The 2018–19 season was the 116th in the history of the Southern League since its establishment in 1894. The league (known as Evo-Stik League Southern, following a sponsorship deal with Evo-Stik) 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 of the NLS.
This was the first season to consist of four divisions in the league, following a shakeup of the Southern, Isthmian, and Northern Premier Leagues divisions by geographical region. The Southern League was chosen to create a new division at Step 3; the 21 clubs remaining from the Premier Division the previous season were split into two new Premier divisions; Central and South. The league constitution was announced in May 2018.
Premier Division Central
At the end of the previous season a new division was created at step 3, while the number of clubs in step 3 divisions was reduced from 24 to 22. The Premier Division Central consisted of ten clubs from the previous season Premier Division, and twelve new clubs.
Promoted from Division One East: AFC Rushden & Diamonds
Promoted from the Northern Premier League Division One South: Alvechurch Bedworth United
Relegated from the National League North: Tamworth
Transferred from the Isthmian League Premier Division: Leiston Lowestoft Town Needham Market
Transferred from the Northern Premier League Premier Division: Barwell Coalville Town Halesowen Town Rushall Olympic Stourbridge
League table
Play-offs
Semi-finals
Final
Super final
Results table
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Capacity AFC Rushden & Diamonds Hayden Road (groundshare with Rushden & Higham United) 2,000 Alvechurch Lye Meadow 3,000 Banbury United Spencer Stadium 2,000 Barwell Kirkby Road 2,500 Bedworth United The Oval 3,000 Biggleswade Town Langford Road 3,000 Coalville Town Owen Street Sports Ground 2,000 Halesowen Town The Grove 3,150 Hitchin Town Top Field 4,554 Kettering Town Latimer Park (groundshare with Burton Park Wanderers) 2,400 King's Lynn Town The Walks 5,733 Leiston Victory Road 2,250 Lowestoft Town Crown Meadow 3,000 Needham Market Bloomfields 4,000 Redditch United The Valley 5,000 Royston Town Garden Walk 5,000 Rushall Olympic Dales Lane 2,000 St Ives Town Westwood Road 2,000 St Neots Town New Rowley Park 3,500 Stourbridge War Memorial Athletic Ground 2,626 Stratford Town Knights Lane 2,000 Tamworth The Lamb Ground 4,565
Premier Division South
At the end of the previous season a new division was created at step 3, while the number of clubs in step 3 divisions was reduced from 24 to 22. The Premier Division South consisted of ten clubs from the previous season Premier Division, and twelve new clubs.
Promoted from Division One East: Beaconsfield Town Hartley Wintney
Promoted from Division One West: Taunton Town Salisbury Swindon Supermarine Wimborne Town
Promoted from the Isthmian League South Division: Walton Casuals
Relegated from the National League South: Poole Town
Transferred from the Isthmian League Premier Division: Harrow Borough Hendon Metropolitan Police Staines Town
League table
Play-offs
Semi-finals
Final
Super final
Results table
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Capacity Basingstoke Town The Camrose 6,000 Beaconsfield Town Holloways Park 3,500 Chesham United The Meadow 5,000 Dorchester Town The Avenue Stadium 5,000 Farnborough Cherrywood Road 7,000 Frome Town Badgers Hill 2,000 Gosport Borough Privett Park 4,500 Harrow Borough Earlsmead Stadium 3,000 Hartley Wintney The Memorial Playing Fields 2,000 Hendon Silver Jubilee Park 2,000 Kings Langley Gaywood Park 2,000 Merthyr Town Penydarren Park 4,000 Metropolitan Police Imber Court 3,000 Poole Town The BlackGold Stadium 2,500 Salisbury Raymond McEnhill Stadium 5,000 Staines Town Wheatsheaf Park 3,000 Swindon Supermarine Hunts Copse Ground 3,000 Taunton Town Wordsworth Drive 2,500 Tiverton Town Ladysmead 3,500 Walton Casuals Elmbridge Xcel Sports Hub 2,500 Weymouth Bob Lucas Stadium 6,600 Wimborne Town The Cuthbury 3,000
Division One Central
A new division was added at step 4 within the Isthmian League, while the number of clubs in every step 4 division was decreased to 20. Division One Central featured eight clubs from the previous season Division One West and twelve new clubs.
