1987–88 Area League South
Rugby union competition in England
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The 1987–88 Area League South was the first full season of rugby union within the fourth tier of the English league system, later known as the National League 2 South, and was the counterpart to Area League North (now National League 2 North). Each team played one match against the other teams, playing a total of ten matches each. There was no set date for matches, clubs having to arrange the fixtures amongst themselves.[1][2]
| 1987–88 Area League South | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  England |
| Champions | Askeans (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Sidcup |
| Relegated | Streatham-Croydon |
| Matches played | 110 |
Askeans were the first ever champions, gaining promotion to the 1988–89 National Division 3 while Streatham-Croydon were the only relegated side, dropping to London 1.
Structure
Each team played one match against each of the other teams, playing a total of ten matches each. The champions are promoted to National Division 3 and the bottom team was relegated to either London 1 or South West 1 depending on their locality.
Participating teams and locations
| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Askeans | Broad Walk | 1,500 (300 seats)[3] | Kidbrooke, London |
| Camborne | Recreation Ground | 11,000[4] | Camborne, Cornwall |
| Cheltenham | Prince of Wales | 3,500 (500 seats)[5] | Cheltenham, Gloucestershire |
| Havant | Hook's Lane | 3,000 (200 seats)[6] | Havant, Hampshire |
| Lydney | Regentsholme | 3,000 (340 seats)[7] | Lydney, Gloucestershire |
| Salisbury | Castle Road | 1,500 | Salisbury, Wiltshire |
| Crescent Farm | Sidcup, London | ||
| Southend | Warners Park | 1,500 (150 seats)[8] | Southend, Essex |
| Streatham-Croydon | Frant Road | 2,000 (200 seats)[9] | Thornton Heath, Croydon, London |
| Stroud | Fromehall Park | 4,000 (200 seats)[10] | Stroud, Gloucestershire |
| Sudbury | Moorsfield | 1,000[11] | Sudbury, Suffolk |
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Askeans (C) | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 141 | 83 | +58 | 17 | Promoted |
| 2 | Sidcup | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 130 | 58 | +72 | 16 | |
| 3 | Lydney | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 173 | 99 | +74 | 14 | |
| 4 | Camborne | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 113 | 119 | −6 | 12 | |
| 5 | Havant | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 116 | 102 | +14 | 10 | |
| 6 | Stroud | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 112 | 114 | −2 | 10 | |
| 7 | Southend | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 63 | 108 | −45 | 10 | |
| 8 | Sudbury | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 125 | 106 | +19 | 8 | |
| 9 | Salisbury | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 84 | 94 | −10 | 7 | |
| 10 | Cheltenham | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 95 | 152 | −57 | 6 | |
| 11 | Streatham-Croydon (R) | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 70 | 173 | −103 | 0 | Relegated |
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 was sponsored by Courage Brewery.