London League (football)
The London League was a football competition that was held in the London and surrounding areas of south-east England from 1896 until 1964.
In 1896 the president of the London League was Arnold Hills founder of Thames Ironworks F.C. (which later reformed as West Ham United). One of the men who helped draft the rules of the competition was Francis Payne, club secretary of Thames Ironworks F.C. in 1897.[1] The league started with three divisions,[2] the 3rd Grenadier Guards winning the inaugural championship.[3]
The league fluctuated between having a single division and reaching four divisions. Before World War I, most of the senior London Football League clubs fielded a reserve side in the London League.[citation needed]
In 1964, the London League ceased to exist, merging with the Aetolian League to form the Greater London League, which then further merged in 1971 with the Metropolitan League to form the Metropolitan–London League.[4] This later merged into the Spartan League, which in turn merged into the modern Spartan South Midlands League.[citation needed]
Champions[]
This list is incomplete; you can help by . (August 2008) |
London League Division One[]
- 1896–1897 – 3rd Grenadier Guards
- 1897–1898 – Thames Ironworks
- 1898–1899 – Tottenham Hotspur Reserves
- 1899–1901 – Millwall Athletic Reserves
- 1901–1902 – West Ham United
- 1902–1903 – Tottenham Hotspur
- 1903–1904 – Woolwich Arsenal Reserves
- 1904–1905 – Southall
- 1908–1909 – Brentford Reserves
London League Division Two[]
- 1896–1897 – Bromley
- 1897–1898 – Barnet
- 1898–1899 – Monsteds Athletic F.C.
- 1899–1900 – Fulham
- 1900–1901 – Airdrieonians
- 1901–1902 – East Greenwich Gas Works F.C.
- 1902–1903 – Brentford Reserves
- 1903–1904 – Catford Southend
- 1904–1905 – Clapton Orient Reserves
London League Premier Division[]
- 1901–1902 – West Ham United
- 1902–1903 – Tottenham Hotspur
- 1903–1904 – Millwall
- 1908–1909 – West Ham United
London League Division One A[]
- 1909–1910 – Barking
In 1920, a third division, known as Division Two was added
Year | Premier Division | Division One | Division Two |
---|---|---|---|
1920–21 | Barking Town | Sterling Athletic | Wall End United |
1921–22 | Grays Athletic | Barking Town reserves | Wall End United |
1922–23 | Custom House | Millwall United | Hendon Town |
1923–24 | Leyton | S T D Athletic | Savoy Hotel |
In 1924, Division Two was disbanded
Year | Premier Division | Division One |
---|---|---|
1924–25 | Leyton | Bromley reserves |
1925–26 | Leyton | Bromley reserves |
1926–27 | Grays Athletic | Callender Athletic |
1927–28 | Epsom Town | Beckenham |
1928–29 | Mitcham Wanderers | Holland Athletic |
1929–30 | Grays Athletic | Park Royal |
1930–31 | Chelmsford | Park Royal |
1931–32 | Park Royal | Chelmsford reserves |
1932–33 | Park Royal | Leavesden Mental Hospital |
1933–34 | Park Royal | Eton Manor |
1934–35 | Park Royal | Northmet |
1935–36 | Leavesden Mental Hospital | Ford Sports |
1936–37 | Finchley | Briggs Motor Bodies |
1937–38 | Eton Manor | Northmet |
1938–39 | Dagenham Town | Briggs Motor Bodies |
In 1939, the league was suspended due to the outbreak of World War II. On the resumption of football after the War, nineteen clubs played in the London League, split into Western and Eastern Divisions. Eastern Division champions Woolwich Polytechnic beat Eastern Champions Edgware Town 2–1 in a play-off
Year | Eastern Division | Western Division |
---|---|---|
1945–46 | Edgware Town | Woolwich Polytechnic |
In 1946, the divisions were re-organised, and a new structure of a Premier Division and a Division One was formed
Year | Premier Division | Division One |
---|---|---|
1946–47 | Chelmsford City reserves | Dagenham British Legion |
Within 12 months, enough clubs had joined to form a new Division Two
Year | Premier Division | Division One | Division Two |
---|---|---|---|
1947–48 | Chelmsford City reserves | Cheshunt | West Thurrock Athletic |
1948–49 | Guildford City reserves | Cheshunt | Vickers |
1949–50 | Cheshunt | Vickers | Bata Sports |
1950–51 | Dartford reserves | Aveley | Woodford Town reserves |
1951–52 | West Thurrock Athletic | London Transport | Pitsea United |
1952–53 | Eton Manor | Storey Athletic | Wapping Sports |
In 1953, Division Two was disbanded
Year | Premier Division | Division One |
---|---|---|
1953–54 | Eton Manor | London Transport |
1954–55 | Aveley | Wapping Sports |
1955–56 | Eton Manor | Bata Sports |
In 1956, Division One was disbanded, leaving only a single Senior section
Year | Champions |
---|---|
1956–57 | Cray Wanderers |
1957–58 | Cray Wanderers |
1958–59 | Tilbury |
1959–60 | Tilbury |
1960–61 | Tilbury |
1961–62 | Tilbury |
1962–63 | Chingford |
In 1963, an increase in the number of clubs led to a reversion to two divisions.
