2001–02 Southern Football League
# 2001–02 Southern Football League

The 2001–02 Southern Football League season was the 99th in the history of the league, an English football competition.

Kettering Town won the Premier Division and earned promotion to the Football Conference. Newport (Isle of Wight), King's Lynn, Merthyr Tydfil and Salisbury City were relegated from the Premier Division, whilst Hastings Town, Halesowen Town, Grantham Town and Chippenham Town were promoted from the Eastern and Western Divisions, the former two as champions. Wisbech Town were relegated to the eighth level and Bilston Town resigned and dropped to the ninth level, whilst Bloxwich United of the Western Division folded during the season and their record was expunged.

## Premier Division

The Premier Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 17 clubs from the previous season and six new clubs:

* Two clubs promoted from the Eastern Division:
   * Chelmsford City
   * Newport (Isle of Wight)
* Two clubs promoted from the Western Division:
   * Hinckley United
   * Tiverton Town
* Two clubs relegated from the Football Conference
   * Hednesford Town
   * Kettering Town

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Kettering Town | 42 | 27 | 6 | 9 | 80 | 41 | +39 | 87 | Promoted to the Football Conference |
| 2 | Tamworth | 42 | 24 | 13 | 5 | 81 | 41 | +40 | 85 | |
| 3 | Havant & Waterlooville | 42 | 22 | 9 | 11 | 74 | 50 | +24 | 75 | |
| 4 | Crawley Town | 42 | 22 | 9 | 11 | 67 | 47 | +20 | 75 | |
| 5 | Newport County | 42 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 61 | 48 | +13 | 66 | |
| 6 | Tiverton Town | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 70 | 63 | +7 | 61 | |
| 7 | Moor Green | 42 | 18 | 7 | 17 | 64 | 62 | +2 | 61 | |
| 8 | Worcester City | 42 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 65 | 54 | +11 | 60 | |
| 9 | Stafford Rangers | 42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 70 | 62 | +8 | 60 | |
| 10 | Ilkeston Town | 42 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 58 | 61 | −3 | 58 | |
| 11 | Weymouth | 42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 59 | 67 | −8 | 56 | |
| 12 | Hinckley United | 42 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 64 | 62 | +2 | 55 | |
| 13 | Folkestone Invicta | 42 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 51 | 61 | −10 | 54 | |
| 14 | Cambridge City | 42 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 60 | 70 | −10 | 52 | |
| 15 | Welling United | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 69 | 66 | +3 | 51 | |
| 16 | Hednesford Town | 42 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 59 | 70 | −11 | 51 | |
| 17 | Bath City | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 56 | 65 | −9 | 50 | |
| 18 | Chelmsford City | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 63 | 75 | −12 | 50 | |
| 19 | Newport (Isle of Wight) | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 38 | 61 | −23 | 48 | Relegated to the Eastern Division |
| 20 | King's Lynn | 42 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 43 | 57 | −14 | 45 | Relegated to the Eastern Division |
| 21 | Merthyr Tydfil | 42 | 12 | 8 | 22 | 53 | 71 | −18 | 44 | Relegated to the Western Division |
| 22 | Salisbury City | 42 | 6 | 8 | 28 | 36 | 87 | −51 | 26 | Relegated to the Eastern Division |

## Eastern Division

The Eastern Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 18 clubs from the previous season and four new clubs:

* Two clubs relegated from the Premier Division:
   * Dorchester Town
   * Fisher Athletic
* Plus:
   * Chatham Town, promoted from the Kent League
   * Rugby United, transferred from the Western Division

Also, Langney Sports changed name to Eastbourne Borough.

