1988–89 Courage Area League South
| 1988–89 Courage Area League South | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  England |
| Champions | Lydney (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Havant |
| Relegated | Sidcup, Stroud, Ealing |
| Matches played | 110 |
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.
Structure
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
| 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
| 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
Area League South is part of the Courage Clubs Championship and is sponsored by Courage Brewery.
See also
- 1988–89 Courage League National Division One
- 1988–89 Courage League National Division Two
- 1988–89 Courage League National Division Three
- 1988–89 Courage Area League North
References
- ^ "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.