1895–96 Southern Football League

The 1895–96 season was the second in the history of the Southern League. Luton Town applied for election to the Football League. However, the election was not successful. Millwall Athletic won Division One for the second successive season.

Division One

Southern Football League Division One

Season	1895–96
Champions	Millwall Athletic (2nd title)
Promoted	none
Relegated	Luton Town (resigned) Clapton (resigned) Ilford
Matches played	90
Goals scored	406 (4.51 per match)
← 1894–95 1896–97 →

Division One featured one new club, who had been promoted from Division Two the previous season: New Brompton.

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GR	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Millwall Athletic	18	16	1	1	75	16	4.688	33
2	Luton Town	18	13	1	4	68	14	4.857	27	Left to join the United League at end of season
3	Southampton St. Mary's	18	12	0	6	44	23	1.913	24
4	Reading	18	11	1	6	45	38	1.184	23
5	Chatham Town	18	9	2	7	43	45	0.956	20
6	New Brompton	18	7	4	7	30	37	0.811	18
7	Swindon Town	18	6	4	8	38	41	0.927	16
8	Clapton	18	4	2	12	30	67	0.448	10	Relegation test matches, left league despite winning
9	Royal Ordnance Factories	18	3	3	12	23	44	0.523	9	Relegation test matches
10	Ilford	18	0	0	18	10	81	0.123	0	Relegation test matches, left league after losing

Source: ^{[citation needed]}
Rules for classification: The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used until the 1976–77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.

Division Two

Southern Football League Division Two

Season	1895–96
Champions	Wolverton LNWR
Promoted	Wolverton LNWR Sheppey United
Relegated	Guildford (resigned) Bromley (resigned) Windsor & Eton (resigned)
Matches played	72
Goals scored	282 (3.92 per match)
← 1894–95 1896–97 →

Division Two featured four new clubs, all of which were newly elected:

• 1st Scots Guards
• Guildford
• Windsor & Eton
• Wolverton LNWR

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GR	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Wolverton LNWR	16	13	1	2	43	10	4.300	27	Promotion test matches
2	Sheppey United	16	11	3	2	60	19	3.158	25
3	1st Scots Guards	16	8	5	3	37	22	1.682	21
4	Uxbridge	16	9	1	6	28	23	1.217	19
5	Old St.Stephen's	16	6	3	7	34	21	1.619	15
6	Guildford	16	7	1	8	29	41	0.707	15	Left league at end of season
7	Maidenhead	16	4	1	11	20	49	0.408	9
8	Chesham	16	2	3	11	15	48	0.313	7
9	Bromley	16	2	2	12	16	49	0.327	6	Left league at end of season
10	Windsor & Eton	1	0	0	1	0	0	—	0	Resigned from league after one match, record expunged

Source: ^{[citation needed]}
Rules for classification: The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used until the 1976–77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.

Promotion-relegation test matches

At the end of the season, test matches were held between the bottom three clubs in Division One and the top three clubs in Division Two. Wolverton LNWR and Sheppey United were promoted after the play-offs, whilst Clapton remained in Division One. Although they later resigned from the league, 1st Scot Guards (who they had beaten in the play-offs) were not promoted in their place, and instead Royal Ordnance Factories kept their place in Division One.

Division One clubs	v	Division Two clubs

Ilford	0 – 2	Wolverton LNWR

Royal Ordnance Factories	2 – 4	Sheppey United

Clapton	4 – 1	1st Scots Guards

Football League elections

Luton Town applied for election to Division Two of the Football League. However, in the election they were unsuccessful.^[1]

Club	League	Votes
Blackpool	Lancashire League	19
Walsall Town Swifts	Midland League	16
Gainsborough Trinity	Midland League	15
Burslem Port Vale	Football League	10
Luton Town	Southern League	10
Crewe Alexandra	Football League	4
Fairfield	Lancashire League	3
Glossop North End	The Combination	3
Tottenham Hotspur	Southern League	2
Macclesfield	The Combination	2