# 2017–18 Wessex Football League

The 2017–18 Wessex Football League season (known as the Sydenhams Football League (Wessex) for sponsorship reasons) was the 32nd in the history of the Wessex Football League since its establishment in 1986.
The league consists of two divisions: the Premier Division and Division One. The constitution was announced on 26 May 2017.

## Premier Division

The Premier Division remained at 22 clubs after Moneyfields were promoted to the Southern League, and Fawley, Whitchurch United and Verwood Town were relegated to Division One.
Four teams joined the division:
* Baffins Milton Rovers, runners-up in Division One.
* Hamble Club, champions of Division One.
* Petersfield Town, relegated from Southern League Division One South & West.
* Shaftesbury, third-placed club in Division One.
With the suspension of ground grading Grade E for this season and the creation of a new league at Steps 3 and 4, the champions of all Step 5 leagues were compulsorily promoted to Step 4. Of the fourteen runners-up, the twelve clubs with the best PPG (points per game ratio) were also to be compulsorily promoted, but with resignations and mergers in leagues above, thirteen runners-up were promoted.
Teams at Step 5 without ground grading Grade F were to be relegated to Step 6, but no club in this division failed the ground grading process. All Step 5 leagues were fixed at 20 clubs for 2018–19, but in this case there were no further relegations or reprieves.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Blackfield & Langley (C, P) | 42 | 31 | 7 | 4 | 118 | 28 | +90 | 100 | Promotion to the Southern League Division One South |
| 2 | Andover Town | 42 | 32 | 3 | 7 | 116 | 56 | +60 | 99 | Refused promotion and demoted to Division One |
| 3 | Sholing | 42 | 28 | 7 | 7 | 100 | 34 | +66 | 91 | |
| 4 | Horndean | 42 | 24 | 7 | 11 | 94 | 55 | +39 | 79 | |
| 5 | Hamworthy United | 42 | 24 | 4 | 14 | 83 | 72 | +11 | 76 | |
| 6 | AFC Portchester | 42 | 23 | 5 | 14 | 81 | 53 | +28 | 74 | |
| 7 | Alresford Town | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 89 | 59 | +30 | 70 | |
| 8 | Lymington Town | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 82 | 57 | +25 | 68 | |
| 9 | Baffins Milton Rovers | 42 | 20 | 5 | 17 | 85 | 77 | +8 | 65 | |
| 10 | Hamble Club | 42 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 104 | 72 | +32 | 63 | |
| 11 | Bemerton Heath Harlequins | 42 | 19 | 8 | 15 | 76 | 80 | −4 | 62 | |
| 12 | Shaftesbury | 42 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 63 | 75 | −12 | 56 | |
| 13 | Brockenhurst | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 66 | 74 | −8 | 54 | |
| 14 | Bashley | 42 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 77 | 87 | −10 | 52 | |
| 15 | Portland United | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 73 | 76 | −3 | 50 | |
| 16 | Fareham Town | 42 | 15 | 5 | 22 | 77 | 92 | −15 | 50 | |
| 17 | Team Solent | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 95 | 107 | −12 | 46 | |
| 18 | Bournemouth | 42 | 11 | 9 | 22 | 54 | 78 | −24 | 42 | |
| 19 | Cowes Sports | 42 | 9 | 6 | 27 | 61 | 97 | −36 | 33 | |
| 20 | Amesbury Town (R) | 42 | 8 | 5 | 29 | 64 | 130 | −66 | 29 | Relegation to Division One |
| 21 | Newport (IOW) (R) | 42 | 7 | 5 | 30 | 49 | 117 | −68 | 26 | Relegation to Division One |
| 22 | Petersfield Town (R) | 42 | 4 | 4 | 34 | 39 | 170 | −131 | 16 | Relegation to Division One |
* ↑ Lymington Town were deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player in their 2–1 win over Blackfield & Langley. Blackfield appealed, requesting the game be replayed, and their appeal was upheld.
* ↑ Bemerton Heath Harlequins were deducted three points. Andover Town were initially promoted to the Southern League as runners-up, but refused promotion due to financial and other reasons. As a result they were demoted to Division One.

## Division One

Division One was reduced from 21 to 19 clubs after Baffins Milton Rovers, Hamble Club and Shaftesbury were promoted to the Premier Division, Fleet Spurs were transferred to the Combined Counties League, and Pewsey Vale were transferred to the Hellenic League.
Three clubs joined the division:
* Fawley, relegated from the Premier Division.
* Verwood Town, relegated from the Premier Division.
* Whitchurch United, relegated from the Premier Division.
Reserve sides are not eligible for promotion to Step 5.
Step 6 clubs without ground grading Grade G were to be relegated to Step 7, but no club in this division failed the ground grading process. All Step 6 leagues were fixed at a maximum of 20 clubs for 2018–19, but in this case there were no further relegations or reprieves.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
| 1 | Christchurch (C, P) | 34 | 23 | 8 | 3 | 88 | 33 | +55 | 77 | Promotion to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Andover New Street (P) | 34 | 24 | 0 | 10 | 82 | 56 | +26 | 72 | Promotion to the Premier Division |
| 3 | Tadley Calleva (P) | 34 | 22 | 4 | 8 | 96 | 45 | +51 | 70 | Promotion to the Premier Division |
| 4 | United Services Portsmouth | 34 | 20 | 5 | 9 | 74 | 47 | +27 | 65 | |
| 5 | AFC Stoneham | 34 | 18 | 8 | 8 | 75 | 38 | +37 | 62 | |
| 6 | Romsey Town | 34 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 74 | 51 | +23 | 60 | |
| 7 | Laverstock & Ford | 34 | 18 | 5 | 11 | 79 | 56 | +23 | 59 | |
| 8 | Alton | 34 | 16 | 6 | 12 | 73 | 64 | +9 | 54 | |
| 9 | Fawley | 34 | 16 | 3 | 15 | 53 | 56 | −3 | 51 | |
| 10 | New Milton Town | 34 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 55 | 63 | −8 | 46 | |
| 11 | Ringwood Town | 34 | 14 | 3 | 17 | 81 | 93 | −12 | 45 | |
| 12 | Downton | 34 | 12 | 2 | 20 | 51 | 77 | −26 | 38 | |
| 13 | Whitchurch United | 34 | 10 | 5 | 19 | 45 | 77 | −32 | 35 | |
| 14 | Totton & Eling | 34 | 9 | 6 | 19 | 55 | 82 | −27 | 33 | |
| 15 | Hythe & Dibden | 34 | 8 | 7 | 19 | 48 | 65 | −17 | 31 | |
| 16 | East Cowes Victoria Athletic | 34 | 7 | 7 | 20 | 53 | 78 | −25 | 28 | |
| 17 | Verwood Town | 34 | 8 | 3 | 23 | 47 | 83 | −36 | 27 | |
| 18 | Folland Sports | 34 | 5 | 5 | 24 | 42 | 107 | −65 | 17 | |
| 19 | Weymouth Reserves | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Resigned, record expunged |
* ↑ Folland Sports had three points deducted.
* ↑ Weymouth Reserves resigned from the Wessex League on 12 September 2017. Their record (P8 W2 D0 L6 GF11 GA21 Pts6) was subsequently expunged.