1922–23 Southern Football League#English section
The 1922–23 season was the 25th in the history of the Southern League. The league was split into two sections for a third season in a row, one for English clubs and one for Welsh clubs.[https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engsouthernleaghist.html England – Southern League Final Tables] RSSSF Bristol City reserves won the English section, whilst Ebbw Vale won the Welsh section. Ebbw Vale were declared Southern League champions after beating Bristol City reserves 2–1 in a championship play-off.{{fchd|id=EBBWVALE|name=Ebbw Vale}} Boscombe, Pontypridd and Torquay United were the only Southern League clubs to apply for election to the Football League, with Boscombe being successful.[http://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=3506; A history of admission to the Football League] The club was renamed Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic the following year.
Following to the mid-season resignation of four clubs in the Welsh section due to financial problems and Porth Athletic leaving the league at the end of the season, the following season saw the English section renamed the Eastern Division and the Welsh section renamed the Western Division, with eight clubs transferring from the English section to the Western section.
English section
{{Infobox football league season
|competition= Southern Football League English Section
|season= 1922–23
|winners= Bristol City II
|promoted= Boscombe
|relegated= Southend United II (resigned)
|matches= 380
|total goals= 1228
|league topscorer=
|biggest home win=
|biggest away win=
|highest attendance =
|prevseason= 1921–22
|nextseason= 1923–24
}}
A total of 20 clubs contest the division, including 17 sides from previous season and three new clubs.
Newly elected clubs:
- Torquay United (from the Western League)
- Yeovil & Petters United (from the Western League, although they continued to play in the Western League as well until World War II)
- Coventry City II (from the Birmingham & District League)
|section=English section
|res_col_header=Q
|show_limit=5
|winpoints=2
|use_goal_ratio=y
|team1=BCI|name_BCI=Bristol City II
|team2=BOU|name_BOU=Boscombe
|team3=POR|name_POR=Portsmouth II
|team4=BRI|name_BRI=Bristol Rovers II
|team5=PLY|name_PLY=Plymouth Argyle II
|team6=TOR|name_TOR=Torquay United
|team7=BHA|name_BHA=Brighton & Hove Albion II
|team8=LUT|name_LUT=Luton Town II
|team9=SEU|name_SEU=Southend United II
|team10=SHA|name_SHA=Southampton II
|team11=MIL|name_MIL=Millwall II
|team12=COV|name_COV=Coventry City II
|team13=GUI|name_GUI=Guildford United
|team14=SWI|name_SWI=Swindon Town II
|team15=BAT|name_BAT=Bath City
|team16=WAT|name_WAT=Watford II
|team17=YEO|name_YEO=Yeovil & Petters United
|team18=NRW|name_NRW=Norwich City II
|team19=EXE|name_EXE=Exeter City II
|team20=REA|name_REA=Reading II
|win_BCI=24|draw_BCI=5|loss_BCI=9|gf_BCI=84|ga_BCI=39
|win_BOU=22|draw_BOU=7|loss_BOU=9|gf_BOU=67|ga_BOU=34
|win_POR=23|draw_POR=3|loss_POR=12|gf_POR=93|ga_POR=51
|win_BRI=20|draw_BRI=8|loss_BRI=10|gf_BRI=59|ga_BRI=41
|win_PLY=20|draw_PLY=7|loss_PLY=11|gf_PLY=74|ga_PLY=41
|win_TOR=18|draw_TOR=8|loss_TOR=12|gf_TOR=63|ga_TOR=38
|win_BHA=20|draw_BHA=3|loss_BHA=15|gf_BHA=95|ga_BHA=60
|win_LUT=16|draw_LUT=11|loss_LUT=11|gf_LUT=67|ga_LUT=56
|win_SEU=18|draw_SEU=6|loss_SEU=14|gf_SEU=69|ga_SEU=68
|win_SHA=18|draw_SHA=5|loss_SHA=15|gf_SHA=65|ga_SHA=54
|win_MIL=15|draw_MIL=10|loss_MIL=13|gf_MIL=61|ga_MIL=55
|win_COV=15|draw_COV=8|loss_COV=15|gf_COV=56|ga_COV=61
|win_GUI=15|draw_GUI=7|loss_GUI=16|gf_GUI=65|ga_GUI=59
|win_SWI=13|draw_SWI=6|loss_SWI=19|gf_SWI=54|ga_SWI=73
|win_BAT=10|draw_BAT=8|loss_BAT=20|gf_BAT=44|ga_BAT=71
|win_WAT=11|draw_WAT=6|loss_WAT=21|gf_WAT=34|ga_WAT=79
|win_YEO=10|draw_YEO=6|loss_YEO=22|gf_YEO=56|ga_YEO=104
|win_NRW=9|draw_NRW=7|loss_NRW=22|gf_NRW=42|ga_NRW=68
|win_EXE=10|draw_EXE=5|loss_EXE=23|gf_EXE=43|ga_EXE=81
|win_REA=7|draw_REA=6|loss_REA=25|gf_REA=37|ga_REA=95
|col_TED=#CCCCFF|text_TED=Transferred to Eastern Division
|result3=TED|result7=TED|result8=TED|result10=TED|result11=TED|result12=TED|result13=TED|result16=TED|result18=TED|result20=TED
|col_TWD=#CCCCFF|text_TWD=Transferred to Western Division
|result1=TWD|result4=TWD|result5=TWD|result6=TWD|result14=TWD|result15=TWD|result17=TWD|result19=TWD
|col_EFL=#ACE1AF|text_EFL=Elected to the Football League Third Division South
|result2=EFL
|col_LL=#ffcccc|text_LL=Left league at end of season
|result9=LL
|update=complete|source=
|class_rules=The system of using goal average to separate two clubs 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.
