2025–26 Southern Combination Football League
The 2025–26 Southern Combination Football League season is the 101st in the history of the competition, which lies at levels 9, 10 and 11 (steps 5 and 6, and county feeder) of the English football league system.[1]
The constitution was announced by The Football Association on 15 May 2025.[2]
Premier Division
[edit]The Premier Division comprised 20 clubs from the previous season, 15 of which competed in the previous season
Team changes
[edit]
Promoted from Division One Relegated from the Isthmian League South East Division Relegated from the Isthmian League South Central Division |
Promoted to the Isthmian League South East Division Transferred to Wessex Football League Premier Division Relegated to Division One
|
League table
[edit]| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 9 August 2025 - 25 April 2026 |
| Country | England |
| Teams | 20 |
| Champions | Steyning Town |
| Runner up | Haywards Heath |
| Promoted | Steyning Town Peacehaven & Telscombe |
| Relegated | Shoreham |
| Matches | 380 |
| Goals | 1,471 (3.87 per match) |
| Average goals/game | 3.87 |
| Top goalscorer | Sam Murray (Guernsey) (30 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Eastbourne United 9–0 Lancing (15 November 2025) Haywards Heath Town 9–0 Shoreham (7 March 2026) |
| Biggest away win | Shoreham 0–6 Pagham (1 November 2025) Little Common 0–6 Horsham YM (7 March 2026) |
| Highest scoring | Shoreham 6–7 Guernsey (14 October 2025) |
| Longest winning run | 17 - Haywards Heath (9 August 2025 - 13 December 2025) |
| Longest unbeaten run | 18 - Steyning Town (4 October 2025 - 31 January 2026) |
| Longest winless run | 21 - Shoreham (6 September 2025 - 7 February 2026) |
| Longest losing run | 20 - Shoreham (6 September 2025 - 31 January 2026) |
| Highest attendance | 1553 Guernsey 6–0 Peacehaven & Telscombe (28 March 2026) |
| Lowest attendance | 30 Lingfield 0–2 Forest Row (25 August 2025) |
| Total attendance | 72,744 |
| Average attendance | 191 |
← 2024–25 2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 30 April 2026. | |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steyning Town (C, P) | 38 | 30 | 5 | 3 | 119 | 40 | +79 | 95 | Promoted to the Isthmian League |
| 2 | Haywards Heath Town | 38 | 29 | 2 | 7 | 115 | 39 | +76 | 89 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 3 | Guernsey | 38 | 27 | 0 | 11 | 126 | 77 | +49 | 81 | |
| 4 | Horsham YM | 38 | 26 | 2 | 10 | 103 | 47 | +56 | 80 | |
| 5 | Peacehaven & Telscombe (O, P) | 38 | 23 | 6 | 9 | 78 | 44 | +34 | 75 | |
| 6 | Eastbourne United | 38 | 22 | 6 | 10 | 86 | 37 | +49 | 72 | |
| 7 | Pagham | 38 | 22 | 6 | 10 | 81 | 45 | +36 | 72 | |
| 8 | Newhaven | 38 | 21 | 3 | 14 | 86 | 82 | +4 | 66 | |
| 9 | Bexhill United | 38 | 18 | 4 | 16 | 79 | 76 | +3 | 58 | |
| 10 | Roffey | 38 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 65 | 78 | −13 | 49 | |
| 11 | Seaford Town | 38 | 12 | 6 | 20 | 66 | 87 | −21 | 42 | |
| 12 | Crawley Down Gatwick | 38 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 67 | 82 | −15 | 41 | |
| 13 | Wick | 38 | 13 | 5 | 20 | 52 | 82 | −30 | 41[a] | |
| 14 | Forest Row | 38 | 12 | 4 | 22 | 68 | 94 | −26 | 40 | |
| 15 | Midhurst & Easebourne | 38 | 9 | 11 | 18 | 54 | 72 | −18 | 38 | |
| 16 | Little Common | 38 | 11 | 5 | 22 | 40 | 78 | −38 | 38 | |
| 17 | Lingfield | 38 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 62 | 92 | −30 | 36 | |
| 18 | AFC Varndeanians | 38 | 8 | 8 | 22 | 38 | 75 | −37 | 32 | |
| 19 | Lancing | 38 | 7 | 3 | 28 | 39 | 108 | −69 | 24 | Reprieved from relegation |
| 20 | Shoreham (R) | 38 | 5 | 3 | 30 | 47 | 136 | −89 | 18 | Relegated to Division One |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ↑ On 30 January 2026, Wick were deducted 3 points for fielding an ineligible player.
