| Season | 2022–23 |
|---|---|
2023–24 → | |
The2022–23 Western Football League season (known as the2022–23 Toolstation Western Football League for sponsorship reasons) was the 121st in the history of theWestern Football League, afootball competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.
The constitution was announced on 12 May 2022.[1]
With a view to a merger between the Western League and theSouth West Peninsula League in 2023–24, four clubs were to be automatically promoted from Division One to Step 5, depending on ground grading. The fifth-placed club may also have been promoted, on a PPG (points per game) basis.[2] However, the FA scrapped the merger in February 2023 after a breakdown in negotiations, and promotion was reverted to two clubs, one via a play-off.[3]
The Premier Division was increased to 20 clubs from 19 afterExmouth Town andTavistock were promoted to the Southern League South Division, andBridport were relegated to theSouth West Peninsula League Premier Division East.Brislington requested demotion to Division One, which the league accepted.
Five new clubs joined the division.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mousehole(C, P) | 36 | 26 | 8 | 2 | 93 | 32 | +61 | 86 | Promoted to theSouthern League |
| 2 | Saltash United | 36 | 26 | 6 | 4 | 98 | 39 | +59 | 84 | Qualification for an inter-step play-off |
| 3 | Barnstaple Town | 36 | 24 | 3 | 9 | 77 | 49 | +28 | 75 | |
| 4 | Bridgwater United | 36 | 20 | 9 | 7 | 84 | 41 | +43 | 69 | |
| 5 | Buckland Athletic | 36 | 22 | 2 | 12 | 69 | 48 | +21 | 68 | |
| 6 | Helston Athletic | 36 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 60 | 38 | +22 | 66 | |
| 7 | Falmouth Town | 36 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 62 | 48 | +14 | 56 | |
| 8 | Shepton Mallet | 36 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 58 | 45 | +13 | 55 | |
| 9 | Street | 36 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 49 | 63 | −14 | 49 | |
| 10 | Ashton & Backwell United | 36 | 14 | 6 | 16 | 60 | 52 | +8 | 48 | Resigned at the end of the season |
| 11 | Clevedon Town | 36 | 13 | 7 | 16 | 60 | 69 | −9 | 46 | |
| 12 | Torpoint Athletic | 36 | 12 | 9 | 15 | 68 | 75 | −7 | 45 | |
| 13 | Millbrook | 36 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 45 | 59 | −14 | 40 | |
| 14 | Welton Rovers | 36 | 10 | 6 | 20 | 47 | 83 | −36 | 36 | |
| 15 | Wellington | 36 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 51 | 72 | −21 | 35 | |
| 16 | Ilfracombe Town | 36 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 47 | 65 | −18 | 32 | |
| 17 | Sherborne Town | 36 | 8 | 7 | 21 | 41 | 64 | −23 | 31 | Transferred to theWessex League |
| 18 | Cadbury Heath | 36 | 4 | 6 | 26 | 34 | 87 | −53 | 18 | Voluntarily demoted toDivision One[a] |
| 19 | Keynsham Town(R) | 36 | 5 | 3 | 28 | 39 | 113 | −74 | 18 | Relegated toDivision One |
| 20 | Bitton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0[b] | Resigned from the league |
| 29 April 2023 | Bristol Manor Farm | 2–0 | Saltash United | Sea Mills, Bristol |
| 15:00 | Robbins 34 Nielsen 63 | Stadium:The Creek Attendance: 379 |
| Club | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashton & Backwell United | Backwell | Backwell Recreation Ground | 1,000 |
| Barnstaple Town | Barnstaple | Mill Road | 5,000 |
| Bitton | Bitton | Bath Road | |
| Bridgwater United | Bridgwater | Fairfax Park | 2,500 |
| Buckland Athletic | Newton Abbot | Homers Heath | 1,000 |
| Cadbury Heath | Cadbury Heath | Cadbury Heath Road | |
| Clevedon Town | Clevedon | North Somerset Community Stadium | 3,900 |
| Falmouth Town | Falmouth | Bickland Park | 3,572 |
| Helston Athletic | Helston | Kellaway Park | 1,300 |
| Ilfracombe Town | Ilfracombe | Marlborough Park | 2,000 |
| Keynsham Town | Keynsham | AJN Stadium | 3,001 |
| Millbrook | Millbrook | Jenkins Park | 1,000 |
| Mousehole | Paul | Trungle Parc | 2,000 |
| Saltash United | Saltash | Kimberley Stadium | 1,000 |
| Shepton Mallet | Shepton Mallet | Old Wells Road | 2,500 |
| Sherborne Town | Sherborne | Raleigh Grove | 1,150 |
| Street | Street | The Tannery Ground | 1,000 |
| Torpoint Athletic | Torpoint | The Mill | 1,000 |
| Wellington | Wellington | Wellington Playing Field | 1,000 |
| Welton Rovers | Midsomer Norton | West Clewes Recreation Ground | 2,400 |
The First Division was increased from 21 clubs to 22 afterSherborne Town andWelton Rovers were promoted to the Premier Division, andDevizes Town were relegated.
