2020–21 West Midlands (Regional) League
| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
← 2019–20 → | |
The 2020–21 West Midlands (Regional) League season was the 121st in the history of the West Midlands (Regional) League (WMRL), a football competition in England which was formed in 1889. The league operated three divisions for the last time: the Premier Division, see below, at level 10 in the English football league system, Division One at level 11, and Division Two. The Premier Division was one of three divisions which fed into the Midland Football League Premier Division, the other two being the East Midlands Counties League and the Midland League's own Division One.
The allocations for Steps 5 and 6 for season 2020–21 were announced by the FA on 21 July,[1] and were subject to appeal. The league season was subsequently abandoned on 24 February 2021.[2]
Promotions and restructuring[]
The scheduled restructuring of non-League football took place at the end of the season, with new divisions added to the Combined Counties and United Counties leagues at Step 5 for 2021-22, along with new a division in the Northern Premier League at Step 4.[3] Promotions from Steps 6 to 5 were based on points per game across all matches over the two cancelled seasons (2019-20 and 2020-21), while teams were promoted into Step 6 on the basis of a subjective application process.[3] The Premier Division disbanded and therefore the WMRL lost its place at Step 6 or level 10, becoming a National League System county feeder, after most of its remaining clubs were assigned to the Hellenic and Midland leagues.[4] The league was reduced to two regional divisions.
Premier Division[]
The Premier Division for the final time comprised 18 teams, the same set of teams which competed in the previous season's aborted competition.
Premier Division table[]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shifnal Town (P) | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 4 | +16 | 21 | Promoted to the Midland League Premier Division[a] |
| 2 | Worcester Raiders | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 8 | +17 | 19 | Transferred to the Hellenic League Division One |
| 3 | Shawbury United | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 15 | +7 | 17 | Transferred to the Midland League Division One |
| 4 | Littleton | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 7 | +13 | 16 | Transferred to the Hellenic League Division One |
| 5 | Bilston Town | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 7 | +10 | 16 | Transferred to the Midland League Division One |
| 6 | Wolverhampton Casuals (P) | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 21 | −5 | 13 | Promoted to the Midland League Premier Division[a] |
| 7 | Wolverhampton Sporting Community | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 12 | +1 | 10 | Transferred to the Midland League Division One |
| 8 | Wednesfield | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 14 | +2 | 9 | |
| 9 | Dudley Town | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 7 | |
| 10 | Black Country Rangers | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 7 | |
| 11 | Pershore Town | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 13 | −1 | 6 | Transferred to the Hellenic League Division One |
| 12 | Cradley Town | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 17 | −5 | 6 | Transferred to the Midland League Division One |
| 13 | Darlaston Town | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 20 | −13 | 6 | |
| 14 | Dudley Sports | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 5 | |
| 15 | AFC Bridgnorth | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 22 | −10 | 5 | |
| 16 | Bewdley Town (P) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 15 | −1 | 4 | Promoted to the Midland League Premier Division[a] |
| 17 | Wem Town | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 30 | −20 | 4 | Resigned after the season[b] |
| 18 | Smethwick Rangers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 29 | −23 | 0 | Transferred to the Midland League 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[5]
(P) Promoted
Notes:
- ^ a b c Promoted based on points per game calculations from 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons combined.
- ^ Initially transferred to, then resigned from, the North West Counties League.
Stadiums[]
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Bridgnorth | Bridgnorth | Crown Meadow | |
| Bewdley Town | Bewdley | Ribbesford Meadows | |
| Bilston Town | Bilston | Queen Street | |
| Black Country Rangers | Brierley Hill | Hillcrest Avenue | |
| Cradley Town | Cradley | Beeches View | |
| Darlaston Town (1874) | Walsall | Bentley Sports Pavilion | 34 |
| Dudley Sports | Brierley Hill | Hillcrest Avenue[a] | |
| Dudley Town | Willenhall | Aspray 24 Arena[b] | |
| Littleton | North Littleton | Five Acres | |
| Pershore Town | Pershore | Community Stadium | 4,000 |
| Shawbury United | Ludlow | Ludlow Football Stadium | |
| Shifnal Town | Shifnal | Acoustafoam Stadium | |
| Smethwick Rangers | Tividale | The Beeches[c] | |
| Wednesfield | Wednesfield | Cottage Ground | |
| Wem Town | Wem | Butler Sports Centre | |
| Wolverhampton Casuals | Wolverhampton | Brinsford Lane | |
| Wolverhampton Sporting | Great Wyrley | Pride Park | |
| Worcester Raiders | Worcester | Sixways Stadium[d] | 11,499 |
- ^ Groundshare with Black Country Rangers
- ^ Groundshare with Sporting Khalsa
- ^ Groundshare with Tividale
- ^ Groundshare with Worcester Warriors RFC
References[]
- ^ "National League System club allocations – Steps 5–6, Season 2020–21" (PDF). The Football Association. 21 July 2020 – via The Non-League Paper.
- ^ "FA Update On Steps 3-6". 24 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
- ^ a b "EXPLAINED: The 2021-22 Non-League restructure". The Non-League Paper. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
- ^ "National League System club allocations - Steps 5/6, Season 2021-22" (PDF). The Football Association. May 2021.
- ^ "The FA Handbook 2020/2021 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- West Midlands (Regional) League seasons
- 2020–21 in English football leagues
- Association football events curtailed and voided due to the COVID-19 pandemic