1919–20 Southern Football League
Encyclopedia
The 1919–20 Southern Football League season was the 21st in the history of the Southern League
, and the first following World War I
. Portsmouth
won the Southern League championship for the second time, whilst Mid Rhondda
won Division Two. There were no promotions or relegations between divisions as at the end of the season all of the clubs in Division One were elected to the new Division Three
of the Football League
, although Cardiff City
were elected to Division Two
.
With only 10 clubs remaining (Caerphilly left the league) the league went through a realignment. The league was split into two national sections for England and Wales, with the winners of each section contesting a playoff for the Southern League championship. The remaining clubs in Division Two moved to the Welsh Section. In the English Section, Brighton & Hove Albion Reserves
, Chatham Town
, Millwall Reserves
, Portsmouth Reserves
, Reading Reserves
, Southampton Reserves
, and Watford Reserves
rejoined the Southern League. New clubs to join were Boscombe
, Charlton Athletic
, Gillingham Reserves
, Luton Town Reserves
, Norwich City Reserves
, and Thornycrofts.
:
1 The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976-77 season.
2 The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.
1 The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976-77 season.
2 The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
, and the first following World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
won the Southern League championship for the second time, whilst Mid Rhondda
Mid Rhondda F.C.
Mid Rhondda Football Club was an association football team, based in Tonypandy, Wales that was formed in 1912. Mid Rhondda were one of the earlier South Wales teams to form, as competition from rugby union within the Rhondda Valleys was very strong...
won Division Two. There were no promotions or relegations between divisions as at the end of the season all of the clubs in Division One were elected to the new Division Three
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
of the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, although Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
were elected to Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
.
With only 10 clubs remaining (Caerphilly left the league) the league went through a realignment. The league was split into two national sections for England and Wales, with the winners of each section contesting a playoff for the Southern League championship. The remaining clubs in Division Two moved to the Welsh Section. In the English Section, Brighton & Hove Albion Reserves
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
, Chatham Town
Chatham Town F.C.
Chatham Town are an English Association Football club based in Chatham, Kent. They currently play in Division One North of the Isthmian League and are nicknamed "The Chats"....
, Millwall Reserves
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, Portsmouth Reserves
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, Reading Reserves
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
, Southampton Reserves
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, and Watford Reserves
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
rejoined the Southern League. New clubs to join were Boscombe
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
, Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
, Gillingham Reserves
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
, Luton Town Reserves
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, Norwich City Reserves
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
, and Thornycrofts.
Division One table
Division One featured four new clubs, all of which had been in Division Two in the 1914–15 season1914–15 Southern Football League
The 1914–15 Southern Football League season saw Watford win Division One and Stoke win Division Two. Stoke were the only club to apply for election to the Football League and were successful. However, the United Kingdom declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914, thus entering World War I. The...
:
- Brentford
- Merthyr Town
- Newport County
- Swansea Town
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv1 | Pts2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portsmouth Portsmouth F.C. Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from... |
42 | 23 | 12 | 7 | 73 | 27 | 2.70 | 58 |
| 2 | Watford Watford F.C. Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade... |
42 | 26 | 6 | 10 | 69 | 42 | 1.64 | 58 |
| 3 | Crystal Palace Crystal Palace F.C. Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in... |
42 | 22 | 12 | 8 | 69 | 43 | 1.61 | 56 |
| 4 | Cardiff City Cardiff City F.C. Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for... |
42 | 18 | 17 | 7 | 70 | 43 | 1.63 | 53 |
| 5 | Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Argyle F.C. Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the... |
42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 57 | 29 | 1.97 | 50 |
| 6 | Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers F.C. Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years... |
42 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 62 | 50 | 1.24 | 46 |
| 7 | Reading Reading F.C. Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship... |
42 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 51 | 43 | 1.19 | 45 |
| 8 | Southampton Southampton F.C. Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club... |
