2022–23 Spartan South Midlands Football League
The 2022–23 season was the 26th in the history of the Spartan South Midlands Football League, a football competition in England. The league operates three divisions, two of which are in covered in this article, the Premier Division, at Step 5 and Division One at Step 6 of the English football league system.
The league constitution for this season was based on allocations for Steps 5 and 6 that were announced by The Football Association on 12 May 2022, and were subject to appeals.[1]
Leighton Town were champions, winning first Spartan South Midlands League title and returned to the Southern League after seven seasons in the Spartan South Midlands League. Runners-up Stotfold won inter-step play-off match and joined then achieving second straight promotion.
Premier Division[edit]
| Season | 2022–23 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Leighton Town |
| Promoted | Leighton Town Stotfold |
| Relegated | Hoddesdon Town London Colney |
| Matches played | 380 |
| Goals scored | 1,249 (3.29 per match) |
← 2021–22 2023–24 → | |
The Premier Division featured twelve clubs which competed in the division last season, along with eight new clubs.
- Transferred from the Essex Senior League:
- Transferred from the United Counties League:
- Promoted from Division One:
- Plus:
- Colney Heath, relegated from the Southern League
- St Panteleimon, transferred from the Combined Counties League
League table[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leighton Town | 38 | 29 | 4 | 5 | 97 | 31 | +66 | 91 | Promoted to the Southern League |
| 2 | Stotfold | 38 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 69 | 33 | +36 | 77 | Qualified for an inter-step play-off, then promoted to the Southern League |
| 3 | Risborough Rangers | 38 | 23 | 5 | 10 | 100 | 56 | +44 | 74 | Transferred to the Combined Counties League |
| 4 | Dunstable Town | 38 | 21 | 11 | 6 | 75 | 37 | +38 | 74 | |
| 5 | St Panteleimon | 38 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 65 | 55 | +10 | 64 | |
| 6 | Cockfosters | 38 | 17 | 13 | 8 | 74 | 47 | +27 | 64 | |
| 7 | Leverstock Green | 38 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 60 | 51 | +9 | 57 | |
| 8 | Biggleswade United | 38 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 64 | 70 | −6 | 56 | |
| 9 | Tring Athletic | 38 | 15 | 9 | 14 | 59 | 60 | −1 | 54 | |
| 10 | Potton United | 38 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 51 | 47 | +4 | 53 | |
| 11 | Harpenden Town | 38 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 56 | 59 | −3 | 53 | |
| 12 | Crawley Green | 38 | 16 | 4 | 18 | 71 | 65 | +6 | 52 | |
| 13 | Aylesbury Vale Dynamos | 38 | 15 | 4 | 19 | 67 | 75 | −8 | 49 | |
| 14 | Ardley United | 38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 70 | 69 | +1 | 48 | Transferred to the Combined Counties League |
| 15 | Shefford Town & Campton | 38 | 14 | 5 | 19 | 73 | 81 | −8 | 47 | |
| 16 | Baldock Town | 38 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 56 | 75 | −19 | 41 | |
| 17 | Arlesey Town | 38 | 8 | 9 | 21 | 39 | 66 | −27 | 33 | |
| 18 | Colney Heath | 38 | 8 | 6 | 24 | 34 | 76 | −42 | 30 | |
| 19 | Hoddesdon Town | 38 | 6 | 10 | 22 | 39 | 87 | −48 | 28 | Relegated to the Eastern Counties League |
| 20 | London Colney | 38 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 30 | 109 | −79 | 16 | Relegated to the Combined Counties League |
Source: The FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[2]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[2]
Inter-step play-off[edit]
| 29 April 2023 | Dereham Town | 0–2 | Stotfold | Dereham |
| 15:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Aldiss Park Attendance: 287 |
Division One[edit]
| Season | 2022–23 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Real Bedford |
| Promoted | Real Bedford Rugby Borough |
| Relegated | London Tigers Thame Rangers |
| Matches played | 380 |
| Goals scored | 1,496 (3.94 per match) |
← 2021–22 2023–24 → | |
Division One featured 14 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with six new clubs:
- Eaton Socon, promoted from the Cambridgeshire County League
- Holmer Green, relegated from the Premier Division
- Lutterworth Athletic, transferred from the United Counties League
- Moulton, promoted from the Northamptonshire Combination League
- Northampton ON Chenecks, relegated from the United Counties League
- Rugby Borough, promoted from the Leicestershire Senior League
Also, Bedford changed their name to Real Bedford.
