Who May We See In The Pitching In Southern Football League in 2023/24? (Spartan South Midlands League)

A look at who may become members of the league next season from the feeder leagues.

Obviously, the Football Association’s National League System Committee will have the final say on who goes where in the summer and one or two of the following clubs may not end up in the Southern League.

And in some cases, it also may depend on ground gradings being suitable.

However, these are the team’s best placed to be promoted to the league as it stands today.

Spartan South Midlands League

It looks like we could have a club who have played Southern League football for several years coming back into the competition as Leighton Town lead the table by a four-point margin with two games in hand.

Lee Bircham’s side have come through an unbelievably tough period of fixtures which saw them play eight times in March.

Saturday saw a rather tired looking Leighton held to a 0-0 draw at Baldock Town but they look like beating second-placed Stotfold to the title, although the sides meet in the penultimate league fixture on April 20th at Stotfold’s JSJ Stadium.

Leighton, who are averaging crowds of 317, spent from 2004 until 2016 in the Southern League One Midlands and Central after being shifted from the Isthmian League having won Division Two in 2003/04.

They attained a seventh-placed finish in 2010/11 but in the last five season they struggled and, after finishing second-bottom to North Greenford United in 2015/16, Leighton were relegated to the Spartan South Midlands League – they had previously been members of the South Midlands League until 1992.

One of the biggest successes for former Berkhamsted boss Bircham’s side this season has been the goalscoring form of Leon Lobjoit.

To date, the 28-year-old has netted an amazing 46 goals from 42 appearances!

The much-travelled striker moved to Bell Close in 2021/22 having been up and down the non-League Pyramid with the likes of Brackley Town, Oxford City, Corby Town, Bedford Town, Hemel Hempstead Town, AFC Rushden & Diamonds and Newport Pagnell Town as well as in the Football League with Northampton Town.

Lobjoit has been aided by local lad Archie McClelland, who has 19 goals to his name, and another experienced Southern League campaigner, Lewis Toomey.

Toomey joined Leighton in the summer of 2022 and has 17 goals to his credit to date.

He was captain and top scorer with Berkhamsted for three seasons and also had spells with the likes of Hemel Hempstead Town, St Albans City and Chesham United.

Central midfielder Ben Spaul spent three seasons with Berkhamsted as well as having spells with Cockfosters and Welwyn Garden City and he’s another to have joined last summer.

Leighton also have a very experienced keeper behind their defence in Xavier Comas.

He has been with the likes of Hemel Hempstead Town, Kings Langley, Hendon, Hayes & Yeading United and Berkhamsted having come over from Spain, where he represented CD Canillas, Gramanet, Masnou and Cornell.

Stotfold are managed by former Hitchin Town and Biggleswade Town favourite Brett Donnelly.

Since taking over at the start of last season, he has enjoyed a terrific record, winning 64 of his 96 games in charge.

If Stotfold aren’t able to catch Leighton, then they have another chance to win a promotion place via a play-off.

And they took another step closer to that after victory away to Crawley Green on Saturday.

The 2-1 success means they remain second in the table but maintain a nine-point gap back to St Panteleimon in third and more importantly a 10-point gap to fourth-placed Risborough Rangers, who have a game in hand on the Eagles.

Topping Stotfold’s goalscoring charts with 14 is Archie Sayer, who was on Southern League Division One Central side Welwyn Garden City’s books earlier this season.

Still only 19, Sayer joined the Citizens in June 2022 from SSML Premier Division outfit Arlesey Town where he scored 20 goals in 2021/22 in 37 games.

He was also involved in the Stevenage youth setup for two years and had a loan stint at Hertford Town whilst at Broadhall Way.

Local youngster Codi-Lee Spavins is joint top scorer, while the more experienced Mason Spence has 13 goals to his name to date.

The 28-year-old has been with Cambridge City, Kempston Rovers, MK Dons, Colchester United, St Neots Town, Stony Stratford Town, Hayes & Yeading United, Chelmsford City, Dunstable Town and Hitchin Town.

Stotfold also have a good goalkeeper behind a solid defence in former Luton Town, Biggleswade Town and Cambridge City shot-stopper Liam Gooch.