The South Midlands League was an English football league covering Bedfordshire and some adjoining counties.
The league was formed in 1922 as the Bedfordshire County League, changed its name to the Bedfordshire & District County League in 1924 before adopting the South Midlands League title in 1929. The league merged with the Spartan League to form the Spartan South Midlands League in 1997.
For the majority of the league's existence, it comprised two divisions, but for a period after World War II, and for the final four seasons, there were three divisions, with the peak membership of 48 clubs competing in 1995–96.
After the evolution of the National League System, the league became a feeder to the Isthmian League, with clubs such as Leighton Town, Oxford City and Bedford Town earning promotion.
Although clubs from the league played in the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup from the late 1920s onwards, none ever made the first round proper. The best performance came from Barton Rovers in 1976–77 when they reached the fourth qualifying round. South Midlands League clubs had more success in the FA Vase – Barton Rovers reached the final in 1977–78, while Arlesey Town went one better in 1994–95 to become the first and only South Midlands League club to win the competition.
Famous quotes containing the words south, midlands and/or league:
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—Flannery O’Connor (1925–1964)
“Sunday night meant, in the dark, wintry, rainy Midlands ... anywhere where two creatures might stand and squeeze together and spoon.... Spooning was a fine art, whereas kissing and cuddling are calf-processes.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)
“Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
“Forward the Light Brigade!”
—Alfred Tennyson (1809–1892)