The 2023–24 Western Football League season (known as the 2023–24 Toolstation Western Football League for sponsorship reasons) was the 122nd in the history of the Western Football League, a football competition in England. Teams are divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.
The constitution was announced on 15 May 2023. Starting this season, the Premier Division (step 5) promotes two clubs; one as champions and one via a four-team play-off. This replaced the previous inter-step play-off system. For this season only, there was only one club relegated from the Premier Division.
Premier Division The Premier Division was reduced to 18 clubs from 20 after Mousehole were promoted to the Southern League South Division; Sherborne Town were transferred to the Wessex League; Cadbury Heath took voluntary demotion to Division One, Keynsham Town were relegated to Division One, and Ashton & Backwell United and Bitton resigned from the league.
Mangotsfield United were initially transferred from the Hellenic League Premier Division, but were moved back after the resignation of Shrivenham from that league.
Four new clubs joined the division. Promoted from Division One: Nailsea & Tickenham Oldland Abbotonians Promoted from the South West Peninsula League Premier Division East: Brixham Promoted from the South West Peninsula League Premier Division West: St Blazey
League table
Promotion playoffs
Semifinals
Final
Stadia and locations
ClubLocationStadiumCapacityBarnstaple Town Barnstaple Mill Road 5,000Bridgwater United Bridgwater Fairfax Park 2,500Brixham Brixham Wall Park Road 2,000Buckland Athletic Newton Abbot Homers Heath 1,000Clevedon Town Clevedon North Somerset Community Stadium 3,900Falmouth Town Falmouth Bickland Park 3,572Helston Athletic Helston Kellaway Park 1,300Ilfracombe Town Ilfracombe Marlborough Park 2,000Millbrook Millbrook Jenkins Park 1,000Nailsea & Tickenham Nailsea Fryth Way 1,000Oldland Abbotonians Oldland Common Aitchison Playing Field 1,000Saltash United Saltash Kimberley Stadium 1,000Shepton Mallet Shepton Mallet Old Wells Road 2,500St Blazey St Blazey Blaise Park 3,500Street Street The Tannery Ground 1,000Torpoint Athletic Torpoint The Mill 1,000Wellington Wellington Wellington Playing Field 1,000Welton Rovers Midsomer Norton West Clewes Recreation Ground 2,400
First Division The First Division remained at 22 clubs after Nailsea & Tickenham and Oldland Abbotonians were promoted to the Premier Division; Bishops Lydeard were transferred to the South West Peninsula League Premier Division East, FC Bristol and Tytherington Rocks were transferred to the Hellenic League Division One, and Almondsbury were relegated.
Six new clubs joined: From the Premier Division: Bitton (resigned mid-season and applied to join Division One this season) Cadbury Heath (voluntary demotion) Keynsham Town (relegation) Relegated from the Hellenic League Premier Division: Bradford Town Promoted from the Gloucestershire County League: Cribbs Reserves Promoted from the Somerset County League: Middlezoy Rovers Reserve and development teams were not eligible for promotion to step 5, or the playoffs. Bitton were also ineligible, due to their resignation from the Premier Division last season. Wincanton Town were promoted on a PPG (points per game) basis despite losing the play-off final.
League table
Promotion playoffs
Semifinals
Final
Stadia and locations
ClubLocationStadiumCapacityAEK Boco Hanham Greenbank Recreation Ground 1,000Bishop Sutton Bishop Sutton Lakeview 1,500Bitton Bitton Bath Road Bradford Town Bradford-on-Avon Trowbridge Road 1,000Brislington Bristol Ironmould Lane 3,000Bristol Telephones Whitchurch BTRA Sports Ground 1,000Cadbury Heath Cadbury Heath Cadbury Heath Road Cheddar Cheddar Draycott Road Cribbs Reserves Henbury The Lawns 1,000Gillingham Town Gillingham Woodwater Lane 1,000Hallen Hallen Hallen Centre 2,000Hengrove Athletic Whitchurch Norton Lane 1,000Keynsham Town Keynsham AJN Stadium 3,001Longwell Green Sports Longwell Green Longwell Green Community Centre 1,000Middlezoy Rovers Westonzoyland Ethan Berry Pavilion 1,000Odd Down Bath Lew Hill Memorial Ground 1,000Portishead Town Portishead Bristol Road 1,400Radstock Town Radstock Southfields Recreation Ground 1,250Shirehampton Shirehampton Penpole Lane 1,000Warminster Town Warminster Weymouth Street 1,000Wells City Wells Athletic Ground 1,500Wincanton Town Wincanton Wincanton Sports Ground 1,000
Les Phillips Cup The 2023–24 Les Phillips Cup was the cup competition of the whole Western Football League.
