1959–60 Southern Football League Explained

The 1959–60 Southern Football League season was the 57th in the history of the league, an English football competition.

The league split into a Premier Division and Division One, the first time the league had had two hierarchical divisions since 1919–20. Bath City won the championship, whilst Clacton Town, Romford, Folkestone Town and Guildford City were all promoted to the Premier Division. Eleven Southern League clubs applied to join the Football League at the end of the season, but none were successful.

Premier Division

Premier Division was formed at the end of the previous season, with eleven top clubs from both North-West and South-East divisions joined.

At the end of the season Headington United was renamed Oxford United.

League table

Competition:Southern Football League
Premier Division
Season:1959–60
Winners:Bath City
Relegated:Barry Town
Kettering Town
Nuneaton Borough
Poole Town
Matches:462
Total Goals:1722
Prevseason:1958–59 (North-West)
1958–59 (South-East)
Nextseason:1960–61

Division One

Division One was formed at the end of the previous season with clubs finished below eleventh place in North-West and South East divisions joined. Also, Division One featured ten new clubs:

League table

Competition:Southern Football League
Division One
Season:1959–60
Winners:Clacton Town
Promoted:Clacton Town
Romford
Folkestone Town
Guildford City
Matches:462
Total Goals:1625
Prevseason:1958–59 (North-West)
1958–59 (South-East)
Nextseason:1960–61

Football League elections

Eleven Southern League clubs (including Guildford City and Romford from Division One) applied for election to the Football League. Although none were successful, Peterborough United were elected at the expense of Gateshead.[1]

ClubLeagueVotes
Oldham AthleticFootball League39
Peterborough UnitedMidland League35
Hartlepools UnitedFootball League34
SouthportFootball League29
GatesheadFootball League18
Headington UnitedSouthern League10
Chelmsford CitySouthern League3
Bedford TownSouthern League2
Cambridge CitySouthern League2
Guildford CitySouthern League2
New BrightonLancashire Combination2
RomfordSouthern League2
ScarboroughMidland League2
Worcester CitySouthern League2
Ellesmere Port TownCheshire League1
Kettering TownSouthern League1
MorecambeLancashire Combination1
South ShieldsMidland League1
Hereford UnitedSouthern League0
King's LynnSouthern League0
Yeovil TownSouthern League0

Notes and References

  1. http://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=3506; A history of admission to the Football League