Wikipedia

National League South

(Redirected from Conference South)

The National League South is a professional Association football league in England. National League South is the second division of the National Leagues and step 2 of the NLS and sixth-highest tier overall in the English football league system, after the Premier League, the EFL leagues and the National League and is contested by 24 clubs.

National League South
Founded2004
CountryEngland
Number of clubs24
Level on pyramid6
Step 2 (National League System)
Promotion toNational League
Relegation toIsthmian League Premier Division
Southern Football League Premier Division Central or South
Domestic cup(s)FA Cup
FA Trophy
International cup(s)Europa League
(via FA Cup)
Current championsWorthing (1st title)
(2025-26)
Most championships21 Teams (1 title)
Top scorerShaun Jeffers (129)
WebsiteNational League
Current: 2025–26 National League South

National League South includes teams from the South East, London, and the South West, as well as teams from Essex. The National League South was introduced in 2004 as part of a major restructuring of the National League System. Each year the champion of the league is automatically promoted to the National League. A second promotion place goes to the winner of a play-off involving the teams finishing in second to seventh place (expanded from four to six teams in the 2017–18 season).[1] The three bottom clubs were relegated to Step 3 leagues.

Current member clubs, 2025–26

edit

The current member clubs for the 2025–26 season are as follows:

Division of Level 6 teams by English Counties (2022–23)
Club Finishing position 2024–25
AFC Totton2nd in Southern League (promoted)
Bath City15th
Chelmsford City11th
Chesham United13th
Chippenham Town14th
Dagenham & Redbridge21st in National League (relegated)
Dorking Wanderers6th
Dover Athletic5th in Isthmian League (promoted)
Eastbourne Borough3rd
Ebbsfleet United24th in National League (relegated)
Enfield Town19th
Farnborough10th
Hampton & Richmond Borough18th
Hemel Hempstead Town12th
Hornchurch9th
Horsham1st in Isthmian League (promoted)
Maidenhead United22nd in National League (relegated)
Maidstone United7th
Salisbury20th
Slough Town16th
Tonbridge Angels17th
Torquay United2nd
Weston-super-Mare8th
Worthing4th

Current league stadiums 2025–26

edit
Locations of the National League South 2025–26 teams (Greater London and environ clubs)

The stadiums of all teams in the league for the 2025–26 season are listed below in capacity order:

Home club Stadium name Capacity
Bath CityTwerton Park8,840
FarnboroughCherrywood Road7,000
Dover AthleticCrabble Athletic Ground6,500
Torquay UnitedPlainmoor6,500
Dagenham & RedbridgeVictoria Road6,078
Chesham UnitedThe Meadow5,000
SalisburyRaymond McEnhill Stadium5,000
Ebbsfleet UnitedStonebridge Road4,800
Dorking WanderersMeadowbank Stadium4,250
Maidstone UnitedGallagher Stadium4,200
Eastbourne BoroughPriory Lane4,151
Maidenhead UnitedYork Road4,000
WorthingWoodside Road4,000
Hampton & Richmond BoroughBeveree Stadium3,500
HornchurchHornchurch Stadium3,500
Weston-super-MareWoodspring Stadium3,500
Hemel Hempstead TownVauxhall Road3,152
Chelmsford CityMelbourne Stadium3,502
Chippenham TownHardenhuish Park3,000
HorshamHop Oast Stadium3,000
Tonbridge AngelsLongmead Stadium3,000
AFC TottonTestwood Stadium3,000
Enfield TownQueen Elizabeth II Stadium2,500
Slough TownArbour Park2,000

Past winners

edit
SeasonWinnerPlayoff winner
2004–05Grays AthleticEastbourne Borough **
2005–06WeymouthSt Albans City
2006–07HistonSalisbury City
2007–08LewesEastbourne Borough
2008–09AFC WimbledonHayes & Yeading United
2009–10Newport CountyBath City
2010–11Braintree TownEbbsfleet United
2011–12WokingDartford
2012–13Welling UnitedSalisbury City
2013–14EastleighDover Athletic
2014–15BromleyBoreham Wood
2015–16Sutton UnitedMaidstone United
2016–17Maidenhead UnitedEbbsfleet United
2017–18Havant & WaterloovilleBraintree Town
2018–19Torquay UnitedWoking
2019–20WealdstoneWeymouth
2020–21None, season curtailed and voided
2021–22 Maidstone United Dorking Wanderers
2022–23 Ebbsfleet United Oxford City
2023–24 Yeovil Town Braintree Town
2024–25 Truro City Boreham Wood
2025–26 Worthing Hornchurch

** Not promoted. In 2004–05 only three promotion places were available to the Conference National. The third place was decided in a Playoff at Stoke City's Britannia Stadium, which Eastbourne lost 2–1 to the Conference North playoff winners, Altrincham.

