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2008–09 Football Conference

 
Wikipedia: 2008–09 Football Conference
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Map of teams competing in the 2008-09 Conference National

The 2008-09 Football Conference season was the fifth season with the Conference consisting of three divisions, and the thirtieth season overall. The Conference covers the top two levels of Non-League football in England. The Conference National is the fifth highest level of the overall pyramid, whilst the Conference North and Conference South exist at the sixth level. The top team and the winner of the playoff of the National division were promoted to Football League Two, while the bottom four were relegated to the North or South divisions. The champions of the North and South divisions were promoted to the National division, alongside the play-off winners from each division. The bottom three in each of the North and South divisions were relegated to the premier divisions of the Northern Premier League, Isthmian League or Southern League. For sponsorship reasons, the Conference National is frequently referred to as the Blue Square Premier.

Contents

Conference National

For the start of the 2008-09 season, six new teams were playing in the Football Conference:

Eastbourne, Mansfield, Lewes and Wrexham appear in the Conference National for the first time, whilst Barrow return to the league after ten years. Kettering have three times been runners-up at this level and return to the league after an absence of five years. Altrincham remain in the Conference after a third consecutive reprieve from relegation, following Halifax Town's demotion for financial reasons.

P
 Team
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Promotion or relegation
1 Burton Albion  (C) (P) 46 27 7 12 81 52 +29 88 Promotion to League Two
2 Cambridge United 46 24 14 8 65 39 +26 86 Qualification to Conference National playoffs
3 Histon 46 23 14 9 78 48 +30 83
4 Torquay United  (P) 46 23 14 9 72 47 +25 83
5 Stevenage Borough 46 23 12 11 73 54 +19 81
6 Kidderminster Harriers 46 23 10 13 69 48 +21 79
7 Oxford United 46 24 10 12 72 51 +21 077*
8 Kettering Town 46 21 13 12 50 37 +13 76
9 Crawley Town 46 19 14 13 77 55 +22 070*
10 Wrexham 46 18 12 16 64 48 +16 66
11 Rushden & Diamonds 46 16 15 15 61 49 +12 63
12 Mansfield Town 46 19 9 18 57 55 +2 062*
13 Eastbourne Borough 46 18 6 22 58 70 −12 60
14 Ebbsfleet United 46 16 10 20 52 60 −8 58
15 Altrincham 46 15 11 20 49 66 −17 56
16 Salisbury City 46 14 13 19 54 64 −10 55
17 York City 46 11 19 16 47 51 −4 52
18 Forest Green Rovers 46 12 16 18 70 76 −6 52
19 Grays Athletic 46 14 10 22 44 64 −20 52
20 Barrow 46 12 15 19 51 65 −14 51
21 Woking  (R) 46 10 14 22 37 60 −23 44 Relegation to Conference North/Conference South
22 Northwich Victoria  (R) 46 11 10 25 56 75 −19 43
23 Weymouth  (R) 46 11 10 25 45 86 −41 43
24 Lewes  (R) 46 6 6 34 28 89 −61 24

Updated to games played on 26 April 2009
Source: Football Conference
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored.
* Mansfield deducted 4 points[1]; Oxford deducted 5 points[2]; Crawley Town deducted 1 point[3];
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (Q) = Qualified to respective phase of tournament; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.

Play-offs

  Semi-finals Final at Wembley Stadium
                     
5  Stevenage Borough 3 0 3  
2  Cambridge United 1 3 4  
    2  Cambridge United 0
  4  Torquay United 2
4  Torquay United 2 0 2
3  Histon 0 1 1  

Top goalscorers

Pos Player Team Goals
1 England Andrew Mangan Forest Green Rovers 26
2 England James Constable Oxford United 23
3 England Steve Morison Stevenage Borough 22
4 England Charlie Griffin Salisbury City 21
5 England Matthew Barnes-Homer Kidderminster Harriers 20
England Jack Midson Histon
7 England Greg Pearson Burton Albion 18
8 England Colin Little Altrincham 16
England Justin Richards Kidderminster Harriers
10 England Shaun Harrad Burton Albion 15
Dominica Jefferson Louis Wrexham
England Gareth Seddon Kettering Town
England Richard Brodie York City