}}
Welsh section
{{Infobox football league season
|competition= Southern Football League Welsh Section
|season= 1922–23
|winners= Ebbw Vale (1st title)
|promoted= none
|relegated= Porth Athletic (resigned)
Ton Pentre (resigned)
Mardy (resigned)
Caerphilly (resigned)
Abertillery (resigned)
|matches= 42
|total goals= 133
|league topscorer=
|biggest home win=
|biggest away win=
|highest attendance =
|prevseason= 1921–22
|nextseason= 1923–24
}}
A total of 11 clubs contest the division, including nine sides from previous season and two new clubs.
Newly elected clubs:
|section=Welsh section
|res_col_header=Result
|show_limit=5
|winpoints=2
|use_goal_ratio=y
|team1=EBB|name_EBB=Ebbw Vale
|team2=ABM|name_ABM=Aberaman Athletic
|team3=SWA|name_SWA=Swansea Town II
|team4=PON|name_PON=Pontypridd
|team5=BAR|name_BAR=Barry
|team6=BRG|name_BRG=Bridgend Town
|team7=POR|name_POR=Porth Athletic
|team8=ABE|name_ABE=Abertillery
|team9=CAE|name_CAE=Caerphilly
|team10=MAR|name_MAR=Mardy
|team11=TON|name_TON=Ton Pentre
|win_EBB=6|draw_EBB=5|loss_EBB=1|gf_EBB=22|ga_EBB=15
|win_ABM=7|draw_ABM=2|loss_ABM=3|gf_ABM=30|ga_ABM=19
|win_SWA=6|draw_SWA=2|loss_SWA=4|gf_SWA=25|ga_SWA=14
|win_PON=6|draw_PON=2|loss_PON=4|gf_PON=18|ga_PON=18
|win_BAR=4|draw_BAR=3|loss_BAR=5|gf_BAR=15|ga_BAR=11
|win_BRG=4|draw_BRG=2|loss_BRG=6|gf_BRG=15|ga_BRG=21
|win_POR=0|draw_POR=2|loss_POR=10|gf_POR=8|ga_POR=35
|win_ABE=0|draw_ABE=0|loss_ABE=0|gf_ABE=0|ga_ABE=0
|win_CAE=0|draw_CAE=0|loss_CAE=0|gf_CAE=0|ga_CAE=0
|win_MAR=0|draw_MAR=0|loss_MAR=0|gf_MAR=0|ga_MAR=0
|win_TON=0|draw_TON=0|loss_TON=0|gf_TON=0|ga_TON=0
|col_TWD=#CCCCFF|text_TWD=Transferred to Western Division
|result1=TWD|result2=TWD|result3=TWD|result4=TWD|result5=TWD||result6=TWD
|col_LL=#ffcccc|text_LL=Left league at end of season
|result7=LL
|col_RESX=#ffcccc|text_RESX=Did not complete fixtures, records expunged{{cite journal |title=Welsh section |journal=Western News |date=9 May 1923 |page=2}}
|result8=RESX|result9=RESX|result10=RESX|result11=RESX
|update=complete|source=
|class_rules=The system of using goal average to separate two clubs 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 election
In addition to the two clubs finishing bottom of Football League Third Division South, four non-League clubs joined the election process, of which three were from the Southern League. Boscombe from the English section were successful and joined the League the following season.
| class=wikitable style=text-align:left
!Club!!League!!Votes | ||
| bgcolor=ccffcc | Football League Third Division South | align=right|45 |
| bgcolor=ccffcc | Football League Third Division South | align=right|45 |
| bgcolor=ccffcc | Southern League | align=right|28 |
| Llanelly | Welsh National League (South) | align=right|9 |
| Pontypridd | Southern League | align=right|8 |
| Torquay United | Southern League | align=right|0 |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Southern Football League seasons}}
{{1922–23 in English football}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Southern Football League, 1922-23}}