# 1978–79 Southern Football League

The 1978–79 Southern Football League season was the 76th in the history of the league, an English football competition.
Worcester City won the championship, winning their first Southern League title. At the end of the season the Alliance Premier League was established as a new, national top division of non-League football. Thirteen clubs from the Premier Division joined the new league, leading to a restructuring of the Southern League for the next season, in which it was divided solely into Midland and Southern divisions.
Due to the forthcoming changes, there was no relegation or promotion between the Southern League's divisions, although the Premier Division clubs that remained in the Southern League had effectively been relegated one level, being placed in the Midland or Southern divisions the following season. Several clubs left the Division One North at the end of the season to join the Northern Premier League, which had also lost clubs to the new Alliance Premier League, whilst Premier Division club Atherstone Town folded.

## Premier Division

The Premier Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 18 clubs from the previous season and four new clubs:
* Two clubs promoted from Division One North:
** Bridgend Town
** Witney Town
* Two clubs promoted from Division One South:
** Dorchester Town
** Margate
At the end of the season most of the Premier Division clubs left the league to join newly created Alliance Premier League. Atherstone Town folded at the end of the season. The rest of the clubs were distributed between newly created Midland and Southern divisions.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Worcester City | 42 | 27 | 11 | 4 | 92 | 33 | +59 | 65 | Promoted to the Alliance Premier League |
| 2 | Kettering Town | 42 | 27 | 7 | 8 | 109 | 43 | +66 | 61 | Promoted to the Alliance Premier League |
| 3 | Telford United | 42 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 60 | 39 | +21 | 54 | Promoted to the Alliance Premier League |
| 4 | Maidstone United | 42 | 18 | 18 | 6 | 55 | 35 | +20 | 54 | Promoted to the Alliance Premier League |
| 5 | Bath City | 42 | 17 | 19 | 6 | 59 | 41 | +18 | 53 | Promoted to the Alliance Premier League |
| 6 | Weymouth | 42 | 18 | 15 | 9 | 71 | 51 | +20 | 51 | Promoted to the Alliance Premier League |
| 7 | AP Leamington | 42 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 65 | 53 | +12 | 49 | Promoted to the Alliance Premier League |
| 8 | Redditch United | 42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 70 | 57 | +13 | 48 | Promoted to the Alliance Premier League |
| 9 | Yeovil Town | 42 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 59 | 49 | +10 | 46 | Promoted to the Alliance Premier League |
| 10 | Witney Town | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 53 | 52 | +1 | 44 | Placed to the Midland Division |
| 11 | Nuneaton Borough | 42 | 13 | 17 | 12 | 59 | 50 | +9 | 43 | Promoted to the Alliance Premier League |
| 12 | Gravesend & Northfleet | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 56 | 55 | +1 | 42 | Promoted to the Alliance Premier League |
| 13 | Barnet | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 52 | 64 | −12 | 42 | Promoted to the Alliance Premier League |
| 14 | Hillingdon Borough | 42 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 50 | 41 | +9 | 40 | Placed to the Southern Division |
| 15 | Wealdstone | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 51 | 59 | −8 | 36 | Promoted to the Alliance Premier League |
| 16 | Atherstone Town | 42 | 9 | 17 | 16 | 46 | 65 | −19 | 35 | Club folded |
| 17 | Dartford | 42 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 40 | 56 | −16 | 34 | Placed to the Southern Division |
| 18 | Cheltenham Town | 42 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 38 | 72 | −34 | 32 | Placed to the Midland Division |
| 19 | Margate | 42 | 10 | 9 | 23 | 44 | 75 | −31 | 29 | Placed to the Southern Division |
| 20 | Dorchester Town | 42 | 7 | 11 | 24 | 46 | 86 | −40 | 25 | Placed to the Southern Division |
| 21 | Hastings United | 42 | 5 | 13 | 24 | 37 | 85 | −48 | 23 | Placed to the Southern Division |
| 22 | Bridgend Town | 42 | 6 | 6 | 30 | 39 | 90 | −51 | 18 | Placed to the Midland Division |