League table[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Bedford | 38 | 32 | 3 | 3 | 123 | 29 | +94 | 99 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Northampton ON Chenecks | 38 | 28 | 6 | 4 | 102 | 37 | +65 | 90 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 3 | Rugby Borough | 38 | 26 | 2 | 10 | 129 | 53 | +76 | 80 | Qualified for the play-offs, then promoted to the United Counties League |
| 4 | Amersham Town | 38 | 22 | 10 | 6 | 100 | 52 | +48 | 76 | Qualified for the play-offs, then transferred to the Combined Counties League |
| 5 | Northampton Sileby Rangers | 38 | 25 | 1 | 12 | 109 | 71 | +38 | 76 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 6 | Ampthill Town | 38 | 21 | 7 | 10 | 80 | 47 | +33 | 70 | |
| 7 | Lutterworth Athletic | 38 | 21 | 4 | 13 | 82 | 63 | +19 | 67 | Transferred to the United Counties League |
| 8 | Moulton | 38 | 19 | 4 | 15 | 97 | 77 | +20 | 61 | |
| 9 | Winslow United | 38 | 16 | 6 | 16 | 70 | 62 | +8 | 54 | |
| 10 | Eaton Socon | 38 | 15 | 9 | 14 | 60 | 64 | −4 | 54 | |
| 11 | Burton Park Wanderers | 38 | 13 | 7 | 18 | 60 | 75 | −15 | 46 | |
| 12 | Letchworth Garden City Eagles | 38 | 12 | 6 | 20 | 52 | 69 | −17 | 42 | |
| 13 | Wellingborough Whitworth | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | 65 | 92 | −27 | 40 | |
| 14 | Rushden & Higham United | 38 | 10 | 7 | 21 | 57 | 102 | −45 | 37 | |
| 15 | Raunds Town | 38 | 11 | 4 | 23 | 43 | 94 | −51 | 37 | |
| 16 | Holmer Green | 38 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 55 | 111 | −56 | 36 | Transferred to the Combined Counties League |
| 17 | Buckingham Athletic | 38 | 7 | 13 | 18 | 51 | 97 | −46 | 34 | Merged into Buckingham |
| 18 | Langford | 38 | 10 | 3 | 25 | 54 | 82 | −28 | 33 | |
| 19 | London Tigers | 38 | 7 | 6 | 25 | 57 | 106 | −49 | 27 | Relegated to the Middlesex County League |
| 20 | Thame Rangers | 38 | 7 | 3 | 28 | 50 | 113 | −63 | 24 | Relegated to the Oxfordshire Senior League |
Source: The FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[2]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[2]
Play-offs[edit]
| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 2 | Northampton ON Chenecks | 1 (5) | |||||||
| 5 | Northampton Sileby Rangers | 1 (4) | |||||||
| 2 | Northampton ON Chenecks | 0 | |||||||
| 3 | Rugby Borough | 2 | |||||||
| 3 | Rugby Borough | 4 | |||||||
| 4 | Amersham Town | 0 | |||||||
Division Two[edit]
| Season | 2022–23 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Old Bradwell United |
| Promoted | Leighton Town development |
| Matches played | 272 |
| Goals scored | 1,175 (4.32 per match) |
← 2021–22 2023–24 → | |
Division Two featured 15 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with two new clubs:
- AFC Caddington
- Leighton Town development
League table[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Bradwell United | 32 | 27 | 0 | 5 | 135 | 28 | +107 | 81 | |
| 2 | New Bradwell St Peter | 32 | 24 | 1 | 7 | 96 | 39 | +57 | 73 | |
| 3 | Leighton Town development | 32 | 23 | 4 | 5 | 89 | 37 | +52 | 73 | Promoted to Division One |
| 4 | Totternhoe | 32 | 21 | 7 | 4 | 90 | 41 | +49 | 70 | |
| 5 | Aston Clinton | 32 | 20 | 2 | 10 | 69 | 44 | +25 | 62 | |
| 6 | Milton Keynes College Football Academy | 32 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 77 | 59 | +18 | 54 | |
| 7 | Eynesbury United | 32 | 17 | 3 | 12 | 83 | 69 | +14 | 54 | |
| 8 | Sarratt | 32 | 14 | 5 | 13 | 49 | 54 | −5 | 47 | |
| 9 | Codicote | 32 | 13 | 7 | 12 | 76 | 60 | +16 | 46 | |
| 10 | Bovingdon | 32 | 12 | 6 | 14 | 64 | 63 | +1 | 42 | |
| 11 | Berkhamsted Raiders | 32 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 67 | 65 | +2 | 39 | |
| 12 | Pitstone & Ivinghoe | 32 | 11 | 5 | 16 | 74 | 73 | +1 | 38 | |
| 13 | AFC Caddington | 32 | 7 | 5 | 20 | 55 | 79 | −24 | 26 | |
| 14 | Risborough Rangers development | 32 | 8 | 2 | 22 | 48 | 86 | −38 | 26 | Resigned from the league |
| 15 | Tring Corinthians | 32 | 7 | 4 | 21 | 37 | 83 | −46 | 25 | |
| 16 | Buckingham United | 32 | 6 | 1 | 25 | 49 | 114 | −65 | 19 | Merged into Buckingham |
| 17 | The 61 | 32 | 2 | 1 | 29 | 17 | 181 | −164 | 7 |
Source: FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
References[edit]
- ^ "The FA provides update on National League System club allocations at Steps 3-6". The Football Association. 12 May 2022.
- ^ a b "The FA Handbook 2022/2023 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA.