The 2019–20 Western Football League season (known as the 2019–20 Toolstation Western Football League for sponsorship reasons) was the 118th in the history of the Western Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First. The season was abandoned on 26 March 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The constitution was announced on 19 May 2019.
This season, the Premier Division champions were to be promoted to Step 4. The runners-up in this division and ten other Step 5 divisions in other leagues were to be ranked according to PPG (points per game), and the top four in that ranking would also have been promoted. The remaining seven runners-up were to compete in "winner takes all" play-offs with seven clubs finishing bottom in Step 4 leagues, the winners being placed at Step 4 and the losers at Step 5 for 2020–21. Instead, alterations at Steps 4 and 5 were delayed until 2021–22.
The bottom clubs in all 14 Step 5 divisions were to be ranked according to PPG, and the 12 lowest-ranked clubs were to be relegated to Step 6.
In Division One, the top four clubs were to be promoted to Step 5, with the bottom two liable to relegation to Step 7.
League suspension and season abandonment On 13 March 2020, on advice from the Football Association, the league announced that all Western League matches would be suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, initially for a period of two weeks. On 16 March, the FA decided to postpone all matches across all FA Competitions until 3 April.
On 26 March 2020, the league season was formally abandoned, with all results being expunged, and no promotion or relegation taking place to, from, or between the two divisions. 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 consisted of 21 clubs, increased from 20 last season, after Willand Rovers were promoted to Southern League Division One South, Hengrove Athletic were relegated to the Western League First Division, and Shortwood United were relegated and transferred to Hellenic League Division One West. Four new clubs joined:
Exmouth Town, promoted from the South West Peninsula League Premier Division. Keynsham Town, champions of the First Division. Street, resigned from the Southern League Division One South. Tavistock, promoted from the South West Peninsula League Premier Division.
Initially, Chipping Sodbury Town were transferred to the Hellenic League Premier Division, but were reinstated after an appeal. The division therefore ran with 21 clubs.
League table at the time of abandonment
Stadia and locations ClubFinishing position last seasonStadiumBitton3rd Rapid Solicitors StadiumBradford Town7th Bradford on Avon Sports ClubBridgwater Town4th Fairfax ParkBridport 13th St Mary's FieldBrislington18th Brislington StadiumBuckland Athletic 9th Kingskerswell RoadCadbury Heath 14th SpringfieldChipping Sodbury Town 10th The Ridings Clevedon Town 6th The Hand StadiumCribbs 8th The LawnsExmouth Town2nd South West Peninsula League Premier Division (promotion) King George V GroundHallen 12th The Hallen CentreKeynsham Town 1st Western League Division One (promotion) Crown FieldsOdd Down 15th Lew Hill Memorial GroundPlymouth Parkway 2nd Bolitho ParkRoman Glass St George 17th Oaklands ParkShepton Mallet 11th Playing Fields (Shepton)Street8th Southern League Division One South (voluntary relegation) The Tannery GroundTavistock1st South West Peninsula League Premier Division (promotion) Langsford ParkWellington 16th The Playing Field (Wellington)Westbury United 5th Meadow Lane
First Division The First Division also remained at 20 clubs, after Keynsham Town were promoted to the Premier Division, Chard Town were demoted for failing ground grading requirements, and Chippenham Park folded. Three new clubs joined:
Almondsbury, transferred from Hellenic League Division One West. Hengrove Athletic, relegated from the Premier Division. Lebeq United, promoted from the Gloucestershire County Football League.
League table at the time of abandonment
Stadia and locations ClubFinishing position last seasonStadiumAlmondsbury6th Hellenic Football League Division One West (transferred) Almondsbury Sports & Social ClubAshton & Backwell United4th Lancer Scott StadiumBishop Sutton17th LakeviewBishops Lydeard 12th Cothelstone RoadBristol Telephones 20th BTRA Sports GroundCalne Town 8thBremhill RoadCheddar 2nd Bowdens ParkCorsham Town 3rd Southbank GroundDevizes Town 11th Nursteed Road GroundHengrove Athletic 19th Western Football League Premier Division (relegated) Paprika ParkLebeq United 1st Gloucestershire County League (promoted) Oaklands ParkLongwell Green Sports 5th Longwell Green Community CentreOldland Abbotonians 18th Aitchinson Playing FieldsPortishead Town 16th Bristol RoadRadstock Town 15th Southfields Recreation GroundSherborne Town 13th Raleigh GroveWarminster Town 6th Weymouth StreetWells City 10th Athletic Ground (Wells)Welton Rovers 9th West ClewesWincanton Town 14th Wincanton Sports Ground
Les Phillips Cup Preliminary Round ties were played from 17 September until 25 September 2019. 18 clubs from the First Division and Premier Division, entered at this stage of the competition.
