2000–01 Southern Football League
# 2000–01 Southern Football League

The 2000–01 Southern Football League season was the 98th in the history of the league, an English football competition.

Margate won the Premier Division and earned promotion to the Football Conference. Clevedon Town, Dorchester Town, Fisher Athletic and Halesowen Town were relegated from the Premier Division, whilst Chelmsford City, Tiverton Town, Newport (Isle of Wight) and Hinckley United were promoted from the Eastern and Western Divisions, the former two as champions. Bromsgrove Rovers and Paget Rangers were relegated to the eighth level, whilst Baldock Town and Witney Town of the Eastern Division folded at the end of the season.

## Premier Division

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

* Two clubs promoted from the Eastern Division:
   * Fisher Athletic
   * Folkestone Invicta
* Two clubs promoted from the Western Division:
   * Moor Green
   * Stafford Rangers
* Plus:
   * Welling United, relegated from the Football Conference

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Margate | 42 | 28 | 7 | 7 | 75 | 27 | +48 | 91 | Promoted to the Football Conference |
| 2 | Burton Albion | 42 | 25 | 13 | 4 | 76 | 36 | +40 | 88 | Transferred to the Northern Premier League Premier Division |
| 3 | King's Lynn | 42 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 67 | 58 | +9 | 65 | |
| 4 | Welling United | 42 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 59 | 55 | +4 | 64 | |
| 5 | Weymouth | 42 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 69 | 51 | +18 | 63 | |
| 6 | Havant & Waterlooville | 42 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 66 | 54 | +12 | 63 | |
| 7 | Stafford Rangers | 42 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 70 | 59 | +11 | 63 | |
| 8 | Worcester City | 42 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 52 | 53 | −1 | 62 | |
| 9 | Moor Green | 42 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 50 | 53 | −3 | 62 | |
| 10 | Newport County | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 70 | 61 | +9 | 61 | |
| 11 | Crawley Town | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 61 | 54 | +7 | 61 | |
| 12 | Tamworth | 42 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 58 | 55 | +3 | 59 | |
| 13 | Salisbury City | 42 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 64 | 69 | −5 | 59 | |
| 14 | Ilkeston Town | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 51 | 61 | −10 | 59 | |
| 15 | Bath City | 42 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 67 | 68 | −1 | 55 | |
| 16 | Cambridge City | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 56 | 59 | −3 | 50 | |
| 17 | Folkestone Invicta | 42 | 14 | 6 | 22 | 49 | 74 | −25 | 48 | |
| 18 | Merthyr Tydfil | 42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 49 | 62 | −13 | 46 | |
| 19 | Clevedon Town | 42 | 11 | 7 | 24 | 61 | 74 | −13 | 40 | Relegated to the Western Division |
| 20 | Fisher Athletic | 42 | 12 | 6 | 24 | 51 | 85 | −34 | 39 | Relegated to the Eastern Division |
| 21 | Dorchester Town | 42 | 10 | 8 | 24 | 40 | 71 | −31 | 38 | Relegated to the Eastern Division |
| 22 | Halesowen Town | 42 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 47 | 69 | −22 | 37 | Relegated to the Western Division |

* ↑ Bath City were deducted three points.
* ↑ Fisher Athletic were deducted three points.

## Eastern Division

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

* Two clubs relegated from the Premier Division:
   * Grantham Town
   * Rothwell Town
* Plus:
   * Banbury United, promoted from the Hellenic League
   * Histon, promoted from the Eastern Counties League
   * Langney Sports, promoted from the Sussex County League

