2023–24 Midland Football League

Football league season
Midland Football League
Season2023–24
ChampionsCongleton Town[1]
PromotedCongleton Town
Darlaston Town (1874)
2024–25 →

The 2023–24 Midland Football League season was the tenth in the history of the Midland Football League, a football competition in England. The Midland League operates two divisions in the English football league system, the Premier Division at Step 5 and Division One at Step 6; these two divisions are covered by this article.

The allocations for Steps 3 to 6 for this season were announced by The Football Association on 15 May 2023,[2] and were subject to appeals. Starting this season, the Premier Division in the league promotes two clubs; one as champions and one via a four-team play-off. This replaced the previous inter-step play-off system. Solely for this season, there was only one club relegated from the Step 5 division.[3]

Premier Division

This division comprises 18 teams, two fewer than the previous season.

The following 5 clubs left the division before the season:

The following 3 clubs joined the division:

Premier Division table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Congleton Town (C, P) 34 25 6 3 101 31 +70 81 Promotion to the Northern Premier League
2 Lichfield City 34 22 7 5 81 33 +48 73 Qualification for the play-offs[a]
3 Darlaston Town (1874) (O, P) 34 19 9 6 84 42 +42 66
4 Stourport Swifts 34 18 8 8 69 58 +11 62
5 Highgate United 34 19 4 11 81 50 +31 61
6 Studley 34 18 7 9 77 46 +31 61
7 Dudley Town 34 15 6 13 65 61 +4 51
8 Atherstone Town 34 14 7 13 53 49 +4 49
9 Shifnal Town 34 14 4 16 59 47 +12 46
10 Whitchurch Alport 34 14 4 16 59 61 −2 46
11 AFC Wulfrunians 34 13 6 15 48 52 −4 45
12 Uttoxeter Town 34 12 8 14 60 59 +1 44
13 Northwich Victoria 34 12 8 14 56 70 −14 44
14 Romulus 34 9 8 17 51 65 −14 35
15 Stone Old Alleynians 34 7 12 15 49 59 −10 33
16 Wolverhampton Casuals 34 8 8 18 46 77 −31 32
17 Tividale 34 5 9 20 38 77 −39 24
18 Bewdley Town (R) 34 1 1 32 16 156 −140 4 Relegation to the Hellenic League
Source: The FA
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[4]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Four teams play for one spot and promotion to Step 4

Play-offs

Semi-finals Final
      
2 Lichfield City 3
5 Highgate United 1
2 Lichfield City 1
3 Darlaston Town (1874) 3
3 Darlaston Town (1874) 3
4 Stourport Swifts 1

Semifinals

Lichfield City v Highgate United
27 April Lichfield City 3–1Highgate UnitedLichfield
15:00
  • Edwards
  • Smith
Report
  • Brown 90'
 Stadium: City Ground
Attendance: 424
Darlaston Town (1874) v Stourport Swifts
27 April Darlaston Town (1874) 3–1Stourport SwiftsWalsall
15:00
  • Cook 34'
  • Foreshaw 56', 79'
 Report
  • Baker 40'
 Stadium: Bentley Sports Pavilion
Attendance: 351

Final

Lichfield City v Darlaston Town (1874)
4 May Lichfield City1–3 Darlaston Town (1874) Lichfield
15:00 Report Stadium: City Ground
Attendance: 1,110

Stadia and locations

class=notpageimage|
Location of the clubs in the 2023–24 Midland League Premier Division
class=notpageimage|
Location of the clubs in the 2023–24 Midland League Premier Division from Cheshire


Club Location Stadium Capacity
AFC Wulfrunians Wolverhampton Castlecroft Stadium 2,000
Atherstone Town Atherstone Sheepy Road
Bewdley Town Bewdley Ribbesford Meadows 1,000
Congleton Town Congleton Cleric Stadium 1,450
Darlaston Town (1874) Walsall Bentley Sports Pavilion
Dudley Town Willenhall Asprey Arena
Highgate United Shirley The Coppice 2,000
Lichfield City Lichfield City Ground 1,000
Northwich Victoria Northwich Wincham Park 4,813
Romulus Birmingham (Castle Vale) Castle Vale Stadium 2,000
Shifnal Town Shifnal Phoenix Park
Stone Old Alleynians Meir Heath King's Park
Stourport Swifts Stourport-on-Severn Walshes Meadow 2,000
Studley Studley The Beehive
Tividale Tividale The Beeches 2,000
Uttoxeter Town Uttoxeter Oldfields
Whitchurch Alport Whitchurch Yockings Park
Wolverhampton Casuals Featherstone Brinsford Lane

Division One

This division comprises 20 teams, one fewer than the previous season.