At the end of the season Hastings Town changed name to Hastings United.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Hastings Town | 42 | 29 | 8 | 5 | 85 | 38 | +47 | 95 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Grantham Town | 42 | 29 | 6 | 7 | 99 | 43 | +56 | 93 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 3 | Dorchester Town | 42 | 26 | 10 | 6 | 81 | 36 | +45 | 88 | |
| 4 | Histon | 42 | 23 | 8 | 11 | 83 | 49 | +34 | 77 | |
| 5 | Stamford | 42 | 24 | 4 | 14 | 76 | 61 | +15 | 76 | |
| 6 | Fisher Athletic | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 83 | 56 | +27 | 70 | |
| 7 | Eastbourne Borough | 42 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 63 | 46 | +17 | 69 | |
| 8 | Dartford | 42 | 18 | 5 | 19 | 62 | 66 | −4 | 59 | |
| 9 | Erith & Belvedere | 42 | 18 | 3 | 21 | 75 | 79 | −4 | 57 | |
| 10 | Bashley | 42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 71 | 63 | +8 | 56 | |
| 11 | Burnham | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 52 | 54 | −2 | 55 | |
| 12 | Rugby United | 42 | 16 | 6 | 20 | 55 | 67 | −12 | 54 | Transferred to the Western Division |
| 13 | Rothwell Town | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 45 | 66 | −21 | 50 | |
| 14 | Ashford Town (Kent) | 42 | 14 | 6 | 22 | 58 | 78 | −20 | 48 | |
| 15 | Banbury United | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 53 | 66 | −13 | 47 | |
| 16 | Chatham Town | 42 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 56 | 87 | −31 | 47 | |
| 17 | Sittingbourne | 42 | 14 | 4 | 24 | 46 | 69 | −23 | 46 | |
| 18 | Spalding United | 42 | 13 | 6 | 23 | 72 | 84 | −12 | 45 | |
| 19 | Tonbridge Angels | 42 | 13 | 6 | 23 | 65 | 80 | −15 | 45 | |
| 20 | St. Leonards | 42 | 14 | 3 | 25 | 52 | 88 | −36 | 45 | |
| 21 | Corby Town | 42 | 10 | 13 | 19 | 54 | 82 | −28 | 43 | |
| 22 | Wisbech Town | 42 | 11 | 8 | 23 | 56 | 84 | −28 | 41 | Relegated to the Eastern Counties League |

* ↑ Banbury United were deducted one point.

## Western Division

The Western Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 17 clubs from the previous season and five new clubs:

* Two clubs relegated from the Premier Division:
   * Clevedon Town
   * Halesowen Town
* Plus:
   * Chippenham Town, promoted from the Western League
   * Stourport Swifts, promoted from the Midland Alliance
   * Swindon Supermarine, promoted from the Hellenic League

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Halesowen Town | 40 | 27 | 9 | 4 | 85 | 24 | +61 | 90 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Chippenham Town | 40 | 26 | 9 | 5 | 81 | 28 | +53 | 87 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 3 | Weston-super-Mare | 40 | 22 | 10 | 8 | 70 | 38 | +32 | 76 | |
| 4 | Solihull Borough | 40 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 75 | 42 | +33 | 71 | |
| 5 | Gresley Rovers | 40 | 19 | 9 | 12 | 59 | 50 | +9 | 66 | |
| 6 | Sutton Coldfield Town | 40 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 53 | 46 | +7 | 62 | |
| 7 | Mangotsfield United | 40 | 17 | 10 | 13 | 74 | 54 | +20 | 61 | |
| 8 | Stourport Swifts | 40 | 18 | 6 | 16 | 59 | 59 | 0 | 60 | |
| 9 | Atherstone United | 40 | 16 | 8 | 16 | 61 | 59 | +2 | 56 | |
| 10 | Clevedon Town | 40 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 57 | 58 | −1 | 56 | |
| 11 | Bedworth United | 40 | 16 | 7 | 17 | 59 | 63 | −4 | 55 | |
| 12 | Evesham United | 40 | 16 | 7 | 17 | 54 | 70 | −16 | 55 | |
| 13 | Cirencester Town | 40 | 17 | 3 | 20 | 64 | 69 | −5 | 54 | |
| 14 | Gloucester City | 40 | 14 | 10 | 16 | 48 | 63 | −15 | 52 | |
| 15 | Cinderford Town | 40 | 14 | 9 | 17 | 54 | 67 | −13 | 51 | |
| 16 | Shepshed Dynamo | 40 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 64 | 84 | −20 | 40 | |
| 17 | Bilston Town | 40 | 11 | 7 | 22 | 50 | 72 | −22 | 40 | Resigned to the West Midlands (Regional) League |
| 18 | Redditch United | 40 | 11 | 6 | 23 | 47 | 77 | −30 | 39 | |
| 19 | Swindon Supermarine | 40 | 11 | 4 | 25 | 52 | 76 | −24 | 37 | |
| 20 | Racing Club Warwick | 40 | 8 | 11 | 21 | 38 | 63 | −25 | 35 | |
| 21 | Rocester | 40 | 5 | 12 | 23 | 33 | 75 | −42 | 27 | |
| 22 | Bloxwich United | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Club folded |