At the end of the season Langney Sports changed name to Eastbourne Borough.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Newport (Isle of Wight) | 42 | 28 | 10 | 4 | 91 | 30 | +61 | 94 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Chelmsford City | 42 | 27 | 9 | 6 | 102 | 45 | +57 | 90 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 3 | Grantham Town | 42 | 25 | 11 | 6 | 100 | 47 | +53 | 86 | |
| 4 | Histon | 42 | 23 | 11 | 8 | 84 | 53 | +31 | 80 | |
| 5 | Baldock Town | 42 | 23 | 10 | 9 | 81 | 44 | +37 | 79 | Club folded |
| 6 | Hastings Town | 42 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 72 | 50 | +22 | 76 | |
| 7 | Stamford | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 69 | 59 | +10 | 71 | |
| 8 | Tonbridge Angels | 42 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 79 | 58 | +21 | 65 | |
| 9 | Langney Sports | 42 | 19 | 8 | 15 | 75 | 55 | +20 | 65 | |
| 10 | Rothwell Town | 42 | 20 | 5 | 17 | 86 | 74 | +12 | 62 | |
| 11 | Corby Town | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 64 | 92 | −28 | 52 | |
| 12 | Ashford Town (Kent) | 42 | 15 | 4 | 23 | 53 | 83 | −30 | 49 | |
| 13 | Banbury United | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 57 | 54 | +3 | 47 | |
| 14 | Witney Town | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 55 | 71 | −16 | 47 | Club folded |
| 15 | Bashley | 42 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 57 | 71 | −14 | 44 | |
| 16 | Dartford | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 49 | 67 | −18 | 44 | |
| 17 | Burnham | 42 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 39 | 65 | −26 | 43 | |
| 18 | Wisbech Town | 42 | 10 | 9 | 23 | 45 | 89 | −44 | 39 | |
| 19 | St. Leonards | 42 | 9 | 10 | 23 | 55 | 87 | −32 | 37 | |
| 20 | Erith & Belvedere | 42 | 10 | 7 | 25 | 49 | 92 | −43 | 37 | |
| 21 | Sittingbourne | 42 | 8 | 9 | 25 | 41 | 79 | −38 | 33 | |
| 22 | Spalding United | 42 | 7 | 12 | 23 | 35 | 73 | −38 | 33 | |

* ↑ Rothwell Town were deducted three points.
* ↑ Burnham were deducted one point.

## Western Division

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

* Two clubs relegated from the Premier Division:
   * Atherstone United
   * Gloucester City
* Plus:
   * Mangotsfield United, promoted from the Western Football League
   * Rugby United, transferred from the Eastern Division

At the end of the season Blakenall merged with Bloxwich Town of the Midland Alliance to form Bloxwich United.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Hinckley United | 42 | 30 | 8 | 4 | 102 | 38 | +64 | 98 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Tiverton Town | 42 | 28 | 7 | 7 | 97 | 36 | +61 | 91 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 3 | Bilston Town | 42 | 27 | 9 | 6 | 88 | 48 | +40 | 90 | |
| 4 | Evesham United | 42 | 27 | 5 | 10 | 86 | 46 | +40 | 86 | |
| 5 | Mangotsfield United | 42 | 25 | 9 | 8 | 91 | 45 | +46 | 84 | |
| 6 | Solihull Borough | 42 | 22 | 12 | 8 | 73 | 43 | +30 | 78 | |
| 7 | Redditch United | 42 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 76 | 69 | +7 | 64 | |
| 8 | Weston-super-Mare | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 68 | 58 | +10 | 61 | |
| 9 | Atherstone United | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 64 | 58 | +6 | 59 | |
| 10 | Rocester | 42 | 18 | 5 | 19 | 57 | 77 | −20 | 59 | |
| 11 | Cirencester Town | 42 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 65 | 74 | −9 | 57 | |
| 12 | Rugby United | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 51 | 68 | −17 | 49 | Transferred to the Eastern Division |
| 13 | Gloucester City | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 76 | 84 | −8 | 47 | |
| 14 | Blakenall | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 54 | 64 | −10 | 46 | Merged with Bloxwich Town to form Bloxwich United |
| 15 | Shepshed Dynamo | 42 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 54 | 73 | −19 | 45 | |
| 16 | Bedworth United | 42 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 38 | 60 | −22 | 45 | |
| 17 | Racing Club Warwick | 42 | 13 | 6 | 23 | 46 | 77 | −31 | 45 | |
| 18 | Gresley Rovers | 42 | 11 | 8 | 23 | 46 | 65 | −19 | 41 | |
| 19 | Cinderford Town | 42 | 11 | 8 | 23 | 56 | 84 | −28 | 41 | |
| 20 | Sutton Coldfield Town | 42 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 45 | 66 | −21 | 35 | |
| 21 | Paget Rangers | 42 | 9 | 4 | 29 | 38 | 93 | −55 | 31 | Relegated to the Midland Alliance |
| 22 | Bromsgrove Rovers | 42 | 7 | 9 | 26 | 47 | 92 | −45 | 30 | Relegated to the Midland Alliance |

* ↑ Blakenall were deducted three points.
