The 1958–59 Southern Football League season saw the league split into two divisions for the first time since 1936 following the election of thirteen new clubs at the end of the previous season. Hereford United won the North-west Division, whilst Bedford Town won the South-east Division. Bedford were declared Southern League champions after defeating Hereford 2-1 in a championship play-off at Hereford on 9 May. Nine clubs applied to join the Football League, although none were successful.
The plan for the following season was to have a Premier Division of 22 clubs and a Division One below it. As a result, the top eleven clubs in each division this season would remain in the new Premier Division, whilst clubs finishing twelfth or lower would be in the new Division One.
The North-west Division featured seven new clubs:
1 The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season.
2 The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.
The North-west Division featured six new clubs:
1 The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season.
2 The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.
Nine Southern League clubs applied to join the Football League. However, all four League clubs were re-elected.