# 1980–81 Southern Football League

The 1980–81 Southern Football League season was the 78th in the history of the league, an English football competition.
Alvechurch won the Midland Division, whilst Dartford won the Southern Division. Alvechurch were declared Southern League champions after defeating Dartford 4–3 on penalties, after the two championship play-offs had finished 3–3 on aggregate (Alvechurch won 1–0 at home and Dartford won 3–2). Despite Alvechuch being champions, they declined promotion to the Alliance Premier League alongside Dartford as their board thought they were not ready, with third-placed Trowbridge Town going up in their place. There was no relegation for the second successive season, although Bognor Regis Town transferred to the Isthmian League at the end of the season.
Bedford Town, who finished second to Alvechurch in the Midland Division on goal difference, won the Southern League Cup.

## Midland Division

The Midland Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 21 clubs from the previous season and one new club:
* Redditch United, relegated from the Alliance Premier League
Bedford Town needed to beat Enderby Town by eight goals in their last game of the season to win the league but only won 2-0 making Alvechurch the champions.
Dave Lewis of Gloucester City was top scorer for the season with 27 goals.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Alvechurch | 42 | 26 | 9 | 7 | 76 | 40 | +36 | 61 | |
| 2 | Bedford Town | 42 | 25 | 11 | 6 | 63 | 32 | +31 | 61 | |
| 3 | Trowbridge Town | 42 | 24 | 9 | 9 | 69 | 39 | +30 | 57 | Promoted to the Alliance Premier League |
| 4 | Kidderminster Harriers | 42 | 23 | 9 | 10 | 67 | 41 | +26 | 55 | |
| 5 | Barry Town | 42 | 21 | 9 | 12 | 60 | 40 | +20 | 51 | |
| 6 | Stourbridge | 42 | 17 | 16 | 9 | 75 | 49 | +26 | 50 | |
| 7 | Enderby Town | 42 | 21 | 8 | 13 | 71 | 47 | +24 | 50 | |
| 8 | Cheltenham Town | 42 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 70 | 59 | +11 | 48 | |
| 9 | Bromsgrove Rovers | 42 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 65 | 50 | +15 | 47 | |
| 10 | Corby Town | 42 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 69 | 58 | +11 | 45 | |
| 11 | Bridgend Town | 42 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 74 | 64 | +10 | 45 | |
| 12 | Minehead | 42 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 54 | 60 | −6 | 45 | |
| 13 | Gloucester City | 42 | 19 | 6 | 17 | 82 | 72 | +10 | 44 | |
| 14 | Merthyr Tydfil | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 60 | 50 | +10 | 42 | |
| 15 | Bedworth United | 42 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 49 | 46 | +3 | 40 | |
| 16 | Banbury United | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 51 | 65 | −14 | 33 | |
| 17 | Taunton Town | 42 | 10 | 9 | 23 | 48 | 68 | −20 | 29 | |
| 18 | Cambridge City | 42 | 8 | 12 | 22 | 46 | 87 | −41 | 28 | |
| 19 | Witney Town | 42 | 9 | 9 | 24 | 44 | 65 | −21 | 27 | |
| 20 | Wellingborough Town | 42 | 10 | 7 | 25 | 43 | 91 | −48 | 27 | |
| 21 | Redditch United | 42 | 11 | 4 | 27 | 54 | 92 | −38 | 26 | |
| 22 | Milton Keynes City | 42 | 3 | 7 | 32 | 28 | 103 | −75 | 13 | |

## Southern Division

There were no new clubs in the Southern Division this season. Though, at the end of the previous season Addlestone was renamed Addlestone & Weybridge Town and Folkestone & Shepway was renamed Folkestone.
At the end of the season Margate was renamed Thanet United.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Dartford | 46 | 26 | 14 | 6 | 76 | 39 | +37 | 66 | Promoted to the Alliance Premier League |
| 2 | Bognor Regis Town | 46 | 25 | 13 | 8 | 95 | 43 | +52 | 63 | Transferred to the Isthmian League Division One |
| 3 | Hastings United | 46 | 24 | 14 | 8 | 87 | 43 | +44 | 62 | |
| 4 | Gosport Borough | 46 | 24 | 12 | 10 | 84 | 52 | +32 | 60 | |
| 5 | Waterlooville | 46 | 19 | 21 | 6 | 67 | 50 | +17 | 59 | |
| 6 | Dorchester Town | 46 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 84 | 56 | +28 | 55 | |
| 7 | Dover | 46 | 22 | 10 | 14 | 70 | 50 | +20 | 54 | |
| 8 | Poole Town | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 70 | 56 | +14 | 52 | |
| 9 | Addlestone & Weybridge Town | 46 | 21 | 9 | 16 | 66 | 57 | +9 | 51 | |
| 10 | Dunstable | 46 | 19 | 13 | 14 | 73 | 68 | +5 | 51 | |
| 11 | Aylesbury United | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 66 | 60 | +6 | 50 | |
| 12 | Hounslow | 46 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 65 | 55 | +10 | 47 | |
| 13 | Hillingdon Borough | 46 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 50 | 49 | +1 | 47 | |
| 14 | Basingstoke Town | 46 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 69 | 58 | +11 | 46 | |
| 15 | Crawley Town | 46 | 18 | 4 | 24 | 64 | 78 | −14 | 40 | |
| 16 | Ashford Town (Kent) | 46 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 55 | 76 | −21 | 39 | |
| 17 | Tonbridge Angels | 46 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 44 | 68 | −24 | 39 | |
| 18 | Chelmsford City | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 54 | 78 | −24 | 38 | |
| 19 | Canterbury City | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 40 | 59 | −19 | 37 | |
| 20 | Salisbury | 46 | 14 | 8 | 24 | 57 | 76 | −19 | 36 | |
| 21 | Folkestone | 46 | 11 | 11 | 24 | 47 | 65 | −18 | 33 | |
| 22 | Margate | 46 | 11 | 7 | 28 | 65 | 117 | −52 | 29 | |
| 23 | Fareham Town | 46 | 5 | 18 | 23 | 31 | 73 | −42 | 28 | |
| 24 | Andover | 46 | 6 | 10 | 30 | 41 | 94 | −53 | 22 | |