1998–99 Southern Football League
# 1998–99 Southern Football League

The 1998–99 Southern Football League season was the 96th in the history of the league, an English football competition.

Nuneaton Borough won the Premier Division and earned promotion to the Football Conference. Hastings Town, Gresley Rovers and Bromsgrove Rovers were relegated from the Premier Division, whilst Havant & Waterlooville, Clevedon Town, Margate and Newport County were promoted from the Southern and Midland Divisions, the former two as champions. Bloxwich Town and Brackley Town were relegated to the eighth level whilst Andover resigned from the league.

At the end of the season Midland Division was renamed Western Division, and Southern Division was renamed Eastern Division.

## Premier Division

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

* Two clubs promoted from the Midland Division:
   * Grantham Town
   * Ilkeston Town
* Plus:
   * Boston United, transferred from the Northern Premier League
   * Weymouth, promoted from the Southern Division

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Nuneaton Borough | 42 | 27 | 9 | 6 | 91 | 33 | +58 | 90 | Promoted to the Football Conference |
| 2 | Boston United | 42 | 17 | 16 | 9 | 69 | 51 | +18 | 67 | |
| 3 | Ilkeston Town | 42 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 72 | 59 | +13 | 67 | |
| 4 | Bath City | 42 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 70 | 44 | +26 | 65 | |
| 5 | Hastings Town | 42 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 57 | 49 | +8 | 65 | Demoted to the Eastern Division |
| 6 | Gloucester City | 42 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 57 | 52 | +5 | 65 | |
| 7 | Worcester City | 42 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 58 | 54 | +4 | 63 | |
| 8 | Halesowen Town | 42 | 17 | 11 | 14 | 72 | 60 | +12 | 62 | |
| 9 | Tamworth | 42 | 19 | 5 | 18 | 60 | 67 | −7 | 62 | |
| 10 | King's Lynn | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 53 | 46 | +7 | 61 | |
| 11 | Crawley Town | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 57 | 58 | −1 | 61 | |
| 12 | Salisbury City | 42 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 56 | 61 | −5 | 60 | |
| 13 | Burton Albion | 42 | 17 | 7 | 18 | 58 | 52 | +6 | 58 | |
| 14 | Weymouth | 42 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 56 | 53 | +3 | 56 | |
| 15 | Merthyr Tydfil | 42 | 15 | 8 | 19 | 52 | 62 | −10 | 53 | |
| 16 | Atherstone United | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 47 | 52 | −5 | 50 | |
| 17 | Grantham Town | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 51 | 58 | −7 | 50 | |
| 18 | Dorchester Town | 42 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 49 | 63 | −14 | 48 | |
| 19 | Rothwell Town | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 47 | 67 | −20 | 48 | |
| 20 | Cambridge City | 42 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 47 | 68 | −21 | 45 | |
| 21 | Gresley Rovers | 42 | 12 | 8 | 22 | 49 | 73 | −24 | 44 | Relegated to the Western Division |
| 22 | Bromsgrove Rovers | 42 | 8 | 7 | 27 | 38 | 84 | −46 | 30 | Relegated to the Western Division |

* ↑ Bromsgrove Rovers were deducted one point.

## Midland Division

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

* Four clubs transferred from the Southern Division:
   * Cinderford Town
   * Clevedon Town
   * Newport
   * Weston-super-Mare
* Plus:
   * Bloxwich Town, promoted from the Midland Alliance
   * Stamford, promoted from the United Counties League

