1914–15 Southern Football League#Division One
The 1914–15 season was the 21st in the history of the Southern League. Watford won Division One and Stoke finished top of the Division Two.[https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engsouthernleaghist.html England - Southern League Final Tables] RSSSF 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 Football League and Southern League ceased operations until the war ended in November 1918. The next season would be 1919–20.
Division One
{{Infobox football league season
|competition= Southern Football League Division One
|season= 1914–15
|winners= Watford (1st title)
|promoted= West Ham United
|relegated= Croydon Common (resigned)
|matches= 380
|total goals= 1131
|league topscorer=
|biggest home win=
|biggest away win=
|highest attendance =
|prevseason= 1913–14
|nextseason= 1919–20
}}
A total of 20 teams contest the division, including 18 sides from previous season and two new teams.
Teams promoted from 1913–14 Division Two:
|res_col_header=QR
|section=Division One
|show_limit=5
|winpoints=2
|use_goal_ratio=y
|team1=WAT|name_WAT=Watford
|team2=REA|name_REA=Reading
|team3=CAR|name_CAR=Cardiff City
|team4=WHU|name_WHU=West Ham United
|team5=NHP|name_NHP=Northampton Town
|team6=SHP|name_SHP=Southampton
|team7=POR|name_POR=Portsmouth
|team8=MIL|name_MIL=Millwall
|team9=SWI|name_SWI=Swindon Town
|team10=BHA|name_BHA=Brighton & Hove Albion
|team11=EXE|name_EXE=Exeter City
|team12=QPR|name_QPR=Queens Park Rangers
|team13=NOR|name_NOR=Norwich City
|team14=LUT|name_LUT=Luton Town
|team15=CRY|name_CRY=Crystal Palace
|team16=BRI|name_BRI=Bristol Rovers
|team17=PLY|name_PLY=Plymouth Argyle
|team18=STE|name_STE=Southend United
|team19=CRO|name_CRO=Croydon Common
|team20=GIL|name_GIL=Gillingham
|win_WAT=22|draw_WAT=8|loss_WAT=8|gf_WAT=68|ga_WAT=46
|win_REA=21|draw_REA=7|loss_REA=10|gf_REA=68|ga_REA=43
|win_CAR=22|draw_CAR=4|loss_CAR=12|gf_CAR=72|ga_CAR=38
|win_WHU=18|draw_WHU=9|loss_WHU=11|gf_WHU=58|ga_WHU=47
|win_NHP=19|draw_NHP=5|loss_NHP=14|gf_NHP=56|ga_NHP=51
|win_SHP=19|draw_SHP=5|loss_SHP=14|gf_SHP=78|ga_SHP=74
|win_POR=16|draw_POR=10|loss_POR=12|gf_POR=54|ga_POR=42
|win_MIL=16|draw_MIL=10|loss_MIL=12|gf_MIL=50|ga_MIL=51
|win_SWI=15|draw_SWI=11|loss_SWI=12|gf_SWI=77|ga_SWI=59
|win_BHA=16|draw_BHA=7|loss_BHA=15|gf_BHA=46|ga_BHA=47
|win_EXE=15|draw_EXE=8|loss_EXE=15|gf_EXE=50|ga_EXE=41
|win_QPR=13|draw_QPR=12|loss_QPR=13|gf_QPR=55|ga_QPR=56
|win_NOR=11|draw_NOR=14|loss_NOR=13|gf_NOR=53|ga_NOR=56
|win_LUT=13|draw_LUT=8|loss_LUT=17|gf_LUT=61|ga_LUT=73
|win_CRY=13|draw_CRY=8|loss_CRY=17|gf_CRY=47|ga_CRY=61
|win_BRI=14|draw_BRI=3|loss_BRI=21|gf_BRI=53|ga_BRI=75
|win_PLY=8|draw_PLY=14|loss_PLY=16|gf_PLY=51|ga_PLY=61
|win_STE=10|draw_STE=8|loss_STE=20|gf_STE=44|ga_STE=64
|win_CRO=9|draw_CRO=9|loss_CRO=20|gf_CRO=47|ga_CRO=63
|win_GIL=6|draw_GIL=8|loss_GIL=24|gf_GIL=43|ga_GIL=83
|col_Q2D=#ACE1AF|text_Q2D=Elected to the 1919–20 Football League Second Division after World War I
|result4=Q2D
|col_R2=#ffcccc|text_R2=Relegated to Division Two, but did not rejoin league after World War I
|result19=R2
|update=complete|source=
|class_rules=The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.
