2023–24 Southern Combination Football League
The 2023–24 Southern Combination Football League season was the 99th in the history of the competition, which lies at levels 9, 10 and 11 (steps 5 and 6, and county feeder) of the English football league system.[1]
The constitution was announced on 15 May 2023.[2] Starting this season, the Premier Division (Step 5) in the league promotes two clubs; one as champions and one via a four-team play-off. This replaced the previous inter-step play-off system. For this season only, there was only one club relegated from the division.[3]
Premier Division
The Premier Division comprised 20 clubs from the previous season, 17 of which competed in the previous season
Team changes
Promoted from Division One Transferred from Wessex Football League Premier Division Relegated from the Isthmian League South East Division |
Promoted to the Isthmian League South East Division Relegated to Division One
|
League table
Season | 2023–24 |
---|---|
Dates | 29 July 2023 – 5 May 2024 |
Champions | Steyning Town (23 January 2024) |
Total attendance | 60,750 |
Average attendance | 162.0 |
← 2022–23 → |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Steyning Town (C, P)
|
38 | 27 | 7 | 4 | 119 | 36 | +83 | 88 | Promotion to the Isthmian League |
2 | Eastbourne Town (O, P) | 38 | 26 | 4 | 8 | 71 | 31 | +40 | 82 | Qualified for the play-offs, then promoted to Isthmian League |
3 | Crowborough Athletic | 38 | 25 | 6 | 7 | 81 | 36 | +45 | 81 | Qualification for the play-offs |
4 | Newhaven | 38 | 23 | 10 | 5 | 99 | 55 | +44 | 79 | |
5 | Hassocks | 38 | 24 | 6 | 8 | 87 | 42 | +45 | 78 | |
6 | Eastbourne United Association
|
38 | 20 | 12 | 6 | 67 | 40 | +27 | 72 | |
7 | Haywards Heath Town | 38 | 23 | 6 | 9 | 90 | 45 | +45 | 69[a] | |
8 | Peacehaven & Telscombe | 38 | 18 | 7 | 13 | 62 | 42 | +20 | 61 | |
9 | Crawley Down Gatwick | 38 | 19 | 3 | 16 | 86 | 63 | +23 | 60 | |
10 | Midhurst & Easebourne | 38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 75 | 74 | +1 | 59 | |
11 | Lingfield | 38 | 13 | 8 | 17 | 57 | 65 | −8 | 47 | |
12 | Little Common | 38 | 14 | 4 | 20 | 63 | 82 | −19 | 46 | |
13 | Pagham | 38 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 59 | 64 | −5 | 44 | |
14 | Horsham YMCA | 38 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 48 | 69 | −21 | 42 | |
15 | Shoreham | 38 | 9 | 9 | 20 | 53 | 94 | −41 | 36 | |
16 | Loxwood | 38 | 7 | 9 | 22 | 46 | 87 | −41 | 30 | |
17 | AFC Varndeanians | 38 | 7 | 4 | 27 | 32 | 95 | −63 | 25 | |
18 | Bexhill United | 38 | 6 | 9 | 23 | 57 | 89 | −32 | 24[b] | |
19 | Saltdean United | 38 | 6 | 5 | 27 | 44 | 94 | −50 | 23 | |
20 | AFC Uckfield Town (R) | 38 | 3 | 5 | 30 | 34 | 127 | −93 | 14 | Relegation to Division One |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[4]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Play-offs
Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
2 | Eastbourne Town | 2 | |||||||
5 | Hassocks | 0 | |||||||
2 | Eastbourne Town | 2 | |||||||
4 | Newhaven | 0 | |||||||
3 | Crowborough Athletic | 1(4) | |||||||
4 | Newhaven | 1(5) |
Semi-finals
30 April 2024 | Eastbourne Town | 2–0 | Hassocks | Eastbourne |
19:45 |
|
Report | Stadium: The Saffrons Attendance: 604 Referee: Tazlim Ali |
30 April 2024 | Crowborough Athletic | 1–1 (4–5 p) | Newhaven | Crowborough |
19:45 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Alderbrook Attendance: 543 Referee: Simon Faires |
Final
5 May 2024 | Eastbourne Town | 2-0 | Newhaven | Eastbourne |
15:00 |
|
Report | Stadium: The Saffrons Attendance: 1131 Referee: Greig Walker |
Results table
Results by matchday
W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Top scorers
Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Oli Lesley | Crawley Down Gatwick | 29 |
2 | Alfie Rogers | Newhaven | 27 |
3 | Lewis Rustell | Midhurst & Easebourne | 25 |
4 | Callum Barlow | Eastbourne United Association
|
24 |
Daniel Simmonds | Pagham | ||
6 | Jack Shonk | Bexhill United | 22 |
7 | Thomas Chalaye | Steyning Town
|
18 |
Harry Shooman | Steyning Town
| ||
Hayden Skerry | Haywards Heath Town | ||
10 | Liam Benson | Haywards Heath Town (previously Hassocks) | 16 |