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]}

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

• 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

• 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
• 1911–1912 – Peel Institute

• 1901–1902 – West Ham United
• 1902–1903 – Tottenham Hotspur
• 1903–1904 – Millwall
• 1908–1909 – West Ham United

• 1909–1910 – Barking

In 1920, a third division, known as Division Two was added

In 1924, Division Two was disbanded

In 1939, the league was suspended due to the outbreak of the Second World War. On the resumption of football after the war, nineteen clubs played in the London League, split into Western and Eastern Divisions. Western Division champions Woolwich Polytechnic beat Eastern Champions Edgware Town 2–1 in a play-off

In 1946, the divisions were re-organised, and a new structure of a Premier Division and a Division One was formed

Within 12 months, enough clubs had joined to form a new Division Two

In 1953, Division Two was disbanded

In 1956, Division One was disbanded, leaving only a single Senior section

In 1963, an increase in the number of clubs led to a reversion to two divisions.