2021–22 Southern Football League
The 2021–22 Southern Football League season was the 119th in the history of the Southern League since its establishment in 1894. The league has two Premier divisions (Central and South) at Step 3 of the National League System (NLS) and two Division One divisions (Central and South) at Step 4. These correspond to levels 7 and 8 of the English football league system.
The allocations for Step 4 this season were announced by The Football Association (FA) on 17 May 2021.[1]
The scheduled restructuring of the non-League system took place at the end of the 2020–21 season and a new division was added to the Northern Premier League at Step 4 for 2021–22,[2] which resulted in some reallocations into or out of, and promotions to, the Southern League's Step 4 divisions.[2]
Premier Division Central
Season | 2021–22 |
---|---|
Champions | Banbury United |
Promoted | Banbury United Peterborough Sports |
Relegated | Biggleswade United Lowestoft Town |
← 2020–21 2022–23 → |
Premier Division Central comprises 21 teams, one fewer than the set of 22 which competed in the aborted competition the previous season.
Premier Division Central table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Banbury United (C, P) | 40 | 32 | 6 | 2 | 92 | 32 | +60 | 102 | Promotion to the National League North |
2 | Peterborough Sports (O, P) | 40 | 24 | 7 | 9 | 94 | 46 | +48 | 79 | Qualification for the play-offs[lower-alpha 1] |
3 | Coalville Town | 40 | 23 | 9 | 8 | 86 | 47 | +39 | 78 | |
4 | Rushall Olympic | 40 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 80 | 54 | +26 | 69 | |
5 | Alvechurch | 40 | 18 | 11 | 11 | 57 | 41 | +16 | 65 | |
6 | AFC Rushden & Diamonds | 40 | 19 | 8 | 13 | 57 | 49 | +8 | 65 | |
7 | Leiston | 40 | 18 | 6 | 16 | 59 | 65 | −6 | 60 | |
8 | Royston Town | 40 | 17 | 8 | 15 | 65 | 51 | +14 | 59 | |
9 | Hednesford Town | 40 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 66 | 64 | +2 | 54 | |
10 | Tamworth | 40 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 58 | 58 | 0 | 54 | |
11 | Stourbridge | 40 | 15 | 8 | 17 | 61 | 71 | −10 | 53 | |
12 | Needham Market | 40 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 66 | 69 | −3 | 49 | |
13 | Stratford Town | 40 | 13 | 8 | 19 | 48 | 70 | −22 | 47 | |
14 | St Ives Town | 40 | 13 | 8 | 19 | 57 | 90 | −33 | 47 | |
15 | Redditch United | 40 | 11 | 12 | 17 | 38 | 50 | −12 | 45 | |
16 | Nuneaton Borough[lower-alpha 2] | 40 | 11 | 10 | 19 | 51 | 62 | −11 | 42 | |
17 | Hitchin Town | 40 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 47 | 58 | −11 | 42 | |
18 | Bromsgrove Sporting | 40 | 10 | 12 | 18 | 36 | 59 | −23 | 42 | Reprieve from relegation[lower-alpha 3] |
19 | Barwell | 40 | 10 | 11 | 19 | 57 | 78 | −21 | 41 | |
20 | Biggleswade Town (R) | 40 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 47 | 64 | −17 | 34 | Relegation to Division One Central |
21 | Lowestoft Town (R) | 40 | 9 | 6 | 25 | 49 | 93 | −44 | 33 | Relegation to Step 4 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[4]
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Four teams play for one spot and promotion to Step 2
- Nuneaton Borough were deducted one point for fielding an ineligible player.
