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.
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.
Champions
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)
- Acton Reserves (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)
- Callender Athletic
- Canvey Island
- Carshalton Athletic
- Catford Southend
- Catford Southend Reserves
- CAV Athletic
- Chadwell Heath
- Chalfont National
- Chalfont St Peter
- Charlton Albion
- Charlton Athletic
- Charlton Athletic Reserves
- Chelmsford
- Chelmsford City Reserves
- Chelsea Reserves
- Cheshunt
- Cheshunt Reserves
- Childs Hill Imperial
- Chingford
- Chingford Reserves
- Chingford Town Reserves
- Chingford United
- Chiswick Town
- Chiswick Town Reserves
- City of Westminster
- Clapham Reserves
- Clapton Orient
- Clapton Orient Reserves
- Commercial Athletic
- Commercial Gas
- Covent Garden
- Cray Wanderers
- Crittall Athletic
- Crittall Athletic Reserves
- Crouch End
- Crouch End Reserves
- Croydon Common Reserves
- Crystal Palace Reserves
- Custom House
- Custom House Reserves
- CWS Silvertown
- Dagenham British Legion
- Dagenham British Legion Reserves
- Dagenham Cables
- Dagenham Park
- Dagenham Town
- Dagenham Town Reserves
- Dartford Reserves
- De Havilland
- De Havilland Vampires
- Depot RHA
- Deptford Invicta
- Deptford Town
- Derrick Wanderers
- Downshall
- Earlsfield Town
- East Greenwich Gas
- East Ham United
- Edgware Town
- Edmonton
- Edmonton Borough
- Edmonton Borough Reserves
- Ekco
- Ekco Reserves
- Eltham
- Enfield
- Enfield Cables
- Enfield Reserves
- Epping Town
- Epping Town Reserves
- Epsom
- Epsom Reserves
- Epsom Town
- Epsom Town Reserves
- Erith & Belvedere
- Erith & Belvedere Reserves
- Eton Manor
- Eton Manor 'A'
- Eton Manor Reserves
- Eton Mission
- Excelsior
- Felstead
- Finchley
- Finchley Reserves
- Ford Sports
- Ford Sports Reserves
- Forest Swifts
- Fulham
- Fulham 'A'
- Fulham Reserves
- Fulham St Andrew's
- Gnome Athletic
- Gravesend & Northfleet Reserves
- Grays Athletic
- Grays Athletic Reserves
- Grays Town
- Great Northern Railway
- Great Western Railway
- Guildford City Reserves
- Guildhall
- Gwynnes Athletic
- Hammersmith Athletic
- Hampstead Town
- Hampstead Town Reserves
- Hanwell
- Hanwell Town
- Harlesden Town
- Harlow Town
- Harold Hill
- Harris Lebus
- Harris Lebus Reserves
- Harrow Athletic
- Harrow United
- Harrow Weald
- Harrow Weald Reserves
- Hastings United Reserves
- Hatfield Town
- Hatfield Town Reserves
- Hayesco Sports
- Hays Wharf
- Hendon
- Hendon Reserves
- Hendon Town
- Hermes
- Hermes Reserves
- Highfield
- HMSO Press
- Holland Athletic
- Hotel Cecil
- Hounslow
- Ideal Wanderers
- Ilford
- Ilford Electrical
- Ilford Reserves
- Imperial
- Islington Town
- Jurgens(Purfleet)
- Jurgens(Purfleet) Reserves
- Kilburn
- Kingston
- Lathol Athletic
- Lea Bridge Gas
- Leavesden
- Leavesden Hospital
- Leyton
- Leyton Reserves
- Livesey United
- London Generals
- London Labour
- London Telecoms
- London Transport
- London Transport Buses
- London Transport Reserves
- London Welsh
- Lower Clapton
- Lower Clapton Imperial
- Merton Town
- Metrogas
- Metrogas Reserves
- Metropolitan Police Reserves
- Metropolitan Railway
- Millwall
- Millwall Reserves
- Millwall United
- Mitcham Wanderers
- Mitcham Wanderers Reserves
- Monsteads Athletic
- Neasden
- New Barnet
- New Malden
- North Woolwich
- North Woolwich Invicta
- Northern Polytechnic
- Northern Polytechnic Reserves
- Northmet
- Norwood Association
- Novocastrians
- Nunhead Reserves
- Old Aloysians
- Old Charlton
- Old Ignatians
- Old Tottonians
- Orient (old)
- Orpington
- Page Green Old Boys
- Park Royal
- Park Royal Reserves
- Parkhill (Chingford)
- Pearl Assurance
- Peel Institute
- Perrycobow
- Perrycobow Reserves
- Pinner
- Pitsea United
- PO Telecoms
- Ponders End United
- Port of London Authority
- Port of London Authority Police
- Post Office Engineers
- Post Office Engineers Reserves
- Queens Park Rangers
- Queens Park Rangers Reserves
- RAF Kidbrooke
- Rainham Town
- Rainham Town Reserves
- Ravenscourt Amateurs
- Redhill
- RFA Record Office
- RNVR
- Roehampton
- ROF Sports
- Rolenmill
- Romford
- Romford Reserves
- Romford Town
- Royal Naval Depot (Chatham)
- Royal Ordnance Factories
- Ruislip Manor
- Ruislip Manor Reserves
- Savoy Hotel
- Seven Kings
- Shepherd's Bush
- Shepherd's Bush Reserves
- Siemens Sports
- Slade Green Athletic
- Slade Green Athletic Reserves
- Snaresbrook United
- South West Ham
- Southall
- Southall Reserves
- Southern United
- Standard Telephones
- Stanley
- Stanmore
- Stansted
- STD Athletic
- Sterling Athletic
- Stonebridge Park
- Stones Athletic
- Storey Athletic
- Storey Athletic Reserves
- Streatham Town
- Streatham Town Reserves
- Summerstown
- Summerstown Reserves
- Tate Institute
- Telcon Athletic
- Temple Mills
- Tilbury
- Tilbury Reserves
- Tillings Athletic
- Tonbridge Reserves
- Tooting and Mitcham United
- Tooting and Mitcham United Reserves
- Tooting Town
- Tottenham Hotspur
- Tottenham Hotspur Reserves
- Transport Workers
- Tufnell Park (1907–1914)
- Tunbridge Wells Rangers (1963–64)
- UGBM Sports (1929–1952)
- Ulysses
- Ulysses Reserves
- University
- Uxbridge
- Uxbridge Reserves
- Vampires
- Van Den Bergh
- Venner Sports
- Vickers Armstrong
- Vickers Armstrong Reserves
- Wall End United (1920–1923)
- Waltham (1906–1910)
- Walthamstow Avenue (1901–02)
- Walthamstow Borough (1926–27)
- Walthamstow Grange (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.
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