2020–21 Western Football League#First Division

{{Infobox football league season

|competition= Western Football League

|season= 2020–21

|winners=

|promoted=

|relegated=

|prevseason= 2019–20

|nextseason= 2021–22

}}

The 2020–21 Western Football League season (known as the 2020–21 Toolstation Western Football League for sponsorship reasons) was the 119th in the history of the Western Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.

The constitution was announced on 21 July 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/NLS20Step20520and20620Club20Allocations202020-21.pdf |title=National League System club allocations – Steps 5–6, Season 2020–21 |date=21 July 2020 |publisher=The FA|via=The Non-League Paper}}

After the abandonment of the previous season due to the COVID-19 pandemic,{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: All football below National League to end |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52052351 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=21 July 2020}} the league's constitution remained unchanged, with the planned structural changes being put back to this season.

This season, the Premier Division champions were to be promoted to Step 4. The runners-up in this division and ten other Step 5 divisions in other leagues would be ranked according to PPG (points per game), and the top four in that ranking would also be promoted. The remaining seven runners-up were to compete in "winner takes all" play-offs with seven clubs finishing bottom in Step 4 leagues, the winners being placed at Step 4 and the losers at Step 5 for 2021–22.{{cite web|url=https://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.com/features/26633/fa-second-phase-non-league-restructuring/ |title=EXCLUSIVE: FA outline second phase of Non-League restructuring| date=17 April 2019 |access-date=21 July 2020 |website=The Non-League Paper}}

The bottom clubs in all 14 Step 5 divisions were to be ranked according to PPG, with the 12 lowest-ranked clubs relegated to Step 6.

In Division One, the top four clubs were to be promoted to Step 5, with the bottom two liable to relegation to Step 7.

Suspension and curtailment

Fixtures were temporarily suspended on 30 December 2020, again due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but were suspended until further notice on 14 January 2021.{{cite web|url=http://toolstationleague.com/league-suspend-fixtures/ |title=League suspend fixtures |date=14 January 2021 |access-date=14 March 2021 |publisher=Western League}} The FA curtailed the season on 24 February, with no further league fixtures to be played.{{cite web|url=http://toolstationleague.com/an-update-on-steps-3-6-of-the-nls/ |title=An update on Steps 3-6 of the NLS |date=24 February 2021 |access-date=14 March 2021 |publisher=Western League}}

Premier Division

The Premier Division remained unchanged, with 21 clubs.

