The South Midlands League was an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 football

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 league covering Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....

 and some adjoining counties.

The league was formed in 1922 as the Bedfordshire County League, changed its name to the Bedfordshire & District County League in 1924 before adopting the South Midlands League title in 1929. The league merged with the Spartan League to form the Spartan South Midlands League

Spartan South Midlands Football League

The Spartan South Midlands Football League is an English football league covering Hertfordshire, northwestern Greater London, central Buckinghamshire and southern Bedfordshire...

 in 1997.

For the majority of the league's existence, it comprised two divisions, but for a period after World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, and for the final four seasons, there were three divisions, with the peak membership of 48 clubs competing in 1995-96.

After the evolution of the National League System

National League System

The National League System comprises the seven levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the Premier League and The Football League. It contains 91 league competitions and more than 1,600 clubs. It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association...

, the league became a feeder to the Isthmian League

Isthmian League

The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area...

, with clubs such as Leighton Town

Leighton Town F.C.

Leighton Town F.C. are an English football club located in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. They were established in 1885. The club plays home games at Bell Close and currently play in Southern League Division One Central.-History:...

, Oxford City

Oxford City F.C.

Oxford City Football Club is an English football club, currently playing in the Southern Football League Premier Division after gaining promotion via the Division One South & West playoffs...

 and 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....

 earning promotion.

Although clubs from the league played in the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup

FA Cup

The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

 from the late 1920s onwards, none ever made the first round proper. The best performance came from Barton Rovers

Barton Rovers F.C.

Barton Rovers F.C. are a semi-professional association football club located in the village of Barton-le-Clay, near Luton in Bedfordshire, England. They currently play in the Southern Football League Division One Central and play their home games at Sharpenhoe Road.The club is affiliated to the...

 in 1976-77 when they reached the fourth qualifying round. South Midlands League clubs had more success in the FA Vase

FA Vase

The Football Association Challenge Vase is an annual football competition for teams playing below Step 4 of the English National League System...

 - Barton Rovers

Barton Rovers F.C.

Barton Rovers F.C. are a semi-professional association football club located in the village of Barton-le-Clay, near Luton in Bedfordshire, England. They currently play in the Southern Football League Division One Central and play their home games at Sharpenhoe Road.The club is affiliated to the...

 reached the final in 1977-78, while Arlesey Town

Arlesey Town F.C.

Arlesey Town Football Club is an English association football club from Arlesey, Bedfordshire, England. They currently play in the Southern Football League Premier Division.The club is affiliated to the Bedfordshire County Football Association.-History:...

 went one better in 1994-95 to become the first and only South Midlands League club to win the competition.

