2004–05 Southern Football League

Southern Football League
Western Division
Season	2004–05
Champions	Mangotsfield United
Promoted	Mangotsfield United; Yate Town; Evesham United
Relegated	Oxford City; Egham Town
Matches played	462
Goals scored	1,316 (2.85 per match)
	← 2003–04 2005–06 →

Southern Football League
Eastern Division
Season	2004–05
Champions	Fisher Athletic
Promoted	Fisher Athletic; East Thurrock United; Maldon Town
Relegated	Erith & Belvedere; Tilbury
Matches played	462
Goals scored	1,434 (3.1 per match)
	← 2003–04 2005–06 →

Southern Football League
Premier Division
Season	2004–05
Champions	Histon
Promoted	Histon; Hednesford Town
Relegated	Hemel Hempstead Town; Dunstable Town; Stamford; Solihull Borough
Matches played	462
Goals scored	1,391 (3.01 per match)
	← 2003–04 2005–06 →

The 2004–05 season was the 102nd in the history of the Southern League, which is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the East Midlands, West Midlands, East, South East and South West England.

Also, it was the first season after the creation of the Conference North and South, one step above the Southern League. Therefore, it was the inaugural season for the league at the seventh and eighth tiers in the English league system.

Premier Division

After the creation of the Conference North and South placed above the Southern League, most of the previous season clubs were transferred to the newly created divisions.

Histon won the Premier Division and get a second promotion in a row along with play-off winners Hednesford Town. Hemel Hempstead, Dunstable, Stamford and Solihull Moors were relegated and returned to Division One.

League formation

The Premier Division featured only six clubs from the previous season and 16 new clubs:

Six clubs remained in the league:
Six clubs promoted from the Western Division:

Four clubs promoted from the Eastern Division:
Three clubs transferred from Isthmian League Premier Division:
Three clubs promoted from Isthmian League Division One North:

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Histon	42	24	6	12	93	57	+36	78	Promoted to the Conference South
2	Chippenham Town	42	22	9	11	81	55	+26	75	Qualified for the play-offs
3	Merthyr Tydfil	42	19	14	9	62	47	+15	71	Qualified for the play-offs
4	Hednesford Town	42	20	10	12	68	40	+28	70	Qualified for the play-offs, then promoted to the Conference North
5	Bedford Town	42	19	12	11	70	52	+18	69	Qualified for the play-offs
6	Bath City	42	19	12	11	57	43	+14	69
7	Cirencester Town	42	19	11	12	63	52	+11	68
8	Tiverton Town	42	18	13	11	70	55	+15	67
9	Halesowen Town	42	19	9	14	64	52	+12	66
10	Aylesbury United	42	20	3	19	67	66	+1	63
11	King's Lynn	42	19	4	19	78	69	+9	61
12	Chesham United	42	18	5	19	84	82	+2	59
13	Grantham Town	42	17	7	18	57	55	+2	58
14	Team Bath	42	14	12	16	54	68	−14	54
15	Gloucester City	42	12	17	13	63	61	+2	53
16	Rugby United	42	13	12	17	48	60	−12	51
17	Banbury United	42	13	9	20	56	69	−13	48
18	Hitchin Town	42	13	9	20	55	77	−22	48
19	Hemel Hempstead Town	42	11	10	21	60	88	−28	42^[a]	Relegated to the Western Division
20	Dunstable Town	42	11	6	25	56	98	−42	39	Relegated to the Western Division
21	Stamford	42	6	18	18	40	60	−20	36	Relegated to the Eastern Division
22	Solihull Borough	42	10	4	28	45	85	−40	34	Relegated to the Western Division

Source: fchd.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Notes:

^ Hemel Hempstead Town deducted 1 point for fielding an ineligible player.

Play-offs

Semifinals			Final

2	Chippenham Town	2(5)

5	Bedford Town	2(4)
			2	Chippenham Town	0

			4	Hednesford Town	1
3	Merthyr Tydfil	1(3)

4	Hednesford Town	1(5)

Stadia and locations

Club	Stadium
Aylesbury United	Buckingham Road
Banbury United	Spencer Stadium
Bath City	Twerton Park
Bedford Town	The Eyrie
Chesham United	The Meadow
Chippenham Town	Hardenhuish Park
Cirencester Town	Corinium Stadium
Dunstable Town	Creasey Park
Gloucester City	Meadow Park, Gloucester
Grantham Town	South Kesteven Sports Stadium
Halesowen Town	The Grove
Hednesford Town	Keys Park
Hemel Hempstead Town	Vauxhall Road
Histon	Bridge Road
Hitchin Town	Top Field
King's Lynn	The Walks
Merthyr Tydfil	Penydarren Park
Rugby Town	Butlin Road
Solihull Borough	Damson Park
Stamford	Hanson's Field
Team Bath	Twerton Park (groundshare with Bath City)
Tiverton Town	Ladysmead