=League table at time of curtailment=

{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL

|res_col_header=P

|team1=PLY|name_PLY=Plymouth Parkway

|team2=TAV|name_TAV=Tavistock

|team3=EXM|name_EXM=Exmouth Town

|team4=CLE|name_CLE=Clevedon Town

|team5=CRI|name_CRI=Cribbs

|team6=WES|name_WES=Westbury United

|team7=STR|name_STR=Street

|team8=ROM|name_ROM=Roman Glass St George

|team9=BUC|name_BUC=Buckland Athletic

|team10=BIT|name_BIT=Bitton

|team11=BRA|name_BRA=Bradford Town

|team12=SHE|name_SHE=Shepton Mallet

|team13=BRW|name_BRW=Bridgwater Town

|team14=KEY|name_KEY=Keynsham Town

|team15=BRS|name_BRS=Brislington

|team16=CAD|name_CAD=Cadbury Heath

|team17=WEL|name_WEL=Wellington

|team18=ODD|name_ODD=Odd Down

|team19=HAL|name_HAL=Hallen

|team20=BRP|name_BRP=Bridport

|team21=CST|name_CST=Chipping Sodbury Town

|win_BIT=6|draw_BIT=0|loss_BIT=2|gf_BIT=29|ga_BIT=13

|win_BRA=5|draw_BRA=3|loss_BRA=6|gf_BRA=28|ga_BRA=29

|win_BRW=5|draw_BRW=1|loss_BRW=5|gf_BRW=18|ga_BRW=20

|win_BRP=1|draw_BRP=0|loss_BRP=9|gf_BRP=6|ga_BRP=31

|win_BRS=4|draw_BRS=2|loss_BRS=6|gf_BRS=22|ga_BRS=29

|win_BUC=6|draw_BUC=3|loss_BUC=6|gf_BUC=23|ga_BUC=22

|win_CAD=4|draw_CAD=0|loss_CAD=6|gf_CAD=18|ga_CAD=23

|win_CST=0|draw_CST=2|loss_CST=10|gf_CST=9|ga_CST=39

|win_CLE=7|draw_CLE=3|loss_CLE=3|gf_CLE=26|ga_CLE=18

|win_CRI=7|draw_CRI=2|loss_CRI=3|gf_CRI=24|ga_CRI=16

|win_EXM=8|draw_EXM=0|loss_EXM=3|gf_EXM=32|ga_EXM=16

|win_HAL=2|draw_HAL=3|loss_HAL=9|gf_HAL=25|ga_HAL=37

|win_KEY=4|draw_KEY=3|loss_KEY=6|gf_KEY=18|ga_KEY=21

|win_ODD=3|draw_ODD=1|loss_ODD=9|gf_ODD=15|ga_ODD=38

|win_PLY=11|draw_PLY=2|loss_PLY=0|gf_PLY=50|ga_PLY=10

|win_ROM=7|draw_ROM=0|loss_ROM=5|gf_ROM=19|ga_ROM=15

|win_SHE=4|draw_SHE=4|loss_SHE=3|gf_SHE=20|ga_SHE=19

|win_STR=7|draw_STR=1|loss_STR=5|gf_STR=33|ga_STR=26

|win_TAV=8|draw_TAV=1|loss_TAV=2|gf_TAV=34|ga_TAV=18

|win_WEL=3|draw_WEL=3|loss_WEL=8|gf_WEL=15|ga_WEL=29

|win_WES=7|draw_WES=2|loss_WES=3|gf_WES=22|ga_WES=17

|col_P=green1|text_P=Promotion to the Southern League

|result1=P

|col_T=#CCCCFF|text_T=Transfer to the Hellenic League

|result5=T

|result6=T

|result8=T

|result11=T

|result19=T

|result21=T

|col_R=red1|text_R=Voluntary relegation to Division One

|result18=R

|note_res_P=Plymouth Parkway promoted based on points per game calculations from 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons combined.

|class_rules=1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

|update=complete

|source=[http://www.toolstationleague.com/tables.php Western League]

}}

=Stadia and locations=

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
Club

!Finishing position in 2018–19

!Stadium

Bitton3rdRapid Solicitors Stadium
Bradford Town7thBradford on Avon Sports Club
Bridgwater Town4thFairfax Park
Bridport13thSt Mary's Field
Brislington18thBrislington Stadium
Buckland Athletic9thKingskerswell Road
Cadbury Heath14thSpringfield
Chipping Sodbury Town10thThe Ridings
Clevedon Town6thThe Hand Stadium
Cribbs8thThe Lawns
Exmouth Town2nd {{small|South West Peninsula League Premier Division (promotion)}}King George V Ground
Hallen12thThe Hallen Centre
Keynsham Town1st {{small|Western League Division One (promotion)}}Crown Fields
Odd Down15thLew Hill Memorial Ground
Plymouth Parkway2ndBolitho Park
Roman Glass St George17thOaklands Park
Shepton Mallet11thPlaying Fields (Shepton)
Street8th {{small|Southern League Division One South (voluntary relegation)}}The Tannery Ground
Tavistock1st {{small|South West Peninsula League Premier Division (promotion)}}Langsford Park
Wellington16thThe Playing Field (Wellington)
Westbury United5thMeadow Lane

First Division

The First Division also remained unchanged, with 20 clubs.