Conference North

Droylsden, Stafford Rangers and Farsley Celtic, were all relegated to this league from the previous season's Conference National, Droylsden and Farsley having spent just one season in the higher league. Gateshead and Fleetwood Town have been promoted from the Northern Premier League Premier Division, Fleetwood reaching a new high eleven seasons after being re-formed following the bankruptcy of the original Fleetwood Town. King's Lynn were promoted to the league from the Southern League Premier Division. Both Boston United and Nuneaton Borough were expelled from the league for financial reasons, resulting in Vauxhall Motors relegation and Redditch United's transfer to the Conference South being cancelled.

P
 Team
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Tamworth  (C) (P) 42 24 13 5 70 41 +29 85 Promotion to Conference National
2 Gateshead  (P) 42 24 8 10 81 48 +33 80 Qualification to Conference North Playoffs
3 Alfreton Town 42 20 17 5 81 48 +33 77
4 A.F.C. Telford United 42 22 10 10 65 34 +31 76
5 Southport 42 21 13 8 63 36 +27 76
6 Stalybridge Celtic 42 20 10 12 71 50 +21 70
7 Droylsden 42 18 14 10 64 44 +20 68
8 Fleetwood Town 42 17 11 14 70 66 +4 62
9 Harrogate Town 42 17 10 15 66 57 +9 61
10 Hinckley United 42 16 9 17 56 59 −3 57
11 Vauxhall Motors 42 14 11 17 51 67 −16 53
12 Workington 42 13 12 17 54 55 −1 51
13 Gainsborough Trinity 42 12 14 16 57 63 −6 50
14 Redditch United 42 12 14 16 49 61 −12 50
15 Blyth Spartans 42 14 7 21 50 58 −8 49
16 Solihull Moors 42 13 10 19 49 73 −24 49
17 King's Lynn  (R) 42 10 18 14 50 60 −10 48 Relegation to Level 7
18 Stafford Rangers 42 12 12 18 41 56 −15 48
19 Farsley Celtic 42 14 5 23 58 65 −7 47
20 Hyde United 42 11 9 22 57 80 −23 42
21 Burscough  (R) 42 10 6 26 43 80 −37 36 Relegation to Level 7
22 Hucknall Town  (R) 42 5 13 24 39 84 −45 28

Updated to games played on 25 April 2009
Source: Football Conference
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored.
*King's Lynn demoted as their stadium does not meet the league standards[4]
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (Q) = Qualified to respective phase of tournament; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.

Playoffs

  Semifinals Final
                     
5  Southport 0 1 1  
2  Gateshead 1 1 2  
    2  Gateshead 1
  4  A.F.C. Telford United 0
4  A.F.C. Telford United 2 3 5
3  Alfreton Town 0 4 4  

Top goalscorers

Pos Player Team Goals
1 England Lee Novak Gateshead 26
2 England Gareth Sheldon Tamworth 23
3 England Adam Warlow Fleetwood Town 19
England Liam Hearn Alfreton Town
5 England Chris Simm Hyde United 18
6 England Paul Clayton Alfreton Town 17
7 Republic of Ireland Ciaran Kilheeney Southport 16
England Luke Beckett Gainsborough Trinity
9 England Gareth Arnison Workington 15
England Andy Brown A.F.C. Telford United

Conference South

No teams were relegated to the Conference South from the Conference National, so Worcester City were transferred in from the Conference North. The expulsion of two teams from the Conference North for financial reasons cancelled Redditch United's transfer between the two, and allowed Dorchester Town to remain in the Conference South. Chelmsford City and AFC Wimbledon have been promoted to the league from the Isthmian League Premier Division, whilst Team Bath have been promoted from the Southern League Premier Division. All four clubs are thus new to the Conference South.