Year | Premier Division | Division One |
---|---|---|
1963–64 | Epping Town | CAV Athletic |
Member clubs[]
- 1st Grenadier Guards (1903–04)
- 21st Lancers (1905–06)
- 2nd Grenadier Guards (1897–98, 1913–14
- 2nd Life Guards (1897–98)
- 3rd Grenadier Guards (1896–1898)
- (1933–1935)
- Acton United and Aldine (1907–08)
- Algernon Athletic (1921–1924)
- Amersham Town (1961–62)
- Arlesey Town (1958–1960)
- Arsenal (1901–1904)
- Arsenal Reserves (1900–1915)
- Artillery College (1921–22)
- Aveley (1949–1957)
- Aveley Reserves (1951–52)
- Aylesford Paper Mills (1951–1954)
- Aylesford Paper Mills Reserves (1951–1953)
- Baldock Town (1959–1963)
- Barking (1909–1923)
- Barking Reserves (1913–1926)
- Barking Woodville (1896–1898)
- Barking Woodville Reserves (1896–97)
- Barkingside (1950–1964)
- Barkingside Reserves (1963–64)
- Barnet (1897–1900)
- Barnet Avenue (1905–1907)
- Barnet Alston (1904–1912)
- Barnet Reserves (1923–1926)
- Basildon Town (1955–1959)
- Bata Sports (1949–1956)
- Bata Sports Reserves (1950–1953)
- Beckenham Town (1923–1935, 1951–1961)
- Beckenham Town Reserves (1923–24, 1929–30, 1951–1953)
- Bedford Town Reserves (1946–1951)
- Belvedere (1920–1922)
- Bexleyheath Labour (1920–21)
- Bexleyheath Town (1924–1926)
- Blackwall and Thames Ironworks (1920–1922)
- Bletchley United (1959–1961)
- Boleyn Castle (1903–04)
- Bostall Athletic (1925–1927)
- Bostall Heath (1921–1939)
- Branbys Ironworks (1911–1913)
- Brentford (1896–1904)
- Brentford Reserves (1900–1913)
- Brentwood & Warley Reserves (1947–1951)
- Brentwood Mental Hospital (1926–1931)
- Briggs Sports Reserves (1935–1951)
- Brimsdown (1907–1910)
- British Legion (1923–24)
- Brittania (1946–47)
- Bromley (1896–1901)
- Bromley Old Boys (1921–22)
- Bromley Reserves (1924–1926)
- Bronze Athletic (1909–1914)
- Brymay Athletic (1920–1923)
- Burberry (1922–23)
- Bush Hill Park (1922–1924)
- Canvey Island
- Carshalton Athletic
- Chalfont St Peter
- Charlton Athletic
- Charlton Athletic Reserves
- Chelmsford
- Chelmsford City Reserves
- Chelsea Reserves
- Cheshunt
- Cheshunt Reserves
- Chingford
- Chingford Reserves
- Clapton Orient
- Clapton Orient Reserves
- Cray Wanderers
- Crittall Athletic
- Crittall Athletic Reserves
- Crouch End
- Croydon Common Reserves
- Crystal Palace Reserves
- Dagenham British Legion
- Dagenham British Legion Reserves
- Dagenham Park
- Dagenham Town
- Dagenham Town Reserves
- Dartford Reserves
- East Ham United
- Edgware Town
- Edmonton
- Edmonton Borough
- Edmonton Borough Reserves
- Ekco
- Ekco Reserves
- Enfield
- Enfield Reserves
- Epping Town
- Epping Town Reserves
- Epsom Town
- Epsom Town Reserves
- Erith & Belvedere
- Erith & Belvedere Reserves
- Eton Manor
- Eton Manor 'A'
- Eton Manor Reserves
- Eton Mission
- Excelsior
- Finchley
- Finchley Reserves
- Fulham
- Fulham 'A'
- Gnome Athletic
- Gravesend & Northfleet Reserves
- Grays Athletic
- Grays Athletic Reserves
- Guildford City Reserves
- Hampstead Town
- Hampstead Town Reserves
- Hanwell Town
- Harlow Town
- Harold Hill
- Hastings United Reserves
- Hatfield Town
- Hatfield Town Reserves
- Hendon
- Hendon Reserves
- Hermes
- Hermes Reserves
- Highfield
- Hounslow
- Ilford
- Ilford Reserves
- Leavesden Hospital
