1929–30 Southern Football League

The 1929–30 season was the 32nd in the history of the Southern League. The league consisted of Eastern and Western Divisions.[1] Aldershot Town won the Eastern Division and Bath City won the Western Division. Aldershot were declared Southern League champions after winning a championship play-off 4–2.[2]

Three clubs from the Southern League applied to join the Football League, with Thames Association being successful. They replaced Merthyr Town, who rejoined the Southern League the following season. In addition to Thames, a total of 12 clubs left the Southern League at the end of this season.

Eastern Division

Southern Football League Eastern Division
Season1929–30
ChampionsAldershot Town (1st title)
PromotedThames Association
RelegatedNorthampton Town II (resigned)
Southampton II (resigned)
Kettering Town (resigned)
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic II (resigned)
Brighton & Hove Albion II (resigned)
Sittingbourne (resigned)
Northfleet United (resigned)
Grays Thurrock United (resigned)
Poole (resigned)
Matches played272
Goals scored1,134 (4.17 per match)

A total of 19 teams contest the division, including 18 sides from previous season and one new team.

Newly elected team:

  • Northampton Town II - returned to the league after the resignation in 1925
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Aldershot Town 32 21 6 5 84 39 2.154 48
2 Millwall II 32 21 3 8 75 56 1.339 45
3 Thames Association 32 17 6 9 80 60 1.333 40 Elected to the Football League Third Division South
4 Peterborough & Fletton United 32 18 3 11 66 39 1.692 39
5 Northampton Town II 32 17 4 11 86 60 1.433 38 Left league at end of season
6 Southampton II 32 14 7 11 73 62 1.177 35
7 Sheppey United 32 15 5 12 76 69 1.101 35
8 Kettering Town 32 13 7 12 70 69 1.014 33 Left league at end of season
9 Dartford 32 14 5 13 57 59 0.966 33
10 Norwich City II 32 14 3 15 69 63 1.095 31
11 Guildford City 32 13 2 17 65 97 0.670 28
12 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic II 32 10 7 15 59 63 0.937 27 Left league at end of season
13 Brighton & Hove Albion II 32 12 2 18 56 79 0.709 26
14 Folkestone 32 13 0 19 56 82 0.683 26
15 Sittingbourne 32 10 5 17 55 59 0.932 25 Left league at end of season
16 Northfleet United 32 6 7 19 53 77 0.688 19
17 Grays Thurrock United 32 7 2 23 54 101 0.535 16
18 Poole 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 Resigned after 30 matches, record expunged
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.

Western Division

Southern Football League Western Division
Season1929–30
ChampionsBath City
Promotednone
RelegatedYeovil & Petters United (resigned)
Lovells Athletic (resigned)
Bristol City II (resigned)
Matches played210
Goals scored932 (4.44 per match)

A total of 15 teams contest the division, including 14 sides from previous season and one new team.

Newly elected team:

  • Llanelly - returned to the league after the resignation in 1925
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Result
1 Bath City 28 16 6 6 85 52 1.635 38
2 Bristol Rovers II 28 16 4 8 66 50 1.320 36
3 Taunton Town 28 14 7 7 50 40 1.250 35
4 Barry 28 15 3 10 65 55 1.182 33
5 Yeovil & Petters United 28 12 7 9 63 47 1.340 31 Left league at end of season
6 Plymouth Argyle II 28 14 3 11 68 52 1.308 31
7 Newport County II 28 13 4 11 68 76 0.895 30
8 Lovells Athletic 28 13 2 13 59 57 1.035 28 Left league at end of season
9 Exeter City II 28 11 6 11 49 54 0.907 28
10 Bristol City II 28 11 5 12 59 63 0.937 27 Left league at end of season
11 Swindon Town II 28 10 6 12 69 67 1.030 26
12 Torquay United II 28 10 6 12 76 77 0.987 26
13 Llanelly 28 10 4 14 55 52 1.058 24
14 Ebbw Vale 28 5 6 17 52 97 0.536 16
15 Merthyr Town II 28 5 1 22 48 93 0.516 11 Replaced by first team at end of season
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.

Football League election

Three Southern League clubs, Aldershot Town, Thames Association and Llanelly, applied to join the Football League. Thames were successful, finishing second in the ballot. Aldershot also finished above Third Division South club Merthyr Town, who replaced their reserves in the Western Division the following season.[3]

Club League Votes
Gillingham Football League 33
Thames Association Southern League 20
Aldershot Town Southern League 19
Merthyr Town Football League 14
Llanelly Southern League 4
Argonauts None 0

References

  1. ^ England – Southern League Final Tables RSSSF
  2. ^ Bath City at the Football Club History Database
  3. ^ A history of admission to the Football League