| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
← 2022–23 2024–25 → | |
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.
- Promoted from Division One:
- Promoted from the South West Peninsula League Premier Division East:
- Promoted from the South West Peninsula League Premier Division West:
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Helston Athletic | 15 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 59 | 16 | +43 | 35 | Promotion to Southern League |
| 2 | Bridgwater United | 15 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 50 | 22 | +28 | 34 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 3 | Clevedon Town | 13 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 10 | +23 | 33 | |
| 4 | Buckland Athletic | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 52 | 26 | +26 | 28 | |
| 5 | Brixham | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 40 | 17 | +23 | 28 | |
| 6 | Falmouth Town | 13 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 27 | 9 | +18 | 27 | |
| 7 | Torpoint Athletic | 16 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 28 | 27 | +1 | 25 | |
| 8 | Street | 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 32 | 29 | +3 | 23 | |
| 9 | Shepton Mallet | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 29 | 25 | +4 | 22 | |
| 10 | Barnstaple Town | 11 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 30 | 16 | +14 | 20 | |
| 11 | St Blazey | 17 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 28 | 33 | −5 | 20 | |
| 12 | Ilfracombe Town | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 21 | 22 | −1 | 18 | |
| 13 | Nailsea & Tickenham | 16 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 28 | 37 | −9 | 18 | |
| 14 | Welton Rovers | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 18 | 23 | −5 | 13 | |
| 15 | Oldland Abbotonians | 15 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 16 | 43 | −27 | 9 | |
| 16 | Saltash United | 15 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 20 | 38 | −18 | 8 | |
| 17 | Wellington | 16 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 51 | −36 | 8 | |
| 18 | Millbrook | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 85 | −82 | 0 | Relegation to step 6 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
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:
- Bitton (resigned mid-season and applied to join Division One this season)
- Cadbury Heath (voluntary demotion)
- Keynsham Town (relegation)
- Relegated from the Hellenic League Premier Division:
- Promoted from the Gloucestershire County League:
- Promoted from the Somerset County League:
- Reserve and development teams are not eligible for promotion to step 5, or the playoffs.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portishead Town | 21 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 61 | 13 | +48 | 54 | Promoted to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Radstock Town | 22 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 56 | 27 | +29 | 49 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 3 | Cribbs Reserves | 23 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 63 | 35 | +28 | 48 | |
| 4 | Brislington | 21 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 78 | 27 | +51 | 47 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 5 | Bitton | 22 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 53 | 31 | +22 | 43 | |
| 6 | Wincanton Town | 22 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 55 | 42 | +13 | 43 | |
| 7 | Bradford Town | 24 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 60 | 38 | +22 | 39 | |
| 8 | Bristol Telephones | 23 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 40 | 51 | −11 | 36 | |
| 9 | AEK Boco | 20 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 42 | 26 | +16 | 32 | |
| 10 | Wells City | 18 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 37 | 27 | +10 | 32 | |
| 11 | Middlezoy Rovers | 22 | 10 | 2 | 10 | 47 | 46 | +1 | 32 | |
| 12 | Cadbury Heath | 21 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 48 | 39 | +9 | 31 | |
| 13 | Longwell Green Sports | 22 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 42 | 50 | −8 | 30 | |
| 14 | Odd Down | 23 | 9 | 2 | 12 | 48 | 67 | −19 | 29 | |
| 15 | Hallen | 23 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 34 | 37 | −3 | 27 | |
| 16 | Shirehampton | 23 | 8 | 3 | 12 | 46 | 53 | −7 | 27 | |
| 17 | Warminster Town | 20 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 40 | 49 | −9 | 21 | |
| 18 | Gillingham Town | 20 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 34 | 53 | −19 | 19 | |
| 19 | Hengrove Athletic | 22 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 38 | 59 | −21 | 19 | |
| 20 | Keynsham Town | 21 | 5 | 1 | 15 | 42 | 72 | −30 | 16 | Possible relegation to feeder leagues |
| 21 | Cheddar | 22 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 31 | 65 | −34 | 10 | |
| 22 | Bishop Sutton | 23 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 13 | 101 | −88 | 2 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Les Phillips Cup
The 2023–24 Les Phillips Cup was the cup competition of the whole Western Football League.
Helston Athletic were defending champions, having beaten Shepton Mallet in the 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) | – | Wells City (D1) | |
| 7 | Cribbs Reserves (D1) | – | Odd Down (D1) | |
| 8 | Shirehampton (D1) | – | Bradford Town (D1) |
References
- ↑ "REVEALED: Club allocations 2023-24 announced by The FA". The Non-League Football Paper. 15 May 2023.
- ↑ "STEP 5 TO 4 PROMOTION/RELEGATION UPDATE". The FA. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.