1909–10 Southern Football League

The 1909–10 season was the 16th in the history of Southern Football League. Brighton & Hove Albion won Division One for the first time, Stoke and Hastings & St Leonards finished top of the Division Two groups, though they were not promoted to Division One.[1] Stoke were the only club to apply for election to the Football League, but were unsuccessful.

Division One

Southern Football League Division One
Season1909–10
ChampionsBrighton & Hove Albion (1st title)
Promotednone
RelegatedCroydon Common
Reading
Matches played462
Goals scored1,362 (2.95 per match)

A total of 22 teams contest the division, including 21 sides from previous season and one new team.

Team promoted from 1908–09 Division Two:

  • Croydon Common

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Relegation
1 Brighton & Hove Albion 42 23 13 6 69 28 2.464 59
2 Swindon Town 42 22 10 10 92 46 2.000 54
3 Queens Park Rangers 42 19 13 10 56 47 1.191 51
4 Northampton Town 42 22 4 16 90 44 2.045 48
5 Southampton 42 16 16 10 64 55 1.164 48
6 Portsmouth 42 20 7 15 70 63 1.111 47
7 Crystal Palace 42 20 6 16 69 50 1.380 46
8 Coventry City 42 19 8 15 71 60 1.183 46
9 West Ham United 42 15 15 12 69 56 1.232 45
10 Leyton 42 16 11 15 60 46 1.304 43
11 Plymouth Argyle 42 16 11 15 61 54 1.130 43
12 New Brompton 42 19 5 18 76 74 1.027 43
13 Bristol Rovers 42 16 10 16 37 48 0.771 42
14 Brentford 42 16 9 17 50 58 0.862 41
15 Luton Town 42 15 11 16 72 92 0.783 41
16 Millwall 42 15 7 20 45 59 0.763 37
17 Norwich City 42 13 9 20 59 78 0.756 35
18 Exeter City 42 14 6 22 60 69 0.870 34
19 Watford 42 10 13 19 51 76 0.671 33
20 Southend United 42 12 9 21 51 90 0.567 33
21 Croydon Common 42 13 5 24 52 96 0.542 31 Relegated to Division Two
22 Reading 42 7 10 25 38 73 0.521 24
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used until the 1976-77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.

Division Two A

Southern Football League Division Two A
Season1909–10
ChampionsStoke
Promotednone
RelegatedBurton United (resigned)
Matches played30
Goals scored102 (3.4 per match)

All the clubs in the new Division Two A were new to the Southern League, except Salisbury City who had participated in the league since 1906.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Qualification
1 Stoke 10 10 0 0 48 9 5.333 20
2 Ton Pentre 10 4 2 4 17 21 0.810 10
3 Merthyr Town 9 4 1 4 16 21 0.762 9
4 Salisbury City 8 2 1 5 7 18 0.389 5
5 Burton United 6 2 0 4 8 21 0.381 4 Left league at end of season
6 Aberdare 7 1 0 6 6 11 0.545 2
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used until the 1976-77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.
Note: Number of goals for and/or against is inaccurate.

Division Two B

Southern Football League Division Two B
Season1909–10
ChampionsHastings & St Leonards
Promotednone
RelegatedHastings & St Leonards (resigned)
Peterborough City (resigned)
South Farnborough Athletic (resigned)
Romford (resigned)
Matches played30
Goals scored133 (4.43 per match)

A total of six teams contest the division, including 3 sides from previous season Division Two and three new teams, all of them are newly elected teams.

Newly elected teams:

  • Kettering
  • Peterborough City
  • Romford

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Qualification
1 Hastings & St Leonards 9 6 3 0 26 11 2.364 15 Left league at end of season
2 Kettering 10 6 0 4 34 19 1.789 12
3 Chesham Town 10 5 2 3 25 25 1.000 12
4 Peterborough City 10 4 2 4 16 23 0.696 10 Left league at end of season
5 South Farnborough Athletic 10 4 1 5 23 19 1.211 9
6 Romford 9 0 0 9 7 33 0.212 0
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used until the 1976-77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.
Note: Number of goals for and/or against is inaccurate.

Football League elections

Stoke were the only Southern League club to apply for election to the Football League, but received only three votes.[2]

Club League Votes
Birmingham Football League 30
Huddersfield Town Midland League 26
Grimsby Town Football League 12
Chesterfield Town Midland League 6
Stoke Southern League 3
Hartlepools United North Eastern League 2

References

  1. ^ England - Southern League Final Tables RSSSF
  2. ^ A history of admission to the Football League