- Seven clubs at Step 3, all four fourth-from-bottom teams and three that are placed third-from-bottom and has the most points per game (PPG), were reprieved.[3]
Results
Play-offs
Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
2 | Peterborough Sports | 2 | |||||||
5 | Alvechurch | 1 | |||||||
2 | Peterborough Sports | 2 | |||||||
3 | Coalville Town | 0 | |||||||
3 | Coalville Town | 3 | |||||||
4 | Rushall Olympic | 0 |
Semi-finals
26 April 2022 | Peterborough Sports | 2-1 | Alvechurch | Bee Arena, Peterborough |
19:45 (UTC+01:00) | Fryatt ![]() McCammon ![]() |
Clayton-Phillips ![]() |
Attendance: 741 |
26 April 2022 | Coalville Town | 3–0 | Rushall Olympic | Mander Cruickshank Solicitors Stadium, Coalville |
19:45 (UTC+01:00) | Putman ![]() Waite ![]() Waite ![]() |
Attendance: 1,223 |
Final
2 May 2022 | Peterborough Sports | 2-0 | Coalville Town | Bee Arena, Peterborough |
15:00 (UTC+01:00) | Jones ![]() McCammon ![]() |
Attendance: 1,895 |
Stadia and locations
Club | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|
AFC Rushden & Diamonds | Rushden | Hayden Road | 2,000 |
Alvechurch | Alvechurch | Lye Meadow | 3,000 |
Banbury United | Banbury | Spencer Stadium | 2,000 |
Barwell | Barwell | Kirkby Road | 2,500 |
Biggleswade Town | Biggleswade | Langford Road | 3,000 |
Bromsgrove Sporting | Bromsgrove | Victoria Ground | 4,893 |
Coalville Town | Coalville | Owen Street Sports Ground | 2,000 |
Hednesford Town | Hednesford | Keys Park | 6,039 |
Hitchin Town | Hitchin | Top Field | 4,554 |
Leiston | Leiston | Victory Road | 2,250 |
Lowestoft Town | Lowestoft | Crown Meadow | 3,000 |
Needham Market | Needham Market | Bloomfields | 4,000 |
Nuneaton Borough | Nuneaton | Liberty Way | 4,614 |
Peterborough Sports | Peterborough | Lincoln Road | 2,300 |
Redditch United | Redditch | The Valley | 5,000 |
Royston Town | Royston | Garden Walk | 5,000 |
Rushall Olympic | Walsall (Rushall) | Dales Lane | 2,000 |
St Ives Town | St Ives | Westwood Road | 2,000 |
Stourbridge | Stourbridge | War Memorial Athletic Ground | 2,626 |
Stratford Town | Stratford-upon-Avon | Knights Lane | 2,000 |
Tamworth | Tamworth | The Lamb Ground | 4,565 |
Premier Division South
Season | 2021–22 |
---|---|
Champions | Taunton Town |
Promoted | Taunton Town Farnborough |
Relegated | Merthyr Town Wimborne Town |
← 2020–21 2022–23 → |
Premier Division South comprises 22 teams, 20 of which competed in the previous season.
Team changes
- To Premier Division South
Returned after one-season absence
Transferred from Premier Division Central
Premier Division South table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Taunton Town (C, P) | 42 | 28 | 7 | 7 | 83 | 42 | +41 | 91 | Promotion to the National League South |
2 | Hayes & Yeading United | 42 | 26 | 8 | 8 | 100 | 39 | +61 | 86 | Qualification for the play-offs[lower-alpha 1] |
3 | Farnborough (O, P) | 42 | 26 | 7 | 9 | 73 | 44 | +29 | 85 | |
4 | Metropolitan Police | 42 | 24 | 9 | 9 | 72 | 46 | +26 | 81 | |
5 | Weston-super-Mare | 42 | 23 | 9 | 10 | 72 | 41 | +31 | 78 | |
6 | Chesham United | 42 | 22 | 11 | 9 | 80 | 50 | +30 | 77 | |
7 | Yate Town | 42 | 21 | 9 | 12 | 66 | 48 | +18 | 72 | |
8 | Truro City | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 62 | 54 | +8 | 70 | |
9 | Gosport Borough | 42 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 65 | 56 | +9 | 66 | |
10 | Poole Town | 42 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 74 | 69 | +5 | 64 | |
11 | Walton Casuals | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 53 | 61 | −8 | 58 | |
12 | Swindon Supermarine | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 63 | 63 | 0 | 57 | |
13 | Tiverton Town | 42 | 15 | 8 | 19 | 61 | 63 | −2 | 53 | |
14 | Harrow Borough | 42 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 62 | 77 | −15 | 52 | |
15 | Salisbury | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 49 | 75 | −26 | 48 | |
16 | Hendon | 42 | 14 | 5 | 23 | 58 | 70 | −12 | 47 | |
17 | Beaconsfield Town | 42 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 70 | 92 | −22 | 46 | |
18 | Hartley Wintney | 42 | 13 | 5 | 24 | 56 | 75 | −19 | 44 | |
