London Football Association

History

The London Football Association (LFA) is unique for the reason that it is the only one founded by The Football Association. While others were founded to organise football locally around the country, Charles Alcock and Lord Kinnaird, then Secretary and Chairman of The FA, created the London FA to deal with local clubs and competitions while the main body focused on the Laws of the Game and international football matters.

According to the Memorandum on Areas and Overlapping of Associations the London FA covers the area 12 miles from Charing Cross. The association is ‘overlapped’ by a number of its colleague County FA’s: Essex FA, Kent FA, Middlesex FA, Surrey FA and the Amateur Football Alliance.

The first Secretary was N. L. 'Pa' Jackson who was also serving on the FA Council. He was famous for founding the Corinthians Football Club and is said to be the inventor of the international cap.

The London FA's other claim to fame is that its representative team was the first ever English team to play in a European final, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final in 1958 where they lost over two legs to Barcelona. Friendly matches had also been played against foreign opposition after the end of World War II, including annual matches in Belgium.

It has had many headquarters since its foundation in 1882, including Paternoster Row, St. Mark's College Chelsea, Finsbury Barracks, Leytonstone, Manor Park, Barking, and Lewisham. It even stayed temporarily at Upton Park and Highbury during the Second World War, having been bombed out of its previous homes. The current headquarters in Fulham were moved into in August 2004. A centenary match for the association was played in 1981 between a London XI and an England XI at Highbury, however only 5,000 fans attended.

The London Football Association is one of the biggest in the country with just under 1,000 clubs, nearly 1,500 referees and over 30 leagues.

The association has a history of long-serving, dedicated officials. For example, Tommy Kirkup served as Secretary for 44 years between 1903 and 1947. Basil Stallard is by far the longest serving Treasurer having been in that position since 1973. There have been only nine Presidents since 1882, Lionel Seymour being the current incumbent.

In 1922 the London Minor Football Association was founded for youth football. It became the London Youth Football Association and continues to administer youth football in the capital to this day. It did, however, come under the London FA Limited when it incorporated in 2001.

Both the Inner London County Schools Football Association and London Football Coaches Association work in collaboration with the London FA for the mutual benefit of its members. This provides participants in the capital with a complete range of opportunities in football.

In 2022, the London FA relocated its headquarters from Fulham to Wembley Stadium, the home of English football. The move formed part of a wider effort to strengthen its connection with the national game and improve accessibility for staff, partners, and stakeholders. In 2024, the London FA unveiled a new brand identity and strategic plan titled London For All aimed at enhancing grassroots football across the capital for the 2024 to 2028 period. https://www.londonfa.com/about/london-fa-strategy-2024-2028

Affiliated leagues

Men's Saturday leagues

• Bromley and South London Football League (2017)
• West End (London) AFA (1881)
• Wimbledon and District League (1898)

Footnote: No leagues belong to the English football league system.

Men's Sunday leagues

• Camden Sunday League (1948)
• Central London Super Sunday League (2008)
• Hackney and Leyton Sunday League (1947)
• Inner London League (2001)
• Metropolitan Sunday League (1934)
• North London Sunday League (1985)
• Southern Sunday Football League (1944)
• Sportsman's Senior Sunday League (1949)
• Wandsworth and District Sunday League (1949)
• West Fulham Sunday League (1936)
• Woolwich and Eltham Sunday Football Alliance (2006)

Small Sided leagues

• Hamlets 7-a-Side League (2007)
• Lillie Road Five-a-Side League

Other leagues

• All Nations Football Festival Summer League (2001)
• Association of Provincial Supporters Clubs in London (1983)
• Ballerz League (2008)
• Bangladesh Football Association Summer League (2007)
• Brixton Summer League
• Bromley and Croydon Christian League (1994)
• Cypriot League (KOPA) (1974)
• East London Christian League
• Football for Christ Championship (1998)
• Islington Midweek League (1973)
• Lionheart Surveyors League (2001)
• London Accountants League
• London Communities League
• London Underground League (1996)
• Maccabi (Southern) League
• Maccabi Masters League (1999)
• MPAA Internal Leagues (2007)
• Southern Veterans League
• Street League
• Thames League
• Turkish Community Football Federation (1976)