Play-offs
[edit]| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 2 | Haywards Heath Town | 0 | |||||||
| 5 | Peacehaven & Telscombe | 1 | |||||||
| 5 | Peacehaven & Telscombe | 4 | |||||||
| 3 | Guernsey | 1 | |||||||
| 3 | Guernsey | 3 | |||||||
| 4 | Horsham YM | 0 | |||||||
Semifinals
[edit]| 2 May 2026 | Haywards Heath Town | 0–1 | Peacehaven & Telscombe | Haywards Heath |
| 15:00 | Jack Barnes |
Report |
|
Stadium: Hanbury Park Attendance: 767 Referee: Mark Spence (Ireland) Assistant referees: Joshua Plumb (England) Nathaniel Roff (England) Fourth official: Robert King (England) |
| 2 May 2026 | Guernsey | 3–0 | Horsham YM | St. Peter Port |
| 13:30 |
|
Report | Stadium: Victoria Park Attendance: 1,023 Referee: Greig Walker (England) Assistant referees: Neil Sutherland (England) Patrick O'Reilly (Ireland) |
Final
[edit]| 23 May 2026 | Guernsey | 1-4 | Peacehaven & Telscombe | St. Peter Port |
| 13:30 |
|
Report | Stadium: Victoria Park Attendance: 1,620 Referee: Harvey Ransome (England) Assistant referees: Daniel Cooper (England) Thomas Murray (England) Fourth official: Tom Strawbridge (Guernsey) |
Results table
[edit]Results by matchday
[edit]Top scorers
[edit]| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[4] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guernsey | 30 | |
| 2 | Steyning Town | 26 | |
| Horsham YM | |||
| 4 | Steyning Town | 24 | |
| 5 | Newhaven | 23 | |
| 6 | Haywards Heath Town | 21 | |
| Bexhill United | |||
| Peacehaven & Telscombe | |||
| 9 | Wick (Previously Pagham) | 20 | |
| 10 | Eastbourne United | 19 |
Stadia and locations
[edit]
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Varndeanians | Brighton (Withdean) | Withdean Stadium | 8,850 |
| Bexhill United | Bexhill-on-Sea | The Polegrove | 1,000 |
| Crawley Down Gatwick | Crawley Down | The Haven Centre | 1,000 |
| Eastbourne United Association | Eastbourne | The Oval | 1,200 |
| Forest Row | Crawley (Three Bridges) | Jubilee Field (groundshare with Three Bridges) | 1,500 |
| Guernsey | Saint Sampson | Victoria Park | 5,000 |
| Haywards Heath Town | Haywards Heath | Hanbury Park | 2,000 |
| Horsham YM | Horsham | Gorings Mead | 1,575 |
| Lancing | Lancing | Culver Road | 1,500 |
| Lingfield | Lingfield | The Sports Pavilion | 2,000 |
| Little Common | Bexhill-on-Sea (Little Common) | Little Common Recreation Ground | 1,200 |
| Midhurst & Easebourne | Easebourne | Rotherfield | 1,000 |
| Newhaven | Newhaven | The Trafalgar Ground | 3,000 |
| Pagham | Pagham | Nyetimber Lane | 1,500 |
| Peacehaven & Telscombe | Peacehaven | The Sports Park | 3,000 |
| Roffey | Horsham (Roffey) | Bartholomew Way | 1,000 |
| Seaford Town | Seaford | The Crouch | — |
| Shoreham | Shoreham-by-Sea | Middle Road | 2,000 |
| Steyning Town | Steyning | The Shooting Field | 2,000 |
| Wick | Littlehampton (Wick) | Crabtree Park | 2,000 |
Division One
[edit]Division One decreased from 20 clubs to 18, 11 of which competed from the previous season. Copthorne were reprieved from relegation
