National League South

Last updated

National League South
Founded2004
CountryEngland
Number of teams24
Level on pyramid6
Step 2 (National League System)
Promotion to National League
Relegation to Isthmian League Premier Division
Southern League Premier Division South
Domestic cup(s) FA Cup
FA Trophy
Conference League Cup (defunct)
International cup(s) Europa League
(via FA Cup)
Current champions Ebbsfleet United (1st title)
(2022–23)
Top goalscorer Shaun Jeffers (129)
Website National League
Current: 2023–24 National League South

The National League South, formerly Conference South, is one of the two second divisions of the National League in England, immediately below the top division National League. Along with National League North, it is in the second level of the National League System, and is the sixth tier overall of the English football league system, and includes teams from the South East, London, and the South West, as well as teams from Essex.

Contents

The National League South was introduced in 2004 as part of a major restructuring of the National League System. Each year the champion of the league is automatically promoted to the National League. A second promotion place goes to the winner of a play-off involving the teams finishing in second to seventh place (expanded from four to six teams in the 2017–18 season). [1] The three bottom clubs were relegated to Step 3 leagues.

For sponsorship reasons, it has been known as Blue Square South (2007–2010), Blue Square Bet South (2010–2013), Skrill South (2013–2014), [2] the Vanarama Conference South (2014–2015), the Vanarama National League South (2015–2019) and the Motorama National League South following a three-year sponsorship deal announced in January 2019. Since the start of the 2015–16 season, the league is known as the National League South. [3]

The National League South was reduced to 21 clubs for 2020–21 [4] and was expected to expand to 24 teams in 2021–22. [5] [6] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England, the 2020–21 National League South season was curtailed and voided after written resolutions were put to a vote. No teams were relegated. [7] Expansion would be implemented before the 2022–23 season, when the bottom club was relegated and four were promoted from Step 3. [8] There are four relegations from the South since 2023.

Current member clubs, 2023–24

The current member clubs for the 2023–24 season are as follows:

Division of Level 6 teams by English Counties (2022-23) Division of Level 6 teams by English Counties (2022-23).svg
Division of Level 6 teams by English Counties (2022–23)
ClubFinishing position 2022–23
Aveley 4th in Isthmian League (promoted)
Bath City 11th
Braintree Town 7th
Chelmsford City 5th
Chippenham Town 13th
Dartford 2nd
Dover Athletic 20th
Eastbourne Borough 8th
Farnborough 12th
Hampton & Richmond Borough 17th
Havant & Waterlooville 10th
Hemel Hempstead Town 15th
Maidstone United 24th in National League (relegated)
Slough Town 18th
St Albans City 6th
Taunton Town 14th
Tonbridge Angels 9th
Torquay United 21st in National League (relegated)
Truro City 3rd in Southern League (promoted)
Welling United 16th
Weston-super-Mare 1st in Southern League (promoted)
Weymouth 19th
Worthing 4th
Yeovil Town 22nd in National League (relegated)

Current league stadia 2023–24

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Locations of the National League South 2023–24 teams (Greater London and Essex shown in more detail below)
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Locations of the National League South 2023–24 teams (Greater London and environ clubs)
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Locations of the National League South 2022–23 teams (Essex clubs)

The stadiums of all teams in the league for the 2023–24 season are listed below in capacity order:

Home clubStadium name Capacity
Yeovil Town Huish Park 9,565
Bath City Twerton Park 8,840
Farnborough Cherrywood Road 7,000
Weymouth Bob Lucas Stadium 6,600
Torquay United Plainmoor 6,500
Dover Athletic Crabble Athletic Ground 5,745
Havant & Waterlooville West Leigh Park5,300
St Albans City Clarence Park 5,007
Maidstone United Gallagher Stadium 4,200
Eastbourne Borough Priory Lane 4,151
Dartford Princes Park 4,100
Braintree Town Cressing Road 4,085
Welling United Park View Road 4,000
Worthing Woodside Road 4,000
Tonbridge Angels Longmead Stadium 3,000
Aveley Parkside3,500
Hampton & Richmond Borough Beveree Stadium3,500
Truro City Bolitho Park, Plymouth 3,500
Weston-super-Mare Woodspring Stadium3,500
Hemel Hempstead Town Vauxhall Road3,152
Chelmsford City Melbourne Stadium3,000
Chippenham Town Hardenhuish Park3,000
Taunton Town Wordsworth Drive3,000
Slough Town Arbour Park2,000

Past winners

SeasonWinnerPlayoff winner
2004–05 Grays Athletic Eastbourne Borough **
2005–06 Weymouth St Albans City
2006–07 Histon Salisbury City
2007–08 Lewes Eastbourne Borough
2008–09 AFC Wimbledon Hayes & Yeading United
2009–10 Newport County Bath City
2010–11 Braintree Town Ebbsfleet United
2011–12 Woking Dartford
2012–13 Welling United Salisbury City
2013–14 Eastleigh Dover Athletic
2014–15 Bromley Boreham Wood
2015–16 Sutton United Maidstone United
2016–17 Maidenhead United Ebbsfleet United
2017–18 Havant & Waterlooville Braintree Town
2018–19 Torquay United Woking
2019–20 Wealdstone Weymouth
2020–21 None, season curtailed and voided
2021–22 Maidstone United Dorking Wanderers
2022–23 Ebbsfleet United Oxford City
2023–24 Yeovil Town

** Not promoted. In 2004–05 only three promotion places were available to the Conference National. The third place was decided in a Playoff at Stoke City's Britannia Stadium, which Eastbourne lost 2–1 to the Conference North playoff winners, Altrincham.

