The 2019–20 Southern Combination Football League season was the 95th in the history of the competition, which lies at levels 9 and 10 of the English football league system.
The provisional club allocations for steps 5 and 6 were first announced by the FA on 19 May 2019.
This season was also the first season the sin bin rule applied to this level of football.
League suspension and season abandonment On 16 March 2020, both the Football Association and the Sussex County Football Association announced that all football competitions for Non-League football would be put on hold until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic. A video conference between the FA and other leagues at levels 9 and 10 was held on 24 March with a view to start proceedings whether to cancel null the league or to award promotion or relegation based on points per game.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this season's competition was formally abandoned on 26 March 2020, with all results from the season being expunged, and no promotion or relegation taking place to, from, or within the competition. On 30 March 2020, sixty-six non-league clubs sent an open letter to the Football Association requesting that they reconsider their decision.
Premier Division
The Premier Division consists of 20 clubs, the same as last season, after Arundel and Shoreham were relegated to Division One, and Chichester City were promoted to Isthmian League Division One South.
Three clubs joined the division: Alfold – promoted from Division One Steyning Town Community – promoted from Division One Horley Town – transferred from Combined Counties Football League Premier Division
Premier Division table at time of abandonment Final table standing before the league was abandoned and expunged
Results table
Top scorers Correct as of 26 March 2020 RankPlayerClubGoals1Lewis FinneyLancing322Daniel PerrySaltdean United (previously Eastbourne Town)223Ben ConnollyLancing (previously Lingfield)194Matthew DanielHorsham YMCA17Lee RobinsonNewhaven6Zac AttwoodEastbourne Town13Kerran BoylanLingfield (previously Horley Town8George CousinsAlfold (previously Broadbridge Heath)12Tony HalseyHorley Town10Alex FairLancing11
Stadia and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity FoundedAlfold Alfold Crossways Alfold Recreation Ground 1,000 1923AFC Uckfield Town Framfield The Oaks 1,000 2014Broadbridge Heath Broadbridge Heath High Wood Hill Sports Ground 1,000 1919Crawley Down Gatwick Crawley Down The Haven Centre 1,000 1993Eastbourne Town Eastbourne The Saffrons 3,000 1881Eastbourne United Eastbourne The Oval 2,000 2003East Preston Littlehampton The Lashmar 2,000 1966Hassocks Hassocks The Beacon 1,500 1902Horley Town Horley The New Defence 1,800 1896Horsham YMCA Horsham Gorings Mead 1,575 1898Lancing Lancing Culver Road 1,500 1941Langney Wanderers Eastbourne Priory Lane (groundshare with Eastbourne Borough) 4,151 2010Lingfield Lingfield The Sports Pavilion 2,000 1893Little Common Eastbourne The Oval (groundshare with Eastbourne United) 2,000 1966Loxwood Loxwood Plaistow Road 1,000 1920Newhaven Newhaven The Trafalgar Ground 3,000 1889Pagham Pagham Nyetimber Lane 1,500 1903Peacehaven & Telscombe Peacehaven The Sports Park 3,000 1923Saltdean United Brighton Hill Park 1,000 1966Steyning Town Community Steyning The Shooting Field 2,000 1892
Broadbridge Heath moved to their new ground, called High Wood Hill, after playing at Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre between 1987 and 2019.
Division One
Division One remains at 18 clubs after Alfold and Steyning Town were promoted to the Premier Division. One new club joined:
Arundel – relegated from the Premier Division Roffey – promoted from Division Two Shoreham – relegated from the Premier Division
Division One table at time of abandonment Final table standing before the league was abandoned and expunged
Results table
Top scorers Correct as of 26 March 2020 RankPlayerClubGoals1Joseph BennMile Oak282Jack ShonkBexhill United223George GaskinLittlehampton Town18Max DaviesSelseyDion JarvisLittlehampton Town6Joseph KeehanAFC Varndeanians16Matt WatermanAFC Varndeanians8Scott PackerAFC Varndeanians (previously Littlehampton Town)149Lucas PattendonLittlehampton Town1310Thomas BiggsMile Oak10
Stadia and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity FoundedAFC Varndeanians Brighton Withdean Stadium (groundshare with Brighton Electricity) 8,850 1929Arundel Arundel Mill Road 2,200 1889Bexhill United Bexhill-on-Sea The Polegrove — 2002Billingshurst Billingshurst Jubilee Fields — 1891Hailsham Town Hailsham The Beaconsfield 2,000 1885Littlehampton Town Littlehampton St Flora Sportsfield (groundshare with Littlehampton United) 4,000 1896Midhurst & Easebourne Easebourne Rotherfield — 1946Mile Oak Brighton Mile Oak Recreation Ground — 1960Oakwood Crawley Tinsley Lane — 1962Roffey Horsham Bartholomew Way — 1901Seaford Town Seaford The Crouch — 1888Selsey Selsey Bunn Leisure Stadium — 1903Shoreham Shoreham-by-Sea Middle Road 2,000 1892Sidlesham Sidlesham The Recreation Ground, Sidlesham — 1946Southwick Brighton Old Barn Way 2,000 1882Storrington Storrington The Recreation Ground, Storrington — 1883Wick Littlehampton Crabtree Park 2,000 1892Worthing United Worthing The Robert Albon Memorial Ground 1,504 1988
Division Two
Division Two remained at 15 teams and features two new clubs after Roffey were promoted to Division One: St Francis Rangers – who withdrew from Division One during the 2018–19 season, re-entered as an intermediate team. TD Shipley – promoted from the West Sussex Football League
Angmering Seniors changed their name to Angmering Village
Promotion from this division depends on ground grading as well as league position.
League table at time of abandonment Final table standing before the league was abandoned and expunged
Results table
Top scorers Correct as of 26 March 2020 RankPlayerClubGoals1Kristian HardingUpper Beeding322Tom FoxonLittlehampton United5Jonathan HendrickAngmering Village4Stuart CameronCopthorne145Liam O'HanionMontpelier Villa13Charlie Parmiter7Alex BarnesBosham11Tommy OvertonJarvis BrookJohnathon TaylorUpper Beeding10Jack JenkinsCopthorne10
Stadia and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity FoundedAngmering Village Angmering Decoy Drive — —Bosham Bosham Walton Lane — 1901Brighton Electricity Brighton Withdean Stadium (groundshare with AFC Varndeanians) 8,850 —Copthorne Copthorne King Georges Field — 2004Cowfold Cowfold Cowfold Playing Field — 1897Ferring Ferring The Glebelands — 1952Jarvis Brook Crowborough Limekiln — 1888Littlehampton United Littlehampton St Flora Sportsfield (groundshare with Littlehampton Town 4,000 1947Montpelier Villa Brighton Sussex University — 1991Rottingdean Village Brighton Rottingdean Sports Centre — —Rustington Rustington Rustington Recreation Ground — 1903St Francis Rangers Haywards Heath Colwell Ground 1000 2002TD Shipley Shipley (Dragon's Green) Dragons Green — 1994Upper Beeding Upper Beeding Memorial Playing Field — —Worthing Town Worthing Palatine Park — 1995
Peter Bentley League Challenge Cup Source 2019-20 Peter Bentley Challenge Cup
First round
Second round
Third round
Quarter-final
Semi-final
Final
Division One Challenge Cup Source SCFL Fixtures and Results
First round
Second round
Quarter-final
References
External links Southern Combination Football League