19 | Dorchester Town | 42 | 12 | 5 | 25 | 41 | 58 | −17 | 41 | Reprieve from relegation[lower-alpha 2] |
20 | Kings Langley | 42 | 9 | 10 | 23 | 49 | 68 | −19 | 37 | |
21 | Merthyr Town (R) | 42 | 6 | 8 | 28 | 47 | 94 | −47 | 26 | Relegation to Division One South |
22 | Wimborne Town (R) | 42 | 4 | 7 | 31 | 35 | 106 | −71 | 19 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[4]
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Four teams play for one spot and promotion to Step 2
- Seven clubs at Step 3, all four fourth-from-bottom teams and three that are placed third-from-bottom and has the most points per game (PPG), would be reprieved.[3]
Results
Play-Offs
Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
2 | Hayes & Yeading United | 2 | |||||||
5 | Weston-Super-Mare | 1 | |||||||
2 | Hayes & Yeading United | 1 | |||||||
3 | Farnborough | 2 | |||||||
3 | Farnborough | 2 | |||||||
4 | Metropolitan Police | 1 |
Semi-finals
26 April 2022 | Hayes & Yeading United | 2-1 | Weston-Super-Mare | Skyex Community Stadium, London |
19:45 (UTC+01:00) | Rowe ![]() Emmanuel ![]() |
King ![]() |
Attendance: 607 |
26 April 2022 | Farnborough | 2–1 | Metropolitan Police | Easy as HGV Stadium, Farnborough |
19:45 (UTC+01:00) | Fearn ![]() Parker ![]() |
Alves ![]() |
Attendance: 947 |
Final
2 May 2022 | Hayes & Yeading United | 1–2 | Farnborough | Skyex Community Stadium, London |
15:00 (UTC+01:00) | Emmanuel ![]() |
Parker ![]() Deering ![]() |
Attendance: 1,600 |
Stadia and locations





Division One Central
Season | 2021–22 |
---|---|
Champions | Bedford Town |
Promoted | Bedford Town North Leigh |
Relegated | Colne Town Wantage Town |
← 2020–21 2022–23 → |
Division One Central comprises 20 teams, 14 of which competed in the aborted competition the previous season.
Team changes
Transferred from the Isthmian League South Central Division Promoted from the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division |
Transferred to the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands
|
Division One Central league table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bedford Town (C, P) | 38 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 100 | 28 | +72 | 91 | Promotion to Step 3 |
2 | Berkhamsted | 38 | 24 | 9 | 5 | 64 | 29 | +35 | 81 | Qualification for the play-offs[lower-alpha 1] |
3 | AFC Dunstable | 38 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 64 | 33 | +31 | 73 | |
4 | Ware | 38 | 21 | 8 | 9 | 90 | 47 | +43 | 71 | |
5 | Welwyn Garden City | 38 | 21 | 8 | 9 | 80 | 48 | +32 | 71 | Exclusion from the play-offs[lower-alpha 2] |
6 | North Leigh (O, P) | 38 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 69 | 42 | +27 | 68 | Qualification for the play-offs[lower-alpha 1] |
7 | Harlow Town | 38 | 17 | 10 | 11 | 71 | 49 | +22 | 61 | |
8 | Thame United | 38 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 64 | 45 | +19 | 60 | |
9 | Biggleswade | 38 | 18 | 6 | 14 | 62 | 56 | +6 | 60 | |
10 | St Neots Town | 38 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 57 | 53 | +4 | 53 | |
11 | Waltham Abbey | 38 | 15 | 7 | 16 | 64 | 64 | 0 | 52 | |
12 | FC Romania | 38 | 15 | 3 | 20 | 71 | 83 | −12 | 48 | |
13 | Didcot Town | 38 | 13 | 8 | 17 | 50 | 69 | −19 | 47 | |
14 | Aylesbury United | 38 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 64 | 70 | −6 | 43 | |
15 | Barton Rovers | 38 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 47 | 63 | −16 | 41 | |
16 | Hertford Town | 38 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 58 | 82 | −24 | 36 | |
17 | Kidlington | 38 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 47 | 86 | −39 | 35 | Reprieve from inter-step play-off[lower-alpha 3] |
18 | Kempston Rovers (O) | 38 | 8 | 5 | 25 | 50 | 102 | −52 | 29 | Qualification for inter-step play-off[lower-alpha 4] |
19 | Colney Heath (R) | 38 | 7 | 2 | 29 | 35 | 92 | −57 | 23 | Relegation to the Spartan South Midlands League |
20 | Wantage Town (R) | 38 | 5 | 5 | 28 | 37 | 103 | −66 | 20 | Relegation to the Hellenic League |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[4]
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Four teams play for one spot and possible promotion to Step 3.
