1929–30 Southern Football League
The 1929–30 season was the 32nd in the history of the Southern League. The league consisted of Eastern and Western Divisions.[https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engsouthernleaghist.html England – Southern League Final Tables] RSSSF Aldershot Town won the Eastern Division and Bath City won the Western Division. Aldershot were declared Southern League champions after winning a championship play-off 4–2.{{fchd|id=BATHC|name=Bath City}}
Three clubs from the Southern League applied to join the Football League, with Thames Association being successful. They replaced Merthyr Town, who rejoined the Southern League the following season. In addition to Thames, a total of 12 clubs left the Southern League at the end of this season.
Eastern Division
{{Infobox football league season
|competition= Southern Football League Eastern Division
|season= 1929–30
|winners= Aldershot Town (1st title)
|promoted= Thames Association
|relegated= Northampton Town II (resigned)
Southampton II (resigned)
Kettering Town (resigned)
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic II (resigned)
Brighton & Hove Albion II (resigned)
Sittingbourne (resigned)
Northfleet United (resigned)
Grays Thurrock United (resigned)
Poole (resigned)
|matches= 272
|total goals= 1134
|league topscorer=
|biggest home win=
|biggest away win=
|highest attendance =
|prevseason= 1928–29
|nextseason= 1930–31
}}
A total of 19 teams contest the division, including 18 sides from previous season and one new team.
Newly elected team:
- Northampton Town II - returned to the league after the resignation in 1925
{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL
|res_col_header=QR
|show_limit=5
|winpoints=2
|use_goal_ratio=y
|team1=ALD|name_ALD=Aldershot Town
|team2=MIL|name_MIL=Millwall II
|team3=THA|name_THA=Thames Association
|team4=PFU|name_PFU=Peterborough & Fletton United
|team5=NHA|name_NHA=Northampton Town II
|team6=SHA|name_SHA=Southampton II
|team7=SHE|name_SHE=Sheppey United
|team8=KET|name_KET=Kettering Town
|team9=DAR|name_DAR=Dartford
|team10=NRW|name_NRW=Norwich City II
|team11=GUI|name_GUI=Guildford City
|team12=BOU|name_BOU=Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic II
|team13=BHA|name_BHA=Brighton & Hove Albion II
|team14=FOL|name_FOL=Folkestone
|team15=SIT|name_SIT=Sittingbourne
|team16=NOR|name_NOR=Northfleet United
|team17=GRT|name_GRT=Grays Thurrock United
|team18=POO|name_POO=Poole
|win_ALD=21|draw_ALD=6|loss_ALD=5|gf_ALD=84|ga_ALD=39
|win_MIL=21|draw_MIL=3|loss_MIL=8|gf_MIL=75|ga_MIL=56
|win_THA=17|draw_THA=6|loss_THA=9|gf_THA=80|ga_THA=60
|win_PFU=18|draw_PFU=3|loss_PFU=11|gf_PFU=66|ga_PFU=39
|win_NHA=17|draw_NHA=4|loss_NHA=11|gf_NHA=86|ga_NHA=60
|win_SHA=14|draw_SHA=7|loss_SHA=11|gf_SHA=73|ga_SHA=62
|win_SHE=15|draw_SHE=5|loss_SHE=12|gf_SHE=76|ga_SHE=69
|win_KET=13|draw_KET=7|loss_KET=12|gf_KET=70|ga_KET=69
|win_DAR=14|draw_DAR=5|loss_DAR=13|gf_DAR=57|ga_DAR=59
|win_NRW=14|draw_NRW=3|loss_NRW=15|gf_NRW=69|ga_NRW=63
|win_GUI=13|draw_GUI=2|loss_GUI=17|gf_GUI=65|ga_GUI=97
|win_BOU=10|draw_BOU=7|loss_BOU=15|gf_BOU=59|ga_BOU=63
|win_BHA=12|draw_BHA=2|loss_BHA=18|gf_BHA=56|ga_BHA=79
|win_FOL=13|draw_FOL=0|loss_FOL=19|gf_FOL=56|ga_FOL=82
|win_SIT=10|draw_SIT=5|loss_SIT=17|gf_SIT=55|ga_SIT=59
|win_NOR=6|draw_NOR=7|loss_NOR=19|gf_NOR=53|ga_NOR=77
|win_GRT=7|draw_GRT=2|loss_GRT=23|gf_GRT=54|ga_GRT=101
|win_POO=0|draw_POO=0|loss_POO=0|gf_POO=0|ga_POO=0
|col_EFL=#ACE1AF|text_EFL=Elected to the Football League Third Division South
|result3=EFL
|col_LL=#ffcccc|text_LL=Left league at end of season
|result5=LL|result6=LL|result8=LL|result12=LL|result13=LL|result15=LL|result16=LL|result17=LL
|col_RESX=#ffcccc|text_RESX=Resigned after 30 matches, record expunged
|result18=RESX
|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.
