The National League South is a professional Association football league in England. National League South is the second division of the National Leagues and step 2 of the NLS and sixth-highest tier overall in the English football league system, after the Premier League, the EFL leagues and the National League and is contested by 24 clubs.
National League South includes teams from the South East, London, and the South West, as well as teams from Essex. The National League South was introduced in 2004 as part of a major restructuring of the National League System. Each year the champion of the league is automatically promoted to the National League. A second promotion place goes to the winner of a play-off involving the teams finishing in second to seventh place (expanded from four to six teams in the 2017–18 season). The three bottom clubs were relegated to Step 3 leagues.
Current member clubs, 2026–27 The current member clubs for the 2026–27 season are as follows:
ClubFinishing position 2025–26AFC Totton12thBillericay Town3rd in Isthmian League (promoted)Braintree Town23rd in National League (relegated)Chelmsford City10thChesham United11thDagenham & Redbridge13thDorking Wanderers4thDover Athletic20thEbbsfleet United9thFarnborough19thFarnham Town2nd in Southern League (promoted)Folkestone Invicta1st in Isthmian League (promoted)Hampton & Richmond Borough18thHemel Hempstead Town5thHorsham15thMaidenhead United 7thMaidstone United8thSalisbury17thSlough Town16thTonbridge Angels14thTorquay United3rdTruro City24th in National League (relegated)Walton & Hersham1st in Southern League (promoted)Weston-super-Mare6th
Current league stadiums 2025–26
The stadiums of all teams in the league for the 2025–26 season are listed below in capacity order: Home clubStadium nameCapacityBath CityTwerton Park8,840FarnboroughCherrywood Road7,000Dover AthleticCrabble Athletic Ground6,500Torquay UnitedPlainmoor6,500Dagenham & RedbridgeVictoria Road6,078Chesham United The Meadow 5,000Salisbury Raymond McEnhill Stadium 5,000Ebbsfleet UnitedStonebridge Road4,800Dorking Wanderers Meadowbank Stadium 4,250Maidstone UnitedGallagher Stadium4,200Eastbourne BoroughPriory Lane4,151Maidenhead UnitedYork Road4,000WorthingWoodside Road4,000Hampton & Richmond BoroughBeveree Stadium3,500Hornchurch Hornchurch Stadium 3,500Weston-super-MareWoodspring Stadium3,500Hemel Hempstead TownVauxhall Road3,152Chelmsford CityMelbourne Stadium3,502Chippenham TownHardenhuish Park3,000HorshamHop Oast Stadium3,000Tonbridge AngelsLongmead Stadium3,000AFC TottonTestwood Stadium3,000Enfield Town Queen Elizabeth II Stadium 2,500Slough TownArbour Park2,000
Past winners SeasonWinnerPlayoff winner2004–05Grays AthleticEastbourne Borough **2005–06WeymouthSt Albans City2006–07HistonSalisbury City2007–08LewesEastbourne Borough2008–09 AFC Wimbledon Hayes & Yeading United2009–10 Newport County Bath City2010–11 Braintree Town Ebbsfleet United2011–12 Woking Dartford2012–13 Welling United Salisbury City2013–14 Eastleigh Dover Athletic2014–15 Bromley Boreham Wood2015–16 Sutton United Maidstone United2016–17 Maidenhead United Ebbsfleet United2017–18 Havant & Waterlooville Braintree Town2018–19 Torquay United Woking2019–20 Wealdstone Weymouth2020–21None, season curtailed and voided2021–22Maidstone UnitedDorking Wanderers2022–23Ebbsfleet UnitedOxford City2023–24Yeovil TownBraintree Town2024–25Truro CityBoreham Wood2025–26WorthingHornchurch
Attendances As of the end of the 2025–26 season, the record for the highest average league attendance is 1,319. Torquay United hold the record for the highest club average attendance with 3,943, having previously broken the record in the 2018–19 season with 2,551. Average and highest attendances
Season League average attendance Highest average Club Attendance 2012–13 487 Salisbury City 886 2013–14 461 Ebbsfleet United 1,090 2014–15 521 Bromley 1,081 2015–16 653 Maidstone United 2,222 2016–17 586 Ebbsfleet United 1,350 2017–18 551 Dartford 1,053 2018–19 877 Torquay United 2,551 2019–20 855 Dulwich Hamlet 2,200 2020–21 No attendances due to COVID-19 pandemic 2021–22 1,002 Dulwich Hamlet 2,712 2022–23 899 Dulwich Hamlet 2,464 2023–24 1,205 Yeovil Town 3,9162024–251,226Torquay United3,943 2025–26 1,319 Torquay United 3,509
Records
Biggest home win 8 – Maidenhead United 8–0 Truro City, 8 September 2012Ebbsfleet United 8–0 Bishop's Stortford, 21 March 2017,Dorking Wanderers 8-0 Havant and Waterlooville, 26 December 2021, Maidstone United 8-0 Enfield Town F.C., 24 February 2026 Biggest away win 7 – Dorchester Town 0–7 Grays Athletic, 23 October 2004 Highest scoring match 11 – Bognor Regis Town 6–5 Welling United, 11 September 2004Bath City 7–4 Farnborough, 17 February 2015 Consecutive wins 12 – Welling United, 2012–13 Consecutive games unbeaten 25 – Sutton United, 2015–16 Most wins in a season 32 – Newport County 2009–10 Fewest wins in a season 4 – Dover Athletic 2023-24 Most defeats in a season 34 – Fisher Athletic 2008–09 Fewest defeats in a season 3 – Newport County 2009–10 Most draws in a season 18 – Hampton & Richmond Borough 2017–18 Fewest draws in a season 3 – Redbridge 2004–05Eastleigh 2005–06Fisher Athletic 2008–09 Most goals scored in a season 118 – Grays Athletic, 2004–05 Fewest goals scored in a season 22 – Fisher Athletic 2008–09 Most goals conceded in a season 103 – Weymouth 2009–10 Fewest goals conceded in a season 26 – Newport County, 2009–10 Most clean sheets in a season 23 – Newport County 2009–10 and Alexis André Jr. (Maidstone United) 2024-2025 Most points in a season 103 – Newport County 2009–10 & Ebbsfleet United 2022-23 Most individual goals in a season 44 – Dave Tarpey (Maidenhead United), 2016–17 Top goalscorer 129 – Shaun Jeffers (St Albans City, Chelmsford City, Hampton & Richmond Borough) Most individual goals in a game 6 – Mitchell Bryant, Weymouth 0–6 Basingstoke Town, 13 February 2010 Highest attendance 6,462 – Yeovil Town vs. Torquay United, 29 March 2024 Highest average attendance 3,943 – Torquay United, 2024–25 Lowest home attendance52 out of 2,812 - Truro City vs. Torquay United, 1 January 2019 Highest away attendance2,760 out of 2,812 - Truro City vs. Torquay United, 1 January 2019
See also National League National League North
References
External links The National League official site