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      SOUTHERN LEAGUE  PREMIER DIVISION
1971/72
      P W D L F A Pts
  Leading League goalscorers:
Jack Bentley
(Telford United) &
Colin Grant
(Chelmsford City)
 30  goals each

Hereford United were elected to the Football League at the expense of Barrow. Although they had never won the Southern League title their exploits in the FA Cup had brought them the votes they needed. They had reached the competition proper every season since 1948/49 but 1971/72 was their best - drawing with and then beating First Division Newcastle in the Third Round before taking another Division One club, West Ham, to two matches in the Fourth Round.

Not so fortunate in the FA Cup were Margate. They lost their First Round tie against Bournemouth 11-0, Ted MacDougall scoring 9 of the Third Division side's goals.

   1 Chelmsford City 42 28 6 8 109 46 62
    2 Hereford United 42 24 12 6 68 30 60 Promoted
    3 Dover 42 20 11 11 67 45 51
    4 Barnet 42 21 7 14 80 57 49
    5 Dartford 42 20 8 14 75 68 48
    6 Weymouth 42 21 5 16 69 43 47
    7 Yeovil Town 42 18 11 13 67 51 47
    8 Hillingdon Borough 42 20 6 16 64 58 46
    9 Margate 42 19 8 15 74 68 46
    10 Wimbledon 42 19 7 16 75 64 45
    11 Romford 42 16 13 13 54 49 45
    12 Guildford City 42 20 5 17 71 65 45
    13 Telford United 42 18 7 17 83 68 43
    14 Nuneaton Borough 42 16 10 16 46 47 42
    15 Bedford Town 42 16 9 17 59 66 41
    16 Worcester City 42 17 7 18 46 57 41
    17 Cambridge City 42 12 14 16 68 71 38
    18 Folkestone 42 14 7 21 58 64 35
    19 Poole Town 42 9 11 22 41 72 29
    20 Bath City 42 11 4 27 45 86 26 Relegated
    21 Merthyr Tydfil 42 7 8 27 29 93 22 Relegated
    22 Gravesend & Northfleet 42 5 6 31 30 110 16 Relegated
   
   

Southern League runners-up Hereford United joined with the four sides seeking re-election to the League and 11 other non-league sides in the voting for membership of the Fourth Division. Voting -

49 votes Northampton Town Re-elected to the League
46 Stockport County Re-elected to the League
46 Crewe Alexandra Re-elected to the League
26 Barrow 2nd ballot
26 Hereford United 2nd ballot
1 Bradford PA Not elected to the League
1 Cambridge City Not elected to the League
1 Wimbledon Not elected to the League
0 Bangor City Not elected to the League
0 Bedford Town Not elected to the League
0 Boston United Not elected to the League
0 Hillingdon Borough Not elected to the League
0 Romford Not elected to the League
0 Telford United Not elected to the League
0 Wigan Athletic Not elected to the League
0 Yeovil Town Not elected to the League
2nd ballot
29 votes Hereford United Elected to the League
20 Barrow Not re-elected to the League
     

At the end of the season Bath City and Gravesend & Northfleet were relegated to the Southern League Division 1 (South) and Merthyr Tydfil to Division 1 (North). Poole escaped relegation as Hereford had been voted into the Football League. Those four clubs were replaced in the Premier Division by Division 1 North champions Kettering Town and runners-up Burton Albion and from Division 1 South champions Waterlooville and runners-up Ramsgate.