1922–23 Southern Football League

The 1922–23 season was the 25th in the history of the Southern League. The league was split into two sections for a third season in a row, one for English clubs and one for Welsh clubs.^[1] Bristol City reserves won the English section, whilst Ebbw Vale won the Welsh section. Ebbw Vale were declared Southern League champions after beating Bristol City reserves 2–1 in a championship play-off.^[2] Boscombe, Pontypridd and Torquay United were the only Southern League clubs to apply for election to the Football League, with Boscombe being successful.^[3] The club was renamed Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic the following year.

Following to the mid-season resignation of four clubs in the Welsh section due to financial problems and Porth Athletic leaving the league at the end of the season, the following season saw the English section renamed the Eastern Division and the Welsh section renamed the Western Division, with eight clubs transferring from the English section to the Western section.

English section

Southern Football League English Section

Season	1922–23
Champions	Bristol City II
Promoted	Boscombe
Relegated	Southend United II (resigned)
Matches played	380
Goals scored	1,228 (3.23 per match)
← 1921–22 1923–24 →

A total of 20 clubs contest the division, including 17 sides from previous season and three new clubs.

Newly elected clubs:

• Torquay United (from the Western League)
• Yeovil & Petters United (from the Western League, although they continued to play in the Western League as well until World War II)
• Coventry City II (from the Birmingham & District League)

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GR	Pts	Qualification
1	Bristol City II	38	24	5	9	84	39	2.154	53	Transferred to Western Division
2	Boscombe	38	22	7	9	67	34	1.971	51	Elected to the Football League Third Division South
3	Portsmouth II	38	23	3	12	93	51	1.824	49	Transferred to Eastern Division
4	Bristol Rovers II	38	20	8	10	59	41	1.439	48	Transferred to Western Division
5	Plymouth Argyle II	38	20	7	11	74	41	1.805	47
6	Torquay United	38	18	8	12	63	38	1.658	44
7	Brighton & Hove Albion II	38	20	3	15	95	60	1.583	43	Transferred to Eastern Division
8	Luton Town II	38	16	11	11	67	56	1.196	43
9	Southend United II	38	18	6	14	69	68	1.015	42	Left league at end of season
10	Southampton II	38	18	5	15	65	54	1.204	41	Transferred to Eastern Division
11	Millwall II	38	15	10	13	61	55	1.109	40
12	Coventry City II	38	15	8	15	56	61	0.918	38
13	Guildford United	38	15	7	16	65	59	1.102	37
14	Swindon Town II	38	13	6	19	54	73	0.740	32	Transferred to Western Division
15	Bath City	38	10	8	20	44	71	0.620	28
16	Watford II	38	11	6	21	34	79	0.430	28	Transferred to Eastern Division
17	Yeovil & Petters United	38	10	6	22	56	104	0.538	26	Transferred to Western Division
18	Norwich City II	38	9	7	22	42	68	0.618	25	Transferred to Eastern Division
19	Exeter City II	38	10	5	23	43	81	0.531	25	Transferred to Western Division
20	Reading II	38	7	6	25	37	95	0.389	20	Transferred to Eastern Division

Source: ^{[citation needed]}
Rules for classification: The system of using goal average to separate two clubs tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.

Welsh section

Southern Football League Welsh Section

Season	1922–23
Champions	Ebbw Vale (1st title)
Promoted	none
Relegated	Porth Athletic (resigned) Ton Pentre (resigned) Mardy (resigned) Caerphilly (resigned) Abertillery (resigned)
Matches played	42
Goals scored	133 (3.17 per match)
← 1921–22 1923–24 →

A total of 11 clubs contest the division, including nine sides from previous season and two new clubs.

Newly elected clubs:

• Bridgend Town
• Caerphilly

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GR	Pts	Result
1	Ebbw Vale	12	6	5	1	22	15	1.467	17	Transferred to Western Division
2	Aberaman Athletic	12	7	2	3	30	19	1.579	16
3	Swansea Town II	12	6	2	4	25	14	1.786	14
4	Pontypridd	12	6	2	4	18	18	1.000	14
5	Barry	12	4	3	5	15	11	1.364	11
6	Bridgend Town	12	4	2	6	15	21	0.714	10
7	Porth Athletic	12	0	2	10	8	35	0.229	2	Left league at end of season
8	Abertillery	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	0	Resigned from league in January, records expunged
9	Caerphilly	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	0
10	Mardy	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	0
11	Ton Pentre	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	0

Source: ^{[citation needed]}
Rules for classification: The system of using goal average to separate two clubs tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.

Football League election

In addition to the two clubs finishing bottom of Football League Third Division South, four non-League clubs joined the election process, of which three were from the Southern League. Boscombe from the English section were successful and joined the League the following season.

Club	League	Votes
Aberdare Athletic	Football League Third Division South	45
Newport County	Football League Third Division South	45
Boscombe	Southern League	28
Llanelly	Welsh National League (South)	9
Pontypridd	Southern League	8
Torquay United	Southern League	0

References

1. England – Southern League Final Tables RSSSF
2. Ebbw Vale at the Football Club History Database
3. A history of admission to the Football League