}}
Western Division
{{Infobox football league season
|competition= Southern Football League Western Division
|season= 1929–30
|winners= Bath City
|promoted= none
|relegated=Yeovil & Petters United (resigned)
Lovells Athletic (resigned)
Bristol City II (resigned)
|matches= 210
|total goals= 932
|league topscorer=
|biggest home win=
|biggest away win=
|highest attendance =
|prevseason= 1928–29
|nextseason= 1930–31
}}
A total of 15 teams contest the division, including 14 sides from previous season and one new team.
Newly elected team:
{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL
|res_col_header=Result
|show_limit=5
|winpoints=2
|use_goal_ratio=y
|team1=BAT|name_BAT=Bath City
|team2=BRR|name_BRR=Bristol Rovers II
|team3=TAU|name_TAU=Taunton Town
|team4=BAR|name_BAR=Barry
|team5=YEO|name_YEO=Yeovil & Petters United
|team6=PLY|name_PLY=Plymouth Argyle II
|team7=NEW|name_NEW=Newport County II
|team8=LOV|name_LOV=Lovells Athletic
|team9=EXE|name_EXE=Exeter City II
|team10=BRC|name_BRC=Bristol City II
|team11=SWI|name_SWI=Swindon Town II
|team12=TOR|name_TOR=Torquay United II
|team13=LLA|name_LLA=Llanelly
|team14=EBB|name_EBB=Ebbw Vale
|team15=MER|name_MER=Merthyr Town II
|win_BAT=16|draw_BAT=6|loss_BAT=6|gf_BAT=85|ga_BAT=52
|win_BRR=16|draw_BRR=4|loss_BRR=8|gf_BRR=66|ga_BRR=50
|win_TAU=14|draw_TAU=7|loss_TAU=7|gf_TAU=50|ga_TAU=40
|win_BAR=15|draw_BAR=3|loss_BAR=10|gf_BAR=65|ga_BAR=55
|win_YEO=12|draw_YEO=7|loss_YEO=9|gf_YEO=63|ga_YEO=47
|win_PLY=14|draw_PLY=3|loss_PLY=11|gf_PLY=68|ga_PLY=52
|win_NEW=13|draw_NEW=4|loss_NEW=11|gf_NEW=68|ga_NEW=76
|win_LOV=13|draw_LOV=2|loss_LOV=13|gf_LOV=59|ga_LOV=57
|win_EXE=11|draw_EXE=6|loss_EXE=11|gf_EXE=49|ga_EXE=54
|win_BRC=11|draw_BRC=5|loss_BRC=12|gf_BRC=59|ga_BRC=63
|win_SWI=10|draw_SWI=6|loss_SWI=12|gf_SWI=69|ga_SWI=67
|win_TOR=10|draw_TOR=6|loss_TOR=12|gf_TOR=76|ga_TOR=77
|win_LLA=10|draw_LLA=4|loss_LLA=14|gf_LLA=55|ga_LLA=52
|win_EBB=5|draw_EBB=6|loss_EBB=17|gf_EBB=52|ga_EBB=97
|win_MER=5|draw_MER=1|loss_MER=22|gf_MER=48|ga_MER=93
|col_LL=#ffcccc|text_LL=Left league at end of season
|result5=LL|result8=LL|result10=LL
|col_REP1=#ffcccc|text_REP1=Replaced by first team at end of season
|result15=REP1
|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 election
Three Southern League clubs, Aldershot Town, Thames Association and Llanelly, applied to join the Football League. Thames were successful, finishing second in the ballot. Aldershot also finished above Third Division South club Merthyr Town, who replaced their reserves in the Western Division the following season.[http://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=3506; A history of admission to the Football League]
| class=wikitable style=text-align:left
!Club !League !Votes | ||
| bgcolor=ccffcc | Football League | align=right|33 |
| bgcolor=ccffcc | Southern League | align=right|20 |
| Aldershot Town | Southern League | align=right|19 |
| Merthyr Town | Football League | align=right|14 |
| Llanelly | Southern League | align=right|4 |
| Argonauts | None | align=right|0 |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Southern Football League seasons}}
{{1929–30 in English football}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Southern Football League, 1928-29}}