Football league season
The 2020–21 Southern Combination Football League season was the 96th in the history of the competition, which lies at levels 9 and 10 of the English football league system.[1] This season also marked 100 years since the league was first formed, with Eastbourne Town, Newhaven and Shoreham being the only teams still in the league to have played in the first season.
The club allocations for Steps 5 and 6 were announced by The Football Association (The FA) for the 2020–21 season on 21 July 2020[2] and remained unchanged after the 2019–20 season was abandoned on 26 March due to the coronavirus pandemic.[3]
On 18 July 2020 the FA released a statement that football would provisionally start on 5 September subject to spectators being able to watch games. With the FA Cup qualifying rounds starting from 1 September as midweek games to bring it in line with a November start for the First Round proper.[4] The League Cup and the Sussex RUR Cup were cancelled this season with the main focus being the league season completed. Only the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup was to be played during the season.
Covid–19 impact
The season was briefly paused between Thursday 5 November and 2 December 2020 as the UK Government imposed a four-week lockdown on non-elite sports across England. With the lockdown ending the Counties of Sussex and Surrey were placed in Tier 2 and clubs held a vote with the league whether to recommence the season. The league restarted with Division Two recommencing on Saturday 5 December and the Premier and Division One recommencing on Tuesday 8 December.
On Saturday 20 December, the UK Government announced that parts of the Sussex and Surrey would be placed in a new Tier 4. With Alfold, Bexhill United and Horley Town being in that tier, players and fans living in the Tier 4 area were not allowed to travel; the SCFL decided to again pause the season on 22 December with a review whether to re-start the season on 9 January 2021 which later resulted in a suspension until further notice.
On 24 February 2021, the FA Alliance and Leagues committees announced that the 2020–21 would be curtailed, subject to ratification by The FA, with immediate effect.[7]
On 18 March, the Southern Combination League committee announced a supplementary cup competition to provide competitive football for their teams. Premier and Division One teams started on 10 April with Division Two teams kicked off earlier, on 3 April. The winners of each group then entered a semi-final and the final was played on or after 17 May.
Promotion, relegation and restructuring
The scheduled restructuring of non-League football took place at the end of the season. Promotions from Steps 5 to 4 and 6 to 5 were based on points per game across all matches over the two abandoned seasons (2019–20 and 2020–21), while teams were promoted to Step 6 on the basis of a subjective application process.[9]
Premier Division
Football league season
The Premier Division consisted of 20 clubs, the same as last season.
Premier Division table at time of curtailment
Source: FA Full-Time SCFL Premier table
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[12]
(P) Promoted
Notes:
- ^ Lancing promoted based on points per game calculations from 2019–20 & 2020–21 seasons combined.
- ^ Langney Wanderers withdrew from the league after the season was curtailed.[11]
Results table
Source: FA Full-Time SCFL Fixtures and Results
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Results by matchday
Source: FA Full-Time SCFL
W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Position by matchday
Source: FA Full-Time SCFL
Top scorers
Correct as of 24 February 2021[13]
Stadia and locations
Map showing the location of teams in the Premier Division
- ^ Langney Wanderers unable to play at Shinewater Lane as the ground does not meet league requirements.
- ^ Little Common unable to play at The Recreation Ground (Bexhill) as the ground does not meet league requirements.[14]
Division One
Football league season
Division One was reduced from 18 clubs to 16 after Sidlesham resigned during the previous season and Southwick were demoted into the Mid Sussex Football League.
Division One table at time of curtailment
Source: FA Full-Time Division 1 Table
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[12]
(P) Promoted
Results table
Source: FA Full-Time SCFL Fixtures and Results
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Results by matchday
Source: FA Full-Time SCFL Division 1
W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Top scorers
Correct until 24 February 2021[15]
Stadia and locations
Map showing the location of teams in Division 1
Division Two
Football league season
Division Two was reduced from 15 teams to 14 after Cowfold resigned from the league last season[16] and Angmering Village transferred to the West Sussex Football League and featured one new club:
Promotion from this division depended on ground grading as well as league position.
League table
Source: FA Full-Time SCFL Division 2 Table
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Notes:
- ^ Montpelier Villa promoted based on points per game calculations from 2019–20 & 2020–21 seasons combined.
Results table
Source: SCFL Fixtures and Results
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Results by matchday
Source: SCFL
W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Top scorers
Stadia and locations
Map showing the location of teams in Division 2
Supplementry Shield
Premier Division
Group A
Source: SCFL
Group B
Source: SCFL
Group C
Source: SCFL
Group D
Source: SCFL
semi-final
Final
Division One
Group A
Source: SCFL
Group B
Source: SCFL
Group C
Source: SCFL
semi-final
Final
Division Two
Group A
Source: SCFL
Group B
Source: SCFL
semi-final
Final
References
- ^ "Southern Combination Football League". scfl.org.uk. Archived from the original on 22 May 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
- ^ "THE NATIONAL LEAGUE SYSTEMS STEPS 3-6 ALLOCATIONS HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED FOR 2020-21". The FA. 21 July 2020.
- ^ "Coronavirus: All football below National League to end". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ^ "Football Association confirm NLP's prediction for September start!". The Non-League Paper. 18 July 2020.
- ^ "NLS Steps 3-6 update". Sussex FA. 24 February 2021.
- ^ "EXPLAINED: The 2021-22 Non-League restructure". The Non-League Paper. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
- ^ a b c "League Summary 2020/21". SCFL. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
- ^ "Langney withdraw from the SCFL". Langney Wanderers F.C. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ a b "The FA Handbook 2020/2021 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ "FA Full-Time Southern Combination Football League - Premier Division Top Goal Scorers". Retrieved 9 September 2020.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Simon Newstead (26 April 2019). "Little Common to continue playing in Eastbourne but hope to one day return home". Bexhill-on-Sea Observer. Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ "FA Full-Time Southern Combination Football League - Division One Top Goal Scorers". Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ "Cowfold FC Resign from Southern Combination Football League". West Sussex County Times. 16 October 2019.
External links
- Southern Combination Football League
