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2007–08 Football Conference

The Football Conference consists of the top two levels of Non-League football in England. The Conference Premier 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 will be promoted to Football League Two, while the bottom four will be relegated to the North or South divisions. The champions of the North and South divisions will be promoted to the National division, alongside the play-off winners from each division. The bottom three in each of the North and South divisions will be relegated to the premier divisions of the Northern Premier League, Isthmian League or Southern League For sponsorship reasons, the league is frequently referred to as the Blue Square Premier.

Conference Premier

A total of 24 teams contested the division, including 19 sides from last season, one relegated from the Football League Two, two promoted from the Conference North and two promoted from the Conference South.

Promotion and relegation

Teams promoted from 2006–07 Conference North

Teams promoted from 2006–07 Conference South

Teams relegated from 2006–07 League Two

Boston United were also relegated from the Football League, but were placed in the Conference North due to financial problems. Altrincham, who had finished in the relegation zone in the 2006–07 season, were reprieved in order for the division to remain at 24 teams.

Overall

Aldershot Town made a return to the Football League, Aldershot F.C. having actually folded during the league season of 1991–92 league season. Its successor Aldershot Town F.C., however, actually made an exceptionally bad start of the season, losing two of their first three home games, but after that they gained a form that produced Football Conference records, such as their 31 wins and the 101 points, wrapping up the title and the promotion well ahead of the end of the season. A key factor was their ability to avoid drawn matches, of which they only had eight. And even then six of them occurred during the nine games when they were wrapping up the title.

The play-offs saw local rivals Exeter City and Torquay United facing each other for a chance to play for a promotion to the Football League. Torquay had the upper hand at first, winning the first leg on Exeter's soil with 1–2, and they on home ground they were leading 1–0 (3–1 aggregate) with just 20 minutes left, when Exeter ended their hopes with a burst of four goals to wrap up the series with a 5–3 aggregate win. Exeter eventually won 1–0 over Cambridge United at Wembley to seal their return to the League.

As usual, the biggest average crowds were seen in Oxford, with an average of 4,728 spectators per game and an aggregate of 108,750, but actually they fell fifth in highest attendances, with the West Country derby between Exeter City and Torquay United drawing the biggest crowd of the season with 7,839 spectators, followed by the Cambridgeshire derby of Cambridge United v Histon with 7,125, another West Country derby between Torquay and Exeter with 6,021 and even Aldershot Town v Weymouth with 5,980, leaving Oxford behind in their top drawing match against Crawley Town with their 5,900 spectators. Droylsden had the fewest spectators, with an aggregate of 14,800, meaning an average crowd of 643 spectators, with a high of 1,178 against Altrincham.[1]

League table

Source: [1][4]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Crawley Town deducted 6 points for a breach of financial regulations.[3]
  2. ^ Halifax Town deducted 10 points for entering administration and later resigned from the Conference due to financial problems. These resulted in the folding of the club, but it was soon reformed with name F.C. Halifax Town, and was able to play competitive football in Northern Premier League Division One North, on Level 8 of the English football league system.

Locations

Results

Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [2] Soccerbase
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Play-offs

Semifinals

1st Leg
Pirelli Stadium, Burton upon Trent
Attendance: 5,757
Referee: S Hooper
2nd Leg
Abbey Stadium, Cambridge
Attendance: 7,276
Referee: M Mullarkey

Cambridge United won 4–3 on Aggregate.


1st Leg
St James Park, Exeter
Attendance: 8,276
2nd Leg
Plainmoor, Torquay
Attendance: 6,015
Referee: C Sarginson

Exeter City won 5–3 on Aggregate.

Play-Off Final

Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 42,511
Referee: Craig Pawson

Top scorers in order of league goals

Source:[1]

Conference North

Promotion and relegation

A total of 22 teams contested the division, including 17 sides from last season, one relegated from Football League Two, two relegated from the Conference National and two promoted from the Northern Premier League.

Teams promoted from 2006–07 Northern Premier League Premier Division

Teams relegated from 2006–07 Conference National

Teams relegated from 2006–07 League Two

Boston United were transferred down two divisions due to financial problems. At the end of the season still under entering administration, Boston United were relegated another division down.

League table

Source: [citation needed]
Notes:
  1. ^ a b c New club in the Conference
  2. ^ In June 2008 Nuneaton Borough went into liquidation but was immediately reformed as Nuneaton Town. They underwent a double demotion to the Southern League Division One Midlands, that is, to Level 8 of the English football league system.
  3. ^ Boston United were still in administration by the 2nd Saturday of May in 2008 and were therefore relegated again to the Northern Premier League Premier Division for the 2008–09 season.
  4. ^ Vauxhall Motors were reprieved from relegation due to Nuneaton Borough's liquidation and the Conference's decision to expel Boston United.
  5. ^ Leigh RMI Changed Name to Leigh Genesis from next Season.

Locations

Results

Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2008–2009. Glenda Rollin & Jack Rollin (eds.). Headline, 2008.
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Play-offs

Semifinals

1st Leg
Holker Street, Barrow
Attendance: 2,701
2nd Leg
New Bucks Head, Telford
Attendance: 4,123

Barrow won 4–0 on Aggregate.


1st Leg
Haig Avenue, Southport
Attendance: 1,361
2nd Leg
Bower Fold, Stalybridge
Attendance: 1,735
Referee: John Simpson

Stalybridge Celtic won 5–3 on penalties after tying 2–2 on Aggregate.

Play-Off Final

Pirelli Stadium, Burton
Attendance: 2,530

Conference South

Promotion and relegation

A total of 22 teams contested the division, including 17 sides from last season, one relegated from the Conference National, two promoted from the Isthmian League and two promoted from the Southern Football League.

Teams promoted from 2006–07 Southern League Premier Division

Teams promoted from 2006–07 Isthmian League Premier Division

Teams relegated from 2006–07 Conference National

League table

Source: [citation needed]
Notes:
  1. ^ a b c d New club in the Conference
  2. ^ Cambridge City demoted for failing to comply to stadium regulations.
  3. ^ Dorchester Town were reprieved from relegation due to Nuneaton Borough's liquidation and the Conference's decision to expel Boston United.

Locations

2007–08 Football Conference is located in Greater London
2007–08 Football Conference
2007–08 Football Conference
2007–08 Football Conference
2007–08 Football Conference
2007–08 Football Conference
2007–08 Football Conference
2007–08 Football Conference
Locations of the Football Conference South London teams 2007–2008

Results

Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2008–2009. Glenda Rollin & Jack Rollin (eds.). Headline, 2008.
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Play-offs

Semifinals

1st Leg
Cressing Road, Braintree
Attendance: 1,017
2nd Leg
Priory Lane, Eastbourne
Attendance: 1,802

1st Leg
Champion Hill, Dulwich
Attendance: 450
2nd Leg
The Rocket Hospitality Beveree Stadium, Hampton
Attendance: 1,489

Hampton and Richmond Borough won 4–2 on penalties after tying 1–1 on Aggregate.

Play-Off Final

Broadhall Way, Stevenage
Attendance: 1,077

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2007–2008. Glenda Rollin & Jack Rollin (eds.). Headline, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c [1] Soccerbase
  3. ^ Football Conference[permanent dead link], 10 October 2007. Retrieved 30 October 2007.
  4. ^ "England 2007–08". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 November 2010.

External links