- Leyton
- Leyton Reserves
- London Transport
- London Transport Buses
- London Transport Reserves
- London Welsh
- Metrogas
- Metrogas Reserves
- Metropolitan Police Reserves
- Millwall
- Millwall Reserves
- Mitcham Wanderers
- Mitcham Wanderers Reserves
- Neasden
- Nunhead Reserves
- Old Aloysians
- Orpington
- Parkhill (Chingford)
- Pinner
- PO Telecoms
- Post Office Engineers
- Post Office Engineers Reserves
- Queens Park Rangers
- Queens Park Rangers Reserves
- Rainham Town
- Rainham Town Reserves
- Redhill
- Romford
- Romford Reserves
- Royal Ordnance Factories
- Ruislip Manor
- Ruislip Manor Reserves
- Shepherd's Bush
- Shepherd's Bush Reserves
- Slade Green Athletic
- Slade Green Athletic Reserves
- Southall
- Southall Reserves
- Southern United
- Stanley
- Stansted
- Storey Athletic
- Storey Athletic Reserves
- Tilbury
- Tilbury Reserves
- Tonbridge Reserves
- Tooting and Mitcham United
- Tooting and Mitcham United Reserves
- Tottenham Hotspur
- Tottenham Hotspur Reserves
- Tufnell Park (1907–1914)
- Tunbridge Wells Rangers (1963–64)
- UGBM Sports (1929–1952)
- Ulysses
- Ulysses Reserves
- Uxbridge
- Uxbridge Reserves
- Vampires
- Vickers Armstrong
- Vickers Armstrong Reserves
- Wall End United (1920–1923)
- Waltham (1906–1910)
- Walthamstow Avenue (1901–02)
- Walthamstow Borough (1926–27)
- (1906–1930)
- Walthamstow Holborn (1898–1900)
- Walthamstow Town (1896–97, 1899–1901, 1902–1904, 1923–1926)
- Walthamstow Town Reserves (1923–24)
- Walton & Hersham Reserves (1945–46)
- Walton-on-Thames (1937–1939)
- Walton-on-Thames Reserves (1938–1939)
- Wandgas Athletic (1936–1939)
- Wandsworth (1900–1903)
- Wandsworth United (1937–1939)
- Wapping Sports (1950–56)
- Waterlows (1920–21)
- Watney Sports (1929–30)
- Wealdstone (1911–1922)
- Welwyn Garden City (1951–1955)
- Welwyn Garden City Reserves (1951–52)
- West Croydon (1896–98)
- West Ham United (1896–1898, 1899–1900, 1901–1904)
- West Ham United Reserves (1900–1915)
- West Hampstead (1897–1899, 1904–05, 1907–1910)
- West London Old Boys (1910–1914)
- West Norwood (1900–01, 1910–1913, 1923–24, 1936–37)
- West Thurrock Athletic (1947–1964)
- West Thurrock Athletic Reserves (1952–53)
- Whyteleafe Albion (1929–1931)
- Willesden (1957–1959)
- Willesden Green (1899–1900)
- Willesden Town (1898–99)
- Willesden Town Reserves (1904–05)
- Wingate (1952–1962)
- Wingate Reserves (1952–53)
- Wood Green Town (1909–1913)
- Woodford (1909–10)
- Woodford Town (1945–1951)
- Woodford Town Reserves (1946–1951)
- Woolwich (1913–14, 1927–28)
- Woolwich Ordnance (1919–1921)
- Woolwich Polytechnic (1901–1905, 1924–1964)
- Wren Athletic (1922–1924)
References[]
- ^ Blows, Kirk & Hogg, Tony (2000). The Essential History of West Ham United. Headline. p. 18. ISBN 0-7472-7036-8.
- ^ "London Football League". The Middlesex Courier. 21 May 1897. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Northcutt, John; Marsh, Steve (2015). West Ham United: The Complete Record. deCoubertin Books. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-909245-27-3.
- ^ "Greater London League". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- London League (football)
- Football competitions in London
- Defunct football leagues in England