1980-1993

Season	Premier	Division One
1980-81	Stotfold Stotfold F.C. Stotfold F.C. is a football club based at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England.-History:Though the club was officially formed in 1904, it is believed that there was a football club in the town earlier than this. In 1911, the Eagles’ current ground was a meadow called "Roker", used by Stotfold Athletic...	61 F.C. The 61 F.C. (Luton) The 61 F.C. is a football club based in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The team joined the Hellenic League Division Two in 1972 switching to the South Midlands League a year later. They have reached the 2nd round of the FA Vase twice in their history. Currently they are members of the Spartan South...
1981-82	Pirton	Welwyn Garden Welwyn Garden City F.C. Welwyn Garden City F.C. is a football club based in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire . They currently play in Spartan South Midlands League Division One, Step 6 of the National League System.-External links:*...
1982-83	Pirton	Ashcroft Co-Op
1983-84	Shefford Town Shefford Town F.C. Shefford Town & Campton Football Club is an English football club based in the town of Shefford, Bedfordshire. The team plays its home matches at STMA , where the club has been based since its re-establishment...	New Bradwell St Peter New Bradwell St Peter F.C. New Bradwell St Peter F.C. is a football club based in New Bradwell in Milton Keynes, England. The club was formed in 1902 and joined the South Midlands League in 1970. As of the 2011–12 season they are members of the Spartan South Midlands League Division One.-External links:...
1984-85	Eaton Bray United	Milton Keynes Borough
1985-86	Selby	Buckingham Athletic Buckingham Athletic F.C. Buckingham Athletic F.C. are a football club based in Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, England. The club was formed in 1933 as Buckingham Juniors , but it was three years before the club entered the Brackley and District League. They joined the Hellenic League Division One in 1965. In the 1998-99...
1986-87	Selby	Electrolux
1987-88	Shillington	Pitstone & Ivinghoe Pitstone & Ivinghoe F.C. Pitstone & Ivinghoe F.C. are a football club based in Pitstone, near Leighton Buzzard, England. They were officially established in 1957 and joined the South Midlands League in 1977, and when that league merged with the Spartan League to form the Spartan South Midlands League twenty years later,...
1988-89	Langford Langford F.C. Langford F.C. are a football club based in Langford, near Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England. They joined the South Midlands League in 1951. In the 1995-96 season, they reached the 2nd round of the FA Vase. For the 2011-12 season, they are members of the Spartan South Midlands Football League...	Welwyn Garden United
1989-90	Pitstone & Ivinghoe Pitstone & Ivinghoe F.C. Pitstone & Ivinghoe F.C. are a football club based in Pitstone, near Leighton Buzzard, England. They were officially established in 1957 and joined the South Midlands League in 1977, and when that league merged with the Spartan League to form the Spartan South Midlands League twenty years later,...	Harpenden Town Harpenden Town F.C. Harpenden Town Football Club is a football club based in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, England. It was established in 1891 and was the founding member of the Herts County League in 1898. It has reached the Second Round of the FA Vase twice in its history...
1990-91	Thame United Thame United F.C. Thame United F.C. are a football club based in Thame, Oxfordshire, England. They were established in 1883 and joined the Hellenic League in 1959.-History:Thame United were formed in 1883 and spent their early years playing in local Oxfordshire leagues...	Buckingham Athletic Buckingham Athletic F.C. Buckingham Athletic F.C. are a football club based in Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, England. The club was formed in 1933 as Buckingham Juniors , but it was three years before the club entered the Brackley and District League. They joined the Hellenic League Division One in 1965. In the 1998-99...
1991-92	Leighton Town Leighton Town F.C. Leighton Town F.C. are an English football club located in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. They were established in 1885. The club plays home games at Bell Close and currently play in Southern League Division One Central.-History:...	Ashcroft
1992-93	Oxford City Oxford City F.C. Oxford City Football Club is an English football club, currently playing in the Southern Football League Premier Division after gaining promotion via the Division One South & West playoffs...	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....

1993-1997

A third division was re-introduced in 1993. The divisions were named Premier, Senior and Division One. Promotion and relegation between the divisions was not automatic, but also based on facilities.

Season	Premier	Senior	Division One
1993-94	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....	Toddington Rovers	Stony Stratford Town Stony Stratford Town F.C. Stony Stratford Town F.C. is a football club based in Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, England that joined the South Midlands League in 1947. For the 2011-12 season, the first team is a member of the Spartan South Midlands League Division One....
1994-95	Arlesey Town Arlesey Town F.C. Arlesey Town Football Club is an English association football club from Arlesey, Bedfordshire, England. They currently play in the Southern Football League Premier Division.The club is affiliated to the Bedfordshire County Football Association.-History:...	London Colney London Colney F.C. London Colney F.C. are a football club based in London Colney, near St. Albans, England. They were established in 1907 and joined the Herts County League Division One 'A' in 1955. In the 1999-2000 season, they reached the 4th round of the FA Vase...	Houghton Town
1995-96	Arlesey Town Arlesey Town F.C. Arlesey Town Football Club is an English association football club from Arlesey, Bedfordshire, England. They currently play in the Southern Football League Premier Division.The club is affiliated to the Bedfordshire County Football Association.-History:...	Holmer Green Holmer Green F.C. Holmer Green F.C. are a football club based at Holmer Green near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England. They were established in 1908 and were founder members of the Chiltonian League in 1984...	Mercedes-Benz
1996-97	Potters Bar Town Potters Bar Town F.C. Potters Bar Town F.C. is a football club based in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, England. They were formed in 1960 as Mount Grace Old Scholars, and, after dropping 'Old Scholars' from the name in 1984, changed to their present name in 1991. Their best performance in the FA Cup was in the 2006-07...	Leverstock Green Leverstock Green F.C. Leverstock Green F.C. are a football club based in Leverstock Green in Hemel Hempstead, England. They were established in 1895 and joined the Herts County League Division Two in 1954. For the 2011-12 season, they are members of the Spartan South Midlands Football League Premier Division.-External...	Biggleswade United Biggleswade United F.C. Biggleswade United F.C. are a football club based in Biggleswade, England. The club is affiliated to the Bedfordshire County Football Association.- History :...