2023–24 Western Football League

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Western Football League
Season2023–24
ChampionsHelston Athletic
PromotedHelston Athletic

The 2023–24 Western Football League season (known as the 2023–24 Toolstation Western Football League for sponsorship reasons) is the 122nd in the history of the Western Football League, a football competition in England. Teams are divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.

The constitution was announced on 15 May 2023.[1] Starting this season, the Premier Division (step 5) will promote two clubs; one as champions and one via a four-team play-off. This replaces the previous inter-step play-off system. For this season only, there will be only one club relegated from the Premier Division.[2]

Premier Division

The Premier Division was reduced to 18 clubs from 20 after Mousehole were promoted to the Southern League South Division; Sherborne Town were transferred to the Wessex League; Cadbury Heath took voluntary demotion to Division One, Keynsham Town were relegated to Division One, and Ashton & Backwell United and Bitton resigned from the league.

Mangotsfield United were initially transferred from the Hellenic League Premier Division, but were moved back after the resignation of Shrivenham from that league.

Four new clubs joined the division.

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Helston Athletic (C, P) 34 25 5 4 104 30 +74 80 Promotion to the Southern League
2 Falmouth Town (Q) 34 24 4 6 80 25 +55 76 Qualification for the play-offs
3 Bridgwater United (Q) 34 23 3 8 99 48 +51 72
4 Clevedon Town (Q) 34 21 7 6 70 26 +44 70
5 Barnstaple Town (Q) 34 19 10 5 84 44 +40 67
6 Buckland Athletic 34 18 7 9 88 53 +35 61
7 Shepton Mallet 34 18 6 10 63 46 +17 60
8 Brixham 33 14 10 9 69 36 +33 55[a]
9 Torpoint Athletic 34 13 6 15 51 59 −8 45
10 Nailsea & Tickenham 33 13 4 16 64 61 +3 43
11
Ilfracombe Town
 33 9 10 14 53 64 −11 37
12 Saltash United 33 10 5 18 54 63 −9 35
13 St Blazey 31 10 5 16 47 63 −16 35
14 Street 34 9 7 18 53 75 −22 34
15 Wellington 34 8 8 18 43 81 −38 32
16 Welton Rovers 33 4 8 21 37 95 −58 17[b]
17 Oldland Abbotonians 32 5 2 25 34 92 −58 17
18 Millbrook 30 2 1 27 16 148 −132 7 Relegation to step 6
Updated to match(es) played on 16:29, 27 April 2024 (UTC). Source: Toolstation Western League.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated
Notes:
  1. ^ Brixham were awarded three points
  2. ^ Welton Rovers had three points deducted

Promotion playoffs

Semi-finals Final
      
2 Falmouth Town
5 Barnstaple Town
 
 
3 Bridgwater United
4 Clevedon Town

First Division

The First Division remained at 22 clubs after Nailsea & Tickenham and Oldland Abbotonians were promoted to the Premier Division; Bishops Lydeard were transferred to the South West Peninsula League Premier Division East, FC Bristol and Tytherington Rocks were transferred to the Hellenic League Division One, and Almondsbury were relegated.

Six new clubs joined:

  • From the Premier Division:
  • Reserve and development teams are not eligible for promotion to step 5, or the playoffs. Bitton are also ineligible, due to their resignation from the Premier Division last season.
  • A reprieve for the club finishing 20th is likely due to movements elsewhere in the pyramid, and a reprieve for the club finishing 21st is possible depending on PPG. A reprieve for the bottom club is unlikely.

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Portishead Town (C, P) 42 31 6 5 122 29 +93 99 Promoted to the Premier Division
2 Radstock Town (Q) 42 28 7 7 100 45 +55 91 Qualification for the play-offs
3 Bitton 42 27 8 7 100 49 +51 89
4 Wincanton Town (Q) 42 27 4 11 103 75 +28 85 Qualification for the play-offs
5 Wells City (Q) 42 27 3 12 100 59 +41 84
6 Cribbs Reserves 42 27 5 10 105 60 +45 83[a]
7 Brislington (Q) 42 25 5 12 125 54 +71 80 Qualification for the play-offs
8 Bradford Town 41 18 11 12 84 62 +22 65
9 AEK Boco 42 19 8 15 71 54 +17 65
10 Bristol Telephones 42 19 6 17 71 83 −12 63
11 Hallen 40 18 8 14 72 63 +9 62
12 Longwell Green Sports 42 18 5 19 85 88 −3 59
13 Middlezoy Rovers 41 18 2 21 76 85 −9 56
14 Cadbury Heath 42 17 4 21 84 70 +14 55
15 Odd Down 42 13 7 22 67 108 −41 46
16 Shirehampton 41 12 7 22 70 82 −12 43
17 Hengrove Athletic 41 12 7 22 59 84 −25 43
18 Keynsham Town 42 13 4 25 89 116 −27 43
19 Warminster Town 42 10 7 25 64 106 −42 37
20 Gillingham Town (R) 42 10 4 28 58 117 −59 34 Possible relegation to
feeder leagues
21 Cheddar (R) 40 8 1 31 53 105 −52 25
22 Bishop Sutton (R) 42 0 3 39 18 182 −164 3
Updated to match(es) played on 16:37, 27 April 2024 (UTC). Source: Toolstation Western League.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Cribbs Reserves had three points deducted

