With the festive break in fixtures well underway in the Regional Leagues, we breeze through the 24 divisions to highlight the main promotion contenders.
EASTERN
Harlow Town lead Peterborough Northern Star by six points from a game more and the Premier Division’s top two clash in the return to action on 5 January. Luton Town in fifth have an extra game in hand over the leaders in the battle for promotion to the FA Women’s National League.
Cambridge City Development are just a single point ahead of Kings Lynn Town at the midway point in Division 1 North.
Division 1 South’s high-scoring unbeaten duo Millwall and Hutton sit first and second respectively, with the Lionesses having played a game more than their title rivals.
EAST MIDLANDS
Premier highfliers Peterborough United may be seven points ahead of the rest but Rotherham United are a serious threat, having not dropped a point to date.
Hykeham Town are top in Division 1 North and Notts County Development second but Chesterfield and Worksop Town have the games in hand to overtake the latter.
Beaumont Park are in the Division 1 South pole position but both Notts County and Ilkeston Town boast perfect records.
LONDON & SOUTH EAST
Dulwich Hamlet hold a two-point lead over Queens Park Rangers after defeating them 2-0 earlier this month but QPR have two games in hand.
New London Lionesses are well placed in the Greater London Premier, a couple of points in front of Leyton Orient Development from two games fewer.
Worthing are looking good for promotion as they are five points better off than Lewes Foundation. Fourth-placed Phoenix Sports could be best-placed to challenge them for the South East Counties championship.
NORTH EAST
Harrogate Town and Wallsend BC are the Premier’s top two, however, Farsley Celtic and Hartlepool United both look likely to overtake each of them.
Sunderland West End are top by eight points in the Northern Division and in a very strong position. Alnwick Town might provide competition for first place but they are well behind with their fixtures.
It’s tighter in the Southern where Bridlington Rovers are just in front of Sheffield Wednesday but have played an extra match.
NORTH WEST
FC United of Manchester are the one unbeaten team in the Premier Division and although they have five points to make up on Tranmere Rovers, they do currently have four games with which to do so.
Blackburn Community Sports Club have as many as five games in hand on Division 1 North’s top two; Penrith and Accrington CFC, the latter leading the former by a nine-point margin.
Salford City Lionesses sit top of Division 1 South by seven points but not that comfortably, with second-in-the-table Curzon Ashton having played three games fewer.
SOUTHERN
Two teams in the Premier Division maintain faultless form, AFC Bournemouth from seven matches and Moneyfields after five, while Abingdon United are sandwiched between them. The New Year will start with a bang as those with 100% records go head to head.
Abbey Rangers edge the Division 1 title chase by a point and a game in hand on Abingdon Town, who are up against another contender in Eastleigh when the league resumes.
SOUTH WEST
Wootton Bassett Town have the leadership by three points from Callington Town, who are just ahead of Ilminster Town (whose next game is home to the leaders), while unbeaten Portishead have games in hand on all.
Second-placed Cheltenham Town Development look to have played too many games to threaten Division 1 Northern leaders Frampton Rangers but Almondsbury, Oldland Abbotonians and Bristol Ladies Union are all in a position to do so.
Only one point separates the top four in the East, where Swindon Spitfires lead Sherborne Town by a single goal and Frome Town also on goal-difference, with Swindon Town Development a very close fourth.
Plymouth Argyle Reserves lead Division 1 Western by three points but the top three have all lost as many times, Feniton, St Agnes as well as Plympton all holding games in hand.
WEST MIDLANDS
Sutton Coldfield Town and Solihull United can cut Redditch United’s seven-point advantage but the Premier Division leaders will be most concerned about fourth-placed Leek Town who have won all their games so far. Solihull are home to Leek next on 5 January.
AFC Telford, Shrewsbury Town and Wyrley are the Division 1 North’s top three but four sides; Sandwell, Soilhull Sporting, Shifnal Town and Stoke City Development, all have the opportunity to go top.
Stourbridge are top of Division 1 South by a massive 15 points with Kidderminster Harriers their nearest challengers and having four fixtures with which to make up some ground.
