2008–09 Football Conference

Conference Premier

A total of 24 teams contested the division, including 18 sides from last season, two relegated from the Football League Two, two promoted from the Conference North and two promoted from the Conference South.

Promotion and relegation

Teams promoted from 2007–08 Conference North

• Kettering Town
• Barrow

Teams promoted from 2007–08 Conference South

• Lewes
• Eastbourne Borough

Teams relegated from 2007–08 League Two

• Mansfield Town
• Wrexham

Eastbourne, Mansfield, Lewes and Wrexham appear in the Conference Premier for the first time, while Barrow return to the league after ten years. Kettering have three times been runners-up at this level and return to the league after an absence of five years. Altrincham remain in the Conference after a third consecutive reprieve from relegation, following Halifax Town's demotion for financial reasons.

Woking's relegation ended the tenure of the Football Conference's longest serving club, completing seventeen seasons in the top-flight.

League table

Torquay United Northwich Victoria Weymouth Lewes Gateshead, AFC Wimbledon, Hayes & Yeading United

|win_R&D=16|draw_R&D=15|loss_R&D=15|gf_R&D=61|ga_R&D=50

Results

|match_ALT_R&D=0–4

|match_BRW_R&D=1–1

|match_BRT_R&D=3–0

|match_CAM_R&D=0–0

|match_CRA_R&D=0–0

|match_EAB_R&D=0–1

|match_EBB_R&D=1–0

|match_FGR_R&D=4–0

|match_GRY_R&D=0–0

|match_HIS_R&D=0–0

|match_KET_R&D=1–1

|match_KID_R&D=2–1

|match_LEW_R&D=0–4

|match_MAN_R&D=0–0

|match_NOR_R&D=4–2

|match_OXF_R&D=2–1

|name_R&D=Rushden & Diamonds |match_R&D_ALT=1–1 |match_R&D_BRW=1–1 |match_R&D_BRT=2–1 |match_R&D_CAM=1–2 |match_R&D_CRA=0–1 |match_R&D_EAB=2–0 |match_R&D_EBB=2–0 |match_R&D_FGR=2–2 |match_R&D_GRY=1–0 |match_R&D_HIS=1–2 |match_R&D_KET=1–0 |match_R&D_KID=0–1 |match_R&D_LEW=2–1 |match_R&D_MAN=0–1 |match_R&D_NOR=2–1 |match_R&D_OXF=1–3 |match_R&D_SAL=2–1 |match_R&D_STB=1–1 |match_R&D_TOR=1–3 |match_R&D_WEY=1–0 |match_R&D_WOK=3–1 |match_R&D_WRE=1–1 |match_R&D_YOR=2–0

|match_SAL_R&D=1–1

|match_STB_R&D=3–1

|match_TOR_R&D=1–1

|match_WEY_R&D=0–9

|match_WOK_R&D=1–1

|match_WRE_R&D=0–3

|match_YOR_R&D=2–0

Play-offs

| RD1-seed1=5 | RD1-team1=Stevenage Borough | RD1-score1-1=3 | RD1-score1-2=0 | RD1-score1-agg=3 | RD1-seed2=2 | RD1-team2=Cambridge United | RD1-score2-1=1 | RD1-score2-2=3 | RD1-score2-agg=4 | RD1-seed3=4 | RD1-team3=Torquay United | RD1-score3-1=2 | RD1-score3-2=0 | RD1-score3-agg=2 | RD1-seed4=3 | RD1-team4=Histon | RD1-score4-1=0 | RD1-score4-2=1 | RD1-score4-agg=1 | RD2-seed1=2 | RD2-team1=Cambridge United | RD2-score1=0 | RD2-seed2=4 | RD2-team2=Torquay United | RD2-score2=2

Semifinals

• Roberts
• Morison
• Phillips
• Willmott
• Rendell Cambridge United won 4–3 on Aggregate.

• Wroe
• Sills
• Andrews Torquay United won 2–1 on Aggregate.

Play-Off Final

• Hargreaves
• Sills

Stadia and locations

Top goalscorers

Conference North

Gateshead Hucknall Town A total of 22 teams contested the division, including 16 sides from last season, three relegated from the Conference Premier, two promoted from the Northern Premier League and one promoted from the Southern Football League.

