2022–23 Western Football League
# 2022–23 Western Football League

The 2022–23 Western Football League season (known as the 2022–23 Toolstation Western Football League for sponsorship reasons) was the 121st in the history of the Western Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.

The constitution was announced on 12 May 2022.

With a view to a merger between the Western League and the South West Peninsula League in 2023–24, four clubs were to be automatically promoted from Division One to Step 5, depending on ground grading. The fifth-placed club may also have been promoted, on a PPG (points per game) basis. However, the FA scrapped the merger in February 2023 after a breakdown in negotiations, and promotion was reverted to two clubs, one via a play-off.

## Premier Division

The Premier Division was increased to 20 clubs from 19 after Exmouth Town and Tavistock were promoted to the Southern League South Division, and Bridport were relegated to the South West Peninsula League Premier Division East. Brislington requested demotion to Division One, which the league accepted.

Five new clubs joined the division.

* Promoted from Division One:
   * Sherborne Town
   * Welton Rovers
* Promoted from the South West Peninsula League Premier Division East:
   * Torpoint Athletic
* Promoted from the South West Peninsula League Premier Division West:
   * Falmouth Town
* Relegated from the Southern League Division One South:
   * Barnstaple Town

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Mousehole (C, P) | 36 | 26 | 8 | 2 | 93 | 32 | +61 | 86 | Promoted to the Southern League |
| 2 | Saltash United | 36 | 26 | 6 | 4 | 98 | 39 | +59 | 84 | Qualification for an inter-step play-off |
| 3 | Barnstaple Town | 36 | 24 | 3 | 9 | 77 | 49 | +28 | 75 | |
| 4 | Bridgwater United | 36 | 20 | 9 | 7 | 84 | 41 | +43 | 69 | |
| 5 | Buckland Athletic | 36 | 22 | 2 | 12 | 69 | 48 | +21 | 68 | |
| 6 | Helston Athletic | 36 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 60 | 38 | +22 | 66 | |
| 7 | Falmouth Town | 36 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 62 | 48 | +14 | 56 | |
| 8 | Shepton Mallet | 36 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 58 | 45 | +13 | 55 | |
| 9 | Street | 36 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 49 | 63 | −14 | 49 | |
| 10 | Ashton & Backwell United | 36 | 14 | 6 | 16 | 60 | 52 | +8 | 48 | Resigned at the end of the season |
| 11 | Clevedon Town | 36 | 13 | 7 | 16 | 60 | 69 | −9 | 46 | |
| 12 | Torpoint Athletic | 36 | 12 | 9 | 15 | 68 | 75 | −7 | 45 | |
| 13 | Millbrook | 36 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 45 | 59 | −14 | 40 | |
| 14 | Welton Rovers | 36 | 10 | 6 | 20 | 47 | 83 | −36 | 36 | |
| 15 | Wellington | 36 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 51 | 72 | −21 | 35 | |
| 16 | Ilfracombe Town | 36 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 47 | 65 | −18 | 32 | |
| 17 | Sherborne Town | 36 | 8 | 7 | 21 | 41 | 64 | −23 | 31 | |
| 18 | Cadbury Heath | 36 | 4 | 6 | 26 | 34 | 87 | −53 | 18 | Voluntarily demoted to Division One |
| 19 | Keynsham Town (R) | 36 | 5 | 3 | 28 | 39 | 113 | −74 | 18 | Relegated to Division One |
| 20 | Bitton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Resigned from the league |

* ↑ Cadbury Heath requested voluntary demotion to Division One for the 2023–24 season.
* ↑ Bitton resigned from the league on 21 October 2022 and their playing record of P13 W1 D1 L11 GF10 GA37 Pts4 was expunged.

## First Division

The First Division was increased from 21 clubs to 22 after Sherborne Town and Welton Rovers were promoted to the Premier Division, and Devizes Town were relegated.

Four new clubs joined:

* Brislington, voluntarily demoted from the Premier Division
* Hallen, relegated from the Hellenic Football League Premier Division
* Nailsea & Tickenham, promoted from the Somerset County League
* Shirehampton, promoted from the Gloucestershire County Football League
* Lebeq United changed their name to FC Bristol.
* Brislington are ineligible for promotion after taking voluntary demotion from the Premier Division last season.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Brislington (C) | 42 | 36 | 2 | 4 | 130 | 35 | +95 | 110 | |
| 2 | Nailsea & Tickenham (P) | 42 | 31 | 5 | 6 | 120 | 45 | +75 | 98 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 3 | Wells City | 42 | 29 | 9 | 4 | 94 | 38 | +56 | 96 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 4 | Oldland Abbotonians (O, P) | 42 | 24 | 9 | 9 | 92 | 53 | +39 | 81 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 5 | Wincanton Town | 42 | 22 | 5 | 15 | 93 | 71 | +22 | 71 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 6 | Shirehampton | 42 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 89 | 70 | +19 | 69 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 7 | Bishop Sutton | 42 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 69 | 62 | +7 | 66 | |
| 8 | FC Bristol | 42 | 19 | 4 | 19 | 84 | 87 | −3 | 61 | Transferred to the Hellenic League |
| 9 | Hallen | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 70 | 63 | +7 | 59 | |
| 10 | Warminster Town | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 57 | 58 | −1 | 58 | |
| 11 | AEK Boco | 42 | 17 | 4 | 21 | 73 | 88 | −15 | 55 | |
| 12 | Longwell Green Sports | 42 | 16 | 5 | 21 | 78 | 96 | −18 | 53 | |
| 13 | Odd Down | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 72 | 72 | 0 | 51 | |
| 14 | Portishead Town | 42 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 55 | 70 | −15 | 52 | |
| 15 | Hengrove Athletic | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 67 | 71 | −4 | 50 | |
| 16 | Bristol Telephones | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 59 | 68 | −9 | 50 | |
| 17 | Gillingham Town | 42 | 11 | 8 | 23 | 72 | 100 | −28 | 41 | |
| 18 | Cheddar | 42 | 10 | 9 | 23 | 53 | 72 | −19 | 39 | |
| 19 | Radstock Town | 42 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 57 | 79 | −22 | 37 | |
| 20 | Tytherington Rocks | 42 | 9 | 9 | 24 | 41 | 97 | −56 | 36 | Reprieved and transferred to the Hellenic League |
| 21 | Bishops Lydeard | 42 | 8 | 8 | 26 | 46 | 102 | −56 | 32 | Reprieved and transferred to the South West Peninsula League |
| 22 | Almondsbury (R) | 42 | 7 | 10 | 25 | 38 | 112 | −74 | 31 | Relegated to the Gloucestershire County League |

* ↑ Bristol Telephones had three points deducted.

### Promotion playoffs

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3 | Wells City | 0 | | | |
| 6 | Shirehampton | 3 | | | |
| 6 | Shirehampton | 3 | 4 | Oldland Abbotonians | 2 |
| | | | 6 | Shirehampton | 1 |
| 4 | Oldland Abbotonians (pens) | 2 (11) | 6 | Shirehampton | 1 |
| 5 | Wincanton Town | 2 (10) | | | |
