The 1995–96 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 the Max Griggs

Max Griggs

Max Griggs is the president of the R Griggs Group, current owner of the Dr. Martens shoe company, and one of largest shoe manufacturers in the United Kingdom. The company moved all factories etc...

-funded Rushden & Diamonds

Rushden & Diamonds F.C.

Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Formed by a merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds in 1992, the club played in the Conference National following a short spell in the Football League at the start of...

 win the Premier Division to earn promotion to the Football Conference

Football Conference

The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...

. Ilkeston Town

Ilkeston Town F.C.

Ilkeston Football Club is an English football club based at the New Manor Ground in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.-History:The club was established in 1894 as Ilkeston Town F.C.....

, Stafford Rangers

Stafford Rangers F.C.

Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts...

 and VS Rugby were relegated to the Midland and Southern Divisions, whilst Nuneaton Borough, Sittingbourne

Sittingbourne F.C.

Sittingbourne F.C. are a football club based in Sittingbourne, Kent, England. They were established in 1886 and were founder members of the Kent League. They have reached the 2nd round of the FA Cup at least twice in their history...

, 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...

 and Ashford Town

Ashford Town F.C. (Kent)

Ashford United F.C. are an English football club based in Ashford, Kent. The 'new' United was formed in 2011 . Between 1930 and 2010 the town was represented by Ashford Town FC, before it ultimately went into administration...

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

In the Midland Division, the bottom two clubs, Bury Town

Bury Town F.C.

Bury Town Football Club is an English semi-professional football club, based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at Ram Meadow.-Early history:...

 and Bridgnorth Town

Bridgnorth Town F.C.

Bridgnorth Town F.C. are a football club based in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England. They joined the Worcestershire Combination in 1938 and have twice reached the 5th round of the FA Vase...

, were relegated to level eight leagues. 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...

, who finished bottom of the Southern Division with just one point (from a 0–0 draw with Bashley

Bashley F.C.

Bashley F.C. is a football club based in Bashley, near New Milton, Hampshire, England. It was established in 1947 and is currently a member of the Southern League Premier Division....

) dropped two levels into the Hampshire League

Hampshire League

Hampshire League is a name used for two distinct football competitions based in Hampshire, England. There are two leagues; Hampshire Premier Football League named 'Puma Engineering Hampshire Premier Football League' for sponsor purposes and the division below which is the Hampshire League 2004 or...

.

Premier Division

The Premier Division featured six new clubs:

• Baldock Town (promoted from the Southern Division)
• Merthyr Tydfil (relegated from the Football Conference)
• Ilkeston Town (promoted from the Midland Division)
• Newport (promoted from the Midland Division)
• Salisbury City (promoted from the Southern Division)
• Stafford Rangers (relegated from the Football Conference)