At the end of the season Midland Division was renamed Western Division.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Clevedon Town | 42 | 28 | 8 | 6 | 83 | 35 | +48 | 92 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Newport | 42 | 26 | 7 | 9 | 92 | 51 | +41 | 85 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 3 | Redditch United | 42 | 22 | 12 | 8 | 81 | 45 | +36 | 75 | |
| 4 | Hinckley United | 42 | 20 | 12 | 10 | 58 | 40 | +18 | 72 | |
| 5 | Stafford Rangers | 42 | 21 | 8 | 13 | 92 | 61 | +31 | 71 | |
| 6 | Bilston Town | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 79 | 69 | +10 | 71 | |
| 7 | Solihull Borough | 42 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 76 | 53 | +23 | 69 | |
| 8 | Moor Green | 42 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 70 | 61 | +9 | 67 | |
| 9 | Blakenall | 42 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 65 | 54 | +11 | 65 | |
| 10 | Shepshed Dynamo | 42 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 62 | 54 | +8 | 63 | |
| 11 | Sutton Coldfield Town | 42 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 46 | 57 | −11 | 59 | |
| 12 | Stourbridge | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 60 | 54 | +6 | 58 | |
| 13 | Evesham United | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 64 | 63 | +1 | 57 | |
| 14 | Wisbech Town | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 59 | 66 | −7 | 57 | Transferred to the Eastern Division |
| 15 | Weston-super-Mare | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 59 | 56 | +3 | 55 | |
| 16 | Bedworth United | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 63 | 52 | +11 | 54 | |
| 17 | Cinderford Town | 42 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 61 | 74 | −13 | 47 | |
| 18 | Stamford | 42 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 60 | 75 | −15 | 46 | Transferred to the Eastern Division |
| 19 | Paget Rangers | 42 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 49 | 58 | −9 | 45 | |
| 20 | VS Rugby | 42 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 53 | 74 | −21 | 45 | Transferred to the Eastern Division |
| 21 | Racing Club Warwick | 42 | 5 | 8 | 29 | 38 | 93 | −55 | 23 | |
| 22 | Bloxwich Town | 42 | 1 | 2 | 39 | 26 | 151 | −125 | 5 | Relegated to the Midland Alliance |

* ↑ Redditch United were deducted three points.

## Southern Division

The Southern Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 13 clubs from the previous season and nine new clubs, relegated from the Premier Division:

* Three clubs relegated from the Premier Division:
   * Ashford Town (Kent)
   * Sittingbourne
   * St. Leonards Stamcroft, who also changed name to St. Leonards.
* Three clubs transferred from the Midland Division:
   * Brackley Town
   * Corby Town
   * Raunds Town
* Plus:
   * Andover, promoted from the Wessex League
   * Folkestone Invicta, promoted from the Kent League
   * Havant & Waterlooville, new club formed as a merger of Havant Town and Waterlooville

At the end of the season Southern Division was renamed Eastern Division.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Havant & Waterlooville | 42 | 29 | 7 | 6 | 85 | 32 | +53 | 94 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Margate | 42 | 27 | 8 | 7 | 84 | 33 | +51 | 89 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 3 | Folkestone Invicta | 42 | 26 | 8 | 8 | 92 | 47 | +45 | 86 | |
| 4 | Newport (Isle of Wight) | 42 | 23 | 7 | 12 | 68 | 40 | +28 | 76 | |
| 5 | Chelmsford City | 42 | 20 | 12 | 10 | 91 | 51 | +40 | 72 | |
| 6 | Raunds Town | 42 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 87 | 50 | +37 | 70 | |
| 7 | Ashford Town (Kent) | 42 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 59 | 54 | +5 | 63 | |
| 8 | Baldock Town | 42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 60 | 59 | +1 | 60 | |
| 9 | Fisher Athletic | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 58 | 52 | +6 | 59 | |
| 10 | Bashley | 42 | 17 | 7 | 18 | 74 | 77 | −3 | 58 | |
| 11 | Witney Town | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 56 | 48 | +8 | 57 | |
| 12 | Cirencester Town | 42 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 61 | 66 | −5 | 56 | Transferred to the Western Division |
| 13 | Sittingbourne | 42 | 12 | 18 | 12 | 54 | 56 | −2 | 54 | |
| 14 | Dartford | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 48 | 54 | −6 | 52 | |
| 15 | Erith & Belvedere | 42 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 48 | 64 | −16 | 52 | |
| 16 | Tonbridge Angels | 42 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 48 | 59 | −11 | 51 | |
| 17 | St. Leonards | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 57 | 72 | −15 | 50 | |
| 18 | Fleet Town | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 54 | 72 | −18 | 47 | |
| 19 | Corby Town | 42 | 10 | 10 | 22 | 48 | 73 | −25 | 40 | |
| 20 | Yate Town | 42 | 10 | 7 | 25 | 37 | 79 | −42 | 37 | Transferred to the Western Division |
| 21 | Andover | 42 | 6 | 10 | 26 | 48 | 115 | −67 | 28 | Resigned to the Wessex League |
| 22 | Brackley Town | 42 | 6 | 8 | 28 | 41 | 105 | −64 | 26 | Relegated to the Hellenic League |

## Cup competition

The league's cup competition, the Dr Martens League Cup, was won by Cambridge City who beat Sutton Coldfield Town 2–1 on aggregate in the final. The first round, semi-finals and final were played over two legs with the second, third and fourth rounds going to a replay if the tie finished all square. Cambridge had beaten Dorchester Town 4–3 on aggregate to reach the final and Sutton Coldfield defeated Boston United 2–1 on aggregate to reach the final.

