Southern Football League Premier South
The Southern Football League Premier South is a division within the Southern Football League, comprising semi-professional clubs from East Anglia, the South, and the Midlands of England.
The Premier South, together with the Premier Central, constitutes Step 3 of the National League system and the seventh tier of English football. Typically, the division includes 22 teams each season.
Information about the Southern Football League Premier South
The Southern Football League was established in 1894. This was the second attempt to create a league, as the previous version, the Southern Alliance, folded after failing to complete an entire season in 1892. The Southern Football League, however, had significantly more success than its predecessor.
The first incarnation of the league featured both professional and amateur clubs, and originally contained just 16 clubs. Due to high demand for league spots, a second division was created.
The current league structure consists of four divisions, divided into two regions: Central and South, with both areas having a Premier Division. This arrangement was established before the 2018/19 season, following various structural changes. As in the past, these leagues are supported by regional Division Ones, known as Division One Central and Division One South.
Teams in the league are typically promoted to the National League South, but they can also receive a spot in the National League North.
The club that finishes in first place wins promotion to Step 2 of the National League System (NAS), as long as it meets the requirements for the higher league.
Additionally, a second promotion opportunity is available through the play-offs, which include teams that finish in second to fifth place in the table. The winners of the play-offs are then promoted to the higher league.
At the bottom of the table, the four teams that finish from 19th place to 22nd are relegated to Step 4. Teams that are relegated from the Southern Football League Premier South primarily move down to the Southern League Division One Central, based on where they are based geographically.
Some clubs may be given a place in the Southern League Division South if there is an imbalance between the two leagues, based on their location.
Successful Clubs
| Seasons | Champions |
|---|---|
| 2018/19 | Weymouth |
| 2019/20 | Truro City* |
| 2020/21 | Poole Town* |
| 2021/22 | Taunton Town |
| 2022/23 | Weston-super-Mare |
| 2023/24 | Chesham United |
| 2024/25 | Merthyr Town |
Due to the division not being that old, there haven’t been too many teams that have enjoyed multiple titles. In fact, since the league was established for the 2018/19 season, no club has won the title twice.
Weymouth, Truro City, Poole Town, Taunton Town, Weston-super-Mare, Chesham and Merthyr Town have also finished top of the table.
However, Truro City were not officially champions in season 2019/20, despite being league leaders when the league was suspended on 26th March 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The following season saw the campaign end on 24th February 2020, once again due to the Coronavirus pandemic. At the time of termination, Poole Town were sitting top of the table.