Attendances

Since the 2015–16 season, [3] the highest average National League South attendance was in the 2021–22 season with 1,002 per game, this was also the season for the highest average for a club with 2,712 for Dulwich Hamlet. [9] The lowest average league attendance was in the 2017–18 season with an average of 551 per game. [10] As of January 2024, the league average is at 1,154, with the highest average for Yeovil Town at 3,660. [11]

Average attendances
  Attendance broke the previous National League South record
SeasonLeague average attendanceHighest average
ClubAttendance
2012–13 487 Salisbury City 886 [12]
2013–14 461 Ebbsfleet United 1,090 [13]
2014–15 521 Bromley 1,081 [14]
2015–16 [lower-alpha 1] 653 Maidstone United 2,222 [16]
2016–17 586 Ebbsfleet United 1,350 [17]
2017–18 551 Dartford 1,053 [10]
2018–19 877 Torquay United 2,551 [18]
2019–20 855 Dulwich Hamlet 2,200 [19]
2020–21 No attendances due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22 1,002 Dulwich Hamlet 2,712 [9]
2022–23 899 Dulwich Hamlet 2,464 [20]
  1. ↑ Inaugural season of the National League South [15]


Records

Biggest home win8 – Maidenhead United 8–0 Truro City, 8 September 2012
Ebbsfleet United 8–0 Bishop's Stortford, 21 March 2017,
Dorking Wanderers 8-0 Havant and Waterlooville, 26 December 2021
Biggest away win7 – Dorchester Town 0–7 Grays Athletic, 23 October 2004
Highest scoring match11 – Bognor Regis Town 6–5 Welling United, 11 September 2004
Bath City 7–4 Farnborough, 17 February 2015
Consecutive wins12 – Welling United, 2012–13
Consecutive games unbeaten25 – Sutton United, 2015–16
Most wins in a season32 – Newport County 2009–10
Fewest wins in a season5 – Sutton United 2007–08
Fisher Athletic 2008–09
Weston-super-Mare & Weymouth 2009–10
Thurrock 2011–12
Most defeats in a season34 – Fisher Athletic 2008–09
Fewest defeats in a season3 – Newport County 2009–10
Most draws in a season18 – Hampton & Richmond Borough 2017–18
Fewest draws in a season3 – Redbridge 2004–05
Eastleigh 2005–06
Fisher Athletic 2008–09
Most goals scored in a season118 – Grays Athletic, 2004–05
Fewest goals scored in a season22 – Fisher Athletic 2008–09
Most goals conceded in a season103 – Weymouth 2009–10
Fewest goals conceded in a season26 – Newport County, 2009–10
Most clean sheets in a season23 – Newport County 2009–10
Most points in a season103 – Newport County 2009–10 & Ebbsfleet United 2022-23
Most individual goals in a season44 – Dave Tarpey (Maidenhead United), 2016–17
Top goalscorer129 – Shaun Jeffers (St Albans City, Chelmsford City, Hampton & Richmond Borough) [21]
Most individual goals in a game6 – Mitchell Bryant, Weymouth 0–6 Basingstoke Town, 13 February 2010
Highest attendance6,462 – Yeovil Town vs. Torquay United, 29 March 2024 [22]
Highest average attendance3,916 – Yeovil Town, 2023–24 [23]
Lowest home attendance52 out of 2,812 - Truro City vs. Torquay United, 1 January 2019
Highest away attendance2,760 out of 2,812 - Truro City vs. Torquay United, 1 January 2019


See also

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References

  1. ↑ "National League South 2017-18 Season Preview". Vanarama National League. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  2. ↑ "Skrill announced as new Football Conference sponsor". Non-League Bets. 26 July 2013.
  3. 1 2 "BBC Sport – Football Conference to be renamed as National League". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  4. ↑ "National League South to have 21 Clubs". North Kent Non League. 13 August 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  5. ↑ Edkins, Matt (17 April 2019). "EXCLUSIVE: FA outline second phase of Non-League restructuring". The Non-League Football Paper (Interview).
  6. ↑ "Update on non-League, women's & grassroots football seasons". The Football Association. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  7. ↑ Osborn, Oliver (18 February 2021). "National League Statement | Outcome Of Written Resolutions". Vanarama National League. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  8. ↑ Osborn, Oliver (1 July 2021). "National League Statement | OAGM Round-Up". Vanarama National League. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  9. 1 2 "Vanarama National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2021-2022". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  10. 1 2 "National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2017-2018". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  11. ↑ "Vanarama National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. 1 February 2024. Archived from the original on 1 February 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  12. ↑ "Blue Square Bet South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2012-2013". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  13. ↑ "Skrill South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2013-2014". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  14. ↑ "Vanarama Conference South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2014-2015". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  15. ↑ McVeigh, Niall (6 April 2015). "Football Conference to become National League in high-profile rebranding". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  16. ↑ "National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2015-2016". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  17. ↑ "National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2016-2017". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  18. ↑ "National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2018-2019". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  19. ↑ "Vanarama National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2019-2020". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  20. ↑ "Vanarama National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2022-2023". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  21. ↑ "Top goalscorers in National League South history". Be Soccer. 15 April 2024.
  22. ↑ Hughes, Richard (30 March 2024). "Torquay United disappointment after defeat at Yeovil Town". Devon Live. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  23. ↑ "Vanarama National League South | Average Attendances | Home Matches". Football Web Pages. 13 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
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