Pos	|Team	|Pld	|W	|D	|L	|F	|A	GD	|Pts	Notes
1	Rushden & Diamonds Rushden & Diamonds F.C. Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Formed by a merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds in 1992, the club played in the Conference National following a short spell in the Football League at the start of...	42	29	7	6	99	41	58	94	Promoted to the Football Conference
2	Halesowen Town Halesowen Town F.C. Halesowen Town is an English association football club formed in 1873, since 2011 playing in the Southern League Division One South & West]]. The team is nicknamed "The Yeltz".-History:...	42	27	11	4	70	36	34	92
3	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	21	11	10	76	57	19	74
4	Gloucester City	42	21	8	13	65	47	18	71
5	Gresley Rovers Gresley Rovers F.C. Gresley Football Club are an English football club from Church Gresley, near Swadlincote, Derbyshire. Gresley are currently in the Midland Football Alliance, playing their home games at The Moat Ground...	42	20	10	12	70	58	12	70
6	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	19	12	11	61	43	18	69
7	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:...	42	19	6	17	67	59	8	63
8	Hastings Town	42	16	13	13	68	56	12	61
9	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:...	42	15	13	14	57	56	1	58
10	Sudbury Town Sudbury Town F.C. Sudbury Town F.C. was an English football club based in Sudbury, Suffolk. Established in 1885, the club merged with Sudbury Wanderers in 1999 to form A.F.C. Sudbury.-History:...	42	15	10	17	69	71	−2	55
11	Gravesend & Northfleet Gravesend & Northfleet F.C. Ebbsfleet United Football Club is an English professional football team currently playing in the Conference National. The team plays their home matches at Stonebridge Road in Northfleet, Kent. However, the club is now looking to build a new stadium in the Ebbsfleet Valley vicinity in...	42	15	10	17	60	62	−2	55
12	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:...	42	13	16	13	46	53	−7	55
13	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...	42	15	8	19	62	57	5	53
14	Newport Newport County A.F.C. Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...	42	13	13	16	53	59	−6	52
15	Salisbury City 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...	42	14	10	18	57	69	−12	52
16	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...	42	13	12	17	55	56	−1	51
17	Atherstone United	42	12	12	18	58	75	−17	48
18	Baldock Town Baldock Town F.C. Baldock Town F.C. is an English association football club based in Baldock, Hertfordshire. The club existed from 1889 until 2001, when it folded but the name Baldock Town was revived in 2006 when a club previously called simply Baldock changed its name...	42	11	14	17	51	56	−5	47
19	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...	42	12	10	20	56	68	−12	46
20	Ilkeston Town Ilkeston Town F.C. Ilkeston Football Club is an English football club based at the New Manor Ground in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.-History:The club was established in 1894 as Ilkeston Town F.C.....	42	11	10	21	53	87	−34	43	Relegated to Midland and Southern Divisions
21	Stafford Rangers Stafford Rangers F.C. Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts...	42	11	4	27	58	90	−32	37
22	VS Rugby	42	5	10	27	37	92	−55	25

Midland Division

The Midland Division featured four new clubs:

• Bury Town (transferred from the Southern Division)
• Corby Town (relegated from the Premier Division)
• Paget Rangers (promoted from the Midland Alliance
  Midland Football Alliance
  The Midland Football Alliance is an English association football league for semi-professional teams. It covers Leicestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire and also southern parts of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire...
  
  )
• Solihull Borough (relegated from the Premier Division)

