The 1978–79 Southern Football League season saw Worcester City win the Premier Division title. At the end of the season the Alliance Premier League was established as a new, national top division of non-League football. Thirteen clubs from the Premier Division joined the new league, leading to a restructuring of the Southern League for the 1979–80 season, in which it was divided solely into Midland and Southern Divisions.
Contents
Due to the forthcoming changes, there was no relegation or promotion between the Southern League's divisions, although the Premier Division clubs that remained in the Southern League had effectively been relegated one level, being placed in the Midland or Southern Divisions the following season. Several clubs left the Division One North at the end of the season to join the Northern Premier League, which had also lost clubs to the new Alliance Premier League, whilst Premier Division Atherstone Town folded.
Premier Division
The Premier Division featured four new clubs, all of which had been promoted from the North and South Divisions the previous season:
Football League election
Runners-up Kettering Town were the only Southern League club to apply for election to the Football League. However, all four Football League clubs were re-elected.
Division One North
Division One North featured three new clubs:
Division One South
Division One South featured four new clubs: