Southern Football League Division One Central

Considered a vital component of the English Football Pyramid and sitting at Step 4, the Southern Football League Division One Central serves as a primary feeder to the Southern League Premier Division Central.

Founded in 1894, it is one of the oldest football leagues in the country and helps to provide a professional structure to clubs that have ambitions of playing higher up in the pyramid, as such, mirroring the northern section of the organisation.

Following a major restructuring of the football league pyramid in 2009, the ‘Division One Central’, in its current form was established, which replaced the Southern League Division One Midlands.

Furthermore, the Southern Football League Division One Central, operates in tandem with the Division One South and feeds into the Premier Central and Premier South divisions as a result at Step 3.

Although ‘central’ has implications of the ‘Midlands’, the league actually covers a broad area, that includes the Home Counties (Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire), in addition to parts of Greater London.

Despite the specific “Central” division being modern, the parent league counts Southampton, Crystal Palace, Millwall, Reading and Tottenham Hotspur as former members. Indeed, there are also many professional clubs that have passed through the Southern Football League Division One Central on their way to success at higher levels.

About The Southern Football League Division One Central

These include Kettering Town, Bedford Town and Peterborough Sports, while there are also recognisable former players that can be considered notable alumni of this league. Charlie Austin who began his career at Poole Town is arguably the most famous, having gone on to play in the Championship and Premier League, with QPR and Burnley being among the clubs he played for.

In addition, another former Premier League striker, Andre Gray, who had a brief stint at Watford is also a notable icon of the Southern Football League Division One Central, having turned out for Hinkley United.

There have been some significant events that have had a major effect on the league over the decades which remain talking points among many who remember. Indeed, World War I had a major effect on the league and the lives of everyone involved who was associated with it.

One such point of contention occurred in 1914/15, when, unlike many other leagues around the country, the Southern Football League attempted to carry on, drawing criticism from many who insisted that the young men should be enlisting, rather than still playing and resuming ‘every day’ life.

Following this, which was won by Watford, the league ceased operations until 1919, when the war was over, though it had a considerable effect on numbers, following the deaths of many young men in the area.

At the beginning of World War II, the league ceased operations and despite the Southern League hurriedly organising small East and West divisions to try to keep the league going, this was quickly halted.

While some games were played, the Southern League allowed a ‘guest’ system, which saw professional players who were stationed at air bases nearby being allowed to play for their ‘new local’ teams. It meant that fans were often treated to watching top-flight international stars play for their local clubs.