Pos	|Team	|Pld	|W	|D	|L	|F	|A	GD	|Pts	Notes
1	Nuneaton Borough	42	30	5	7	82	35	47	95	Promoted to Premier Division
2	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...	42	27	5	10	85	43	42	84	Two points deducted, promoted
3	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....	42	24	10	8	76	42	34	81	One point deducted
4	Moor Green Moor Green F.C. Moor Green F.C. was a non-league association football team originally from the Hall Green area of south Birmingham but later based in the town of Solihull, West Midlands, England...	42	22	8	12	81	47	34	74
5	Paget Rangers Paget Rangers F.C. Paget Rangers F.C. is a defunct English association football club which was based in Birmingham. The club originally formed in 1938 when a group of former pupils of Paget Road School together with Jack Hughes Snr combined to form a football team.-History:...	42	21	9	12	70	45	25	72
6	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....	42	22	3	17	97	64	33	69
7	Solihull Borough Solihull Borough F.C. Solihull Borough F.C. was an English football club from Solihull. In 2007 the club merged with Moor Green to form a new club, Solihull Moors.-History:...	42	19	9	14	77	64	13	66
8	Rothwell Town Rothwell Town F.C. Rothwell Town F.C. are a football club based in Rothwell in the north of Northamptonshire. They were founding members of the Northamptonshire League in 1895, and are now playing in the United Counties League Division One...	42	17	14	11	79	62	17	65
9	Buckingham Town Buckingham Town F.C. Buckingham Town F.C. is an English football club based in Buckingham, Buckinghamshire. The club are currently members of Division One of the United Counties League and play at Ford Meadow.-History:...	42	18	9	15	74	62	12	63
10	Dudley Town Dudley Town F.C. Dudley Town F.C. are a football club based in Dudley, West Midlands, England. The club is one of the oldest non-league teams in the Midlands region, having been established in 1888...	42	15	16	11	83	66	17	61
11	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...	42	17	8	17	60	63	−3	59
12	Bilston Town Bilston Town F.C. Bilston Town Football Club is an English association football club based in Bilston, West Midlands. In the 2011–12 season they are playing in the West Midlands League Division One...	42	16	9	17	61	62	−1	57
13	Sutton Coldfield Town Sutton Coldfield Town F.C. Sutton Coldfield Town F.C. are a football club based in Sutton Coldfield, England. They were formed in 1879 and currently play in the Northern Premier League First Division South ....	42	16	9	17	62	67	−5	57
14	Grantham Town 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	17	5	20	71	83	−12	56
15	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	14	11	17	57	77	−20	53
16	Leicester United Leicester United F.C. Leicester United Football Club were an English football team based in the East Midlands city of Leicester, Leicestershire. They were formed in 1949. They were wound up in 1996.-History:...	42	13	13	16	58	72	−14	52
17	Hinckley Town	42	14	7	21	62	83	−21	49
18	Racing Club Warwick Racing Club Warwick F.C. Racing Club Warwick Football Club is a football club based in Warwick, Warwickshire, England.-History:They were formed in 1919 under the name of Saltisford Rovers and played in various local leagues including the Warwick League, Leamington & District League and the Warwickshire Combination until 1967...	42	10	13	19	67	90	−23	43
19	Evesham United Evesham United F.C. Evesham United F.C. are an English football club based in Evesham, Worcestershire. They reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup for the first time in the 2008-2009 season. In 2005, they entered the Southern League Premier Division for the first time in their history but were relegated after...	42	11	6	25	59	94	−35	39
20	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...	42	9	7	26	52	95	−43	34
21	Bury Town Bury Town F.C. Bury Town Football Club is an English semi-professional football club, based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at Ram Meadow.-Early history:...	42	8	8	26	57	95	−38	32	Relegated to Eastern Counties League Eastern Counties Football League The Eastern Counties Football League is an English football league at levels 9 and 10 of the English football league system. It currently contains clubs from Norfolk, Suffolk, northern Essex and eastern Cambridgeshire, and is a feeder to the regional divisions of the Isthmian League and Southern...
22	Bridgnorth Town Bridgnorth Town F.C. Bridgnorth Town F.C. are a football club based in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England. They joined the Worcestershire Combination in 1938 and have twice reached the 5th round of the FA Vase...	42	7	6	29	53	112	−59	27	Relegated to Midland Alliance Midland Football Alliance The Midland Football Alliance is an English association football league for semi-professional teams. It covers Leicestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire and also southern parts of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire...

Southern Division

The Southern Division featured five new clubs

• Cinderford Town (promoted from the Hellenic League
  Hellenic Football League
  The Hellenic Football League is an English football league covering an area including the English counties of Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, southern Buckinghamshire, southern Herefordshire, western Greater London, and northern Wiltshire. There is also one team from Hampshire.The league...
  
  
• Fleet Town (promoted from the Wessex League
  Wessex League
  The Wessex 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...
  
  
• Forest Green Rovers (transferred from the Midland Division)
• Sittingbourne (relegated from the Premier Division)
• Trowbridge Town (relegated from the Premier Division)

