The 1998–99 Southern Football League season was the 96th in the history of the league, an English football competition.
Nuneaton Borough won the Premier Division and earned promotion to the Football Conference. Hastings Town, Gresley Rovers and Bromsgrove Rovers were relegated from the Premier Division, whilst Havant & Waterlooville, Clevedon Town, Margate and Newport County were promoted from the Southern and Midland Divisions, the former two as champions. Bloxwich Town and Brackley Town were relegated to the eighth level whilst Andover resigned from the league.
At the end of the season Midland Division was renamed Western Division, and Southern Division was renamed Eastern Division.
Premier Division The Premier Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 18 clubs from the previous season and four new clubs: Two clubs promoted from the Midland Division: Grantham Town Ilkeston Town
Plus: Boston United, transferred from the Northern Premier League Weymouth, promoted from the Southern Division
League table
Midland Division The Midland Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 16 clubs from the previous season and six new clubs: Four clubs transferred from the Southern Division: Cinderford Town Clevedon Town Newport Weston-super-Mare
Plus: Bloxwich Town, promoted from the Midland Alliance Stamford, promoted from the United Counties League
At the end of the season Midland Division was renamed Western Division.
League table
Southern Division The Southern Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 13 clubs from the previous season and nine new clubs, relegated from the Premier Division: Three clubs relegated from the Premier Division: Ashford Town (Kent) Sittingbourne St. Leonards Stamcroft, who also changed name to St. Leonards.
Three clubs transferred from the Midland Division: Brackley Town Corby Town Raunds Town
Plus: Andover, promoted from the Wessex League Folkestone Invicta, promoted from the Kent League Havant & Waterlooville, new club formed as a merger of Havant Town and Waterlooville
At the end of the season Southern Division was renamed Eastern Division.
League table
Cup competition The league's cup competition, the Dr Martens League Cup, was won by Sutton Coldfield Town, who beat Cambridge City 2–1 on aggregate in the final. The first round, semi-finals and final were played over two legs with the second, third and fourth rounds going to a replay if the tie finished all square. Cambridge had beaten Dorchester Town 4–3 on aggregate to reach the final and Sutton Coldfield defeated Boston United 2–1 on aggregate to reach the final.The Official Football Association Non League Club Directory 2000
See also Southern Football League 1998–99 Isthmian League 1998–99 Northern Premier League
References