National League South

"Conference South" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Big South Conference, Conference League South, or Southern Conference.
Not to be confused with the National League's divisions.
National League South
Country England
Founded 2004
Number of teams 22
Level on pyramid 6
Step 2 (National League System)
Promotion to National League
Relegation to Isthmian League Premier Division
Southern League Premier Division
Domestic cup(s) FA Cup
FA Trophy
Conference League Cup (defunct)
Current champions Sutton United
(2015–16)
Website National League
2016–17 season

The National League South, formerly Conference South (billed as The Vanarama National League South for sponsorship reasons[1]) is one of the second divisions of the National League in England, taking its place immediately below the top division National League. Along with National League North it is at the second level of the National League System, and at the sixth tier overall of the English football league system.

It was introduced in 2004 as part of a major restructuring of the National League System. The champion team each year is automatically promoted to the National League. A second promotion place goes to the winners of play-offs of the teams finishing in second place to fifth place. The three bottom clubs are relegated to Step 3 leagues.

For sponsorship reasons it has been known as Blue Square South (2007–2010), Blue Square Bet South (2010–2013), Skrill South (2013–2014)[2] and the Vanarama Conference South following a new three-year sponsorship deal announced in July 2014. From the start of the 2015–16 season, the league is known as the National League South.[3] The current champions are Sutton United, who finished 6 points ahead of second place, and eventual losing playoff finalists, Ebbsfleet.

Current member clubs 2015–16

The current member club for the 2015–16 season are as follows:

The area covered by National League South is coloured in yellow. National League South teams also come from counties bordering National League North (purple).
Club
 Finishing position 2014–15
Basingstoke Town3rd
Bath City14th
Bishop's Stortford16th
Chelmsford City10th
Concord Rangers7th
Dartford22nd (relegated from Conference Premier)
Eastbourne Borough11th
Ebbsfleet United8th
Gosport Borough6th
Havant & Waterlooville5th
Hayes & Yeading United19th
Hemel Hempstead Town9th
Maidenhead United18th
Maidstone United1st in Isthmian League Premier Division
Margate3rd in Isthmian League Premier Division (won play-offs)
Oxford City6th in Conference North (transferred)
St Albans City13th
Sutton United15th
Truro City3rd in Southern League Premier Division (won play-offs)
Wealdstone12th
Weston-super-Mare17th
Whitehawk4th

Current league stadia 2015–16

The stadiums of all teams in the league for the 2015–16 season are listed below in capacity order:

Home Club Stadium Name Capacity
Bath CityTwerton Park8,840
Basingstoke TownThe Camrose6,000
Havant & WaterloovilleWest Leigh Park5,250
Sutton UnitedGander Green Lane5,013
Ebbsfleet UnitedStonebridge Road5,011
Bishop's StortfordProKit UK Stadium4,525
Gosport BoroughPrivett Park (Aerial Direct Stadium)4,500
St Albans CityClarence Park4,500
Eastbourne BoroughPriory Lane4,134
DartfordPrinces Park4,100
Truro CityTreyew Road3,500
Weston-super-MareWoodspring Stadium3,500
Concord RangersThames Road3,300
Hemel Hempstead TownVauxhall Road3,152
Maidstone United Gallagher Stadium 3,070
Chelmsford CityMelbourne Stadium3,065
Hayes & Yeading United York Road3,000
Maidenhead United
Margate Hartsdown Park 3,000
WealdstoneThe Vale2,640
Oxford City Court Place Farm2,000
WhitehawkThe Enclosed Ground2,000

League winners

Conference South trophy
SeasonWinnerPlayoff Winner
2004–05Grays AthleticEastbourne Borough **
2005–06WeymouthSt Albans City
2006–07HistonSalisbury City
2007–08LewesEastbourne Borough
2008–09 AFC Wimbledon Hayes & Yeading United
2009–10 Newport County Bath City
2010–11 Braintree Town Ebbsfleet United
2011–12 Woking Dartford
2012–13 Welling United Salisbury City
2013–14 Eastleigh Dover Athletic
2014–15 Bromley Boreham Wood
2015–16 Sutton United Maidstone United

** Not promoted. In 2004–05 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.

League records

Adam Birchall holds the record for the highest number of goals scored in a National League South season.
Biggest home win 8 – Maidenhead United 8 Truro City 0, 8 September 2012
Biggest away win 7 – Dorchester Town 0 Grays Athletic 7, 23 October 2004
Highest scoring match 11 – Bognor Regis Town 6 Welling United 5, 11 September 2004
Bath City 7 Farnborough 4, 17 February 2015
Consecutive wins 12 – Welling United, 2012–13
Consecutive games unbeaten 25 – Sutton United, 2015–16
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
Thurrock 2011–12
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
Boreham Wood 2012–13
Wealdstone 2015-16
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 February 2010
Highest attendance 5,022 – Weymouth vs. St Albans City, 17 April 2006
Highest average attendance 3,219 – AFC Wimbledon, 2008–09

References

  1. ↑ "Vanarama announced as new Football Conference sponsor". Non-League Bets. 30 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "Skrill announced as new Football Conference sponsor". Non-League Bets. 26 July 2013.
  3. ↑ "BBC Sport – Football Conference to be renamed as National League". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
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