With the structure for the National League South confirmed, we take a look at the six new teams joining us at Step Two for the 2025/26 campaign.
We begin with a look at a newly promoted team, with AFC Totton playing at Step Two for the first time in the club’s history following victory in the Southern League Premier South Play-Off Final.
2024/25
Having lost to Salisbury on penalties in the Play-Off Final in 2023/24, AFC Totton weren’t to be denied this time around. After finishing in second spot for the second time in two seasons, they overcame Dorchester Town in a thriller in the play-off semi-final – where they came from 2-0 down in the 90th minute to force extra time, before winning 4-3.
Charlie Austin – once of Southampton and QPR fame – scored the decisive goal that night, and the Stags went on to beat Gloucester City 1-0 in the Final to secure promotion.
In the regular season, they won 25 of their 42 league fixtures – finishing with 88 points as they missed out on the title by three points to Merthyr Town.
The Manager
Jimmy Ball joined the Stags from EFL League Two club Stevenage, where he was the Assistant Manager to former Southampton player Paul Tisdale from January 2022.
In his previous role as Interim Manager at Forest Green Rovers, he took them to the semi-finals of the League Two Promotion Play-Offs, having previously coached their Under-18s.
The son of England 1966 World Cup-winner Alan Ball, he was a player in the youth academies of Exeter City and Southampton during his father’s managerial stints at the two clubs, before playing for BAT Sports.
He moved into coaching at Christchurch, before joining the backroom staff at Portsmouth and moving on to Dublin-based League of Ireland club, Shelbourne. After a spell in the United States, Jimmy returned to England to coach in the academies at Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City. He joined Forest Green Rovers in April 2021.
The Stadium
The Snows Stadium has been Totton’s home since February 2011, having previously been at South Testwood Park, before moving to Testwood Park in December 1933.
The ground cost a reported £2.5 million to build, and has a capacity of 3,000, of which 500 are seated and covered. The ground is also used by Southampton FC Women and the Southampton Under 23 Team.
There is limited parking on matchdays but you can park on Calmore industrial estate, 0.5 miles past the ground on Brunel Road – just off the nearby roundabout. Parking on the industrial estate is free.
Head-to-Head
The Sports have never played AFC Totton in a competitive match, with last year’s friendly at Snows Stadium the first ever meeting between the two teams.
In a competitive encounter, a trip by Borough goalkeeper Joe Wright on Ethan Taylor inside the visitors’ box resulted in a spot-kick that veteran Scott Rendell converted to hand The Stags a 1-0 win.