- Welwyn Garden City were initially relegated for failing Step 4 ground grading standards. Although this relegaton was rescinded on appeal, Welwyn were still excluded from the promotion play-offs.[5]
- Ten of the 16 clubs at Step 4, all eight fourth-from-bottom teams and two clubs placed third-from-bottom, one at the top and the other in third place on a points per game (PPG) basis, were reprieved from contesting relegation play-offs.[6]
- Contested a one-off play-off match as one of the remaining six third-from-bottom teams against one of the six runners-up from Step 5 that had the fewest PPG at the end of the 2021–22 season. The winner remained at Step 4 for the 2022–23 season and the loser at Step 5.[6]
Results
Play-Offs
Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
2 | Berkhamsted | 1 | |||||||
6 | North Leigh | 2 | |||||||
2 | Ware | 2 | |||||||
6 | North Leigh | 4 | |||||||
3 | AFC Dunstable | 0 (3) | |||||||
4 | Ware | 0 (4) |
Semi-finals
26 April 2022 | Berkhamsted | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | North Leigh | Broadwater, Berkhamsted |
19:45 (UTC+01:00) | Walster ![]() |
Steele ![]() Gunn ![]() |
Attendance: 523 |
26 April 2022 | AFC Dunstable | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (3–4 p) | Ware | Creasy Park, Dunstable |
19:45 (UTC+01:00) | Attendance: 374 |
Final
2 May 2022 | Ware | 2–4 | North Leigh | Wodson Park, Ware |
15:00 (UTC+01:00) | Adu-Donyinah ![]() Dulson ![]() |
Nash ![]() McCreadie ![]() Louis ![]() Williams ![]() |
Attendance: 1,564 |
Stadia and locations









Club | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|
AFC Dunstable | Dunstable | Creasey Park | 3,200 |
Aylesbury United | Aylesbury | The Meadow (groundshare with Chesham United) | 5,000 |
Barton Rovers | Barton-le-Clay | Sharpenhoe Road | 4,000 |
Bedford Town | Bedford | The Eyrie | 3,000 |
Berkhamsted | Berkhamsted | Broadwater | 2,500 |
Biggleswade | Biggleswade | The Eyrie (groundshare with Bedford Town) | 3,000 |
Colney Heath | Colney Heath | Recreation Ground | n/a |
Didcot Town | Didcot | Loop Meadow | 3,000 |
FC Romania | Cheshunt | Cheshunt Stadium (groundshare with Cheshunt) | 3,000 |
Harlow Town | Harlow | The Harlow Arena | 3,500 |
Hertford Town | Hertford | Hertingfordbury Park | 6,500 |
Kempston Rovers | Kempston | Hillgrounds Leisure | 2,000 |
Kidlington | Kidlington | Yarnton Road | 1,500 |
North Leigh | North Leigh | Eynsham Hall Park Sports Ground | 2,000 |
St Neots Town | St Neots | New Rowley Park | 3,500 |
Thame United | Thame | Meadow View Park | 2,000 |
Waltham Abbey | Waltham Abbey | Capershotts | 3,500 |
Wantage Town | Wantage | Alfredian Park | 1,500 |
Ware | Ware | Wodson Park | 3,300 |
Welwyn Garden City | Welwyn Garden City | Herns Way | 1,000 |
Division One South
Season | 2021–22 |
---|---|
Champions | Plymouth Parkway |
Promoted | Plymouth Parkway Winchester City |
Relegated | Cinderford Town Mangotsfield United Barnstaple Town |
← 2020–21 2022–23 → |
Division One South comprises 19 teams, 17 of which competed in the aborted competition the previous season. Moneyfields' voluntary relegation left a vacancy in this division.