Team changes
[edit]
Promoted from Division Two Promoted from Mid-Sussex League Promoted from Surrey Premier County Football League Relegated from the Premier Division |
Promoted to the Premier Division Transferred to Southern Counties East Relegated to Division Two Demoted to Mid-Sussex League Division Three South:
|
League table
[edit]| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Godalming Town |
| Promoted | Godalming Town Billingshurst |
| Relegated | AFC Uckfield Town Copthorne |
| Matches | 306 |
| Goals | 1,157 (3.78 per match) |
| Average goals/game | 3.78 |
| Top goalscorer | Max Davies (22 Goals) |
| Biggest home win | Selsey 20–0 Copthorne (25 April 2026) |
| Biggest away win | AFC Uckfield Town 0–9 Reigate Priory (13 September 2025) |
| Highest scoring | Selsey 20–0 Copthorne (25 April 2026) |
| Longest winning run | 8 - Reigate Priory (10 March 2026 - 14 April 2026) |
| Longest unbeaten run | 11 - Godalming Town (9 August 2025 - 8 November 2025) |
| Longest losing run | 26 - Copthorne (27 September 2025 - 25 April 2026) |
| Lowest attendance | 10 Copthorne 1–4 Jarvis Brook (7 March 2026) |
← 2024–25 2026–27 → | |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Godalming Town (C, P) | 34 | 20 | 10 | 4 | 62 | 30 | +32 | 70 | Promoted to the Combined Counties Football League |
| 2 | Reigate Priory | 34 | 21 | 2 | 11 | 92 | 41 | +51 | 65 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 3 | Billingshurst (O, P) | 34 | 19 | 7 | 8 | 94 | 52 | +42 | 64 | |
| 4 | Worthing United | 34 | 19 | 7 | 8 | 72 | 37 | +35 | 64 | |
| 5 | Infinity | 34 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 86 | 51 | +35 | 63 | |
| 6 | AFC Walcountians | 34 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 89 | 51 | +38 | 60 | |
| 7 | Arundel | 34 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 80 | 63 | +17 | 60 | |
| 8 | Selsey | 34 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 73 | 55 | +18 | 52 | |
| 9 | Jarvis Brook | 34 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 56 | 53 | +3 | 49 | |
| 10 | Mile Oak | 34 | 14 | 4 | 16 | 48 | 55 | −7 | 46 | |
| 11 | Saltdean United | 34 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 66 | 57 | +9 | 43 | |
| 12 | East Preston | 34 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 57 | 64 | −7 | 41 | |
| 13 | Dorking Wanderers B | 34 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 56 | 57 | −1 | 39 | |
| 14 | Oakwood | 34 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 54 | 67 | −13 | 37 | |
| 15 | Ringmer | 34 | 11 | 7 | 16 | 52 | 72 | −20 | 37[a] | |
| 16 | Loxwood | 34 | 9 | 7 | 18 | 45 | 69 | −24 | 34 | Reprieved from relegation |
| 17 | AFC Uckfield Town (R) | 34 | 4 | 11 | 19 | 42 | 105 | −63 | 23 | Relegated to feeder leagues |
| 18 | Copthorne (R) | 34 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 33 | 178 | −145 | 3 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ↑ Ringmer were deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player.