Pos	|Team	|Pld	|W	|D	|L	|F	|A	GD	|Pts	Notes
1	Sittingbourne Sittingbourne F.C. Sittingbourne F.C. are a football club based in Sittingbourne, Kent, England. They were established in 1886 and were founder members of the Kent League. They have reached the 2nd round of the FA Cup at least twice in their history...	42	28	4	10	102	44	58	88	Promoted to Premier Division
2	Ashford Town Ashford Town F.C. (Kent) Ashford United F.C. are an English football club based in Ashford, Kent. The 'new' United was formed in 2011 . Between 1930 and 2010 the town was represented by Ashford Town FC, before it ultimately went into administration...	42	25	9	8	75	44	31	84
3	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:...	42	24	8	10	87	44	43	80
4	Newport Isle of Wight	42	24	6	12	75	58	17	78
5	Braintree Town Braintree Town F.C. Braintree Town F.C. is an English football club based in Braintree, Essex. The club are currently members of the Conference National and play their home matches at Cressing Road.-History:...	42	24	8	10	93	70	23	77	Three points deducted
6	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	24	4	14	75	55	20	76
7	Havant Town Havant Town F.C. Havant Town F.C. was an English football club based in Havant, Hampshire. They ceased to exist in 1998 when they merged with Waterlooville to form Havant & Waterlooville.-History:...	42	23	11	8	73	42	31	74	Six points deducted
8	Forest Green Rovers Forest Green Rovers F.C. Forest Green Rovers Football Club is an English football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, currently the longest-serving members of the Conference National. The club is affiliated to the Gloucestershire County FA.-Early years:...	42	22	8	12	85	55	30	74
9	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:...	42	18	8	16	86	51	35	62
10	Yate Town Yate Town F.C. Yate Town F.C. is a football club based in Yate, South Gloucestershire, England. They were established in 1906 as Yate Rovers and changed their name to Yate YMCA in 1946, becoming Yate Town in 1969...	42	17	8	17	85	71	14	59
11	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....	42	18	5	19	68	62	6	59
12	Witney Town	42	16	11	15	60	54	6	59
13	Weston-super-Mare	42	16	9	17	78	68	10	57
14	Cinderford Town Cinderford Town F.C. Cinderford Town A.F.C. are a football club based in Cinderford in Gloucestershire, England. They were established in 1922 and joined the Western League in 1946. For the 2011-12 season, they are members of the Southern League Division One South and West...	42	16	8	18	74	77	−3	56
15	Fisher 93 Fisher Athletic F.C. Fisher Athletic F.C. was a semi-professional football club from South East London, which last played in the Conference South, which is one of the two leagues that form the sixth tier of the English football league system. The Bermondsey-based club ground-shared at Champion Hill Stadium, the home...	42	14	13	15	58	59	−1	55
16	Bashley Bashley F.C. Bashley F.C. is a football club based in Bashley, near New Milton, Hampshire, England. It was established in 1947 and is currently a member of the Southern League Premier Division....	42	14	11	17	63	61	2	53
17	Clevedon Town Clevedon Town F.C. Clevedon Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Clevedon, North Somerset. They currently play in the Southern League Division One South & West.-History:...	42	15	6	21	70	80	−10	51
18	Tonbridge Angels 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....	42	13	10	19	58	79	−21	49
19	Fleet Town Fleet Town F.C. Fleet Town Football Club are a semi-professional football club based in Fleet, Hampshire, England. They were established in 1890 and joined the Athenian League in 1979. In 2004, they joined the Isthmian League First Division, were moved into the Southern League Division One South & West in 2007,...	42	14	5	23	58	79	−21	47
20	Fareham Town Fareham Town F.C. Fareham Town F.C. is a football club based in Fareham, Hampshire, England. They were formed in 1946 and have reached the 1st round proper of the FA Cup on four occasions in their history. Fareham's most successful exploit in the FA Trophy came in the 1986–87 season when they reached the semi finals...	42	12	5	25	71	97	−26	41
21	Erith & Belvedere Erith & Belvedere F.C. Erith & Belvedere F.C., established 1922, is a football club representing Erith, in the London Borough of Bexley. They are currently members of the Kent League Premier Division after being relegated from the Southern League Division One East in 2005.They were also founder members of the Corinthian...	42	4	4	34	38	111	−73	16
22	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...	42	0	1	41	17	188	−171	1	Dropped into Hampshire League Hampshire League Hampshire League is a name used for two distinct football competitions based in Hampshire, England. There are two leagues; Hampshire Premier Football League named 'Puma Engineering Hampshire Premier Football League' for sponsor purposes and the division below which is the Hampshire League 2004 or...