SOUTHERN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Professional football (and professional sport in general) developed more slowly in Southern England than in Northern England. Professionalism was sanctioned by the The Football Association as early as 1885, but when The Football League was founded in 1888 it was based entirely in the North and Midlands with the establishment of County Football Association's in the South being firmly opposed to professionalism.
Woolwich Arsenal were the first club in London to turn professional in 1891 and were one of the prime motivators behind an attempt to set up a Southern League to mirror the existing Northern and Midlands based Football League. However, this venture failed in the face of opposition from the London Football Association and Woolwich Arsenal instead joined the Football League as its only representative south of Birmingham in 1893.
A competition for both professional and amateur Southern clubs was founded in 1894 under the initiative of Millwall Athletic (now simply Millwall). Initially only one division was envisaged, but such was the enthusiasm, that eventually two divisions were formed.
The Southern League soon became the dominant competition outside The Football League in Southern and Central England. In 1907, it accepted Bradford Park Avenue, a northern club, as a member, reflecting its senior position at the time. Of all the original founder members, six – Gillingham (as New Brompton were renamed), Luton Town, Millwall, Reading, Southampton and Swindon Town – are now Football League clubs.
Whilst still a Southern League club, Tottenham Hotspur became the first and so far only team to win the FA Cup after the establishment of the Football League in 1888-89 as a non-League club. This happened in 1901, although Southampton reached the final in 1900 and 1902 showing the strength of the Southern League.
In 1920, virtually the entire top division of the Southern League was absorbed by the Football League to become that league's new Third Division.
Table listing every winner of the Southern League since its inception in 1894-95 to 2008-09
Table listing Southern League Championships won by clubs from 1894-95 to 2008-09
A year later the Third Division was expanded and regionalised. The Third Division clubs from the previous season became the Third Division South, with the addition of the Third Division North.
For the next six decades, the Football League and Southern League would exchange a limited number of clubs as a result of the older league's re-election process. From 1920 onward, the Southern League's status as a semi-professional league was firmly established.
The Southern League ceased to be a feeder to the Football League in 1979-80 when the Alliance Premier League was formed.
Stats of the respective League positions season by season for every club in the two divisions
of the Southern League from 1894-95 to 1919-20
Stats of the respective League positions season by season for every club in the various divisions
of the Southern League from 1920-21 to 1938-39
Stats of the League positions by season for every club in the Southern League from 1945-46 to 1978-79
Non-League Football Stats 1894 to 2009
Football Stats of League positions by season for every
club in the Conference from 1979-80 to 2008-09
Table listing every winner of the Conference since its inception in 1979-80 to 2008-09 together
with the current League table.
FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
The Football Conference was formed in 1979 from leading teams in the Northern Premier League and Southern League and was originally known as the Alliance Premier League.
Since 1987 the team who has won the Conference has usually been automatically promoted to the fourth flight of the Football League.
Football Stats Northern Premier League Championships won by clubs from 1968-69 to 2008-09
Stats of every winner of the NPL since its inception in 1968-69 to 2008-09
NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE
The Northern Premier League (NPL) was founded in 1968 as the northern equivalent of the Southern League.
Over the next two decades the NPL become the pre-eminent regional competition in Northern England.
In 1979, upon the creation of the Alliance Premier League, the NPL became a feeder league and fell down one level in the English football league system.
Football Stats of the League positions by season for every club in the NPL from 1968-69 to 2008-09
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