Play-offs
[edit]| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 2 | Reigate Priory | 0 | |||||||
| 5 | Infinity | 2 | |||||||
| 3 | Billingshurst | 2 | |||||||
| 5 | Infinity | 1 | |||||||
| 3 | Billingshurst | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | Worthing United | 0 | |||||||
Semifinals
[edit]| 28 April 2026 | Reigate Priory | 0–2 | Infinity | Horley |
| 19:30 | Report | Stadium: Anderson Way Attendance: 174 Referee: David Stappleton (England) Assistant referees: Nathan George (England) Owen Radley (England) Fourth official: Oliver Westgate (England) |
| 28 April 2026 | Billingshurst | 2–0 | Worthing United | Billingshurst |
| 19:45 | Report | Stadium: Jubilee Fields Attendance: 297 Referee: Steven Fogden (England) Assistant referees: Jamie Wells (England) Adan Siage (England) Fourth official: Daniel Killick (England) |
Final
[edit]| 2 May 2026 | Billingshurst | 2–1 | Infinity | Billingshurst |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: Jubilee Fields Attendance: 401 Referee: Tom Strawbridge (Guernsey) Assistant referees: Wayne Pocock (England) Hassan Rajwani (England) Fourth official: Matthew Dyson (England) |
Results table
[edit]Top Scorers
[edit]- As of 28 February 2026
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Davies | Selsey | 22 |
| Zion Mcleod | East Preston | ||
| 3 | Tayo Adekoya | Godalming Town (Formerly Selsey) | 18 |
| Chike Ejezie | AFC Walcountians | ||
| Mark Soares | Godalming Town | ||
| 6 | Tom Edwards | Billingshurst | 17 |
| William Street | Reigate Priory | ||
| Thomas Tierney | Infinity | ||
| Marley Amber | Saltdean United (Formerly Mile Oak) | ||
| 10 | Matthew Hards | Billingshurst | 16 |
| Lee Peacock | Reigate Priory | ||
| Jacob Sewell | AFC Walcountians |
Stadia and locations
[edit]| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Uckfield Town | Framfield | The Oaks | 600 |
| AFC Walcountians | Woodmansterne | Walcountians Sports Club | |
| Arundel | Arundel | Mill Road | 2,200 |
| Billingshurst | Billingshurst | Jubilee Fields | — |
| Copthorne | Copthorne | Camping World Community Stadium (groundshare with Horsham) | 1,300 |
| Dorking Wanderers B | Dorking | Meadowbank | 3,000 |
| East Preston | Littlehampton (East Preston) | The Lashmar | 1,000 |
| Godalming Town | Godalming | Bill Kyte Stadium | 3,000 |
| Infinity | Sidlesham | Sidlesham Recreation Ground | — |
| Jarvis Brook | Jarvis Brook | Jarvis Brook Sports Club | — |
| Loxwood | Loxwood | Plaistow Road | 1,000 |
| Mile Oak | Brighton (Mile Oak) | Mile Oak Recreation Ground | — |
| Oakwood | Crawley (Three Bridges) | Tinsley Lane | — |
| Reigate Priory | Reigate | Park Lane | — |
| Ringmer | Ringmer | King's Academy Ringmer | — |
| Saltdean United | Brighton (Saltdean) | Hill Park | 1,000 |
| Selsey | Selsey | Bunn Leisure Stadium | — |
| Worthing United | Worthing (Broadwater) | The Robert Albon Memorial Ground | 1,504 |
Division Two
[edit]Division Two increased to 15 teams[6] after Jarvis Brook were promoted to Division One, and Alfold, Montpelier Villa and Storrington were relegated from Division One. Montpelier Villa resigned from the league, whilst Rudgwick joined from the West Sussex Football League.
Team changes
[edit]|
Relegated from Division One Promoted from West Sussex Football League Premier Division St Francis Rangers were renamed to ASC Brighton Rangers, following a merger with ASC Strikers. |
Promoted to Division One
|
| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Hailsham Town |
| Matches | 210 |
| Goals | 935 (4.45 per match) |
← 2024–25 2026–27 → | |
Promotion from this division is dependant on ground grading as well as league position.