}}
Division Two
{{Infobox football league season
|competition= Southern Football League Division Two
|season= 1914–15
|winners= Stoke
|promoted= Merthyr Town
Swansea Town
Brentford
Newport County
Stoke (to Football League)
Coventry City (to Football League)
|relegated= Stalybridge Celtic (resigned)
|matches= 156
|total goals= 1131
|league topscorer=
|biggest home win=
|biggest away win=
|highest attendance =
|prevseason= 1913–14
|nextseason= 1919–20
}}
A total of 13 teams contest the division, including 9 sides from previous season, two teams relegated from Division One and two new teams.
Teams relegated from 1913–14 Division One:
Newly elected teams:
|res_col_header=PQ
|winpoints=2
|section=Division Two
|show_limit=5
|use_goal_ratio=y
|team1=STK|name_STK=Stoke
|team2=SBC|name_SBC=Stalybridge Celtic
|team3=MER|name_MER=Merthyr Town
|team4=SWA|name_SWA=Swansea Town
|team5=COV|name_COV=Coventry City
|team6=TON|name_TON=Ton Pentre
|team7=BRE|name_BRE=Brentford
|team8=LLA|name_LLA=Llanelly
|team9=BAR|name_BAR=Barry
|team10=NPC|name_NPC=Newport County
|team11=PON|name_PON=Pontypridd
|team12=MID|name_MID=Mid Rhondda
|team13=EBB|name_EBB=Ebbw Vale
|win_STK=17|draw_STK=4|loss_STK=3|gf_STK=62|ga_STK=15
|win_SBC=17|draw_SBC=3|loss_SBC=4|gf_SBC=47|ga_SBC=22
|win_MER=15|draw_MER=5|loss_MER=4|gf_MER=46|ga_MER=20
|win_SWA=16|draw_SWA=1|loss_SWA=7|gf_SWA=48|ga_SWA=21
|win_COV=13|draw_COV=2|loss_COV=9|gf_COV=56|ga_COV=33
|win_TON=11|draw_TON=6|loss_TON=7|gf_TON=42|ga_TON=43
|win_BRE=8|draw_BRE=7|loss_BRE=9|gf_BRE=35|ga_BRE=45
|win_LLA=10|draw_LLA=1|loss_LLA=13|gf_LLA=39|ga_LLA=32
|win_BAR=6|draw_BAR=5|loss_BAR=13|gf_BAR=30|ga_BAR=35
|win_NPC=7|draw_NPC=3|loss_NPC=14|gf_NPC=27|ga_NPC=42
|win_PON=5|draw_PON=6|loss_PON=13|gf_PON=31|ga_PON=58
|win_MID=3|draw_MID=6|loss_MID=15|gf_MID=17|ga_MID=49
|win_EBB=3|draw_EBB=1|loss_EBB=20|gf_EBB=23|ga_EBB=88
|col_Q2D=#ACE1AF|text_Q2D=Elected to the 1919–20 Football League Second Division after World War I
|result1=Q2D
|col_P1T=#ccffcc|text_P1T=Promoted to 1919–20 SFL Division One but left league after World War I to join the Lancashire Combination
|result2=P1T
|col_Q1D=#ACE1AF|text_Q1D=Elected to 1919–20 SFL Division One after World War I
|result3=Q1D|result4=Q1D|result7=Q1D|result10=Q1D
|col_Q2Db=#ACE1AF|text_Q2Db=Elected to the 1919–20 Football League Second Division after World War I
|result5=Q2Db
|update=complete|source=
|class_rules = The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.
}}
Football League elections
=1915=
Stoke were the only Southern League club to apply for election to the Football League.[http://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=3506; A history of admission to the Football League] They were successful, and replaced Glossop North End, who received only one vote. However, the League ceased operations for the war after its AGM and did not resume until 1919.
| class=wikitable style=text-align:left
!Club !League !Votes | ||
| bgcolor=ccffcc | Football League | align=right|33 |
| bgcolor=ccffcc | align=left|Southern League | align=right|21 |
| South Shields | North Eastern League | align=right|11 |
| Chesterfield | Midland League | align=right|8 |
| Darlington | North Eastern League | align=right|4 |
| Glossop North End | Football League | align=right|1 |
=1919=
Following World War I the Football League expanded from 40 to 44 clubs, creating four vacancies. Two Southern League clubs, Coventry City and West Ham United applied and were successful in the elections.
| class=wikitable style=text-align:left
!Club !League !Votes | ||
| bgcolor=ccffcc | align=left|Southern League | align=right|35 |
| bgcolor=ccffcc | align=left|Southern League | align=right|32 |
| bgcolor=ccffcc | North Eastern League | align=right|28 |
| bgcolor=ccffcc | Midland League | align=right|28 |
| Port Vale | Central League | align=right|27 |
| Southport | Central League | align=right|7 |
| Rochdale | Lancashire Combination | align=right|7 |
| Chesterfield Town | Midland League | align=right|0 |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Southern Football League seasons}}
{{1914–15 in English football}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Southern Football League, 1914-15}}