The1980–81Southern Football League season was the 78th in the history of the league, an Englishfootball competition.
Alvechurch won the Midland Division, whilstDartford won the Southern Division. Alvechurch were declared Southern League champions after defeating Dartford 4–3 on penalties, after the two championship play-offs had finished 3–3 on aggregate (Alvechurch won 1–0 at home and Dartford won 3–2).[1] Despite Alvechurch being champions, they declined promotion to theAlliance Premier League alongside Dartford as their board thought they were not ready,[2] with third-placedTrowbridge Town going up in their place. There was no relegation for the second successive season, althoughBognor Regis Town transferred to theIsthmian League at the end of the season.
Bedford Town, who finished second to Alvechurch in the Midland Division ongoal difference, won theSouthern League Cup.
The Midland Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 21 clubs from theprevious season and one new club:
Bedford Town needed to beatEnderby Town by eight goals in their last game of the season to win the league but only won 2-0 making Alvechurch the champions.
Dave Lewis ofGloucester City was top scorer for the season with 27 goals.[2]
| Season | 1980–81 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Alvechurch |
| Promoted | Trowbridge Town |
| Matches | 462 |
| Goals | 1,318 (2.85 per match) |
1981–82 → | |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alvechurch | 42 | 26 | 9 | 7 | 76 | 40 | +36 | 61 | |
| 2 | Bedford Town | 42 | 25 | 11 | 6 | 63 | 32 | +31 | 61 | |
| 3 | Trowbridge Town | 42 | 24 | 9 | 9 | 69 | 39 | +30 | 57 | Promoted to theAlliance Premier League |
| 4 | Kidderminster Harriers | 42 | 23 | 9 | 10 | 67 | 41 | +26 | 55 | |
| 5 | Barry Town | 42 | 21 | 9 | 12 | 60 | 40 | +20 | 51 | |
| 6 | Stourbridge | 42 | 17 | 16 | 9 | 75 | 49 | +26 | 50 | |
| 7 | Enderby Town | 42 | 21 | 8 | 13 | 71 | 47 | +24 | 50 | |
| 8 | Cheltenham Town | 42 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 70 | 59 | +11 | 48 | |
| 9 | Bromsgrove Rovers | 42 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 65 | 50 | +15 | 47 | |
| 10 | Corby Town | 42 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 69 | 58 | +11 | 45 | |
| 11 | Bridgend Town | 42 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 74 | 64 | +10 | 45 | |
| 12 | Minehead | 42 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 54 | 60 | −6 | 45 | |
| 13 | Gloucester City | 42 | 19 | 6 | 17 | 82 | 72 | +10 | 44 | |
| 14 | Merthyr Tydfil | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 60 | 50 | +10 | 42 | |
| 15 | Bedworth United | 42 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 49 | 46 | +3 | 40 | |
| 16 | Banbury United | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 51 | 65 | −14 | 33 | |
| 17 | Taunton Town | 42 | 10 | 9 | 23 | 48 | 68 | −20 | 29 | |
| 18 | Cambridge City | 42 | 8 | 12 | 22 | 46 | 87 | −41 | 28 | |
| 19 | Witney Town | 42 | 9 | 9 | 24 | 44 | 65 | −21 | 27 | |
| 20 | Wellingborough Town | 42 | 10 | 7 | 25 | 43 | 91 | −48 | 27 | |
| 21 | Redditch United | 42 | 11 | 4 | 27 | 54 | 92 | −38 | 26 | |
| 22 | Milton Keynes City | 42 | 3 | 7 | 32 | 28 | 103 | −75 | 13 |
There were no new clubs in the Southern Division this season. Though, at the end of the previous seasonAddlestone was renamed Addlestone & Weybridge Town andFolkestone & Shepway was renamed Folkestone.
At the end of the seasonMargate was renamed Thanet United.
| Season | 1980–81 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Dartford |
| Promoted | Dartford |
| Matches | 552 |
| Goals | 1,520 (2.75 per match) |
1981–82 → | |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dartford | 46 | 26 | 14 | 6 | 76 | 39 | +37 | 66 | Promoted to theAlliance Premier League |
| 2 | Bognor Regis Town | 46 | 25 | 13 | 8 | 95 | 43 | +52 | 63 | Transferred to theIsthmian League Division One |
| 3 | Hastings United | 46 | 24 | 14 | 8 | 87 | 43 | +44 | 62 | |
| 4 | Gosport Borough | 46 | 24 | 12 | 10 | 84 | 52 | +32 | 60 | |
| 5 | Waterlooville | 46 | 19 | 21 | 6 | 67 | 50 | +17 | 59 | |
| 6 | Dorchester Town | 46 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 84 | 56 | +28 | 55 | |
| 7 | Dover | 46 | 22 | 10 | 14 | 70 | 50 | +20 | 54 | |
| 8 | Poole Town | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 70 | 56 | +14 | 52 | |
| 9 | Addlestone & Weybridge Town | 46 | 21 | 9 | 16 | 66 | 57 | +9 | 51 | |
| 10 | Dunstable | 46 | 19 | 13 | 14 | 73 | 68 | +5 | 51 | |
| 11 | Aylesbury United | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 66 | 60 | +6 | 50 | |
| 12 | Hounslow | 46 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 65 | 55 | +10 | 47 | |
| 13 | Hillingdon Borough | 46 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 50 | 49 | +1 | 47 | |
| 14 | Basingstoke Town | 46 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 69 | 58 | +11 | 46 | |
| 15 | Crawley Town | 46 | 18 | 4 | 24 | 64 | 78 | −14 | 40 | |
| 16 | Ashford Town (Kent) | 46 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 55 | 76 | −21 | 39 | |
| 17 | Tonbridge Angels | 46 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 44 | 68 | −24 | 39 | |
| 18 | Chelmsford City | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 54 | 78 | −24 | 38 | |
| 19 | Canterbury City | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 40 | 59 | −19 | 37 | |
| 20 | Salisbury | 46 | 14 | 8 | 24 | 57 | 76 | −19 | 36 | |
| 21 | Folkestone | 46 | 11 | 11 | 24 | 47 | 65 | −18 | 33 | |
| 22 | Margate | 46 | 11 | 7 | 28 | 65 | 117 | −52 | 29 | |
| 23 | Fareham Town | 46 | 5 | 18 | 23 | 31 | 73 | −42 | 28 | |
| 24 | Andover | 46 | 6 | 10 | 30 | 41 | 94 | −53 | 22 |