# 2023–24 Spartan South Midlands Football League

The 2023–24 season was the 27th in the history of the Spartan South Midlands Football League, a football competition in England. The league operates three divisions, two of which are in covered in this article, the Premier Division, at Step 5 and Division One at Step 6 of the English football league system.
The constitution was announced on 15 May 2023. Starting this season, the Step 5 Premier Division in the league promotes two clubs; one as champions and one via a four-team play-off. This replaced the previous inter-step play-off system. For this season only, there would have been only one club relegated from the Step 5 division.

## Premier Division

The Premier Division featured 14 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with six new clubs:
* FC Romania, relegated from the Southern League
* London Lions, transferred from the Combined Counties League
* Milton Keynes Irish, transferred from the United Counties League
* Real Bedford, promoted from Division One
* Sawbridgeworth Town, transferred from the Essex Senior League
* Stansted, transferred from the Essex Senior League

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Real Bedford | 36 | 28 | 7 | 1 | 117 | 24 | +93 | 91 | Promoted to the Southern League |
| 2 | Milton Keynes Irish | 36 | 26 | 7 | 3 | 96 | 25 | +71 | 85 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 3 | Harpenden Town | 36 | 21 | 5 | 10 | 74 | 51 | +23 | 68 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 4 | Leverstock Green | 36 | 20 | 8 | 8 | 73 | 53 | +20 | 68 | Qualified for the play-offs, then promoted to the Southern League |
| 5 | FC Romania | 36 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 76 | 64 | +12 | 61 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 6 | Tring Athletic | 36 | 17 | 8 | 11 | 63 | 51 | +12 | 59 | |
| 7 | Colney Heath | 36 | 18 | 3 | 15 | 57 | 45 | +12 | 57 | |
| 8 | Cockfosters | 36 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 71 | 56 | +15 | 55 | |
| 9 | Potton United | 36 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 50 | 57 | −7 | 50 | |
| 10 | London Lions | 36 | 13 | 7 | 16 | 74 | 75 | −1 | 46 | |
| 11 | Aylesbury Vale Dynamos | 36 | 13 | 7 | 16 | 58 | 78 | −20 | 46 | |
| 12 | Biggleswade United | 36 | 12 | 7 | 17 | 67 | 80 | −13 | 43 | |
| 13 | Dunstable Town | 36 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 51 | 64 | −13 | 40 | |
| 14 | Stansted | 36 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 47 | 67 | −20 | 40 | Transferred to the Essex Senior League |
| 15 | Baldock Town | 36 | 11 | 4 | 21 | 61 | 83 | −22 | 34 | |
| 16 | Arlesey Town | 36 | 9 | 7 | 20 | 36 | 69 | −33 | 34 | |
| 17 | Crawley Green | 36 | 9 | 6 | 21 | 51 | 85 | −34 | 33 | |
| 18 | Shefford Town & Campton | 36 | 9 | 6 | 21 | 50 | 91 | −41 | 33 | |
| 19 | Sawbridgeworth Town | 36 | 2 | 8 | 26 | 29 | 83 | −54 | 14 | Transferred to the Essex Senior League |
| 20 | St Panteleimon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Folded |
* ↑ Baldock Town were deducted 3 points.
* ↑ St Panteleimon folded on 28 March 2024 with immediate effect.'"`UNIQ--ref-0000000A-QINU`"'

### Play-offs

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| 2 | Milton Keynes Irish | 0 | | | |
| 5 | FC Romania | 3 | | | |
| 5 | FC Romania | 3 | 4 | Leverstock Green | 3 |
| | | | 5 | FC Romania | 0 |
| 3 | Harpenden Town | 1 | 5 | FC Romania | 0 |
| 4 | Leverstock Green | 3 | | | |

