South Midlands League

For the currently active league, see Spartan South Midlands Football League.

The South Midlands League was an English football league covering Bedfordshire and some adjoining counties.

The league was formed in 1922 as the Bedfordshire County League, changed its name to the Bedfordshire & District County League in 1924 before adopting the South Midlands League title in 1929. The league merged with the Spartan League to form the Spartan South Midlands League in 1997.

For the majority of the league's existence, it comprised two divisions, but for a period after World War II, and for the final four seasons, there were three divisions, with the peak membership of 48 clubs competing in 1995–96.

After the evolution of the National League System, the league became a feeder to the Isthmian League, with clubs such as Leighton Town, Oxford City and Bedford Town earning promotion.

Although clubs from the league played in the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup from the late 1920s onwards, none ever made the first round proper. The best performance came from Barton Rovers in 1976–77 when they reached the fourth qualifying round. South Midlands League clubs had more success in the FA Vase – Barton Rovers reached the final in 1977–78, while Arlesey Town went one better in 1994–95 to become the first and only South Midlands League club to win the competition.

South Midlands League Divisional Champions (partial list)

1980–1993

Season	Premier	Division One
1980–81	Stotfold	61 F.C.
1981–82	Pirton	Welwyn Garden
1982–83	Pirton	Ashcroft Co-Op
1983–84	Shefford Town	New Bradwell St Peter
1984–85	Eaton Bray United	Milton Keynes Borough
1985–86	Selby	Buckingham Athletic
1986–87	Selby	Electrolux
1987–88	Shillington	Pitstone & Ivinghoe
1988–89	Langford	Welwyn Garden United
1989–90	Pitstone & Ivinghoe	Harpenden Town
1990–91	Thame United	Buckingham Athletic
1991–92	Leighton Town	Ashcroft
1992–93	Oxford City	Bedford Town

1993–1997

A third division was re-introduced in 1993. The divisions were named Premier, Senior and Division One. Promotion and relegation between the divisions was not automatic, but also based on facilities.

Season	Premier	Senior	Division One
1993–94	Bedford Town	Toddington Rovers	Stony Stratford Town
1994–95	Arlesey Town	London Colney	Houghton Town
1995–96	Arlesey Town	Holmer Green	Mercedes-Benz
1996–97	Potters Bar Town	Leverstock Green	Biggleswade United

Spartan South Midlands League

Premier Division	AFC Dunstable Bedford Berkhamsted Biggleswade United Broxbourne Borough Cockfosters Colney Heath Hadley Harefield United Hertford Town Hoddesdon Town Holmer Green Leverstock Green London Colney London Tigers Oxhey Jets St. Margaretsbury Stotfold Sun Sports Tring Athletic Welwyn Garden City Wembley

Division One	Ampthill Town Arlesey Town Reserves Baldock Town Brimsdown Broadfields United Buckingham Athletic Chesham United Reserves Codicote Crawley Green Edgware Town Harpenden Town Hatfield Town Hillingdon Borough Langford New Bradwell St. Peter Risborough Rangers Southall Winslow United Wodson Park Woodford Town

Division Two	AFC Hillgate Amersham Town Aston Clinton Aylesbury United Reserves Clean Slate Grendon Rangers Hale Leys United Kent Athletic Loughton Manor Mursley United Old Bradwell United Pitstone & Ivinghoe United St. Albans City Reserves Stony Stratford Town The 61 Totternhoe Tring Corinthians Wolverton Town

Seasons	2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16

Predecessor leagues: Aetolian League Greater London League London League Metropolitan League Metropolitan–London League South Midlands League Spartan League

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