Promotion and relegation

Teams promoted from 2007–08 Northern Premier League Premier Division

• Gateshead
• Fleetwood Town

Teams promoted from 2007–08 Southern League Premier Division

• King's Lynn

Teams relegated from 2007–08 Conference Premier

• Droylsden
• Stafford Rangers
• Farsley Celtic

Droylsden and Farsley are returned having spent just one season in the higher league. Fleetwood reached a new high eleven seasons after being re-formed following the bankruptcy of the original Fleetwood Town. Both Boston United and Nuneaton Borough were expelled from the league for financial reasons before the season, resulting in Vauxhall Motors relegation and Redditch United's transfer to the Conference South being cancelled.

League table

Results

Play-offs

| RD1-seed1=5 | RD1-team1=Southport | RD1-score1-1=0 | RD1-score1-2=1 | RD1-score1-agg=1 | RD1-seed2=2 | RD1-team2=Gateshead | RD1-score2-1=1 | RD1-score2-2=1 | RD1-score2-agg=2 | RD1-seed3=4 | RD1-team3=AFC Telford United | RD1-score3-1=2 | RD1-score3-2=3 | RD1-score3-agg=5 | RD1-seed4=3 | RD1-team4=Alfreton Town | RD1-score4-1=0 | RD1-score4-2=4 | RD1-score4-agg=4 | RD2-seed1=2 | RD2-team1=Gateshead | RD2-score1=1 | RD2-seed2=4 | RD2-team2=AFC Telford United | RD2-score2=0

Semifinals

• Armstrong
• Novak
• Booth Gateshead won 2–1 on Aggregate.

• Nwadike
• Carey-Bertram
• Butler
• Brown
• Clayton
• Howell
• Edwards
• Carey-Bertram
• Rodgers AFC Telford United won 5–4 on Aggregate.

Play-Off Final

• Phillips

Top goalscorers

Conference South

Hayes & Yeading United Fisher Athletic A total of 22 teams contested the division, including 18 sides from last season, one transferred from the Conference North, two promoted from the Isthmian League and one promoted from the Southern Football League.

Promotion and relegation

Teams promoted from 2007–08 Southern League Premier Division

• Team Bath

Teams promoted from 2007–08 Isthmian League Premier Division

• Chelmsford City
• AFC Wimbledon

Teams transferred from 2007–08 Conference North

• Worcester City

No teams were relegated to the Conference South from the Conference Premier, so Worcester City were transferred in from the Conference North. The expulsion of two teams from the Conference North for financial reasons cancelled Redditch United's transfer between the two, and allowed Dorchester Town to remain in the Conference South. All the four new teams never played in Conference South before.

League table

|win_H&R=25|draw_H&R=10|loss_H&R=7|gf_H&R=74|ga_H&R=37 |win_H&Y=24|draw_H&Y=9|loss_H&Y=9|gf_H&Y=74|ga_H&Y=43|status_H&Y=O,P |win_H&W=11|draw_H&W=15|loss_H&W=16|gf_H&W=59|ga_H&W=58

Results

|match_WIM_H&R=1–1 |match_WIM_H&W=3–0 |match_WIM_H&Y=2–0

|match_BAS_H&R=1–1 |match_BAS_H&W=2–2 |match_BAS_H&Y=1–1

|match_BAT_H&R=0–1 |match_BAT_H&W=2–1 |match_BAT_H&Y=0–1

|match_BST_H&R=1–3 |match_BST_H&W=1–0 |match_BST_H&Y=0–0

|match_BOG_H&R=0–1 |match_BOG_H&W=1–5 |match_BOG_H&Y=1–1

|match_BRA_H&R=1–2 |match_BRA_H&W=1–0 |match_BRA_H&Y=0–1

|match_BRO_H&R=0–2 |match_BRO_H&W=2–2 |match_BRO_H&Y=1–0

|match_CHE_H&R=3–2 |match_CHE_H&W=1–2 |match_CHE_H&Y=2–1

|match_DOR_H&R=0–1 |match_DOR_H&W=1–0 |match_DOR_H&Y=1–2

|match_EAS_H&R=2–1 |match_EAS_H&W=2–0 |match_EAS_H&Y=3–3

|match_FIS_H&R=0–2 |match_FIS_H&W=1–1 |match_FIS_H&Y=0–5

|name_H&R=Hampton & Richmond Borough |match_H&R_BAS=0–0 |match_H&R_BAT=3–1 |match_H&R_BST=2–1 |match_H&R_BOG=0–0 |match_H&R_BRA=2–1 |match_H&R_BRO=1–1 |match_H&R_CHE=4–1 |match_H&R_DOR=2–0 |match_H&R_EAS=2–1 |match_H&R_FIS=3–0 |match_H&R_H&W=2–1 |match_H&R_H&Y=2–3 |match_H&R_MDH=1–0 |match_H&R_NPC=0–1 |match_H&R_SAC=0–0 |match_H&R_TBA=3–0 |match_H&R_THU=3–1 |match_H&R_WEL=2–0 |match_H&R_WSM=4–1 |match_H&R_WIM=1–1 |match_H&R_WRC=1–2