Promoted from the Midland League: Bromsgrove Sporting Coleshill Town
Promoted from the Spartan South Midlands League: Welwyn Garden City Berkhamsted
Promoted from the United Counties League: Yaxley
Relegated from the Premier Division: Dunstable Town
Relegated from the Northern Premier League Premier Division: Sutton Coldfield Town
Transferred from Division One West: Didcot Town Kidlington North Leigh
Transferred from the Northern Premier League Division One South: Corby Town Peterborough Sports
League table
Play-offs
Semi-finals
Final
Results table
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Capacity AFC Dunstable Creasey Park (groundshare with Dunstable Town) 3,200 Aylesbury Haywood Way 1,300 Aylesbury United The Meadow (groundshare with Chesham United) 5,000 Barton Rovers Sharpenhoe Road 4,000 Bedford Town The Eyrie 3,000 Berkhamsted Broadwater 2,500 Bromsgrove Sporting Victoria Ground 3,500 Cambridge City Bridge Road (groundshare with Histon) 2,000 Coleshill Town Pack Meadow 2,070 Corby Town Steel Park 3,893 Didcot Town Loop Meadow 3,000 Dunstable Town Creasey Park (groundshare with AFC Dunstable) 3,200 Kempston Rovers Hillgrounds Leisure 2,000 Kidlington Yarnton Road 1,500 North Leigh Eynsham Hall Park Sports Ground 2,000 Peterborough Sports Lincoln Road 2,300 Sutton Coldfield Town Central Ground 2,000 Thame United Meadow View Park 2,000 Welwyn Garden City Herns Way 1,000 Yaxley Leading Drove 1,500
Division One South
A new division was added at step 4 within the Isthmian League, while the number of clubs in every step 4 division was decreased to 20. Division One South featured 13 clubs from the previous season Division One East and seven new clubs.
Promoted from the Hellenic League: Thatcham Town Highworth Town
Promoted from the Wessex League: Blackfield & Langley
Promoted from the Western League: Street Melksham Town
Transferred from Division One East: Fleet Town Moneyfields
League table
Play-offs
Semi-finals
Final
Results table
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Capacity AFC Totton Testwood Stadium 3,000 Barnstaple Town Mill Road 5,000 Bideford The Sports Ground 2,000 Blackfield & Langley Gang Warily Rec 1,500 Bristol Manor Farm The Creek 2,000 Cinderford Town Causeway Ground 3,500 Cirencester Town Corinium Stadium 4,500 Evesham United Jubilee Stadium 3,000 Fleet Town Calthorpe Park 2,000 Highworth Town The Elms Recreation Ground 2,000 Larkhall Athletic The Plain Ham Ground 1,000 Mangotsfield United Cossham Street 2,500 Melksham Town Oakfield Stadium 2,500 Moneyfields Moneyfields Sports Ground 2,000 Paulton Rovers Athletic Field 2,500 Slimbridge Thornhill Park 1,500 Street The Tannery 1,000 Thatcham Town Waterside Park 1,500 Winchester City The City Ground 4,500 Yate Town Lodge Road 2,000
Step 4 play-off winners rating ClubLeagueQualificationBromsgrove SportingSouthern Football League Division One Central2.2964 Promoted to Step 3HorshamIsthmian League South East Division2.0635CheshuntIsthmian League South Central Division236RadcliffeNorthern Premier League Division One West1.9739Yate TownSouthern Football League Division One South1.9723Heybridge SwiftsIsthmian League North Division1.9519 Retained at Step 4Brighouse TownNorthern Premier League Division One East1.8731
League Cup
The 2018–19 Southern League Cup was the 81st edition of the Southern League Cup, the cup competition of the Southern Football League.