Eastern Division

After the creation of the Conference North and South one step above the Southern League, most of the Premier Division clubs were transferred to the newly created divisions. Consequently, most of the Eastern Division clubs took up the empty spots in higher divisions.

Fisher Athletic won the division and were promoted along with runners-up East Thurrock United and play-off winners Maldon Town, who get the second promotion in a row. Erith & Belvedere and Tilbury finished bottom of the league and were relegated.

League formation

In the first season as an eighth tier league, the Eastern Division featured five clubs from the previous season and 17 new clubs:

14 clubs transferred from Isthmian League Division One North:

Five clubs remained in the league:
Plus:
- Beaconsfield SYCOB, promoted from the Spartan South Midlands League
- Leighton Town, promoted from the Isthmian League Division Two
- Maldon Town, promoted from the Eastern Counties League

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Fisher Athletic	42	30	6	6	96	41	+55	96	Promoted to Isthmian League Premier Division
2	East Thurrock United	42	25	12	5	92	38	+54	87	Promoted to Isthmian League Premier Division
3	Maldon Town	42	27	6	9	92	51	+41	87	Qualified for the play-offs, then promoted to IL Premier Division
4	Uxbridge	42	26	7	9	87	37	+50	85	Qualified for the play-offs
5	Wivenhoe Town	42	21	11	10	74	49	+25	74
6	Barking & East Ham United	42	20	10	12	63	37	+26	70
7	Boreham Wood	42	19	9	14	80	61	+19	66
8	Barton Rovers	42	20	4	18	76	72	+4	64
9	Waltham Forest	42	16	9	17	68	61	+7	57
10	Leighton Town	42	13	15	14	57	59	−2	54	Transferred to the Western Division
11	Chatham Town	42	15	9	18	53	63	−10	54
12	Wingate & Finchley	42	15	8	19	60	75	−15	53
13	Arlesey Town	42	14	10	18	53	67	−14	52
14	Beaconsfield SYCOB	42	12	12	18	54	65	−11	48	Transferred to the Western Division
15	Harlow Town	42	13	8	21	53	65	−12	47
16	Dartford	42	11	13	18	58	75	−17	46
17	Aveley	42	12	9	21	57	69	−12	45
18	Berkhamsted Town	42	15	7	20	66	101	−35	45^[a]
19	Sittingbourne	42	10	12	20	53	70	−17	42
20	Great Wakering Rovers	42	9	11	22	45	78	−33	38
21	Erith & Belvedere	42	11	7	24	56	92	−36	37^[b]	Relegated to the Kent League
22	Tilbury	42	6	9	27	41	108	−67	27	Relegated to the Essex Senior League

Source: fchd.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Notes:

^ Berkhamsted Town deducted 7 points for fielding an ineligible player.
^ Erith & Belvedere deducted 3 points for fielding an ineligible player.

Play-offs

Semifinals			Final

3	Maldon Town	1(3)

6	Barking & East Ham United	1(2)
			3	Maldon Town	2(3)

			4	Uxbridge	2(2)
4	Uxbridge	3

5	Wivenhoe Town	0

Stadia and locations

Great Wakering Rovers

Aveley

Barking & East Ham United

Boreham Wood

Dartford

Erith & Belvedere

Fisher Athletic

Tilbury

Uxbridge

Waltham Forest

Wingate & Finchley

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Locations of the Eastern Division clubs

