Conference South

Conference South
Countries  England
 Wales
Founded 2004
Number of teams 22
Levels on pyramid 6
Promotion to Conference National
Relegation to Isthmian League Premier Division
Southern League Premier Division
Domestic cup(s) FA Cup
FA Trophy
Conference League Cup
Current champions Braintree Town
(2010–11)
Website Conference
2011–12 Football Conference

Conference South (as of 2011 billed as Blue Square Bet South for sponsorship reasons) is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference North it is at the second level of the National League System, and at the sixth tier overall of the English football league system.

The Conference South was introduced in 2004 as part of a major restructuring of English non-League football. The champions are automatically promoted to Conference National. A second promotion place goes to the winners of play-offs involving the teams finishing in second to fifth place. The three bottom clubs are relegated to Step 3 leagues.

In an agreement with Setanta Sports, some Conference South matches were to be broadcast live on the Setanta channels. Setanta also re-instated the Conference League Cup, under the name of the Setanta Shield. On June 23, 2009, Setanta entered administration; this will likely terminate the agreement. Conference South teams were expected to receive a minimum of £15,000 per year under the agreement and this is expected to end.[1]

From the 2007–08 season to 2009–10 it was known as Blue Square South; it is now known as the Blue Square Bet South.

Contents

Conference South clubs, 2011–12

Club
Finishing position 2010–11
Basingstoke Town 13th
Boreham Wood 14th
Bromley 11th
Chelmsford City 4th
Dartford 10th
Dorchester Town 17th
Dover Athletic 7th
Eastbourne Borough 23rd in Conference National
Eastleigh 8th
Farnborough 2nd
Hampton & Richmond Borough 18th
Havant & Waterlooville 9th
Maidenhead United 19th
Salisbury City 3rd in Southern League Premier Division
Staines Town 15th
Sutton United 1st in Isthmian League Premier Division
Thurrock 20th (Reprieved)
Tonbridge Angels 2nd in Isthmian League Premier Division
Truro City 1st in Southern League Premier Division
Welling United 6th
Weston-super-Mare 12th
Woking 5th

Past Conference South winners

Season Winner Playoff Winner
2004–05 Grays Athletic Eastbourne Borough **
2005–06 Weymouth St Albans City
2006–07 Histon Salisbury City
2007–08 Lewes Eastbourne Borough
2008–09 AFC Wimbledon Hayes & Yeading United
2009–10 Newport County Bath City
2010–11 Braintree Town Ebbsfleet United

** Not promoted. In 2004-5 only three promotion places were available to the Conference National. The third place was decided in a Playoff at Stoke's Britannia Stadium, which Eastbourne lost 2–1 to the Conference North Playoff winners, Altrincham.

Records

Biggest home win 7 – Bognor Regis Town 8 Maidenhead United 1, 08.11.2005
Bromley 8 Thurrock 1, 26.12.2007
Weston-super-Mare 7 Bromley 0, 11.12.10
Biggest away win 7 – Dorchester Town 0 Grays Athletic 7, 23.10.2004
Highest scoring match 11 – Bognor Regis Town 6 Welling United 5, 11.09.2004
Consecutive wins 10 – Weymouth, 2005/06 & Hayes & Yeading United, 2008/09
Consecutive games unbeaten 21 – Newport County, 2009/10
Most wins in a season 32 – Newport County 2009/10
Fewest wins in a season 5 – Sutton United 2007/08
Fisher Athletic 2008/09
Weston-super-Mare & Weymouth 2009/10
Most defeats in a season 34 – Fisher Athletic 2008/09
Fewest defeats in a season 3 – Newport County 2009/10
Most draws in a season 17 – Welling United 2005/06
Lewes 2006/07
Braintree Town 2009/10
Fewest draws in a season 3 – Redbridge 2004/05
Eastleigh 2005/06
Fisher Athletic 2008/09
Most goals scored in a season 118 – Grays Athletic, 2004/05
Fewest goals scored in a season 22 – Fisher Athletic 2008/09
Most goals conceded in a season 103 – Weymouth 2009/10
Fewest goals conceded in a season 26 – Newport County, 2009/10
Most clean sheets in a season 23 – Newport County 2009/10
Most points in a season 103 – Newport County 2009/10
Most individual goals in a season 34 – Adam Birchall, Dover Athletic, 2010/11
Most individual goals in a game 6 – Mitchell Bryant, Weymouth 0 Basingstoke Town 6, 13.02.2010
Highest attendance 5,022 – Weymouth vs. St Albans City, 17.04.2006
Highest average attendance 3,219 – AFC Wimbledon, 2008/09

See also

References

  1. ^ Setanta blow for Town., Blackpool Gazette, June 25, 2009

External links