News & EventsLatest NewsCalendar
2018/19 Club Allocations announced

2018/19 Club Allocations announced

Nigel Gregg10 May 2018 - 16:50
Share via
FacebookTwitter
https://www.stourbridgefc.com/

STOURBRIDGE FC will start life afresh next season in the newly created step 3 league - the SOUTHERN LEAGUE CENTRAL. (READ ON)

Earlier today the FA Leagues Committee confirmed Club Allocations for Steps 1 to 4 of the National League System.

The Southern Football League will administer the SOUTHERN LEAGUE CENTRAL and SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTH divisions at step 3 next season:

The 22-team line-up reads as follows:
AFC Rushden & Diamonds
Alvechurch
Barwell
Bedworth United
Biggleswade Town
Coalville Town
Halesowen Town
Hednesford Town
Hitchin Town
Kettering Town
King's Lynn Town
Leiston
Lowestoft Town
Needham Market
Redditch United
Royston Town
Rushall Olympic
St Ives Town
St Neots Town
Stourbridge
Stratford Town
Tamworth

Tamworth arrive following their relegation from the National League North last month.

The league covers an area from the West Midlands and immediate surrounding areas moving east-wards along the A14 route through Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire and into Suffolk.

A map showing the make-up of the step 3 divisions covering England (and Wales) can be viewed at https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1_JqEhxDhFeRtQSkiAIz1qpBX3aU&ll=52.874647709743094%2C-1.2213121776637763&z=7

There will be several reasonably local matches to look forward to with Redditch United, Stratford Town and Alvechurch all featuring in this division, along with most of the Midlands based NPL sides from last season. (Stafford Rangers will remain in the NPL).

There will be four trips into East Anglia with a re-visit to Norfolk based King's Lynn Town on the agenda, plus visits to three Suffolk outfits who were all previously members of the Bostik League Premier, Needham Market, Leiston and our longest trip, Lowestoft Town (around 207 miles).

There will be a first ever meeting with Royston Town, while we will visit St Ives Town, who we hosted in the F A Cup last September.

Three of the teams listed contested the end of season play-offs at step 3 last week with Kettering Town and Leiston losing at the semi-finals stage, while King's Lynn Town lost 1 - 2 at home to Slough Town in their play-off final on Bank Holiday Monday after finishing as runners-up in the Southern Premier to Hereford FC.

These three are likely to be amongst the favourites when the new season gets underway in August, along with Tamworth, who will be seeking to emulate Altrincham and bounce back to step 2 of the non-league pyramid at the first attempt.

Tamworth, along with freshly promoted Bedworth United and Redditch United, have all installed 3G pitches since our last visit.

Further reading