#### Final
### Stadia and locations

| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
| Arlesey Town | Hitchin Road | 2,920 |
| Baldock Town | Hitchin Road | 2,920 |
| Aylesbury Vale Dynamos | Haywood Way | |
| Biggleswade United | Fairfield Road | 2,000 |
| Cockfosters | Chalk Lane | 1,000 |
| Colney Heath | Recreation Ground | |
| Crawley Green | The Brache | 4,000 |
| Dunstable Town | Creasey Park | 3,065 |
| FC Romania | Theobalds Lane (groundshare with Cheshunt) | 3,000 |
| Harpenden Town | Rothamsted Park | |
| Leverstock Green | Pancake Lane | |
| London Lions | Rowley Lane | |
| Milton Keynes Irish | Manor Fields | 1,500 |
| Potton United | The Hollow | |
| Real Bedford | McMullen Park | |
| Sawbridgeworth Town | Crofters End | 2,500 |
| Shefford Town & Campton | Shefford Sports Club | 1,000 |
| St Panteleimon | Hertingfordbury Park (groundshare with Hertford Town) | |
| Stansted | Hargrave Park | 2,000 |
| Tring Athletic | Grass Roots Stadium | |

## Division One

Division One featured twelve clubs which competed in the division last season, along with eight new clubs:
* Cranfield United, promoted from the Bedfordshire County League
* Huntingdon Town, transferred from the Eastern Counties League
* Irchester United, promoted from the Northamptonshire Combination League
* Leighton Town development, promoted from Division Two
* Long Buckby, relegated from the United Counties League
* Rothwell Corinthians, relegated from the United Counties League
* Royston Town U23, promoted from the Hertfordshire Senior County League
Also, Buckingham Athletic merged with Division Two club Buckingham United to form the new club Buckingham.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Northampton ON Chenecks | 38 | 29 | 8 | 1 | 102 | 23 | +79 | 95 | Promoted to the United Counties League |
| 2 | Northampton Sileby Rangers | 38 | 24 | 6 | 8 | 98 | 46 | +52 | 78 | Qualified for the play-offs, then promoted to the United Counties League |
| 3 | Winslow United | 38 | 23 | 7 | 8 | 85 | 50 | +35 | 76 | Qualified for the play-offs, then promoted to the Premier Division |
| 4 | Moulton | 38 | 22 | 8 | 8 | 84 | 48 | +36 | 74 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 5 | Wellingborough Whitworth | 38 | 22 | 8 | 8 | 95 | 61 | +34 | 74 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 6 | Langford | 38 | 21 | 5 | 12 | 91 | 56 | +35 | 68 | |
| 7 | Ampthill Town | 38 | 20 | 8 | 10 | 95 | 61 | +34 | 67 | |
| 8 | Leighton Town development | 38 | 20 | 7 | 11 | 76 | 59 | +17 | 67 | |
| 9 | Cranfield United | 38 | 18 | 6 | 14 | 77 | 48 | +29 | 60 | |
| 10 | Royston Town U23 | 38 | 18 | 6 | 14 | 89 | 64 | +25 | 60 | |
| 11 | Rothwell Corinthians | 38 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 86 | 68 | +18 | 54 | |
| 12 | Long Buckby | 38 | 13 | 4 | 21 | 77 | 85 | −8 | 43 | |
| 13 | Buckingham | 38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 59 | 80 | −21 | 42 | |
| 14 | Huntingdon Town | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 57 | 89 | −32 | 39 | |
| 15 | Letchworth Garden City Eagles | 38 | 11 | 6 | 21 | 55 | 81 | −26 | 36 | |
| 16 | Eaton Socon | 38 | 9 | 6 | 23 | 44 | 85 | −41 | 33 | |
| 17 | Raunds Town | 38 | 7 | 9 | 22 | 46 | 90 | −44 | 30 | |
| 18 | Rushden & Higham United | 38 | 7 | 6 | 25 | 51 | 106 | −55 | 27 | |
| 19 | Irchester United | 38 | 5 | 8 | 25 | 34 | 121 | −87 | 23 | |
| 20 | Burton Park Wanderers | 38 | 5 | 3 | 30 | 47 | 127 | −80 | 18 | Resigned from the league |
* ↑ Ampthill Town were deducted 1 point.
* ↑ Letchworth Garden City Eagles were deducted 3 points.
Reserve and U23 sides are ineligible for promotion to Step 5 or higher.