Aveley

Barking & East Ham United

Greater London Eastern Division clubs

Club	Stadium
Arlesey Town	Hitchin Road
Aveley	The Mill Field
Barking & East Ham United	Mayesbrook Park
Barton Rovers	Sharpenhoe Road
Beaconsfield SYCOB	Holloways Park
Berkhamsted	Broadwater
Boreham Wood	Meadow Park
Chatham Town	The Sports Ground
Dartford	Stonebridge Road (groundshare with Gravesend & Northfleet)
East Thurrock United	Rookery Hill
Erith & Belvedere	Park View Road (groundshare with Welling United)
Fisher Athletic	Champion Hill (groundshare with Dulwich Hamlet)
Great Wakering Rovers	Burroughs Park
Harlow Town	Barrows Farm
Leighton Town	Bell Close
Maldon Town	Wallace Binder Ground
Sittingbourne	Bourne Park
Tilbury	Chadfields
Uxbridge	Honeycroft
Waltham Forest	Wadham Lodge
Wingate & Finchley	The Harry Abrahams Stadium
Wivenhoe Town	Broad Lane

Western Division

After the creation of the Conference North and South one step above the Southern League, most of the Premier Division clubs were transferred to the newly created divisions. Consequently, most of the Western Division clubs took up the empty spots in higher divisions.

Mangotsfield United won the division and were promoted to the Premier Division along with runners-up Yate Town and play-off winners Evesham United. Oxford City and Egham Town finished bottom of the table and were relegated.

League formation

In the first season as an eighth tier league, the Western Division featured eleven clubs from the previous season and eleven new clubs:

Three clubs transferred from the Eastern Division:
Two clubs transferred from Isthmian League Division One North:
- Oxford City
- Thame United
Four clubs transferred from Isthmian League Division One South:
Plus:
- Brackley Town, promoted from the Hellenic League
- Paulton Rovers, promoted from the Western League

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Mangotsfield United	42	24	11	7	89	49	+40	83	Promoted to the Premier Division
2	Yate Town	42	24	9	9	83	40	+43	81	Promoted to the Premier Division
3	Evesham United	42	23	10	9	66	31	+35	79	Qualified for the play-offs, then promoted to the Premier Division
4	Clevedon Town	42	24	6	12	82	49	+33	78	Qualified for the play-offs
5	Bromsgrove Rovers	42	19	15	8	60	42	+18	72
6	Ashford Town (Middlesex)	42	17	13	12	63	46	+17	64
7	Brackley Town	42	18	10	14	69	53	+16	64
8	Paulton Rovers	42	18	7	17	62	61	+1	61
9	Burnham	42	17	7	18	64	64	0	58
10	Rothwell Town	42	16	10	16	57	57	0	58	Transferred to the Eastern Division
11	Thame United	42	17	6	19	58	69	−11	57
12	Corby Town	42	14	12	16	52	62	−10	54	Transferred to the Eastern Division
13	Marlow	42	13	14	15	58	67	−9	53
14	Stourport Swifts	42	15	7	20	62	63	−1	52
15	Bedworth United	42	15	7	20	51	60	−9	52
16	Cinderford Town	42	13	12	17	50	64	−14	51
17	Taunton Town	42	14	8	20	66	75	−9	50
18	Sutton Coldfield Town	42	16	11	15	54	61	−7	48^[a]
19	Swindon Supermarine	42	12	12	18	43	60	−17	48
20	Bracknell Town	42	10	13	19	53	75	−22	43
21	Oxford City	42	11	8	23	49	71	−22	41	Relegated to the Spartan South Midlands League
22	Egham Town	42	6	4	32	25	97	−72	22	Relegated to IL Division Two

Source: fchd.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Notes:

^ Sutton Coldfield Town deducted 11 points for fielding an ineligible player.

Play-offs

Semifinals			Final

3	Evesham United	2

6	Ashford Town (Middlesex)	1
			3	Evesham United	4

			5	Bromsgrove Rovers	0
4	Clevedon Town	2

5	Bromsgrove Rovers	3

Stadia and locations

Club	Stadium
Ashford Town (Middlesex)	The Robert Parker Stadium
Bedworth United	The Oval
Brackley Town	St. James Park
Bracknell Town	Larges Lane
Bromsgrove Rovers	Victoria Ground
Burnham	The Gore
Cinderford Town	Causeway Ground
Clevedon Town	Hand Stadium
Corby Town	Steel Park
Egham Town	The Runnymede Stadium
Evesham United	Common Road
Mangotsfield United	Cossham Street
Marlow	Alfred Davis Memorial Ground
Oxford City	Court Place Farm
Paulton Rovers	Athletic Field
Rothwell Town	Cecil Street
Stourport Swifts	Walshes Meadow
Sutton Coldfield Town	The Central Ground
Swindon Supermarine	Hunts Copse Ground
Taunton Town	Wordsworth Drive
Thame United	Windmill Road
Yate Town	Lodge Road