# 1996–97 South Midlands League

The 1996–97 South Midlands League season was 68th and the last in the history of South Midlands League.
At the end of the season the league was merged with Spartan League to form Spartan South Midlands Football League. For the first season of the new league clubs from the South Midlands League and the Spartan League were separated: all the South Midlands League Premier Division clubs formed Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division North, while clubs from South Midlands League Senior Division formed Spartan South Midlands League Senior Division and clubs from South Midlands League Division One formed Spartan South Midlands League Division One North. Following first season of the new league regional Premier divisions and divisions One were merged.

## Premier Division

The Premier Division featured 14 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with one new club, promoted from the Senior Division:
* Bedford United

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Potters Bar Town (C) | 28 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 53 | 18 | +35 | 62 | Joined SSML Premier Division North |
| 2 | Brache Sparta | 28 | 19 | 5 | 4 | 54 | 20 | +34 | 62 | Joined SSML Premier Division North |
| 3 | Arlesey Town | 28 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 49 | 20 | +29 | 55 | Joined SSML Premier Division North |
| 4 | Toddington Rovers | 28 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 45 | 29 | +16 | 46 | Joined SSML Premier Division North |
| 5 | Buckingham Athletic | 28 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 52 | 34 | +18 | 45 | Joined SSML Premier Division North |
| 6 | Royston Town | 28 | 13 | 6 | 9 | 47 | 42 | +5 | 45 | Joined SSML Premier Division North |
| 7 | London Colney | 28 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 47 | 41 | +6 | 44 | Joined SSML Premier Division North |
| 8 | Bedford United | 28 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 44 | 49 | −5 | 38 | Joined SSML Premier Division North |
| 9 | Welwyn Garden City | 28 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 45 | 44 | +1 | 36 | Joined SSML Premier Division North |
| 10 | Harpenden Town | 28 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 32 | 33 | −1 | 34 | Joined SSML Premier Division North |
| 11 | Milton Keynes | 28 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 25 | 36 | −11 | 31 | Joined SSML Premier Division North |
| 12 | Letchworth | 28 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 | 50 | −15 | 28 | Joined SSML Premier Division North |
| 13 | Langford | 28 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 56 | −34 | 24 | Joined SSML Premier Division North |
| 14 | Hoddesdon Town | 28 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 30 | 55 | −25 | 22 | Joined SSML Premier Division North |
| 15 | Biggleswade Town | 28 | 2 | 3 | 23 | 21 | 74 | −53 | 9 | Joined SSML Premier Division North |

## Senior Division

The Senior Division featured 13 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with one new club, promoted from Division One:
* Mercedes Benz
Also, ACD changed name to A C D Tridon.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Leverstock Green (C) | 26 | 19 | 3 | 4 | 54 | 19 | +35 | 60 | Joined SSML Senior Division |
| 2 | Holmer Green | 26 | 18 | 1 | 7 | 71 | 21 | +50 | 55 | Joined SSML Senior Division |
| 3 | Tring Athletic | 26 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 62 | 29 | +33 | 54 | Joined SSML Senior Division |
| 4 | Stony Stratford Town | 26 | 16 | 2 | 8 | 60 | 46 | +14 | 50 | Joined SSML Senior Division |
| 5 | New Bradwell St Peter | 26 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 49 | 30 | +19 | 46 | Joined SSML Senior Division |
| 6 | Houghton Town | 26 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 31 | 32 | −1 | 38 | Joined SSML Senior Division |
| 7 | Mercedes Benz | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 48 | 38 | +10 | 37 | Joined SSML Senior Division |
| 8 | Risborough Rangers | 26 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 35 | 50 | −15 | 37 | Joined SSML Senior Division |
| 9 | Winslow United | 26 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 40 | 51 | −11 | 35 | Joined SSML Senior Division |
| 10 | Kent Athletic | 26 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 46 | 57 | −11 | 32 | Joined SSML Senior Division |
| 11 | Ampthill Town | 26 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 33 | 57 | −24 | 23 | Joined SSML Senior Division |
| 12 | A C D Tridon | 26 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 33 | 56 | −23 | 21 | Did not join Spartan South Midlands League |
| 13 | Totternhoe | 26 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 27 | 62 | −35 | 15 | Joined SSML Senior Division |
| 14 | The 61 FC Luton | 26 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 26 | 67 | −41 | 9 | Joined SSML Senior Division |

## Division One

Division One featured 14 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with four new clubs:
* Bedford Eagles
* Biggleswade United
* Luton Old Boys
* Mursley United

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
| 1 | Biggleswade United (C, P) | 34 | 26 | 4 | 4 | 116 | 35 | +81 | 82 | Promoted to the SSML Senior Division |
| 2 | Caddington (P) | 34 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 89 | 45 | +44 | 72 | Promoted to the SSML Senior Division |
| 3 | De Havilland | 34 | 22 | 5 | 7 | 88 | 52 | +36 | 71 | Joined SSML Division One North |
| 4 | Crawley Green Sports | 34 | 19 | 7 | 8 | 77 | 51 | +26 | 64 | Joined SSML Division One North |
| 5 | Old Bradwell United | 34 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 69 | 49 | +20 | 63 | Joined SSML Division One North |
| 6 | Emberton | 34 | 19 | 5 | 10 | 67 | 46 | +21 | 62 | Joined SSML Division One North |
| 7 | Bedford Eagles | 34 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 79 | 48 | +31 | 57 | Joined SSML Division One North |
| 8 | Scot | 34 | 16 | 4 | 14 | 49 | 57 | −8 | 52 | Joined SSML Division One North |
| 9 | Walden Rangers | 34 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 70 | 46 | +24 | 48 | Joined SSML Division One North |
| 10 | Buckingham United | 34 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 66 | 75 | −9 | 45 | Joined SSML Division One North |
| 11 | Bridger Packaging | 34 | 13 | 4 | 17 | 61 | 74 | −13 | 43 | Joined SSML Division One North |
| 12 | Luton Old Boys | 34 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 43 | 53 | −10 | 37 | Joined SSML Division One North |
| 13 | Old Dunstablians | 34 | 10 | 6 | 18 | 62 | 85 | −23 | 36 | Joined SSML Division One North |
| 14 | Leighton Athletic | 34 | 9 | 5 | 20 | 50 | 75 | −25 | 32 | Joined SSML Division One North |
| 15 | Flamstead | 34 | 8 | 6 | 20 | 44 | 80 | −36 | 30 | Joined SSML Division One North |
| 16 | Abbey National | 34 | 5 | 9 | 20 | 39 | 92 | −53 | 24 | Joined SSML Division One North |
| 17 | Mursley United | 34 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 53 | 91 | −38 | 23 | Joined SSML Division One North |
| 18 | Pitstone & Ivinghoe | 34 | 5 | 3 | 26 | 26 | 94 | −68 | 18 | Joined SSML Division One North |
* ↑ Deducted 1 point
* 1 2 Deducted 3 points