Four new clubs joined:
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brislington(C) | 42 | 36 | 2 | 4 | 130 | 35 | +95 | 110 | |
| 2 | Nailsea & Tickenham(P) | 42 | 31 | 5 | 6 | 120 | 45 | +75 | 98 | Promoted to thePremier Division |
| 3 | Wells City | 42 | 29 | 9 | 4 | 94 | 38 | +56 | 96 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 4 | Oldland Abbotonians(O, P) | 42 | 24 | 9 | 9 | 92 | 53 | +39 | 81 | |
| 5 | Wincanton Town | 42 | 22 | 5 | 15 | 93 | 71 | +22 | 71 | |
| 6 | Shirehampton | 42 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 89 | 70 | +19 | 69 | |
| 7 | Bishop Sutton | 42 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 69 | 62 | +7 | 66 | |
| 8 | FC Bristol | 42 | 19 | 4 | 19 | 84 | 87 | −3 | 61 | Transferred to theHellenic League |
| 9 | Hallen | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 70 | 63 | +7 | 59 | |
| 10 | Warminster Town | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 57 | 58 | −1 | 58 | |
| 11 | AEK Boco | 42 | 17 | 4 | 21 | 73 | 88 | −15 | 55 | |
| 12 | Longwell Green Sports | 42 | 16 | 5 | 21 | 78 | 96 | −18 | 53 | |
| 13 | Odd Down | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 72 | 72 | 0 | 51 | |
| 14 | Portishead Town | 42 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 55 | 70 | −15 | 52 | |
| 15 | Hengrove Athletic | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 67 | 71 | −4 | 50 | |
| 16 | Bristol Telephones | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 59 | 68 | −9 | 50[a] | |
| 17 | Gillingham Town | 42 | 11 | 8 | 23 | 72 | 100 | −28 | 41 | |
| 18 | Cheddar | 42 | 10 | 9 | 23 | 53 | 72 | −19 | 39 | |
| 19 | Radstock Town | 42 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 57 | 79 | −22 | 37 | |
| 20 | Tytherington Rocks | 42 | 9 | 9 | 24 | 41 | 97 | −56 | 36 | Reprieved and transferred to theHellenic League |
| 21 | Bishops Lydeard | 42 | 8 | 8 | 26 | 46 | 102 | −56 | 32 | Reprieved and transferred to theSouth West Peninsula League |
| 22 | Almondsbury(R) | 42 | 7 | 10 | 25 | 38 | 112 | −74 | 31 | Relegated to the Gloucestershire County League |
| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 3 | Wells City | 0 | |||||||
| 6 | Shirehampton | 3 | |||||||
| 4 | Oldland Abbotonians | 2 | |||||||
| 6 | Shirehampton | 1 | |||||||
| 4 | Oldland Abbotonians (pens) | 2 (11) | |||||||
| 5 | Wincanton Town | 2 (10) | |||||||
| Club | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AEK Boco | Hanham | Greenbank Recreation Ground | 1,000 |
| Almondsbury | Almondsbury | The Field | |
| Bishop Sutton | Bishop Sutton | Lakeview | 1,500 |
| Bishops Lydeard | Bishops Lydeard | Darby Way | 1,000 |
| Brislington | Bristol | Ironmould Lane | 3,000 |
| Bristol Telephones | Whitchurch | BTRA Sports Ground | 1,000 |
| Cheddar | Cheddar | Draycott Road | |
| FC Bristol | Almondsbury | Oaklands Park | 2,000 |
| Gillingham Town | Gillingham | Woodwater Lane | 1,000 |
| Hallen | Hallen | Hallen Centre | 2,000 |
| Hengrove Athletic | Whitchurch | Norton Lane | 1,000 |
| Longwell Green Sports | Longwell Green | Longwell Green Community Centre | 1,000 |
| Nailsea & Tickenham | Nailsea | Fryth Way | 1,000 |
| Odd Down | Bath | Lew Hill Memorial Ground | 1,000 |
| Oldland Abbotonians | Oldland Common | Aitchison Playing Field | 1,000 |
| Portishead Town | Portishead | Bristol Road | 1,400 |
| Radstock Town | Radstock | Southfields Recreation Ground | 1,250 |
| Shirehampton | Shirehampton | Penpole Lane | 1,000 |
| Tytherington Rocks | Tytherington | Hardwicke Playing Field | 1,000 |
| Warminster Town | Warminster | Weymouth Street | 1,000 |
| Wells City | Wells | Athletic Ground | 1,500 |
| Wincanton Town | Wincanton | Wincanton Sports Ground | 1,000 |
