1995–96 Southern Football League
# 1995–96 Southern Football League

The 1995–96 Southern Football League season was the 93rd in the history of the league, an English football competition.

The Max Griggs-funded Rushden & Diamonds won the Premier Division and earned promotion to the Football Conference. Ilkeston Town, Stafford Rangers and VS Rugby were relegated to the Midland and Southern Divisions, whilst Nuneaton Borough, Sittingbourne, King's Lynn and Ashford Town (Kent) were promoted to the Premier Division, the former two as champions.

In the Midland Division, the bottom two clubs, Bury Town and Bridgnorth Town, were relegated to level eight leagues. Poole Town, who finished bottom of the Southern Division with just one point (from a 0–0 draw with Bashley) dropped two levels into the Hampshire League.

## Premier Division

The Premier Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 16 clubs from the previous season and six new clubs:

* Two clubs promoted from the Midland Division:
   * Ilkeston Town
   * Newport
* Two clubs promoted from the Southern Division:
   * Baldock Town
   * Salisbury City
* Two clubs relegated from the Football Conference:
   * Merthyr Tydfil
   * Stafford Rangers

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Rushden & Diamonds | 42 | 29 | 7 | 6 | 99 | 41 | +58 | 94 | Promoted to the Football Conference |
| 2 | Halesowen Town | 42 | 27 | 11 | 4 | 70 | 36 | +34 | 92 | |
| 3 | Cheltenham Town | 42 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 76 | 57 | +19 | 74 | |
| 4 | Gloucester City | 42 | 21 | 8 | 13 | 65 | 47 | +18 | 71 | |
| 5 | Gresley Rovers | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 70 | 58 | +12 | 70 | |
| 6 | Worcester City | 42 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 61 | 43 | +18 | 69 | |
| 7 | Merthyr Tydfil | 42 | 19 | 6 | 17 | 67 | 59 | +8 | 63 | |
| 8 | Hastings Town | 42 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 68 | 56 | +12 | 61 | |
| 9 | Crawley Town | 42 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 57 | 56 | +1 | 58 | |
| 10 | Sudbury Town | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 69 | 71 | −2 | 55 | |
| 11 | Gravesend & Northfleet | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 60 | 62 | −2 | 55 | |
| 12 | Chelmsford City | 42 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 46 | 53 | −7 | 55 | |
| 13 | Dorchester Town | 42 | 15 | 8 | 19 | 62 | 57 | +5 | 53 | |
| 14 | Newport | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 53 | 59 | −6 | 52 | |
| 15 | Salisbury City | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 57 | 69 | −12 | 52 | |
| 16 | Burton Albion | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 55 | 56 | −1 | 51 | |
| 17 | Atherstone United | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 58 | 75 | −17 | 48 | |
| 18 | Baldock Town | 42 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 51 | 56 | −5 | 47 | |
| 19 | Cambridge City | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 56 | 68 | −12 | 46 | |
| 20 | Ilkeston Town | 42 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 53 | 87 | −34 | 43 | Relegated to the Midland Division |
| 21 | Stafford Rangers | 42 | 11 | 4 | 27 | 58 | 90 | −32 | 37 | Relegated to the Midland Division |
| 22 | VS Rugby | 42 | 5 | 10 | 27 | 37 | 92 | −55 | 25 | Relegated to the Midland Division |

## Midland Division

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

* Two clubs relegated from the Premier Division:
   * Corby Town
   * Solihull Borough
* Plus:
   * Bury Town, transferred from the Southern Division
   * Paget Rangers, promoted from the Midland Alliance

