The 1958–59 Southern Football League season was the 56th in the history of the league, an English football competition.
It was the first season since 1936 the league split into two divisions following the election of thirteen new clubs at the end of the previous season. Hereford United won the North-West Division, whilst Bedford Town won the South-East Division. Bedford were declared Southern League champions after defeating Hereford 2–1 in a championship play-off at Edgar Street on 9 May.[1] Nine clubs applied to join the Football League, although none were successful.
The plan for the following season was to have a Premier Division of 22 clubs and a Division One below it. As a result, the top eleven clubs in each division this season would remain in the new Premier Division, whilst clubs finishing twelfth or lower would be in the new Division One.
It was the first and the only North-West Division season. North-West Division consisted of 18 clubs, including 11 Southern League clubs from the previous season and seven new clubs:
At the end of the season Southern League divisions were restructured. The top eleven clubs in each division this season remained in the new Premier Division, whilst clubs finishing twelfth or lower relegated to the new Division One. Lovells Athletic left the league and switched to the Welsh football pyramid.
| Competition: | Southern Football League North-West Division |
| Season: | 1958–59 |
| Winners: | Hereford United |
| Relegated: | Burton Albion Corby Town Gloucester City Kidderminster Harriers Merthyr Tydfil Rugby Town |
| Matches: | 306 |
| Total Goals: | 1173 |
| Prevseason: | 1957–58 |
| Nextseason: | 1959–60 (Premier) |
It was the first and the only South-East Division season. South-East Division consisted of 17 clubs, including 11 Southern League clubs from the previous season and six new clubs:
At the end of the season Southern League divisions were restructured. The top eleven clubs in each division this season remained in the new Premier Division, whilst clubs finishing twelfth or lower relegated to the new Division One.
| Competition: | Southern Football League South-East Division |
| Season: | 1959–60 |
| Winners: | Bedford Town |
| Relegated: | Cambridge United Clacton Town Exeter City II Guildford City Yiewsley Trowbridge Town |
| Matches: | 272 |
| Total Goals: | 1023 |
| Prevseason: | 1957–58 |
| Nextseason: | 1959–60 (Premier) |
Nine Southern League clubs applied to join the Football League. However, all four League clubs were re-elected.[2]
| Club | League | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oldham Athletic | Football League | 46 | |
| Southport | Football League | 34 | |
| Barrow | Football League | 32 | |
| Aldershot | Football League | 31 | |
| Peterborough United | Midland League | 26 | |
| Headington United | Southern League | 7 | |
| Worcester City | Southern League | 7 | |
| Wigan Athletic | Lancashire Combination | 3 | |
| Cambridge City | Southern League | 2 | |
| Gloucester City | Southern League | 2 | |
| Kettering Town | Southern League | 1 | |
| South Shields | Midland League | 1 | |
| Scarborough | Midland League | 1 | |
| Yeovil Town | Southern League | 0 | |
| Bedford Town | Southern League | 0 | |
| Hereford United | Southern League | 0 | |
| King's Lynn | Southern League | 0 | |
| Morecambe | Lancashire Combination | 0 |