Helston Athletic were defending champions, having beaten Shepton Mallet in the 2022–23 season.
First round 16 clubs participated in the first round.
Tie Score 1 Cheddar (D1) 2–4 Barnstaple Town (PD) 88 2 Clevedon Town (PD) 0–3 Bridgwater United (PD) 3 Hengrove Athletic (D1) 5–2 Bishop Sutton (D1) 4 Hallen (D1) 1–0 Welton Rovers (PD) 5 Warminster Town (D1) 2–4 Street (PD) 6 Cadbury Heath (PD) 1–2 Longwell Green Sports (D1) 7 Brislington (D1) 0–4 AEK Boco (D1) 8 Cribbs Reserves (D1) 3–0 Bristol Telephones (D1)
Second round The 8 clubs who made it through the first round were joined in the draw by 24 clubs who received a bye to the second round, making 32 clubs.
Tie Score 1 Falmouth Town (PD) 0–2 Helston Athletic (PD) 2 Millbrook (PD) 1–6 Brixham (PD) 3 Buckland Athletic (PD) 0–0 Torpoint Athletic (PD) 4 St Blazey (PD) 1–5 Saltash United (PD) 5 Wellington (PD) 2–3 Ilfracombe Town (PD) 6 Portishead Town (D1) 1–3 Bridgwater United (PD) 7 Middlezoy Rovers (D1) 1–1 Radstock Town (D1) 8 Nailsea & Tickenham (PD) 0–4 Barnstaple Town (PD) 9 Bitton (D1) 3–2 Gillingham Town (D1) 10 Wincanton Town (D1) 6–0 Hallen (D1) 11 Hengrove Athletic (D1) 1–2 Shepton Mallet (PD) 12 Wells City (D1) 1–1 Street (PD) 13 Odd Down (D1) 3–1 Longwell Green Sports (D1) 14 Bradford Town (D1) 2–0 Oldland Abbotonians (PD) 15 Cribbs Reserves (D1) 0–0 AEK Boco (D1) 16 Keynsham Town (D1) 4–9 Shirehampton (D1)
Third round
Tie Score 1 Brixham (PD) 1–1 Buckland Athletic (PD) 2 Saltash United (PD) 1–2 Helston Athletic (PD) 3 Bridgwater United (PD) 1–1 Ilfracombe Town (PD) 4 Middlezoy Rovers (D1) 2–2 Barnstaple Town (PD) 5 Wincanton Town (D1) 0–6 Shepton Mallet (PD) 6 Bitton (D1) 0–2 Wells City (D1) 7 Cribbs Reserves (D1) 4–4 Odd Down (D1) 8 Bradford Town (D1) 1–4 Shirehampton (D1)
Quarter-finals
Tie Score 1 Helston Athletic (PD) 3–2 Buckland Athletic (PD) 2 Bridgwater United (PD) 1–4 Barnstaple Town (PD) 3 Shepton Mallet (PD) 2–0 Wells City (D1) 4 Cribbs Reserves (D1) 3–4 Shirehampton (D1) 57
Semi-finals
Tie Score 1 Barnstaple Town (PD) 3–2 Helston Athletic (PD) 2 Shepton Mallet (PD) 6–1 Shirehampton (D1)
Final
References League tables
External links Western League Official Site