Attendances

edit

As of the end of the 2025–26 season, the record for the highest average league attendance is 1,319. Torquay United hold the record for the highest club average attendance with 3,943,[2] having previously broken the record in the 2018–19 season with 2,551.[3]

Average and highest attendances
  Attendance broke the previous National League South record
SeasonLeague average attendanceHighest average
ClubAttendance
2012–13487Salisbury City886[4]
2013–14461Ebbsfleet United1,090[5]
2014–15521Bromley1,081[6]
2015–16[a]653Maidstone United2,222[8]
2016–17586Ebbsfleet United1,350[9]
2017–18551Dartford1,053[10]
2018–19877Torquay United2,551[3]
2019–20855Dulwich Hamlet2,200[11]
2020–21No attendances due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021–221,002Dulwich Hamlet2,712[12]
2022–23899Dulwich Hamlet2,464[13]
2023–241,205Yeovil Town3,916[14]
2024–25 1,226 Torquay United 3,943[2]
2025–261,319Torquay United3,509[15]
  1. ↑ Inaugural season of the National League South[7]

Records

edit
Biggest home win 8 – Maidenhead United 8–0 Truro City, 8 September 2012
Ebbsfleet United 8–0 Bishop's Stortford, 21 March 2017,
Dorking Wanderers 8-0 Havant and Waterlooville, 26 December 2021, Maidstone United 8-0 Enfield Town F.C., 24 February 2026
Biggest away win 7 – Dorchester Town 0–7 Grays Athletic, 23 October 2004
Highest scoring match 11 – Bognor Regis Town 6–5 Welling United, 11 September 2004
Bath City 7–4 Farnborough, 17 February 2015
Consecutive wins 12 – Welling United, 2012–13
Consecutive games unbeaten 25 – Sutton United, 2015–16
Most wins in a season 32 – Newport County 2009–10
Fewest wins in a season 4 – Dover Athletic 2023-24
Most defeats in a season 34 – Fisher Athletic 2008–09
Fewest defeats in a season 3 – Newport County 2009–10
Most draws in a season 18 – Hampton & Richmond Borough 2017–18
Fewest draws in a season 3 – Redbridge 2004–05
Eastleigh 2005–06
Fisher Athletic 2008–09
Most goals scored in a season 118 – Grays Athletic, 2004–05
Fewest goals scored in a season 22 – Fisher Athletic 2008–09
Most goals conceded in a season 103 – Weymouth 2009–10
Fewest goals conceded in a season 26 – Newport County, 2009–10
Most clean sheets in a season 23 – Newport County 2009–10 and Alexis André Jr. (Maidstone United) 2024-2025
Most points in a season 103 – Newport County 2009–10 & Ebbsfleet United 2022-23
Most individual goals in a season 44 – Dave Tarpey (Maidenhead United), 2016–17
Top goalscorer 129 – Shaun Jeffers (St Albans City, Chelmsford City, Hampton & Richmond Borough)[16]
Most individual goals in a game 6 – Mitchell Bryant, Weymouth 0–6 Basingstoke Town, 13 February 2010
Highest attendance 6,462 – Yeovil Town vs. Torquay United, 29 March 2024[17]
Highest average attendance 3,943 – Torquay United, 2024–25[18]
Lowest home attendance 52 out of 2,812 - Truro City vs. Torquay United, 1 January 2019 [19]
Highest away attendance 2,760 out of 2,812 - Truro City vs. Torquay United, 1 January 2019 [19]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ↑ "National League South 2017-18 Season Preview". Vanarama National League. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Vanarama National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2024-2025". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  3. 1 2 "National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2018-2019". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  4. ↑ "Blue Square Bet South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2012-2013". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  5. ↑ "Skrill South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2013-2014". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  6. ↑ "Vanarama Conference South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2014-2015". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  7. ↑ McVeigh, Niall (6 April 2015). "Football Conference to become National League in high-profile rebranding". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  8. ↑ "National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2015-2016". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  9. ↑ "National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2016-2017". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  10. ↑ "National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2017-2018". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  11. ↑ "Vanarama National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2019-2020". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  12. ↑ "Vanarama National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2021-2022". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  13. ↑ "Vanarama National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2022-2023". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  14. ↑ "Vanarama National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2023-2024". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  15. ↑ "Vanarama National League South – Average Attendances – Home Matches – 2025-2026". www.footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  16. ↑ "Top goalscorers in National League South history". Be Soccer. 15 April 2024.
  17. ↑ Hughes, Richard (30 March 2024). "Torquay United disappointment after defeat at Yeovil Town". Devon Live. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  18. ↑ "Vanarama National League South | Average Attendances | Home Matches". Football Web Pages. 13 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  19. 1 2 "Truro City v Torquay United: 2,760 'away' fans in 2,812 crowd at Plainmoor". BBC Sport. 1 January 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_League_South&oldid=1353330740"