1898–99 Western Football League

Western Football League
Season1898–99
ChampionsSwindon Town (Division One)
Staple Hill (Division Two)

The 1898–99 season was the seventh in the history of the Western Football League.

For this season the league was restructured again after many clubs left the league. The Professional Section of last season was renamed Division One, and the two-division Amateur Section became one single division, Division Two.

Swindon Town were the champions of Division One, and also competed in the Southern League during this season, along with Southampton and Bedminster. Trowbridge Town and multiple champions Warmley also competed in both leagues, but both clubs disbanded during the season. The Division Two champions for the first time were Staple Hill.[1]

Division One

Two new clubs joined Division One, which was reduced to seven clubs from eight after Bristol City, Reading and Eastleigh left.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Result
1 Swindon Town 8 5 1 2 16 10 1.600 11
2 Bristol St George 8 4 1 3 18 15 1.200 9 Left at the end of the season
3 Southampton 8 4 0 4 18 16 1.125 8 Left to concentrate on the Southern League Division One
4 Bristol Eastville Rovers 8 2 2 4 14 18 0.778 6
5 Bedminster 8 2 2 4 9 16 0.563 6
6 Warmley 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 Resigned, record expunged[a]
7 Trowbridge Town 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0
Source:[citation needed]
Notes:
  1. ^ Trowbridge Town (October 1898) and Warmley (January 1899) resigned during the season, and their records were expunged. Trowbridge's record had been P5 W0 D0 L5 GF4 GA18 Pts0 and Warmley's was P5 W2 D0 L3 GF6 GA15 Pts4[1]

Division Two (Amateur)

This eight-club division was a merger of the old Amateur Section Divisions One and Two, containing the surviving clubs from both divisions, plus two new clubs:

  • Bristol Amateurs
  • Mount Hill

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Result
1 Staple Hill 14 11 1 2 55 15 3.667 23[a]
2 Fishponds 14 10 2 2 42 15 2.800 22
3 Mount Hill 14 5 3 6 31 28 1.107 13 Left at the end of the season
4 Midsomer Norton 14 6 3 5 20 32 0.625 13[b] Left to concentrate on the Somerset Senior League
5 Bristol Amateurs 14 5 2 7 31 41 0.756 12 Left at the end of the season
6 Hanham 14 4 3 7 16 28 0.571 11
7 Barton Hill 14 4 1 9 14 31 0.452 9
8 Cotham 14 2 3 9 22 41 0.537 7
Source:[citation needed]
Rules for classification: The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up to and including the 1976–77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.
Notes:
  1. ^ The tables as published at the time contained errors, hence the totals do not balance in some columns.[1]
  2. ^ 2 points deducted?

References

  1. ^ a b c Robinson, Michael (ed.), Non-League Football Tables 1889–2006, Soccer Books, 2006