Southampton Football League

Southampton Football League
Founded1908 (1908)
Country England
Divisions6
Number of clubs64
Promotion toHampshire Premier League
Current championsLyndhurst
(2025/26)
Most championshipsNursling (6)
Websitehttps://www.soton-satfl.org.uk

The Southampton Football League is a long-running Saturday grassroots football league based in the port city Southampton and surrounding area of Hampshire on the south coast of England.

In existence since 1908, it is affiliated to the Hampshire Football Association with over 60 teams taking part across six divisions - the highest of which feeder to the Hampshire Premier League.

History

The Southampton Football Association was founded in 1908 at a meeting attended by 40 people, including William Pickford. At this meeting, the league and cup competitions were established in the Senior and Junior format, and they remain in place today.[1]

Since its founding, the League has grown in popularity with a vast number of works teams (mostly from the city docks), college old boys sides and village clubs[2] taking part. While some of these persist in the present, others disappeared in earlier stages of the League's history.[3][4]

Subject to ground requirements, champions of the top-flight have always been eligible to apply for promotion to the Hampshire League. Many clubs known well today began in the Southampton League, most notably Eastleigh,[5] AFC Totton,[6] Sholing,[7] and AFC Stoneham,[8] whilst the alumni list also includes nine other clubs who are now members of the Wessex League.[9] A number of professional players also participated in the competition, either at a young age or later in their careers.[10]

In 1963, the Premier Division was formed as an effort to raise standards and bridge the gap with the county league.[11] During the 1960s and 1970s, the Southampton League reached its peak in popularity with a constitution that regularly consisted of over 160 teams, evenly spread across three Senior and up to ten Junior Divisions.[12]

Member clubs have also performed well in external competitions, with a number of sides winning the Hampshire FA Intermediate and Junior Cups (now known as the Trophy and Vase).[13] It is a similar story with the Southampton FA, although not since 1986 has a side won the prestigious Senior Cup.[14]

Since 1993, the League has been run independently from the Southampton Football Association, and in 1999 it became one of the first in the country to introduce a Veterans section.[15] The new millennium saw the introduction of domestic league cup competitions for each level.

With the expansion of leagues higher up the pyramid and the general decline in the grassroots game, the Southampton League has since been reduced in size.[16] Nevertheless, in an attempt to maintain numbers, the League has expanded its boundary to accommodate clubs in the areas where leagues have been terminated.[17]

Though Bush Hill holds the record for winning the Premier Division title five consecutive seasons from 2009 to 2013,[18] it is their arch-rivals Nursling (formerly known as Nutfield United) who hold the record for the most overall titles, having won it on six occasions.

Since 2024, the Senior section now only consists of the Premier Division. Clubs who finish in the top two are eligible to apply to join the Hampshire Premier League. Depending on playing strength and facilities, players here can either go directly into the Senior Division (Step 7/Level 11 on the national pyramid system) or sideways to Division 1.[19]

Member clubs 2026–27

Premier Division

All teams are eligible to enter the Hampshire FA Trophy, Southampton FA Senior Cup and Senior League Cup.

All teams are eligible to enter the Hampshire FA Vase, Southampton FA Junior Cup and Junior League Trophy or Vase.

All teams are eligible to enter Hampshire FA Veterans Cup, Southampton FA Veterans Cup and Veterans League Cup.

Past & Present Clubs

Premier Division champions

Senior League Cup finals

Print

  • A Century of Southampton Local Soccer 1908–2008 by John Moody
  • Southampton Football League Handbook & Directory (produced annually)

References

  1. ↑ Association Football in Hampshire until 1914 by Norman Gannaway
  2. ↑ The Official History of Braishfield Football Club 1907-2024 by Lee Whitelock
  3. ↑ Bitterne Football - A glimpse at the past by Ken Prior
  4. ↑ Awbridge FC - A History of a Village Football Club, by John Moody
  5. ↑ https://eastleighfc.com/club/history/
  6. ↑ https://www.afctotton.com/club-info/club-history
  7. ↑ https://sholingfc.co.uk/club/history/
  8. ↑ https://www.afcstoneham.co.uk/club-timeline
  9. ↑ https://www.wessexleague.co.uk/premier-division
  10. ↑ Saints - A Complete Record of Southampton Football Club 1885-1987 by Gary Chalk & Duncan Holley
  11. ↑ Hampshire Football Association Centenary History 1887-1987 by Norman Gannaway
  12. ↑ A Century of Southampton Local Soccer 1908-2008 by John Moody
  13. ↑ Hampshire Football Association Handbook 2025/26
  14. ↑ Southampton Senior Cup – The Finals 1909-2022 by Gary Day
  15. ↑ Southampton Divisional Football Association Handbook 2025/26
  16. ↑ https://fchd.info/lghist/soton.htm
  17. ↑ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2025/11/29/grass-roots-sports-clubs-are-dying-out/
  18. ↑ https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/football/nonleague/11175275.sixth-title-running-for-bush-hill/
  19. ↑ https://www.hpfl.co.uk/feeder-leagues
  20. ↑ The Romsey Advertiser, page 32. 9th May 2003
  21. ↑ The Romsey Advertiser, page 36. 12th May 2005
  22. ↑ https://www.wessexleague.co.uk/history-millbrook
  23. ↑ https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/braishfieldfootballclub/
  24. ↑ https://www.eastleighnews.co.uk/2018/05/upham-win-sfl-senior-cup-on-penalties/
  25. ↑ https://hetfc.co.uk/
  26. ↑ https://www.hedgeendrangers.co.uk/news/champions-2776463.html
  27. ↑ https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/sport/24322627.braishfield-southampton-senior-league-cup-final/
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