2022–23 Western Football League

The 2022–23 Western Football League season (known as the 2022–23 Toolstation Western Football League for sponsorship reasons) was the 121st in the history of the Western Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.

Western Football League

Season	2022–23
← 2021–22 2023–24 →

The constitution was announced on 12 May 2022.^[1]

With a view to a merger between the Western League and the South West Peninsula League in 2023–24, four clubs were to be automatically promoted from Division One to Step 5, depending on ground grading. The fifth-placed club may also have been promoted, on a PPG (points per game) basis.^[2] However, the FA scrapped the merger in February 2023 after a breakdown in negotiations, and promotion was reverted to two clubs, one via a play-off.^[3]

Premier Division

The Premier Division was increased to 20 clubs from 19 after Exmouth Town and Tavistock were promoted to the Southern League South Division, and Bridport were relegated to the South West Peninsula League Premier Division East. Brislington requested demotion to Division One, which the league accepted.

Five new clubs joined the division.

• Promoted from Division One:
  • Sherborne Town
  • Welton Rovers

• Promoted from the South West Peninsula League Premier Division East:
  • Torpoint Athletic

• Promoted from the South West Peninsula League Premier Division West:
  • Falmouth Town

• Relegated from the Southern League Division One South:
  • Barnstaple Town

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion, qualification or relegation
1	Mousehole (C, P)	36	26	8	2	93	32	+61	86	Promoted to the Southern League
2	Saltash United	36	26	6	4	98	39	+59	84	Qualification for an inter-step play-off
3	Barnstaple Town	36	24	3	9	77	49	+28	75
4	Bridgwater United	36	20	9	7	84	41	+43	69
5	Buckland Athletic	36	22	2	12	69	48	+21	68
6	Helston Athletic	36	18	12	6	60	38	+22	66
7	Falmouth Town	36	16	8	12	62	48	+14	56
8	Shepton Mallet	36	15	10	11	58	45	+13	55
9	Street	36	13	10	13	49	63	−14	49
10	Ashton & Backwell United	36	14	6	16	60	52	+8	48	Resigned at the end of the season
11	Clevedon Town	36	13	7	16	60	69	−9	46
12	Torpoint Athletic	36	12	9	15	68	75	−7	45
13	Millbrook	36	11	7	18	45	59	−14	40
14	Welton Rovers	36	10	6	20	47	83	−36	36
15	Wellington	36	9	8	19	51	72	−21	35
16	Ilfracombe Town	36	7	11	18	47	65	−18	32
17	Sherborne Town	36	8	7	21	41	64	−23	31
18	Cadbury Heath	36	4	6	26	34	87	−53	18	Voluntarily demoted to Division One^[a]
19	Keynsham Town (R)	36	5	3	28	39	113	−74	18	Relegated to Division One
20	Bitton	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0^[b]	Resigned from the league

Source: Toolstation Western League.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:

1. Cadbury Heath requested voluntary demotion to Division One for the 2023–24 season.
2. Bitton resigned from the league on 21 October 2022 and their playing record of P13 W1 D1 L11 GF10 GA37 Pts4 was expunged.^[4]

Inter-step play-off

Bristol Manor Farm v Saltash United

29 April 2023	Bristol Manor Farm	2–0	Saltash United	Sea Mills, Bristol
15:00	Robbins 34 Nielsen 63			Stadium: The Creek Attendance: 379

First Division

The First Division was increased from 21 clubs to 22 after Sherborne Town and Welton Rovers were promoted to the Premier Division, and Devizes Town were relegated.

Four new clubs joined:

• Brislington, voluntarily demoted from the Premier Division
• Hallen, relegated from the Hellenic Football League Premier Division
• Nailsea & Tickenham, promoted from the Somerset County League
• Shirehampton, promoted from the Gloucestershire County Football League

• Lebeq United changed their name to FC Bristol.
• Brislington are ineligible for promotion after taking voluntary demotion from the Premier Division last season.

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion, qualification or relegation
1	Brislington (C)	42	36	2	4	130	35	+95	110
2	Nailsea & Tickenham (P)	42	31	5	6	120	45	+75	98	Promoted to the Premier Division
3	Wells City	42	29	9	4	94	38	+56	96	Qualification for the play-offs
4	Oldland Abbotonians (O, P)	42	24	9	9	92	53	+39	81
5	Wincanton Town	42	22	5	15	93	71	+22	71
6	Shirehampton	42	21	6	15	89	70	+19	69
7	Bishop Sutton	42	19	9	14	69	62	+7	66
8	FC Bristol	42	19	4	19	84	87	−3	61	Transferred to the Hellenic League
9	Hallen	42	16	11	15	70	63	+7	59
10	Warminster Town	42	16	10	16	57	58	−1	58
11	AEK Boco	42	17	4	21	73	88	−15	55
12	Longwell Green Sports	42	16	5	21	78	96	−18	53
13	Odd Down	42	13	12	17	72	72	0	51
14	Portishead Town	42	15	7	20	55	70	−15	52
15	Hengrove Athletic	42	14	8	20	67	71	−4	50
16	Bristol Telephones	42	14	11	17	59	68	−9	50^[a]
17	Gillingham Town	42	11	8	23	72	100	−28	41
18	Cheddar	42	10	9	23	53	72	−19	39
19	Radstock Town	42	8	13	21	57	79	−22	37
20	Tytherington Rocks	42	9	9	24	41	97	−56	36	Reprieved and transferred to the Hellenic League
21	Bishops Lydeard	42	8	8	26	46	102	−56	32	Reprieved and transferred to the South West Peninsula League
22	Almondsbury (R)	42	7	10	25	38	112	−74	31	Relegated to the Gloucestershire County League

Source: Toolstation Western League.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:

1. Bristol Telephones had three points deducted.

Promotion playoffs

	Semi-finals					Final
	3	Wells City	0
	6	Shirehampton	3
						4	Oldland Abbotonians	2
						6	Shirehampton	1
	4	Oldland Abbotonians (pens)	2 (11)
	5	Wincanton Town	2 (10)

References

• League tables

1. "The FA provides update on National League System club allocations at Steps 3–6". The FA. 12 May 2022.
2. "REACTION: Peninsula and Western League merger plans rubber-stamped by FA". Teignmouth Today. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
3. "Merger of Western League and Peninsula League scrapped". Devon Live. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
4. "Bitton withdraw from league". Toolstation Western League. 21 October 2021.

External links

• Western League Official Site