Calendar Round Dates Matches Clubs Preliminary round 3 September to 18 September 20 84 → 64 First round 2 October to 11 December 32 64 → 32 Second round 5 November to 22 January 16 32 → 16 Third round 4 December to 5 February 8 16 → 8 Quarterfinals 8 January to 2 April 4 8 → 4 Semifinals 9 April 2 4 → 2 Final 16 April 1 2 → 1
Preliminary round
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)1Coleshill Town (1C)1–1Sutton Coldfield Town (1C)97Coleshill Town advance 3–1 on penalties2Alvechurch (PC)1–0Bromsgrove Sporting (1C)3613Fleet Town (1S)1–3Farnborough (PS)1434Kings Langley (PS)0–1Welwyn Garden City (1C)825Leiston (PC)1–0Cambridge City (1C)1226Mangotsfield United (1S)1–2Larkhall Athletic (1S)737North Leigh (1C)1–5Banbury United (PC)1058Redditch United (PC)4–3Rushall Olympic (PC)1019St Neots Town (PC)2–2Bedford Town (1C)175St Neots Town advance 4–1 on penalties10Tamworth (PC)6–0Coalville Town (PC)33211Taunton Town (PS)2–5Street (1S)264
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)12Walton Casuals (PS)2–1Beaconsfield Town (PS)9813Winchester City (1S)1–1Gosport Borough (PS)106Gosport Borough advance 4–2 on penalties14Yaxley (1C)2–2St Ives Town (PC)57Yaxley advance 2–0 on penalties15Hitchin Town (PC)2–2Harrow Borough (PS)119Hitchin Town advance 4–2 on penalties16Chesham United (PS)5–3Dunstable Town (1C)7417Didcot Town (1C)5–3Thame United (1C)6718Corby Town (1C) 2–3Peterborough Sports (1C)20319Kempston Rovers (1C)3–1AFC Dunstable (1C)5720Swindon Supermarine (PS)4–1Yate Town (1S)137
First round
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)21AFC Totton (1S)3–1Moneyfields (1S)12722Aylesbury (1C)0–3Berkhamsted (1C)6023Aylesbury United (1C)3–1Chesham United (PS)13224Banbury United (PC)2–3Kettering Town (PC)18525Bedworth United (PC)0–0Barwell (PC)83Barwell advance 6–5 on penalties26Bristol Manor Farm (1S)2–4Cinderford Town (1S)10127Didcot Town (1C)1–0Kidlington (1C)7728Dorchester Town (PS)1–1Poole Town (PS)227Poole Town advance 4–2 on penalties29Frome Town (PS)0–2Paulton Rovers (1S)10730Gosport Borough (PS)3–4Blackfield & Langley (1S)8931Kempston Rovers (1C)2–2AFC Rushden & Diamonds (PC)123Kempston Rovers advance 3–1 on penalties32King's Lynn Town (PC)4–1Peterborough Sports (1C)16033Leiston (PC)1–1Needham Market (PC)108Leiston advance 4–2 on penalties34Lowestoft Town (PC)3–1St Neots Town (PC)5835Royston Town (PC)4–3Hitchin Town (PC)9636Swindon Supermarine (PS)1–3Cirencester Town (1S)102
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)37Tamworth (PC)1–1Coleshill Town (1C)280Coleshill Town advance 6–5 on penalties38Tiverton Town (PS)2–1Barnstaple Town (1S)10839Walton Casuals (PS)6–0Staines Town (PS)10840Welwyn Garden City (1C)2–1Barton Rovers (1C)5141Wimborne Town (PS)2–0Weymouth (PS)20842Yaxley (1C)0–9Biggleswade Town (PC)6543Evesham United (1S)2–3Stourbridge (PC)9644Highworth Town (1S)0–0Salisbury (PS)136Salisbury advance 5–4 on penalties45Larkhall Athletic (1S)0–2Melksham Town (1S)8546Redditch United (PC)2–1Halesowen Town (PC)13547Slimbridge (1S)5–1Merthyr Town (PS)7248Alvechurch (PC)2–4Stratford Town (PC)10849Metropolitan Police (PS)1–0Hendon (PS)5950Street (1S)1–2Bideford (1S)9851Thatcham Town (1S)0–0Hartley Wintney (PS)138Hartley Wintney advance 9–8 on penalties52Basingstoke Town (PS)W.O.Farnborough (PS)
Second round
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)53Coleshill Town (1C)0–0Barwell (PC)69Barwell advance 4–3 on penalties54Stourbridge (PC)2–3Cinderford Town (1S)19755Berkhamsted (1C)2–0Aylesbury United (1C)10156Blackfield & Langley (1S)4–0AFC Totton (1S)11857Didcot Town (1C)3–0Cirencester Town (1S)8558Kettering Town (PC)5–1King's Lynn Town (PC)15859Leiston (PC)0–1Lowestoft Town (PC)17360Melksham Town (1S)0–4Slimbridge (1S)125
TieHome team (tier)ScoreAway team (tier)61Salisbury (PS)2–0Paulton Rovers (1S)30062Stratford Town (PC)2–1Redditch United (PC)16363Tiverton Town (PS)2–5Bideford (1S)10264Metropolitan Police (PS)1–5Hartley Wintney (PS)4765Welwyn Garden City (1C)8–0Kempston Rovers (1C)6566Wimborne Town (PS)3–0Poole Town (PS)22167Basingstoke Town (PS)2–1Walton Casuals (PS)14168Royston Town (PC)4–1Biggleswade Town (PC)110
Third round