=League table at time of curtailment=

{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL

|res_col_header=P

|show_limit=5

|team1=COR|name_COR=Corsham Town

|team2=WLT|name_WLT=Welton Rovers

|team3=CAL|name_CAL=Calne Town

|team4=ABU|name_ABU=Ashton & Backwell United

|team5=WIN|name_WIN=Wincanton Town

|team6=WAR|name_WAR=Warminster Town

|team7=RAD|name_RAD=Radstock Town

|team8=WLL|name_WLL=Wells City

|team9=BSU|name_BSU=Bishop Sutton

|team10=ALM|name_ALM=Almondsbury

|team11=LEB|name_LEB=Lebeq United

|team12=POR|name_POR=Portishead Town

|team13=SHE|name_SHE=Sherborne Town

|team14=BRI|name_BRI=Bristol Telephones

|team15=HEN|name_HEN=Hengrove Athletic

|team16=CHE|name_CHE=Cheddar

|team17=BLY|name_BLY=Bishops Lydeard

|team18=OLD|name_OLD=Oldland Abbotonians

|team19=LGS|name_LGS=Longwell Green Sports

|team20=DEV|name_DEV=Devizes Town

|win_ALM=5|draw_ALM=1|loss_ALM=5|gf_ALM=18|ga_ALM=24

|win_ABU=7|draw_ABU=2|loss_ABU=1|gf_ABU=26|ga_ABU=14

|win_BLY=1|draw_BLY=1|loss_BLY=9|gf_BLY=12|ga_BLY=28

|win_BSU=5|draw_BSU=1|loss_BSU=4|gf_BSU=17|ga_BSU=18

|win_BRI=4|draw_BRI=0|loss_BRI=5|gf_BRI=20|ga_BRI=21

|win_CAL=8|draw_CAL=0|loss_CAL=1|gf_CAL=23|ga_CAL=6

|win_CHE=4|draw_CHE=0|loss_CHE=6|gf_CHE=21|ga_CHE=24

|win_COR=9|draw_COR=1|loss_COR=0|gf_COR=35|ga_COR=13

|win_DEV=0|draw_DEV=1|loss_DEV=9|gf_DEV=11|ga_DEV=38

|win_HEN=3|draw_HEN=3|loss_HEN=3|gf_HEN=10|ga_HEN=12

|win_LEB=4|draw_LEB=2|loss_LEB=3|gf_LEB=20|ga_LEB=17

|win_LGS=0|draw_LGS=1|loss_LGS=9|gf_LGS=11|ga_LGS=34

|win_OLD=1|draw_OLD=0|loss_OLD=8|gf_OLD=8|ga_OLD=23

|win_POR=4|draw_POR=2|loss_POR=4|gf_POR=16|ga_POR=14

|win_RAD=6|draw_RAD=0|loss_RAD=4|gf_RAD=23|ga_RAD=19

|win_SHE=4|draw_SHE=1|loss_SHE=6|gf_SHE=17|ga_SHE=19

|win_WAR=6|draw_WAR=1|loss_WAR=4|gf_WAR=27|ga_WAR=16

|win_WLL=5|draw_WLL=1|loss_WLL=4|gf_WLL=19|ga_WLL=17

|win_WLT=8|draw_WLT=2|loss_WLT=1|gf_WLT=29|ga_WLT=12

|win_WIN=6|draw_WIN=2|loss_WIN=4|gf_WIN=26|ga_WIN=20

|col_P=green1|text_P=Promotion to Premier Division

|result4=P

|col_PT=green1|text_PT=Promotion and transfer to Hellenic League

|result1=PT

|result3=PT

|note_res_P=Promotions based on points per game calculations from 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons combined.

|note_res_PT=P

|class_rules=1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

|update=complete

|source=[http://www.toolstationleague.com/tables.php Western League]

}}

=Stadia and locations=

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
Club

!Finishing position in 2018–19

!Stadium

Almondsbury6th {{small|Hellenic Football League Division One West}} (transferred)Almondsbury Sports & Social Club
Ashton & Backwell United4thLancer Scott Stadium
Bishop Sutton17thLakeview
Bishops Lydeard12thCothelstone Road
Bristol Telephones20thBTRA Sports Ground
Calne Town8thBremhill Road
Cheddar2ndBowdens Park
Corsham Town3rdSouthbank Ground
Devizes Town11thNursteed Road Ground
Hengrove Athletic19th {{small|Western Football League Premier Division}} (relegated)Paprika Park
Lebeq United1st {{small|Gloucestershire County League}} (promoted)Oaklands Park
Longwell Green Sports5thLongwell Green Community Centre
Oldland Abbotonians18thAitchinson Playing Fields
Portishead Town16thBristol Road
Radstock Town15thSouthfields Recreation Ground
Sherborne Town13thRaleigh Grove
Warminster Town6thWeymouth Street
Wells City10thAthletic Ground (Wells)
Welton Rovers9thWest Clewes
Wincanton Town14thWincanton Sports Ground

References

  • [http://www.toolstationleague.com/tables.php League tables]

{{reflist}}