42 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 72 | 63 | 1.14 | 44 |
| 9 | Swansea Town Swansea City A.F.C. Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position... |
42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 53 | 45 | 1.18 | 43 |
| 10 | Exeter City Exeter City F.C. Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003... |
42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 57 | 51 | 1.12 | 43 |
| 11 | Southend United Southend United F.C. Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had... |
42 | 13 | 17 | 12 | 46 | 48 | 0.96 | 43 |
| 12 | Norwich City Norwich City F.C. Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The... |
42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 64 | 57 | 1.12 | 41 |
| 13 | Swindon Town Swindon Town F.C. Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011... |
42 | 17 | 7 | 18 | 65 | 68 | 0.96 | 41 |
| 14 | Millwall Millwall F.C. Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the... |
42 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 52 | 55 | 0.95 | 34 |
| 15 | Brentford Brentford F.C. Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One.... |
42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 52 | 59 | 0.88 | 40 |
| 16 | Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.... |
42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 60 | 72 | 0.83 | 36 |
| 17 | Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers F.C. Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city.... |
42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 61 | 78 | 0.78 | 35 |
| 18 | Newport County Newport County A.F.C. Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system... |
42 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 45 | 70 | 0.64 | 33 |
| 19 | Northampton Town Northampton Town F.C. Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season... |
42 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 64 | 103 | 0.62 | 33 |
| 20 | Luton Town Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was... |
42 | 10 | 10 | 22 | 51 | 76 | 0.67 | 30 |
| 21 | Merthyr Town Merthyr Town F.C. Merthyr Town Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club based in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. For the 2011–2012 season the club will be playing in the Western Football League Premier Division at Penydarren Park in Merthyr.... |
42 | 9 | 11 | 22 | 47 | 78 | 0.60 | 29 |
| 22 | Gillingham Gillingham F.C. Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium... |
42 | 10 | 7 | 25 | 34 | 74 | 0.46 | 27 |
1 The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976-77 season.
2 The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.
Division Two table
Division Two featured five new clubs:- Aberaman Athletic
- Abertillery
- Caerphilly
- Mardy
- Porth Athletic
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv1 | Pts2 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mid Rhondda Mid Rhondda F.C. Mid Rhondda Football Club was an association football team, based in Tonypandy, Wales that was formed in 1912. Mid Rhondda were one of the earlier South Wales teams to form, as competition from rugby union within the Rhondda Valleys was very strong... |
20 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 79 | 10 | 7.90 | 37 | |
| 2 | Ton Pentre Ton Pentre F.C. Ton Pentre Football Club is a football team based in Ton Pentre, Wales, which plays in the Welsh Football League Division Two.Nicknamed the "Rhondda Bulldogs", the team plays at Ynys Park, Ton Pentre, Rhondda Cynon Taff, which once accommodated 2700 seated spectators... |
20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 50 | 14 | 3.57 | 31 | |
| 3 | Llanelly | 20 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 47 | 30 | 1.57 | 25 | |
| 4 | Pontypridd | 20 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 33 | 29 | 1.14 | 23 | |
| 5 | Ebbw Vale Ebbw Vale F.C. Ebbw Vale Football Club were a football team from Ebbw Vale, South Wales.Ebbw Vale played in the first season of the League of Wales in 1992-93. The club then finished 11th before finishing 3rd in two successive seasons to 1997-98. During the years when they finished 3rd the Giles brothers, Paul... |
20 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 38 | 40 | 0.95 | 21 | |
| 6 | Barry Barry Town F.C. Barry Town FC are a football team based in Barry. They dominated the League of Wales during the 1990s, but finished bottom in 2003-04 and were relegated... |
20 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 32 | 27 | 1.19 | 19 | |
| 7 | Mardy Mardy A.F.C. Mardy A.F.C. was a Welsh football team that played in the Southern League in the 1910s and 1920s. They were based in the village of Maerdy, Glamorgan.... |
20 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 29 | 30 | 0.97 | 19 | |
| 8 | Abertillery | 20 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 29 | 40 | 0.73 | 17 | |
| 9 | Porth Athletic | 20 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 30 | 74 | 0.41 | 12 | |
| 10 | Aberaman Athletic Aberaman Athletic F.C. Aberaman Athletic Football Club is a Welsh football club that currently play in the Welsh Football League Division One. Their ground is situated on Cardiff Road, Aberdare, between the suburb of Aberaman and the village of Abercwmboi.... |
20 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 28 | 48 | 0.58 | 11 | |
| 11 | Caerphilly | 20 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 20 | 74 | 0.27 | 5 | Left league at end of season |
1 The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976-77 season.
2 The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.