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Nuneaton Borough | 42 | 30 | 5 | 7 | 82 | 35 | +47 | 95 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 2 | King's Lynn | 42 | 27 | 5 | 10 | 85 | 43 | +42 | 84 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 3 | Bedworth United | 42 | 24 | 10 | 8 | 76 | 42 | +34 | 81 | |
| 4 | Moor Green | 42 | 22 | 8 | 12 | 81 | 47 | +34 | 74 | |
| 5 | Paget Rangers | 42 | 21 | 9 | 12 | 70 | 45 | +25 | 72 | |
| 6 | Tamworth | 42 | 22 | 3 | 17 | 97 | 64 | +33 | 69 | |
| 7 | Solihull Borough | 42 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 77 | 64 | +13 | 66 | |
| 8 | Rothwell Town | 42 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 79 | 62 | +17 | 65 | |
| 9 | Buckingham Town | 42 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 74 | 62 | +12 | 63 | Transferred to the Southern Division |
| 10 | Dudley Town | 42 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 83 | 66 | +17 | 61 | |
| 11 | Stourbridge | 42 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 60 | 63 | −3 | 59 | |
| 12 | Bilston Town | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 61 | 62 | −1 | 57 | |
| 13 | Sutton Coldfield Town | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 62 | 67 | −5 | 57 | |
| 14 | Grantham Town | 42 | 17 | 5 | 20 | 71 | 83 | −12 | 56 | |
| 15 | Redditch United | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 57 | 77 | −20 | 53 | |
| 16 | Leicester United | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 58 | 72 | −14 | 52 | |
| 17 | Hinckley Town | 42 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 62 | 83 | −21 | 49 | |
| 18 | Racing Club Warwick | 42 | 10 | 13 | 19 | 67 | 90 | −23 | 43 | |
| 19 | Evesham United | 42 | 11 | 6 | 25 | 59 | 94 | −35 | 39 | |
| 20 | Corby Town | 42 | 9 | 7 | 26 | 52 | 95 | −43 | 34 | |
| 21 | Bury Town | 42 | 8 | 8 | 26 | 57 | 95 | −38 | 32 | Relegated to the Eastern Counties League |
| 22 | Bridgnorth Town | 42 | 7 | 6 | 29 | 53 | 112 | −59 | 27 | Relegated to the Midland Alliance |

* ↑ King's Lynn were deducted two points.
* ↑ Bedworth United were deducted one point.

## Southern Division

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

* Two clubs relegated from the Premier Division:
   * Sittingbourne
   * Trowbridge Town
* Plus:
   * Cinderford Town, promoted from the Hellenic League
   * Fleet Town, promoted from the Wessex League
   * Forest Green Rovers, transferred from the Midland Division

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Sittingbourne | 42 | 28 | 4 | 10 | 102 | 44 | +58 | 88 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Ashford Town (Kent) | 42 | 25 | 9 | 8 | 75 | 44 | +31 | 84 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 3 | Waterlooville | 42 | 24 | 8 | 10 | 87 | 44 | +43 | 80 | |
| 4 | Newport (Isle of Wight) | 42 | 24 | 6 | 12 | 75 | 58 | +17 | 78 | |
| 5 | Braintree Town | 42 | 24 | 8 | 10 | 93 | 70 | +23 | 77 | Transferred to the Isthmian League Division Three |
| 6 | Weymouth | 42 | 24 | 4 | 14 | 75 | 55 | +20 | 76 | |
| 7 | Havant Town | 42 | 23 | 11 | 8 | 73 | 42 | +31 | 74 | |
| 8 | Forest Green Rovers | 42 | 22 | 8 | 12 | 85 | 55 | +30 | 74 | |
| 9 | Trowbridge Town | 42 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 86 | 51 | +35 | 62 | |
| 10 | Yate Town | 42 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 85 | 71 | +14 | 59 | |
| 11 | Margate | 42 | 18 | 5 | 19 | 68 | 62 | +6 | 59 | |
| 12 | Witney Town | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 60 | 54 | +6 | 59 | |
| 13 | Weston-super-Mare | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 78 | 68 | +10 | 57 | |
| 14 | Cinderford Town | 42 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 74 | 77 | −3 | 56 | |
| 15 | Fisher | 42 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 58 | 59 | −1 | 55 | |
| 16 | Bashley | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 63 | 61 | +2 | 53 | |
| 17 | Clevedon Town | 42 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 70 | 80 | −10 | 51 | |
| 18 | Tonbridge Angels | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 58 | 79 | −21 | 49 | |
| 19 | Fleet Town | 42 | 14 | 5 | 23 | 58 | 79 | −21 | 47 | |
| 20 | Fareham Town | 42 | 12 | 5 | 25 | 71 | 97 | −26 | 41 | |
| 21 | Erith & Belvedere | 42 | 4 | 4 | 34 | 38 | 111 | −73 | 16 | |
| 22 | Poole Town | 42 | 0 | 1 | 41 | 17 | 188 | −171 | 1 | Demoted to the Hampshire League |

* ↑ Braintree Town were deducted three points.
* ↑ Havant Town were deducted six points.
