The Southampton Football League is a long-running Saturday grassroots football league based in the port city Southampton and surrounding area of Hampshire on the south coast of England.
In existence since 1908, it is affiliated to the Hampshire Football Association with over 60 teams taking part across six divisions - the highest of which feeder to the Hampshire Premier League.
History
The Southampton Football Association was founded in 1908 at a meeting attended by 40 people, including William Pickford. At this meeting, the league and cup competitions were established in the Senior and Junior format, and they remain in place today.Association Football in Hampshire until 1914 by Norman Gannaway
Since its founding, the League has grown in popularity with a vast number of works teams (mostly from the city docks), college old boys sides and village clubsThe Official History of Braishfield Football Club 1907-2024 by Lee Whitelock taking part. While some of these persist in the present, others disappeared in earlier stages of the League's history.Bitterne Football - A glimpse at the past by Ken PriorAwbridge FC - A History of a Village Football Club, by John Moody
Subject to ground requirements, champions of the top-flight have always been eligible to apply for promotion to the Hampshire League. Many clubs known well today began in the Southampton League, most notably Eastleigh,https://eastleighfc.com/club/history/ AFC Totton,https://www.afctotton.com/club-info/club-history Sholing,https://sholingfc.co.uk/club/history/ and AFC Stoneham,https://www.afcstoneham.co.uk/club-timeline whilst the alumni list also includes nine other clubs who are now members of the Wessex League.https://www.wessexleague.co.uk/premier-division A number of professional players also participated in the competition, either at a young age or later in their careers.Saints - A Complete Record of Southampton Football Club 1885-1987 by Gary Chalk & Duncan Holley
In 1963, the Premier Division was formed as an effort to raise standards and bridge the gap with the county league.Hampshire Football Association Centenary History 1887-1987 by Norman Gannaway During the 1960s and 1970s, the Southampton League reached its peak in popularity with a constitution that regularly consisted of over 160 teams, evenly spread across three Senior and up to ten Junior Divisions.A Century of Southampton Local Soccer 1908-2008 by John Moody
Member clubs have also performed well in external competitions, with a number of sides winning the Hampshire FA Intermediate and Junior Cups (now known as the Trophy and Vase).Hampshire Football Association Handbook 2025/26 It is a similar story with the Southampton FA, although not since 1986 has a side won the prestigious Senior Cup.Southampton Senior Cup – The Finals 1909-2022 by Gary Day
Since 1993, the League has been run independently from the Southampton Football Association, and in 1999 it became one of the first in the country to introduce a Veterans section.Southampton Divisional Football Association Handbook 2025/26 The new millennium saw the introduction of domestic league cup competitions for each level.
With the expansion of leagues higher up the pyramid and the general decline in the grassroots game, the Southampton League has since been reduced in size.https://fchd.info/lghist/soton.htm Nevertheless, in an attempt to maintain numbers, the League has expanded its boundary to accommodate clubs in the areas where leagues have been terminated.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2025/11/29/grass-roots-sports-clubs-are-dying-out/
Though Bush Hill holds the record for winning the Premier Division title five consecutive seasons from 2009 to 2013,https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/football/nonleague/11175275.sixth-title-running-for-bush-hill/ it is their arch-rivals Nursling (formerly known as Nutfield United) who hold the record for the most overall titles, having won it on six occasions.
Since 2024, the Senior section now only consists of the Premier Division. Clubs who finish in the top two are eligible to apply to join the Hampshire Premier League. Depending on playing strength and facilities, players here can either go directly into the Senior Division (Step 7/Level 11 on the national pyramid system) or sideways to Division 1.https://www.hpfl.co.uk/feeder-leagues
Member clubs 2026–27
Premier Division Braishfield Fleming Athletic Folland Sports 'A' Fordingbridge Turks Michelmersh & Timsbury Nursling & Shirley Reserves Select Generation Sherfield English Upham Waterlooville AFC
All teams are eligible to enter the Hampshire FA Trophy, Southampton FA Senior Cup and Senior League Cup.
Junior Division 1 Broughton Reserves BTC Southampton Reserves Chandlers Ford Clarendon Comrades Lyndhurst Reserves Pennington S&S AFC Stoneham Veterans Woolston Wanderers Wyvern
Junior Division 2 Alderbury Bishopstoke BTC Southampton 'A' Comrades Reserves Dynamo Dockside Fawley RBL Redlynch & Woodfalls United St Francis Sarisbury Sparks Sporting Wessex Reserves AFC Station Wickham Dynamoes
Junior Division 3 Braishfield Reserves BTC Southampton 'B' Chandlers Ford Reserves Fordingbridge Turks Reserves Redlynch & Woodfalls Utd Res St Francis Reserves Shield Sherfield English Reserves Southbrook Youth Waterside Wanderers
All teams are eligible to enter the Hampshire FA Vase, Southampton FA Junior Cup and Junior League Trophy or Vase.