P
 Team
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 AFC Wimbledon  (C) (P) 42 26 10 6 86 36 +50 88 Promotion to Conference National
2 Hampton & Richmond Borough 42 25 10 7 74 37 +37 85 Qualification to Conference South Playoffs
3 Eastleigh 42 25 8 9 69 49 +20 83
4 Hayes & Yeading United  (P) 42 24 9 9 74 43 +31 81
5 Chelmsford City 42 23 8 11 72 52 +20 77
6 Maidenhead United 42 21 8 13 57 46 +11 71
7 Bath City 42 20 8 14 56 45 +11 68
8 Welling United 42 19 11 12 61 44 +17 68
9 Bishop's Stortford 42 17 8 17 60 60 0 59
10 Newport County 42 16 11 15 50 51 −1 59
11 Team Bath  (R) 42 16 7 19 62 64 −2 055** Relegation to Level 7
12 St Albans City 42 14 12 16 56 50 +6 54
13 Bromley 42 15 9 18 60 64 −4 54
14 Braintree Town 42 14 10 18 57 54 +3 52
15 Havant & Waterlooville 42 11 15 16 59 58 +1 48
16 Worcester City 42 12 11 19 38 53 −15 47
17 Weston-super-Mare 42 12 11 19 43 68 −25 47
18 Basingstoke Town 42 10 16 16 36 55 −19 46
19 Dorchester Town 42 10 12 20 39 61 −22 42
20 Thurrock 42 9 13 20 54 60 −6 40
21 Bognor Regis Town  (R) 42 7 12 23 33 68 −35 026* Relegation to Level 7
22 Fisher Athletic  (R) 42 5 3 34 22 100 −78 18

Updated to games played on 25 April 2009
Source: Football Conference
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored.
*Bognor Regis Town deducted 7 points[5]
**Team Bath resigned from the league[6]
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (Q) = Qualified to respective phase of tournament; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.

Playoffs

  Semifinals Final
                     
5  Chelmsford City 1 0 1  
2  Hampton & Richmond Borough 3 0 3  
    2  Hampton & Richmond Borough 2
  4  Hayes & Yeading United 3
4  Hayes & Yeading United 2 4 6
3  Eastleigh 4 0 4  

Top goalscorers

Pos Player Team Goals
1 England Jon Main AFC Wimbledon 33
2 England Josh Scott Hayes & Yeading United 22
3 England Warren McBean Bromley 21
4 England Charlie Sheringham Welling United 19
5 England Paul Hakim St. Albans City 18
6 England Richard Pacquette Maidenhead United 15
England Craig Reid Newport County
England Dave Rainford Chelmsford City
Mauritius Lawrence Yaku Hampton & Richmond Borough
9 England Marco Adaggio Worcester City 14
England Danny Hockton Braintree Town

References

  1. ^ "Mansfield hit by points deduction". BBC Sport. 2008-10-06. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/mansfield_town/7654831.stm. Retrieved 2008-10-06. 
  2. ^ "Five-point deduction for Oxford". BBC Sport. 2009-01-12. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/o/oxford_utd/7818952.stm. Retrieved 2009-01-12. 
  3. ^ "Crawley win FA appreal over points". BBC Sport. 2009-02-27. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/crawley_town/7915330.stm. Retrieved 2009-02-27. 
  4. ^ "Conference to demote King's Lynn". BBC Sport. 2009-04-22. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/8013304.stm. Retrieved 2009-04-25. 
  5. ^ "Bognor hit with seven point deduction". The Argus. 2009-01-12. http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/argusgeneralsportsnews/4041994.Bognor_hit_with_seven_point_deduction. Retrieved 2009-02-02. 
  6. ^ "Team Bath resign from Conference". BBC Sport. 2009-04-09. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/7991750.stm. Retrieved 2009-04-25. 
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2008–09 in English football
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