Team changes
Promoted from the Wessex League Premier Division Promoted from the Western League Premier Division |
Transferred to the Isthmian League South Central Division Relegated to the Wessex League Premier Division
|
Division One South league table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Plymouth Parkway (C, P) | 36 | 26 | 3 | 7 | 92 | 40 | +52 | 81 | Promotion to Step 3 |
2 | Frome Town | 36 | 23 | 9 | 4 | 76 | 30 | +46 | 78 | Qualification for the play-offs[lower-alpha 1] |
3 | Cirencester Town | 36 | 23 | 8 | 5 | 75 | 29 | +46 | 77 | |
4 | Winchester City (O, P) | 36 | 21 | 8 | 7 | 93 | 47 | +46 | 71 | |
5 | Bristol Manor Farm | 36 | 20 | 9 | 7 | 64 | 41 | +23 | 69 | |
6 | AFC Totton | 36 | 21 | 5 | 10 | 83 | 37 | +46 | 68 | |
7 | Sholing | 36 | 19 | 6 | 11 | 59 | 36 | +23 | 63 | |
8 | Melksham Town | 36 | 15 | 8 | 13 | 56 | 59 | −3 | 53 | |
9 | Paulton Rovers | 36 | 14 | 7 | 15 | 72 | 61 | +11 | 49 | |
10 | Highworth Town | 36 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 41 | 59 | −18 | 42 | |
11 | Larkhall Athletic | 36 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 43 | 48 | −5 | 39 | |
12 | Bideford | 36 | 11 | 6 | 19 | 36 | 55 | −19 | 39 | |
13 | Evesham United | 36 | 11 | 6 | 19 | 50 | 72 | −22 | 39 | |
14 | Slimbridge | 36 | 11 | 5 | 20 | 52 | 83 | −31 | 38 | |
15 | Willand Rovers | 36 | 10 | 7 | 19 | 54 | 62 | −8 | 37 | |
16 | Lymington Town | 36 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 51 | 90 | −39 | 36 | Reprieve from inter-step play-off[lower-alpha 2] |
17 | Cinderford Town (R) | 36 | 8 | 7 | 21 | 54 | 83 | −29 | 31 | Qualification for inter-step play-off[lower-alpha 3] |
18 | Mangotsfield United (R) | 36 | 7 | 6 | 23 | 42 | 91 | −49 | 27 | Relegation to the Western League |
19 | Barnstaple Town (R) | 36 | 7 | 3 | 26 | 45 | 115 | −70 | 24 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[4]
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Four teams play for one spot and possible promotion to Step 3.
- Ten of the 16 clubs at Step 4, all eight fourth-from-bottom teams and two clubs placed third-from-bottom, one at the top and the other in third place on a points per game (PPG) basis, were reprieved from contesting relegation play-offs.[6]
- Contested a one-off play-off matche as one of the remaining six third-from-bottom teams against one of six runners-up from Step 5 that had the fewest PPG at the end of the 2021–22 season. The winner rose to Step 4 for the 2022–23 season, while the loser dropped to Step 5.[6]
Results
Play-offs
Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
2 | Frome Town | 1 | |||||||
5 | Bristol Manor Farm | 3 | |||||||
4 | Winchester City | 4 | |||||||
5 | Bristol Manor Farm | 1 | |||||||
3 | Cirencester Town | 1 | |||||||
4 | Winchester City | 4 |
Semi-finals
26 April 2022 | Frome Town | 1-3 | Bristol Manor Farm | Badger Hill, Frome |
19:45 (UTC+01:00) | O'Loughlin ![]() |
Simpson ![]() Howe ![]() Howe ![]() |
Attendance: 1,158 |
26 April 2022 | Cirencester Town | 1–4 (a.e.t.) | Winchester City | Corinium Stadium, Cirencester |
19:45 (UTC+01:00) | Grace-Parsons ![]() |
Feeney ![]() Griggs ![]() Smith ![]() Smith ![]() |
Attendance: 393 |
Final
2 May 2022 | Winchester City | 4-1 | Bristol Manor Farm | Charters Community Stadium, Winchester |
15:00 (UTC+01:00) | Bentley ![]() Feeney ![]() Mlambo ![]() Smith ![]() |
Gosling ![]() |
Attendance: 1,025 |
Stadia and locations
Club | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|
AFC Totton | Totton | Testwood Stadium | 3,000 |
Barnstaple Town | Barnstaple | Mill Road | 5,000 |
Bideford | Bideford | The Sports Ground | 2,000 |
Bristol Manor Farm | Bristol (Sea Mills) | The Creek | 2,000 |
Cinderford Town | Cinderford | Causeway Ground | 3,500 |
Cirencester Town | Cirencester | Corinium Stadium | 4,500 |
Evesham United | Evesham | Jubilee Stadium | 3,000 |
Frome Town | Frome | Badgers Hill | 2,000 |
Highworth Town | Highworth | The Elms Recreation Ground | 2,000 |
Larkhall Athletic | Bath (Larkhall) | The Plain Ham Ground | 1,000 |