League table
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hailsham Town (C, P) | 28 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 107 | 18 | +89 | 77 | Promoted to Division One |
| 2 | Rustington | 28 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 105 | 27 | +78 | 70 | |
| 3 | TD Shipley | 28 | 21 | 3 | 4 | 73 | 35 | +38 | 66 | |
| 4 | Chichester City B | 28 | 19 | 5 | 4 | 107 | 26 | +81 | 62 | |
| 5 | Southwater | 28 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 67 | 38 | +29 | 47 | |
| 6 | Ferring | 28 | 14 | 1 | 13 | 68 | 62 | +6 | 43 | |
| 7 | Upper Beeding | 28 | 12 | 6 | 10 | 56 | 58 | −2 | 42 | |
| 8 | Alfold | 28 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 71 | 58 | +13 | 41 | |
| 9 | ASC Brighton Rangers | 28 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 74 | 65 | +9 | 34 | |
| 10 | Storrington | 28 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 41 | 91 | −50 | 27 | |
| 11 | Capel | 28 | 8 | 1 | 19 | 42 | 66 | −24 | 25 | |
| 12 | Brighton Electricity | 28 | 5 | 5 | 18 | 34 | 103 | −69 | 20 | |
| 13 | Rudgwick | 28 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 35 | 86 | −51 | 16 | |
| 14 | Bosham | 28 | 3 | 5 | 20 | 21 | 80 | −59 | 14 | |
| 15 | Worthing Town | 28 | 3 | 5 | 20 | 34 | 122 | −88 | 14 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Results table
[edit]Top Scorers
[edit]- As of 04 May 2026
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Campbell-Stone | TD Shipley | 33 |
| 2 | Antoine Sharpe | ASC Brighton Rangers | 27 |
| 3 | Josh Hall | Chichester City B | 26 |
| 4 | Matthew Wilson | Rustington | 22 |
| 5 | Joe Sadler | Ferring | 19 |
| 6 | Jack Newhouse | Rustington | 18 |
| 7 | Joshua Castle | Chichester City B | 17 |
| 8 | Dieron Munorrah | Alfold | 16 |
| 9 | Zain Beg | Southwater | 15 |
| Kieran Dowell | Chichester City B | ||
| Luke Longhurst | Capel |
Stadia and locations
[edit]| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfold | Alfold Crossways | Alfold Recreation Ground | 1,000 |
| Bosham | Bosham | Walton Lane | — |
| Brighton Electricity | Brighton (Withdean) | Withdean Stadium (groundshare with AFC Varndeanians) | 8,850 |
| Capel | Capel | Newdigate Road | — |
| Chichester City B | Chichester | Oaklands Park | 2,000 |
| Ferring | Ferring | The Glebelands | — |
| Hailsham Town | Hailsham | The Beaconsfield | 2,000 |
| Rudgwick | Rudgwick | King George V Playing Fields | — |
| Rustington | Rustington | Rustington Recreation Ground | — |
| ASC Brighton Rangers | Lancing | Culver Road (groundshare with Lancing) | 1,500 |
| Southwater | Southwater | Southwater Sports Club | — |
| Storrington Community | Storrington | The Recreation Ground, Storrington | — |
| TD Shipley | Shipley (Dragon's Green) | Dragons Green | — |
| Upper Beeding | Upper Beeding | Memorial Playing Field | — |
| Worthing Town | Worthing | Palatine Park | — |
References
[edit]- ↑ "Southern Combination Football League". scfl.org.uk. Archived from the original on 22 May 2017.
- ↑ "The FA releases National League System club allocations for Steps 2-6 in 2025-26 term". TheFA. 15 May 2025.
- 1 2 "Results|Southern Combination Football League". FA Full-Time. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
- ↑ "Player Stats". fulltime.thefa.com. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
- ↑ "Results|Southern Combination Football League". FA Full-Time. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
- ↑ "Div 2 Clubs". The Southern Combination Football League. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
- ↑ "Rudgwick FC Make History with Promotion and New First Team Appointment". Rudgwick Football Club. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