Veterans 'A' Division AW Jeffreys Burridge Chandlers Ford Fleming Athletic Folland Sports Gosport Hedge End Rangers Hedge End Spartans Knighton Arms Michelmersh & Timsbury 'A' Solent Sports Merlins Solent Sports Millers Pond
Veterans 'B' Division BTC Southampton Durley Inmar Itchen Saints Michelmersh & Timsbury 'B' Redlynch & Woodfalls United Solent Sports Barbarians Solent Sports Commoners Wyvern Corinthians
All teams are eligible to enter Hampshire FA Veterans Cup, Southampton FA Veterans Cup and Veterans League Cup.
Past & Present Clubs See Southampton League Clubs.
Premier Division champions SeasonChampions1963/64Netley Central Sports Reserves1964/65Netley Central Sports Reserves1965/66Awbridge1966/67Awbridge1967/68Botley1968/69Redbridge Rovers1969/70Totton Athletic1970/71Bramtoco Sports1971/72Newlands1972/73Hedge End1973/74Southampton YMCA1974/75Testwood United1975/76Southampton YMCA1976/77Millbrook & Maybush1977/78N.D.L.B.1978/79Old Simmarians1979/80N.D.L.B.1980/81Romsey Town Reserves1981/82West End1982/83Romsey Town Reserves1983/84North Baddesley1984/85Folland Sports Reserves1985/86Bishops Waltham Town1986/87Otterbourne1987/88Nutfield United1988/89Nutfield United1989/90Old Tauntonians1990/91Hedge End1991/92Brendon1992/93Fair Oak1993/94Fair Oak1994/95Fair Oak1995/96West End1996/97Ordnance Survey1997/98Brendon1998/99BTC Southampton1999/00Brendon2000/01Brendon2001/02Brendon2002/03Nursling2003/04Sporting BTC2004/05Nursling2005/06Nursling2006/07Comrades2007/08Nursling2008/09Bush Hill2009/10Bush Hill2010/11Bush Hill2011/12Bush Hill2012/13Bush Hill2013/14Cadnam United2014/15BTC Southampton2015/16Comrades2016/17BTC Southampton2017/18Athletico Romsey2018/19Chamberlayne Athletic2019/20 - 2020/21Whiteley Wanderers2021/22Hedge End Town2022/23Bishops Waltham Dynamoes2023/24Crofton Saints2024/25AFC Shirley2025/26Lyndhurst2026/27?
Senior League Cup finals SeasonWinnerScoreRunner-upVenue2001/02Brendon2-1 Sporting BTCStoneham 2002/03Mottisfont The Romsey Advertiser, page 32. 9th May 20031-1 *AFC TargetStoneham2003/04Lyndhurst1-0Botley VillageStoneham 2004/05Nursling The Romsey Advertiser, page 36. 12th May 20054-2AFC BassettStoneham2005/06Bush Hill1-0Botley VillageStoneham2006/07Bush Hill4-3 ComradesStoneham2007/08Nursling -Burridge SportsStoneham2008/09Freemantle1-1 *Northend UnitedEastleigh2009/10Spartans5-2Bush HillEastleigh2010/11Netley Central Sports Reserves -Solent WTLEastleigh2011/12Lyndhurst2-1Cadnam UnitedEastleigh 2012/13Bush Hill https://www.wessexleague.co.uk/history-millbrook5-0Park SportsEastleigh2013/14Comrades4-1Cadnam UnitedEastleigh2014/15Braishfieldhttps://www.pitchero.com/clubs/braishfieldfootballclub/2-2 *BTC SouthamptonEastleigh2015/16Comrades2-1BTC SouthamptonFollands2016/17Chamberlayne Athletic4-0NurslingEastleigh2017/18Upham Reserves https://www.eastleighnews.co.uk/2018/05/upham-win-sfl-senior-cup-on-penalties/0-0 *ComradesTotton2018/19Chamberlayne Athletic1-0AlderburyTotton2019/20 - - -Abandoned2020/21 - - -Not held2021/22Hedge End Town https://hetfc.co.uk/2-0BTC SouthamptonEastleigh2022/23Hedge End Rangershttps://www.hedgeendrangers.co.uk/news/champions-2776463.html4–0BraishfieldTotton2023/24Crofton Saints3–0Braishfield https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/sport/24322627.braishfield-southampton-senior-league-cup-final/Totton2024/25AFC Shirley1–0BTC SouthamptonTotton2025/26Lyndhurst5-2 Fordingbridge TurksTotton2026/27? –? Totton * = won on penalties
Print A Century of Southampton Local Soccer 1908–2008 by John Moody Southampton Football League Handbook & Directory (produced annually)
References
External links
Current Season at Full-Time Southampton Senior Cup Senior Final Tables 2003-13 Football Club History Database Hampshire Soccer Archive Hampshire Football Association Wessex League Hampshire Premier League Alderbury FC Braishfield FC Broughton FC BTC Southampton FC Burridge AFC Chandlers Ford FC Fleming Athletic FC Folland Sports FC Fordingbridge Turks FC Hedge End Rangers FC Michelmersh & Timsbury FC Nursling & Shirley FC St Francis FC Select Generation FC AFC Stoneham Waterlooville AFC