Conference South (currently billed as Blue Square South for sponsorship reasons) is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference North it is at the second level of the National League System, and at the sixth tier overall of the English football league system.
| Founded | 2004 |
|---|---|
| Country |  England,  Wales |
| Number of teams | 22 |
| Level on pyramid | 6 |
| Promotion to | Conference National |
| Relegation to | Isthmian League Premier Division Southern League Premier Division |
| Domestic cup(s) | FA Cup FA Trophy Conference League Cup |
| Current champions | AFC Wimbledon (2008–09) |
| Website | Conference |
| Current: Football Conference 2009–10 | |
The Conference South was introduced in 2004 as part of a major restructuring of English non-League football. The champions are automatically promoted to Conference National. A second promotion place goes to the winners of play-offs involving the teams finishing in second to fifth place. The three bottom clubs are relegated to Step 3 leagues.
In an agreement with Setanta Sports, some Conference South matches were to be broadcast live on the Setanta Sports channels. Setanta also re-instated the Conference League Cup, under the name of the Setanta Shield. On June 23, 2009, Setanta entered administration; this will likely terminate the agreement. Conference South teams were expected to receive a minimum of £15,000 per year under the agreement and this is expected to end.[1]
From the 2007-08 season it has been known as Blue Square South.
Conference South clubs, 2009-10
| Club |
Finishing position 2008-09 |
|---|---|
| Basingstoke Town | 18th |
| Bath City | 7th |
| Bishop's Stortford | 9th |
| Braintree Town | 14th |
| Bromley | 13th |
| Chelmsford City | 5th |
| Dorchester Town | 19th |
| Dover Athletic | 1st in Isthmian League Premier Division |
| Eastleigh | 3rd |
| Hampton & Richmond Borough | 2nd |
| Havant & Waterlooville | 15th |
| Lewes | 24th in Conference National |
| Maidenhead United | 6th |
| Newport County | 10th |
| St Albans City | 12th |
| Staines Town | 2nd in Isthmian League Premier Division |
| Thurrock | 20th |
| Welling United | 8th |
| Weston-super-Mare | 17th |
| Weymouth | 23rd in Conference National |
| Woking | 21st in Conference National |
| Worcester City | 16th |
Past Conference South winners
| Season | Winner | Playoff Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2004-05 | Grays Athletic | Eastbourne Borough |
| 2005-06 | Weymouth | St Albans City |
| 2006-07 | Histon | Salisbury City |
| 2007-08 | Lewes | Eastbourne Borough |
| 2008-09 | AFC Wimbledon | Hayes & Yeading United |
Records
- Biggest home win: 7 - Bognor Regis Town 8 Maidenhead United 1, 08.11.2005 & Bromley 8 Thurrock 1, 26.12.2007
- Biggest away win: 7 - Dorchester Town 0 Grays Athletic 7, 23.10.2004
- Highest scoring match: 11 - Bognor Regis Town 6 Welling United 5, 11.09.2004
- Consecutive wins: 10 - Weymouth, 2005/06 & Hayes & Yeading United, 2008/09
- Consecutive games unbeaten: 20 - Eastbourne Borough, 2007/08 & Newport County, 2008/09-2009/10 & Newport County, 2009/10
- Highest attendance: 5,022 - Weymouth vs. St Albans City, 17.04.2006
- Highest average attendance: 3,219 - AFC Wimbledon, 2008/09
- Most wins in a season: 30 - Grays Athletic, 2004/05 & Weymouth, 2005/06
- Fewest defeats in a season: 4 - Grays Athletic, 2004/05
- Most goals scored in a season: 118 - Grays Athletic, 2004/05
- Fewest goals conceded in a season: 31 - Grays Athletic, 2004/05
- Most clean sheets in a season: 20 - St. Albans City, 2005/06 & Newport County, 2009/10
- Most points in a season: 98 - Grays Athletic, 2004/05
- Most individual goals in a season: 33 - Jon Main, AFC Wimbledon, 2008/09
- Most individual goals in a game: 6 - Mitchell Bryant, Basingstoke Town, 13.02.2010 (at Weymouth)
Notes and references
- ^ Setanta blow for Town., Blackpool Gazette, June 25, 2009
External links
Template:Fb start Template:Conference South teamlist Template:English football league system cells