1988–89 Southern Football League

March 2026 The 1988–89 Southern Football League season was the 86th in the history of the league, an English football competition. Merthyr Tydfil won the Premier Division and earned promotion to the Football Conference, whilst Coventry Sporting, Wellingborough Town, Mile Oak Rovers, Tonbridge and Ruislip left the league at the end of the season. Premier Division The Premier Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 16 clubs from the previous season and six new clubs: Two clubs promoted from the Midland Division: Merthyr Tydfil Moor Green Two clubs promoted from the Southern Division: Dover Athletic Waterlooville Two clubs relegated from the Football Conference: Bath City Wealdstone League table Southern Football LeaguePremier Division 1988–89 Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil Fareham TownLeicester UnitedRedditch UnitedBedworth Town 462 1369 1987–88 1989–90 main WDL PR Premier Division MER Merthyr Tydfil DAR Dartford RUG VS Rugby WOR Worcester City CAM Cambridge City DOV Dover Athletic GOS Gosport Borough BRT Burton Albion BAT Bath City BRO Bromsgrove Rovers WEA Wealdstone CRA Crawley Town DOR Dorchester Town ALV Alvechurch MOO Moor Green COR Corby Town WAT Waterlooville ASH Ashford Town (Kent) FAR Fareham Town LEI Leicester United RED Redditch United BWU Bedworth United 26 7 9 104 58 25 7 10 79 33 24 7 11 64 43 20 13 9 72 49 20 10 12 72 51 19 12 11 65 47 18 12 12 73 57 18 10 14 79 68 15 13 14 66 51 14 16 12 68 56 16 10 16 60 53 14 16 12 64 56 14 16 12 56 61 16 8 18 56 59 14 13 15 58 70 14 11 17 55 59 13 13 16 61 63 13 13 16 59 76 15 6 21 43 68 6 11 25 46 87 5 7 30 36 105 4 7 31 36 102 #ACE1AF Promoted to the Football Conference P #FFCCCC Relegated to the Southern Division RS #FFCCCC Relegated to the Midland Division RM RM RM complete fchd.com rsssf.com 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored. Midland Division The Midland Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 17 clubs from the previous season and five new clubs: Two clubs relegated from the Premier Division: Nuneaton Borough Willenhall Town Plus: Ashtree Highfield, promoted from the Midland Combination Spalding United, promoted from the United Counties League Tamworth, promoted from the West Midlands League Also, at the end of the season Forest Green Rovers was renamed Stroud and Ashfield Hightree was renamed Sandwell Borough. League table Southern Football LeagueMidland Division 1988–89 Gloucester City Atherstone UnitedGloucester City Mile Oak RoversWellingborough Town 462 1361 1987–88 1989–90 main WDL PR Midland Division GLO Gloucester City ATH Atherstone United TAM Tamworth HAL Halesowen Town GRN Grantham Town NUN Nuneaton Borough RUS Rushden Town SPA Spalding United DUD Dudley Town SUT Sutton Coldfield Town WIL Willenhall Town FOR Forest Green Rovers BIL Bilston Town SAN Ashtree Highfield HED Hednesford Town BAN Banbury United BRI Bridgnorth Town STO Stourbridge KLY King's Lynn COV Coventry Sporting WEL Wellingborough Town MIL Mile Oak Rovers 28 8 6 95 37 26 9 7 85 38 26 9 7 85 45 25 10 7 85 42 23 11 8 66 37 19 9 14 71 58 19 8 15 71 50 17 13 12 72 64 16 13 13 73 62 18 7 17 56 56 16 12 14 65 71 12 16 14 64 67 15 7 20 63 71 12 15 15 57 62 12 15 15 49 57 10 14 18 53 74 12 7 23 59 77 11 10 21 37 65 7 13 22 31 67 6 13 23 39 91 5 15 22 39 72 5 10 27 46 98 #ACE1AF Promoted to the Premier Division P P #FFCCCC Club folded FLD #FFCCCC Relegated to the United Counties League RU #FFCCCC Relegated to the Midland Combination RM complete fchd.com rsssf.com 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored. Southern Division The Southern Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 18 clubs from the previous season and four new clubs: Two clubs relegated from the Premier Division: Chelmsford City Witney Town Two clubs transferred from the Midland Division: Buckingham Town Trowbridge Town At the end of the season Thanet United reverted name to Margate. League table Southern Football LeagueSouthern Division 1988–89 Chelmsford City Chelmsford CityGravesend & Northfleet Tonbridge 462 1414 1987–88 1989–90 main WDL PR Southern Division CHE Chelmsford City GRN Gravesend & Northfleet POO Poole Town BRY Bury Town BRN Burnham BAL Baldock Town HAS Hastings Town HOU Hounslow SAL Salisbury TRO Trowbridge Town FOL Folkestone COR Corinthian CAN Canterbury City WIT Witney Town DUN Dunstable BUC Buckingham Town E&B Erith & Belvedere AND Andover SHE Sheppey United MAR Thanet United TON Tonbridge RUI Ruislip 30 5 7 106 38 27 6 9 70 40 24 11 7 98 48 25 7 10 75 34 22 13 7 78 47 23 5 14 69 40 21 11 10 75 48 21 6 15 75 60 20 5 17 79 58 19 7 16 59 52 17 8 17 62 65 13 13 16 59 69 14 8 20 52 60 13 11 18 61 71 11 14 17 42 57 12 10 20 56 79 11 10 21 48 63 11 9 22 56 90 10 8 24 50 90 7 15 20 47 95 7 6 29 50 98 6 8 28 47 112 #ACE1AF Promoted to the Premier Division P P #FFCCCC Relegated to the Kent Football League RK #FFCCCC Club folded FLD complete fchd.com rsssf.com 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored. See also Southern Football League 1988–89 Isthmian League 1988–89 Northern Premier League References RSSF – Southern Football League archive Category:Southern Football League seasons 6