### Play-offs

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| 2 | Northampton Sileby Rangers | 3 | | | |
| 5 | Moulton | 1 | | | |
| 5 | Moulton | 1 | 2 | Northampton Sileby Rangers | 1 |
| | | | 3 | Winslow United | 3 |
| 3 | Winslow United | 5 | 3 | Winslow United | 3 |
| 4 | Wellingborough Whitworth | 1 | | | |

#### Final
### Stadia and locations

| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
| Ampthill Town | Ampthill Park | 1,300 |
| Buckingham | Stratford Fields | |
| Burton Park Wanderers | Latimer Park (groundshare with Kettering Town) | |
| Cranfield United | Crawley Road | |
| Eaton Socon | River Road | |
| Huntingdon Town | Jubilee Park | |
| Irchester United | Alfred Street | 1,800 |
| Langford | Forde Park | 2,800 |
| Leighton Town development | Bell Close | 2,800 |
| Letchworth Garden City Eagles | Pixmore Pitches | |
| Long Buckby | Station Road | 1,000 |
| Moulton | Brunting Road | |
| Northampton ON Chenecks | Old Northamptonians Sports Ground | |
| Northampton Sileby Rangers | Fernie Fields | |
| Raunds Town | Kiln Park | |
| Rushden & Higham United | Hayden Road | 1,500 |
| Rothwell Corinthians | Desborough Road | |
| Royston Town U23 | Garden Walk | 5,000 |
| Wellingborough Whitworth | The Victoria Mill Ground | 2,140 |
| Winslow United | Elmfields Gate | 2,000 |

## Division Two

Division Two featured 14 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with four new clubs:
* AFC Welwyn, new club
* Milton Keynes Irish reserves, joined from the United Counties League reserve division
* Newport Pagnell Town development, joined from the United Counties League reserve division
* Stony Stratford Town, joined from the North Bucks League

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
| 1 | AFC Welwyn | 34 | 24 | 5 | 5 | 89 | 31 | +58 | 77 | Promoted to Division One |
| 2 | Bovingdon F.C. | 34 | 21 | 6 | 7 | 83 | 46 | +37 | 69 | |
| 3 | Old Bradwell United | 34 | 19 | 7 | 8 | 74 | 38 | +36 | 64 | |
| 4 | Codicote | 34 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 73 | 43 | +30 | 63 | |
| 5 | Newport Pagnell Town development | 34 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 70 | 62 | +8 | 58 | |
| 6 | Pitstone & Ivinghoe | 34 | 18 | 2 | 14 | 75 | 55 | +20 | 56 | |
| 7 | New Bradwell St Peter | 34 | 16 | 6 | 12 | 79 | 51 | +28 | 54 | |
| 8 | Aston Clinton | 34 | 15 | 6 | 13 | 64 | 54 | +10 | 51 | |
| 9 | Milton Keynes College | 34 | 15 | 5 | 14 | 78 | 73 | +5 | 50 | |
| 10 | Totternhoe | 34 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 61 | 71 | −10 | 49 | |
| 11 | Stony Stratford Town | 34 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 62 | 69 | −7 | 48 | |
| 12 | Milton Keynes Irish reserves | 34 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 62 | 65 | −3 | 47 | |
| 13 | Eynesbury United | 34 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 40 | 55 | −15 | 37 | |
| 14 | AFC Caddington | 34 | 10 | 4 | 20 | 61 | 100 | −39 | 34 | |
| 15 | Sarratt | 34 | 8 | 5 | 21 | 40 | 84 | −44 | 29 | |
| 16 | Tring Corinthians AFC | 34 | 5 | 13 | 16 | 39 | 68 | −29 | 28 | |
| 17 | Berkhamsted Raiders | 34 | 7 | 5 | 22 | 52 | 85 | −33 | 26 | Resigned from the league |
| 18 | The 61 | 34 | 5 | 6 | 23 | 32 | 84 | −52 | 21 | |