams rejoined...
  
  )
• Margate (relegated from the Premier Division)
• Taunton Town (promoted from the Western League
  Western Football League
  The Western Football League is a football league in the south west of England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and parts of South Wales...
  
  )

Pos	Club	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Notes
1	Margate Margate F.C. Margate Football Club is an English football team based in the seaside resort of Margate, Kent, currently playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The club was known for a number of years during the 1980s as Thanet United....	38	24	10	4	92	32	60	58	Promoted to Premier Division
2	Dorchester Town Dorchester Town F.C. Dorchester Town Football Club are a semi-professional football club, based in Dorchester, Dorset, England, and currently playing in the Blue Square Bet South...	38	23	10	5	67	31	36	56
3	Salisbury Salisbury City F.C. Salisbury City Football Club is an English football club based in Salisbury, Wiltshire currently playing in the Conference South. They were formed in 1947 and play at The Raymond McEnhill Stadium...	38	21	10	7	60	27	33	52
4	Waterlooville Waterlooville F.C. Waterlooville F.C. was an English football club based in Waterlooville, Hampshire. They ceased to exist in 1998 when they merged with Havant Town to form Havant & Waterlooville.-History:...	38	19	13	6	66	36	30	51
5	Romford Romford F.C. Romford F.C. is an English football club based in Romford, Greater London. The club are currently members of Division One North of the Isthmian League, and play at Mill Field in Aveley.-History:...	38	17	15	6	58	37	21	49	Folded at end of season
6	Aylesbury United Aylesbury United F.C. Aylesbury United are a football club based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, currently playing in the Spartan South Midlands League, nicknamed the Ducks....	38	20	7	11	56	42	14	47
7	Trowbridge Town Trowbridge Town F.C. Trowbridge Town F.C. are a football club based in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, and they play at Woodmarsh on the southern edge of the town. They are currently members of the Hellenic Football League Division One West.-History:...	38	16	11	11	65	59	6	43
8	Chelmsford City Chelmsford City F.C. Chelmsford City F.C. is an English semi-professional football club based in the town of Chelmsford, Essex. The club are currently members of the Conference South and play at the Melbourne Stadium.-Chelmsford:...	38	15	11	12	58	46	12	41
9	Folkestone & Shepway Folkestone F.C. Folkestone Football Club was the name of two English football clubs based in the town of Folkestone, Kent. It is unclear if the two clubs were in fact connected, but neither has any formal connection to Folkestone Invicta, who took over the Cheriton Road stadium after the demise of Folkestone F.C....	38	16	9	13	64	56	8	41
10	Taunton Town Taunton Town F.C. Taunton Town Football Club are an English football club based in Taunton, Somerset, England. They compete in the Southern Football League Division One South & West, and play their home matches at their Wordsworth Drive ground which they moved into during the 1953 season...	38	15	10	13	57	54	3	40
11	Addlestone Addlestone & Weybridge Town F.C. Addlestone & Weybridge Town F.C. was a football club based in Addlestone, England. The home ground was in Liberty Lane. They changed their name from Addlestone FC to Addlestone & Weybridge Town FC in order to enlarge the catchment area, a move which didn't work very well, in 1980...	38	14	10	14	57	60
38
12	Crawley Town Crawley Town F.C. Crawley Town Football Club is an English football club based in Crawley, West Sussex. They won the title of the Football Conference, by a record 15 point margin on second place, and with it promotion to The Football League, in April 2011.-1896–2009:...	38	14	9	15	61	60	1	37
13	Basingstoke Town Basingstoke Town F.C. Basingstoke Town Football Club is an English football club based in Basingstoke, Hampshire. The club are currently members of the Conference South and play at the Camrose, named after their late benefactor, Lord Camrose. Their motto, 'Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum', means 'No stepping...	38	11	11	16	44	50
33
14	Tonbridge Tonbridge Angels F.C. Tonbridge Angels Football Club is an English football club who play at Longmead Stadium in Tonbridge, Kent, since moving from the Angel Ground in 1980....	38	13	5	20	64	77
31
15	Ashford Town Ashford Town F.C. Ashford Town F.C. are an English football club based in Ashford, Surrey. The club are currently members of Division One Central of the Southern League and play at Short Lane...	38	9	13	16	39	60
31
16	Hounslow Hounslow F.C. Hounslow F.C. was an English football club based in Hounslow, Greater London.-History:A Hounslow F.C. existed in the early part of the twentieth century, and spent the 1899–1900 in the London League. The modern club were originally named Hounslow Town and joined the Corinthian League in 1946. They...	38	10	10	18	43	62
30
17	Bognor Regis Town Bognor Regis Town F.C. Bognor Regis Town Football Club is an English football club based in Bognor Regis, West Sussex. The club are currently members of Isthmian League Division One South and play at Nyewood Lane.-History:...	38	9	8	21	52	69
26
18	Poole Town Poole Town F.C. Poole Town F.C. is a football club based in Poole, England. They were established in 1890 and joined the Western League Division Two in 1930. They won the Western League title in 1957 and reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup four times in their history. They are currently members of the...	38	8	10	20	43	68
26
19	Andover Andover F.C. Andover F.C. was a football club based in Andover, Hampshire, established in 1883. Since the 2007–08 season, Andover had been a member of the Southern League Division One South and West at Step 4 of the National League System...	38	4	12	22	30	68
20
20	Canterbury City Canterbury City F.C. Canterbury City F.C. are a football club currently based in Herne Bay near Canterbury, England. Reformed in 2007, they are the first football club formed as a Community interest company. For the 2011–12 season they will compete in the Kent League Premier Division...	38	2	6	30	31	113
10