|name_H&W=Havant & Waterlooville |match_H&W_BAS=5–1 |match_H&W_BAT=0–0 |match_H&W_BST=3–0 |match_H&W_BOG=2–2 |match_H&W_BRA=1–1 |match_H&W_BRO=0–1 |match_H&W_CHE=1–1 |match_H&W_DOR=1–2 |match_H&W_EAS=2–2 |match_H&W_FIS=3–0 |match_H&W_H&R=1–4 |match_H&W_H&Y=2–2 |match_H&W_MDH=3–3 |match_H&W_NPC=1–1 |match_H&W_SAC=2–0 |match_H&W_TBA=2–1 |match_H&W_THU=2–2 |match_H&W_WEL=1–0 |match_H&W_WSM=2–3 |match_H&W_WIM=0–0 |match_H&W_WRC=0–2

|name_H&Y=Hayes & Yeading United |match_H&Y_BAS=5–0 |match_H&Y_BAT=2–2 |match_H&Y_BST=1–0 |match_H&Y_BOG=3–1 |match_H&Y_BRA=0–1 |match_H&Y_BRO=2–1 |match_H&Y_CHE=0–1 |match_H&Y_DOR=2–1 |match_H&Y_EAS=0–1 |match_H&Y_FIS=3–4 |match_H&Y_H&R=0–0 |match_H&Y_H&W=2–1 |match_H&Y_MDH=2–0 |match_H&Y_NPC=2–0 |match_H&Y_SAC=2–1 |match_H&Y_TBA=1–1 |match_H&Y_THU=2–1 |match_H&Y_WEL=2–1 |match_H&Y_WSM=3–0 |match_H&Y_WIM=2–1 |match_H&Y_WRC=3–1

|match_MDH_H&R=0–3 |match_MDH_H&W=1–0 |match_MDH_H&Y=2–0

|match_NPC_H&R=1–0 |match_NPC_H&W=0–2 |match_NPC_H&Y=1–5

|match_SAC_H&R=2–2 |match_SAC_H&W=1–1 |match_SAC_H&Y=1–1

|match_TBA_H&R=0–2 |match_TBA_H&W=1–0 |match_TBA_H&Y=4–1

|match_THU_H&R=3–3 |match_THU_H&W=2–3 |match_THU_H&Y=0–1

|match_WEL_H&R=4–0 |match_WEL_H&W=2–1 |match_WEL_H&Y=0–2

|match_WSM_H&R=0–3 |match_WSM_H&W=0–1 |match_WSM_H&Y=1–2

|match_WRC_H&R=1–2 |match_WRC_H&W=2–2 |match_WRC_H&Y=0–3

Play-offs

| RD1-seed1=5 | RD1-team1=Chelmsford City | RD1-score1-1=1 | RD1-score1-2=0 | RD1-score1-agg=1 | RD1-seed2=2 | RD1-team2=Hampton & Richmond Borough | RD1-score2-1=3 | RD1-score2-2=0 | RD1-score2-agg=3 | RD1-seed3=4 | RD1-team3=Hayes & Yeading United | RD1-score3-1=2 | RD1-score3-2=4 | RD1-score3-agg=6 | RD1-seed4=3 | RD1-team4=Eastleigh | RD1-score4-1=4 | RD1-score4-2=0 | RD1-score4-agg=4 | RD2-seed1=2 | RD2-team1=Hampton & Richmond Borough | RD2-score1=2 | RD2-seed2=4 | RD2-team2=Hayes & Yeading United | RD2-score2=3

Semifinals

• Rainford
• Yaku
• Hodges Hampton & Richmond Borough won 3–1 on Aggregate.

• Hendry
• Ruby
• Taggart
• Williams
• Riviere
• Mulley
• Perkins
• Hendry
• Fitzgerald Hayes & Yeading United won 6–4 on Aggregate.

Play-Off Final

• McAuley
• Hodges
• Fitzgerald
• Gregory

Top goalscorers

References

References

1. (27 February 2009). "Crawley win FA appeal over points". BBC Sport.
2. (22 April 2009). "Conference to demote King's Lynn". BBC Sport.
3. (12 January 2009). "Bognor hit with seven-point deduction". The Argus.