The following 4 clubs left the division before the season:

The following 3 clubs joined the division:

Division One table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Hinckley (C, P) 38 27 5 6 114 47 +67 86 Promotion to the United Counties League
2 Allscott Heath 38 25 5 8 90 62 +28 80 Qualification for the play-offs, then
transfer to the North West Counties League
3 OJM CFC (O, P) 38 22 8 8 83 40 +43 74 Qualification for the play-offs[a]
4 Ingles 38 22 7 9 74 48 +26 73
5 Droitwich Spa 38 22 6 10 113 68 +45 72 Qualification for the play-offs,
then transfer to the Hellenic League
6 Wednesfield 38 22 6 10 82 54 +28 72
7 Cradley Town 38 17 10 11 84 61 +23 61
8 Heather St John's 38 17 7 14 81 60 +21 58
9 Bilston Town 38 17 4 17 84 68 +16 55
10 Shawbury United 38 15 7 16 72 74 −2 52 Transfer to the North West Counties League
11 Coventry Copsewood 38 14 9 15 71 65 +6 51
12 Sutton United 38 12 12 14 68 71 −3 48
13 Stapenhill 38 13 8 17 64 72 −8 47
14 Nuneaton Griff 38 13 8 17 65 81 −16 47
15 Coton Green 38 12 10 16 53 63 −10 46
16 Wolverhampton Sporting 38 10 6 22 48 74 −26 36 Transfer to the North West Counties League
17 Chelmsley Town 38 8 9 21 43 98 −55 33
18 Smethwick Rangers 38 9 3 26 43 100 −57 30
19 Paget Rangers 38 8 3 27 49 109 −60 27
20 AFC Bridgnorth 38 4 9 25 48 114 −66 21 Reprieve from relegation
Source: The FA
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[4]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted
Notes:
  1. ^ Four teams play for one spot and promotion to Step 5

Play-offs

Semi-finals Final
      
2 Allscott Heath 1
5 Droitwich Spa 3
3 OJM CFC 1 (5)
5 Droitwich Spa 1 (3)
3 OJM CFC 2
4 Ingles 0

Semifinals

Allscott Heath v Droitwich Spa
27 April Allscott Heath1–3 Droitwich Spa Allscott
15:00
  • Morris
Report
  • Brighton 43'
  • Lemon 45', 64'
 Stadium: Allscott Sports & Social Club
Attendance: 231
OJM CFC v Ingles
27 April OJM CFC 2–0InglesKings Norton
15:00
  • Williams
  • Ali
Report Stadium: Triplex Sports Ground
Attendance: 92

Final

OJM CFC v Droitwich Spa
4 May OJM CFC 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(5–3 p)		Droitwich SpaKings Norton
15:00 Report Stadium: Triplex Sports Ground
Attendance: 558

Stadia and locations

Club Location Stadium Capacity
AFC Bridgnorth Bridgnorth Crown Meadow
Allscott Heath Allscott Allscott Sports & Social Club
Bilston Town Bilston Queen Street 4,000
Chelmsley Town Coleshill Pack Meadow
Coton Green Fazeley New Mill Lane
Coventry Copsewood Coventry Allard Way 2,000
Cradley Town Cradley Beeches View
Droitwich Spa Droitwich Spa King George V Ground 2,000
Heather St John's Heather St John's Park 2,050
Hinckley Barwell Kirkby Road 2,500
Ingles Thringstone Homestead Road 2,050
Nuneaton Griff Nuneaton Pingles Stadium 4,000
OJM CFC Birmingham (Kings Norton) Triplex Sports Ground
Paget Rangers Sutton Coldfield Central Ground 2,000
Shawbury United Shrewsbury New Meadow Community 3G 1,000
Smethwick Rangers Boldmere Trevor Brown Memorial Ground 2,500
Stapenhill Stapenhill Edge Hill 1,500
Sutton United Sutton Coldfield Coleshill Road
Wednesfield Wednesfield Cottage Ground
Wolverhampton Sporting Great Wyrley Pride Park

References

  1. ^ McLaughlin, Mike (11 April 2024). "Bears are Midland League champions". Non-League football round up. Congleton Chronicle. p. 34.
  2. ^ "THE FA RELEASES NATIONAL LEAGUE SYSTEM CLUB ALLOCATIONS FOR STEPS 1-6 IN 2023-24 TERM". The Football Association. 15 May 2023.
  3. ^ "STEP 5 TO 4 PROMOTION/RELEGATION UPDATE". The FA. 16 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b "The FA Handbook 2023/2024 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA.

External links

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