The 1988–89 Courage Area League South was the second full season of rugby union within the fourth tier of the English league system, currently known as National League 2 South, and counterpart to Courage Area League North (now known as National League 2 North). Lydney won the championship despite having an identical win/draw/lose record to Havant in second place, and finished top due to a superior points difference, gaining promotion to the 1989–90 National Division Three. Three teams were relegated; Ealing (to London Division 1), Stroud (to South West Division 1) and Sidcup (to London Division 1). Last season Sidcup finished second, and this season lost all ten matches.
| 1988–89 Courage Area League South | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  England |
| Champions | Lydney (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Havant |
| Relegated | Sidcup, Stroud, Ealing |
| Matches played | 110 |
Structure edit
Each team played one match against each of the other teams, playing a total of ten matches each. This was the first season of fixed Saturdays for league matches. The champions are promoted to National Division 3 and the last three teams are relegated to either London 1 or South West 1 depending on their locality.[1]
Participating teams and locations edit
| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camborne | Recreation Ground | 9,000 | Camborne, Cornwall | 4th |
| Cheltenham | Prince of Wales | 2,000 | Cheltenham, Gloucestershire | 10th |
| Ealing | Horsenden Hill | Horsenden Hill, Ealing, London | Promoted from London 1 (champions) | |
| Havant | Hook's Lane | 1,500 | Havant, Hampshire | 5th |
| Lydney | Regentsholme | 1,500 | Lydney, Gloucestershire | 3rd |
| Redruth | Recreation Ground | 12,000 | Redruth, Cornwall | Promoted from South West 1 (champions) |
| Salisbury | Castle Road | 1,500 | Salisbury, Wiltshire | 9th |
| Sidcup | Crescent Farm | Sidcup, Kent | 2nd | |
| Southend | Warners Park | Southend, Essex | 7th | |
| Stroud | Fromehall Park | Stroud, Gloucestershire | 6th | |
| Sudbury | Moorsfield | Sudbury, Suffolk | 8th |
League table edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lydney (C) | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 240 | 98 | +142 | 17 | Promoted |
| 2 | Havant | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 177 | 92 | +85 | 17 | |
| 3 | Camborne | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 198 | 126 | +72 | 13 | |
| 4 | Redruth | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 136 | 81 | +55 | 13 | |
| 5 | Sudbury | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 141 | 89 | +52 | 11 | |
| 6 | Cheltenham | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 122 | 151 | −29 | 10 | |
| 7 | Salisbury | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 113 | 139 | −26 | 9 | |
| 8 | Southend | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 116 | 168 | −52 | 8 | |
| 9 | Ealing (R) | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 144 | 188 | −44 | 6 | Relegated |
| 10 | Stroud (R) | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 119 | 180 | −61 | 6 | |
| 11 | Sidcup (R) | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 74 | 168 | −94 | 0 |
Rules for classification: Points are awarded as follows:
- 2 pts for a win
- 1 pt for a draw
- 0 pts for a loss
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Sponsorship edit
Area League South is part of the Courage Clubs Championship and is sponsored by Courage Brewery.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Leagues 1988/99". Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^ a b Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91. Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co Ltd.