## Division One North

Division One North consisted of 20 clubs, including 17 clubs from the previous season and three new clubs:
* Alvechurch, joined from the West Midlands (Regional) League
* Bedford Town, relegated from the Premier Division
* Grantham, relegated from the Premier Division
At the end of the season Alliance Premier League on the top of non-league was created. Following that Southern Football League was restructured with Midland and Southern divisions replacing three old divisions. Most of the Division One North clubs were placed to the Midland Division.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Grantham | 38 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 70 | 45 | +25 | 52 | Promoted and transferred to the Northern Premier League |
| 2 | Merthyr Tydfil | 38 | 22 | 7 | 9 | 90 | 53 | +37 | 51 | |
| 3 | Alvechurch | 38 | 20 | 10 | 8 | 70 | 42 | +28 | 50 | |
| 4 | Bedford Town | 38 | 19 | 9 | 10 | 74 | 49 | +25 | 47 | |
| 5 | King's Lynn | 38 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 57 | 46 | +11 | 45 | |
| 6 | Oswestry Town | 38 | 18 | 8 | 12 | 63 | 43 | +20 | 44 | Promoted and transferred to the Northern Premier League |
| 7 | Gloucester City | 38 | 18 | 8 | 12 | 76 | 59 | +17 | 44 | |
| 8 | Burton Albion | 38 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 51 | 40 | +11 | 42 | Promoted and transferred to the Northern Premier League |
| 9 | Kidderminster Harriers | 38 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 70 | 60 | +10 | 40 | |
| 10 | Bedworth United | 38 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 41 | 34 | +7 | 40 | |
| 11 | Tamworth | 38 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 47 | 45 | +2 | 38 | Promoted and transferred to the Northern Premier League |
| 12 | Stourbridge | 38 | 15 | 7 | 16 | 64 | 61 | +3 | 37 | |
| 13 | Barry Town | 38 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 51 | 53 | −2 | 37 | |
| 14 | Enderby Town | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 46 | 55 | −9 | 36 | |
| 15 | Banbury United | 38 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 42 | 58 | −16 | 33 | |
| 16 | Wellingborough Town | 38 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 50 | 71 | −21 | 32 | |
| 17 | Cambridge City | 38 | 9 | 9 | 20 | 37 | 62 | −25 | 27 | |
| 18 | Bromsgrove Rovers | 38 | 6 | 14 | 18 | 33 | 61 | −28 | 26 | |
| 19 | Milton Keynes City | 38 | 7 | 9 | 22 | 37 | 87 | −50 | 23 | |
| 20 | Corby Town | 38 | 5 | 6 | 27 | 40 | 85 | −45 | 16 | |

## Division One South

Division One South expanded up to 21 clubs, including 17 clubs from the previous season and four new clubs:
* Dover, relegated from the Premier Division
* Dunstable, transferred from the Southern League Division One North
* Gosport Borough, promoted from the Hampshire League
* Minehead, relegated from the Premier Division
At the end of the season Alliance Premier League on the top of non-league was created. Following that Southern Football League was restructured with Midland and Southern divisions replacing three old divisions. Most of the Division One South clubs were placed to the Southern Division.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Dover | 40 | 28 | 9 | 3 | 88 | 20 | +68 | 65 | |
| 2 | Folkestone & Shepway | 40 | 22 | 6 | 12 | 84 | 50 | +34 | 50 | |
| 3 | Gosport Borough | 40 | 19 | 11 | 10 | 62 | 47 | +15 | 49 | |
| 4 | Chelmsford City | 40 | 20 | 7 | 13 | 65 | 61 | +4 | 47 | |
| 5 | Minehead | 40 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 58 | 39 | +19 | 45 | Placed to the Midland Division |
| 6 | Poole Town | 40 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 48 | 44 | +4 | 45 | |
| 7 | Hounslow | 40 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 56 | 45 | +11 | 44 | |
| 8 | Waterlooville | 40 | 17 | 10 | 13 | 52 | 43 | +9 | 44 | |
| 9 | Trowbridge Town | 40 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 65 | 61 | +4 | 42 | Placed to the Midland Division |
| 10 | Aylesbury United | 40 | 16 | 9 | 15 | 54 | 52 | +2 | 41 | |
| 11 | Taunton Town | 40 | 16 | 9 | 15 | 53 | 51 | +2 | 41 | Placed to the Midland Division |
| 12 | Bognor Regis Town | 40 | 17 | 7 | 16 | 58 | 58 | 0 | 41 | |
| 13 | Dunstable | 40 | 18 | 4 | 18 | 57 | 55 | +2 | 40 | |
| 14 | Tonbridge Angels | 40 | 15 | 10 | 15 | 43 | 47 | −4 | 40 | |
| 15 | Salisbury | 40 | 13 | 10 | 17 | 47 | 51 | −4 | 36 | |
| 16 | Basingstoke Town | 40 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 49 | 62 | −13 | 35 | |
| 17 | Addlestone | 40 | 12 | 9 | 19 | 56 | 64 | −8 | 33 | |
| 18 | Andover | 40 | 12 | 6 | 22 | 47 | 69 | −22 | 30 | |
| 19 | Ashford Town (Kent) | 40 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 28 | 53 | −25 | 30 | |
| 20 | Crawley Town | 40 | 9 | 9 | 22 | 44 | 75 | −31 | 27 | |
| 21 | Canterbury City | 40 | 6 | 3 | 31 | 31 | 98 | −67 | 15 | |

## Football League election

Runners-up Kettering Town were the only Southern League club to apply for election to the Football League. However, all four Football League clubs were re-elected.
| Club | League | Votes |
| Doncaster Rovers | Football League Division Four | 50 |
| Crewe Alexandra | Football League Division Four | 49 |
| Darlington | Football League Division Four | 43 |
| Halifax Town | Football League Division Four | 37 |
| Altrincham | Northern Premier League | 13 |
| Kettering Town | Southern League | 12 |