Promotion playoffs

Semi-finals Final
      
2 Radstock Town
7 Brislington
 
 
4 Wincanton Town
5 Wells City

Les Phillips Cup

The 2023–24 Les Phillips Cup was the cup competition of the whole Western Football League.

2022–23
season.

First round

16 clubs participated in the first round.

Tie
(Tier) Home team
Score
Away team (Tier)
 Att.
1 Cheddar (D1) 2–4 Barnstaple Town (PD) 88
2 Clevedon Town (PD) 0–3 Bridgwater United (PD)
3 Hengrove Athletic (D1) 5–2
Bishop Sutton
(D1)
4 Hallen (D1) 1–0 Welton Rovers (PD)
5 Warminster Town (D1) 2–4 Street (PD)
6 Cadbury Heath (PD) 1–2 Longwell Green Sports (D1)
7 Brislington (D1) 0–4 AEK Boco (D1)
8 Cribbs Reserves (D1) 3–0 Bristol Telephones (D1)

Second round

The 8 clubs who made it through the first round were joined in the draw by 24 clubs who received a bye to the second round, making 32 clubs.

Tie
(Tier) Home team
Score
Away team (Tier)
 Att.
1
Falmouth Town
(PD)		 0–2 Helston Athletic (PD)
2 Millbrook (PD) 1–6 Brixham (PD)
3 Buckland Athletic (PD) 0–0 (4–3 p) Torpoint Athletic (PD)
4 St Blazey (PD) 1–5 Saltash United (PD)
5 Wellington (PD) 2–3
Ilfracombe Town
 (PD)
6 Portishead Town (D1) 1–3 Bridgwater United (PD)
7 Middlezoy Rovers (D1) 1–1 (4–1 p) Radstock Town (D1)
8 Nailsea & Tickenham (PD) 0–4 Barnstaple Town (PD)
9 Bitton (D1) 3–2 Gillingham Town (D1)
10 Wincanton Town (D1) 6–0 Hallen (D1)
11 Hengrove Athletic (D1) 1–2 Shepton Mallet (PD)
12 Wells City (D1) 1–1 (4–3 p) Street (PD)
13 Odd Down (D1) 3–1 Longwell Green Sports (D1)
14 Bradford Town (D1) 2–0 Oldland Abbotonians (PD)
15 Cribbs Reserves (D1) 0–0 (4–3 p) AEK Boco (D1)
16 Keynsham Town (D1) 4–9 Shirehampton (D1)

Third round

Tie
(Tier) Home team
Score
Away team (Tier)
 Att.
1 Brixham (PD) 1–1 (2–3 p) Buckland Athletic (PD)
2 Saltash United (PD) 1–2 Helston Athletic (PD)
3 Bridgwater United (PD) 1–1 (4–2 p)
Ilfracombe Town
(PD)
4 Middlezoy Rovers (D1) 2–2 (7–8 p) Barnstaple Town (PD)
5 Wincanton Town (D1) 0–6 Shepton Mallet (PD)
6 Bitton (D1) 0–2 Wells City (D1)
7 Cribbs Reserves (D1) 4–4 (4–2 p) Odd Down (D1)
8 Bradford Town (D1) 1–4 Shirehampton (D1)

Quarter-finals

Tie
(Tier) Home team
Score
Away team (Tier)
 Att.
1 Helston Athletic (PD) 3–2 Buckland Athletic (PD)
2 Bridgwater United (PD) 1–4 Barnstaple Town (PD)
3 Shepton Mallet (PD) 2–0 Wells City (D1)
4 Cribbs Reserves (D1) 3–4 Shirehampton (D1) 57

Semi-finals

Tie
(Tier) Home team
Score
Away team (Tier)
 Att.
1 Barnstaple Town (PD) 3–2 Helston Athletic (PD)
2 Shepton Mallet (PD) 6–1 Shirehampton (D1)

Final

12 May 2024 Shepton Mallet (PD) v Barnstaple Town (PD) Ladysmead, Tiverton
15:00

References

  1. ^ "REVEALED: Club allocations 2023-24 announced by The FA". The Non-League Football Paper. 15 May 2023.
  2. ^ "STEP 5 TO 4 PROMOTION/RELEGATION UPDATE". The FA. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.

External links

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