Date Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) 17/09/2019 Almondsbury (10) 1–4 Exmouth Town (9) 48 17/09/2019 Brislington (9) 1–0 Bishop Sutton (10) 69 17/09/2019 Odd Down (Bath) (9) 3–0 Lebeq United (10) 45 17/09/2019 Wincanton Town (10) 0-2 Street (9) 89 18/09/2019 Cadbury Heath (9) 1–2 Tavistock (9) 48 18/09/2019 Hengrove Athletic (10) 5-1 Bristol Telephones (10) 48 18/09/2019 Oldland Abbotonians (10) 1-2 Portishead Town (10) 30 18/09/2019 Wellington (9) 0-3 Roman Glass St George (9) 65 25/09/2019 Sherborne Town (10) 2-4 Radstock Town (10) 114
First Round ties were played from 29 October until 4 November 2019. All remaining clubs from the First Division and Premier Division, entered at this stage of the competition. Date Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) 29/10/2019 Ashton & Backwell United (10) 3-3 (p) Bitton (9) 64 29/10/2019 Devizes Town (10) 0-3 Hallen (9) 50 29/10/2019 Radstock Town (10) 0-3 Street (9) 66 29/10/2019 Cribbs (9) 1-0 Welton Rovers (10) 52 30/10/2019 Clevedon Town (9) 4-2 Chipping Sodbury Town (9) 72 30/10/2019 Hengrove Athletic (10) 0-4 Shepton Mallet (9) 62 30/10/2019 Roman Glass St George (9) 2-1 Bridport (9) TBC 30/10/2019 Westbury United (9) 0-1 Longwell Green Sports (10) 44 30/10/2019 Bridgwater Town (9) 5-2 Odd Down (Bath)] (9) 72 30/10/2019 Corsham Town (10) 0-4 Wells City] (10) 41 30/10/2019 Warminster Town (10) 5-0 Portishead Town (10) 68 06/11/2019 Bishops Lydeard (10) 0-4 Keynsham Town (9)TBC 09/11/2019 Tavistock (9) 4-0 Calne Town (10) 60 19/11/2019 Brislington (9) 1-4 Bradford Town (9) 68 19/11/2019 Buckland Athletic (9) 0-2 Cheddar (10) 64 04/12/2019 Exmouth Town (9) 4-1 Plymouth Parkway (9) 147
Second Round ties were played from 26 November 2019 until 22 January 2020.
Date Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) 26/11/2019 Hallen (9) 2-1 Street (9)61 26/11/2019 Longwell Green Sports (10) 2-2 (p) Warminster Town (10)40 04/12/2019 Cheddar (10) 2-1 Cribbs (9)TBC 10/12/2019 Wells City (10) 1-3 Bridgwater Town (9)30 21/12/2019 Roman Glass St George (9) (p) 2-2 Keynsham Town (9)90 07/01/2020 Shepton Mallet (9) 1-2 Exmouth Town (9)82 22/01/2020 Tavistock (9) 3-1 Clevedon Town (9)86 22/01/2020 Bradford Town (9) 2-1 Bitton (9)101
Quarter Final ties were played from 18 February 2019. Only three of the four scheduled ties took place due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Date Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) 04/02/2020 Bridgwater Town (9) 3-1 Exmouth Town (9)85 18/02/2020 Hallen (9) (p) 1-1 Cheddar (10)55 19/02/2020 Roman Glass St George (9) 1-2 Bradford Town (9)85 N/A Tavistock (9) P-P Warminster Town (10)N/A
References League tables
External links Western League Official Site