2008–09 Football Conference

Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Short descriptionTemplate:Template other The 2008–09 Football Conference season was the fifth season with the Conference consisting of three divisions, and the thirtieth season overall. The Conference covers the top two levels of Non-League football in England. The Conference Premier was the fifth highest level of the overall pyramid, while the Conference North and Conference South existed at the sixth level. The top team and the winner of the playoff of the National division were promoted to Football League Two, while the bottom four were relegated to the North or South divisions. The champions of the North and South divisions were promoted to the National division, alongside the play-off winners from each division. The bottom three in each of the North and South divisions were relegated to the premier divisions of the Northern Premier League, Isthmian League or Southern League. For sponsorship reasons, the Conference Premier was frequently referred to as the Blue Square Premier.

Conference Premier

A total of 24 teams contested the division, including 18 sides from last season, two relegated from the Football League Two, two promoted from the Conference North and two promoted from the Conference South.

Promotion and relegation

Teams promoted from 2007–08 Conference North

• Kettering Town
• Barrow

Teams promoted from 2007–08 Conference South

• Lewes
• Eastbourne Borough

Teams relegated from 2007–08 League Two

• Mansfield Town
• Wrexham

Eastbourne, Mansfield, Lewes and Wrexham appear in the Conference Premier for the first time, while Barrow return to the league after ten years. Kettering have three times been runners-up at this level and return to the league after an absence of five years. Altrincham remain in the Conference after a third consecutive reprieve from relegation, following Halifax Town's demotion for financial reasons.

Woking's relegation ended the tenure of the Football Conference's longest serving club, completing seventeen seasons in the top-flight.

Play-offs

Semifinals

Cambridge United won 4–3 on Aggregate.

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Torquay United won 2–1 on Aggregate.

Top goalscorers

Pos	Player	Team	Goals
1	Andy Mangan	Forest Green Rovers	26
2	James Constable	Oxford United	23
3	Steve Morison	Stevenage Borough	22
4	Charlie Griffin	Salisbury City	21
5	Matthew Barnes-Homer	Kidderminster Harriers	20
	Jack Midson	Histon
7	Greg Pearson	Burton Albion	18
8	Colin Little	Altrincham	16
	Justin Richards	Kidderminster Harriers
10	Shaun Harrad	Burton Albion	15
	Jefferson Louis	Wrexham
	Gareth Seddon	Kettering Town
	Richard Brodie	York City

Conference North

Template:Short descriptionTemplate:Template other A total of 22 teams contested the division, including 16 sides from last season, three relegated from the Conference Premier, two promoted from the Northern Premier League and one promoted from the Southern Football League.

Promotion and relegation

Teams promoted from 2007–08 Northern Premier League Premier Division

• Gateshead
• Fleetwood Town

Teams promoted from 2007–08 Southern League Premier Division

• King's Lynn

Teams relegated from 2007–08 Conference Premier

• Droylsden
• Stafford Rangers
• Farsley Celtic

Droylsden and Farsley are returned having spent just one season in the higher league. Fleetwood reached a new high eleven seasons after being re-formed following the bankruptcy of the original Fleetwood Town. Both Boston United and Nuneaton Borough were expelled from the league for financial reasons before the season, resulting in Vauxhall Motors relegation and Redditch United's transfer to the Conference South being cancelled.

Play-offs

Semifinals

Gateshead won 2–1 on Aggregate.

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AFC Telford United won 5–4 on Aggregate.

Top goalscorers

Pos	Player	Team	Goals
1	Lee Novak	Gateshead	26
2	Gareth Sheldon	Tamworth	23
3	Adam Warlow	Fleetwood Town	19
	Liam Hearn	Alfreton Town
5	Chris Simm	Hyde United	18
6	Paul Clayton	Alfreton Town	17
7	Ciaran Kilheeney	Southport	16
	Luke Beckett	Gainsborough Trinity
9	Gareth Arnison	Workington	15
	Andy Brown	AFC Telford United

Conference South

Template:Short descriptionTemplate:Template other A total of 22 teams contested the division, including 18 sides from last season, one transferred from the Conference North, two promoted from the Isthmian League and one promoted from the Southern Football League.

Promotion and relegation

Teams promoted from 2007–08 Southern League Premier Division

• Team Bath

Teams promoted from 2007–08 Isthmian League Premier Division

• Chelmsford City
• AFC Wimbledon

Teams transferred from 2007–08 Conference North

• Worcester City

No teams were relegated to the Conference South from the Conference Premier, so Worcester City were transferred in from the Conference North. The expulsion of two teams from the Conference North for financial reasons cancelled Redditch United's transfer between the two, and allowed Dorchester Town to remain in the Conference South. All the four new teams never played in Conference South before.

Play-offs

Semifinals

Hampton & Richmond Borough won 3–1 on Aggregate.

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Hayes & Yeading United won 6–4 on Aggregate.

Top goalscorers

Pos	Player	Team	Goals
1	Jon Main	AFC Wimbledon	33
2	Josh Scott	Hayes & Yeading United	22
3	Warren McBean	Bromley	21
4	Richard Pacquette	Maidenhead United	20
5	Charlie Sheringham	Welling United	19
6	Paul Hakim	St Albans City	18
7	Craig Reid	Newport County	15
	Dave Rainford	Chelmsford City
	Lawrence Yaku	Hampton & Richmond Borough
10	Marco Adaggio	Worcester City	14
	Danny Hockton	Braintree Town