Lymington Town | Lymington | The Sports Ground | 1,000 |
Mangotsfield United | Mangotsfield | Cossham Street | 2,500 |
Melksham Town | Melksham | Oakfield Stadium | 2,500 |
Paulton Rovers | Paulton | Athletic Field | 2,500 |
Plymouth Parkway | Plymouth | Bolitho Park | 3,500 |
Sholing | Sholing | Portsmouth Road | 1,000 |
Slimbridge | Slimbridge | Thornhill Park | 1,500 |
Willand Rovers | Willand | Silver Street | 1,000 |
Winchester City | Winchester | The City Ground | 4,500 |
Relegation reprieves
Step 3
Seven clubs at Step 3, all four fourth-from-bottom teams and those placed third-from-bottom that are the top three on a points per game (PPG) basis, were reprieved from relegation. The remaining team was relegated to Step 4.[6]
The final points-per-game ranking of the third-from-bottom placed teams in Step 3 divisions was as follows:
Pos | Team | League | Pld | Pts | PPG | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | Basford United | Northern Premier League Premier Division | 42 | 45 | 1.071 | Retention at Step 3 |
6 | Barwell | Southern League Premier Division Central | 40 | 41 | 1.025 | |
7 | Kings Langley | Southern League Premier Division South | 42 | 37 | 0.881 | |
8 | Leatherhead | Isthmian League Premier Division | 42 | 36 | 0.857 | Relegation to Step 4 |
Source:[6]
Step 4
Ten of the 16 clubs at Step 4, all eight fourth-from-bottom teams and two clubs placed third-from-bottom, one at the top and the other in third place on a points per game (PPG) basis, were reprieved from contesting relegation play-offs. The FA granted third-placed Sheffield a reprieve after demoting Yorkshire Amateur from the Northern Premier League for non-compliance with Step 4 ground grading reuqirements.[7] The remaining six teams contested one-off matches with six runners-up from Step 5 that had the fewest PPG at the end of the 2021–22 season. Three winners of their matches stayed at Step 4 for the 2022–23 season, while three others lost theirs and were relegated to Step 5.[6]
The final points-per-game ranking of the 3rd-from-bottom-placed teams in Step 4 divisions was also as follows:
Pos | Team | League | Pld | Pts | PPG | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
9 | Prescot Cables | Northern Premier League Division One West | 38 | 39 | 1.026 | Retention at Step 4 |
10 | Lancing | Isthmian League South East Division | 38 | 36 | 0.947 | Relegation match with a Step 5 team |
11 | Sheffield | Northern Premier League Division One East | 36 | 33 | 0.917 | Retention at Step 4 |
12 | Witham Town | Isthmian League North Division | 38 | 33 | 0.863 | Relegation match with a Step 5 team |
13 | Cinderford Town | Southern League Division One South | 36 | 31 | 0.861 | |
14 | Kempston Rovers | Southern League Division One Central | 38 | 29 | 0.763 | |
15 | Histon | Northern Premier League Division One Midlands | 38 | 24 | 0.632 | |
16 | Chalfont St Peter | Isthmian League South Central Division | 36 | 21 | 0.583 |
Source: [6]
References
- "National League System club allocations – Steps 1 to 4, Season 2021–22" (PDF). The Football Association. 17 May 2021.
- "EXPLAINED: The 2021-22 Non-League restructure". The Non-League Paper. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
- "[Promotion and relegation for 2021/22]". The Football Association. September 2021. "7 clubs across Step 3 to be reprieved. Reprieves are based on those with the highest PPG, starting with 4th from bottom Clubs, then 3rd from bottom (and so on). As it stands, this would be all four 4th from bottom Clubs and the best three 3rd from bottom Clubs."
- "The FA Handbook 2020/2021 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA.
- Metcalfe, Neil (24 April 2022). "Heartbreak for Welwyn Garden City as they are blocked from Southern League play-offs". Welwyn and Hatfield Times. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
- Miller, Pete. "Non League 21/22 Promotion and Relegation". Google Docs.
- Gordon, James (24 April 2022). "Relegation, Reprieves & Inter-Step Play-Offs". The Pitching In Northern Premier League. Retrieved 26 April 2022.