Explanation required

Can someone please explain to me why larkhill athletic, who we played tonight, won the premier division championship last season and are still in said league. This is not the first time I have read about a team in MT's league who won this division championship in the last couple of years. I assume the champions get promoted out of this league. Surely that's the name of the game.

Perhaps their ground was not up to standard for the league above us as what happened with oldland abbotonians last year bridgeport went up instead

from local info, I have been informed the top 4 teams in last seasons Toolstation Premier would not have grounds good enough to go up. Bitton finished runners up and they have spent a lot of money on improvements during the close season as have a few others.

The Ground and access is appauling, and I very much doubt it there will be able to go up this year if the win it.

Must be deflating for the players, to have won the league and still remain in it.

if a number of teams in this league dont meet the criteria to go up, does that mean even if we dont win the league we may still go up?

Only the team that win the championship are eligible to apply for promotion.
Coming second would guarantee absolutely nothing!

Benji wrote:if a number of teams in this league dont meet the criteria to go up, does that mean even if we dont win the league we may still go up?

I believe that only teams in the top two places are eligible to go up.

It's difficult find anything definite in the rules relating to the current season on the Internet, but I have seen something that indicates that if the champion club does not wish to be promoted, or does not satisfy the ground conditions, the second placed club - and ONLY the second placed club - can be nominated for promotion instead.

Supporters must remember that the Western League is not the only feeder league into the Southern League!!!