Ladies and girls leagues

• London and South East Regional Women's League
• Greater London Womens League
• Capital Girls League
• South London Girls League

Youth leagues

• Ballerz League (Youth) (2008)
• Bangladesh Football Association (UK) (Youth) (2010)
• Bexley and District Junior (and Mini-Soccer) League
• Brixton Summer League (Youth)
• Camden and Islington Youth League (1968)
• East London and Essex Junior League (1998)
• Hackney Youth League
• London County Saturday Youth League
• Maccabi GB Junior (Youth) (2007)
• Maccabi Junior League
• Positive Youth Community League (2007)
• South East London and Kent Youth League (2002)
• South London Special League (Youth) (2004)
• Tandridge Youth League
• Tandridge Youth Mini Soccer Tournament
• Turkish Community Football Federation Youth League
• Waltham Forest and District Youth League

Futsal leagues

• Futsal Super League
• Newham Futsal League
• Newham Futsal League (Youth)

Cup competitions

• Beckenham Hospital Charity Invitation Football Cup (Saturday) (1903)
• East Ham Memorial Hospital Charity Cup Competition (1901)
• Hays Property and Surveying Cup

Disbanded or amalgamated leagues

Leagues that were affiliated to the London FA (or FA) but have disbanded or amalgamated with other leagues include:

Major non-League leagues

• Aetolian League
• Athenian League
• Corinthian League
• Delphian League
• Greater London League (formed by a merger of the Aetolian and London Leagues)
• London League
• Metropolitan League
• Metropolitan–London League (formed by a merger of the Metropolitan and Greater London Leagues)
• Parthenon League
• Spartan League (known as the London Spartan League for a few season following a merger with the Metropolitan–London League)

Other leagues

• Asian Premier League (founded 2009, dissolved 2012)
• Beckenham League
• Bermondsey League
• Bromley and District Football League
• Camberwell League
• Clapham League
• Delphis Sunday Football League (incorporated in London and Kent Border Football League)
• East London Sunday League (1930)
• Enfield Football Alliance (founded 1941, dissolved 2012)
• Finchley and District League
• Ford Sunday League
• Herald League
• Lewisham League
• London and Kent Border Football League
• London City Airport Sunday League
• London Shipping League
• Northern Suburban Intermediate League
• South East London Amateur League
• South London Football Alliance
• South London League
• Southern Alliance
• Southern Suburban League (also known as South Suburban League)
• Tottenham & District Junior Alliance League
• United Senior League
• Walthamstow and District League
• Wandsworth and District League
• West London League
• West London Alliance League
• Woolwich and District League

Member and associated clubs

It is difficult to provide a comprehensive list of those notable clubs that are (or at one time were) affiliated to the London FA. However, by identifying those clubs that have competed in the London Senior Cup along with those clubs that are (or were) located in the Greater London area it is possible to establish the following list:

• 2nd Grenadier Guards (now defunct)
• 3rd Grenadier Guards (now defunct)
• A.F.C. Hayes
• A.F.C. Hornchurch
• Argonauts (now defunct)
• Barking
• Barkingside
• Beckenham Town
• Bedfont
• Bedfont Town
• Bethnal Green United
• Bexley United (now defunct)
• Bishop's Stortford
• Boreham Wood
• Briggs Sports (now defunct)
• Brimsdown Rovers
• Bromley
• Carshalton Athletic
• Casuals (became Corinthian-Casuals)
• Clapham Rovers
• Clapton
• Cockfosters
• Colliers Wood United
• Corinthian (became Corinthian-Casuals)
• Corinthian-Casuals
• Cray Wanderers
• Croydon
• Croydon Athletic
• Croydon Common (now defunct)
• Dagenham (became Dagenham & Redbridge)
• Dulwich Hamlet
• Enfield
• Enfield Town
• Erith & Belvedere
• Erith Town
• Farnborough Town
• Finchley
• Fisher
• Fisher Athletic (now defunct)
• Greenwich Borough
• Hampton & Richmond Borough
• Hanwell Town
• Haringey & Waltham Development
• Haringey Borough
• Harrow Borough
• Hayes (became Hayes & Yeading United)
• Hayes & Yeading United
• Hendon
• Hillingdon Borough
• Hitchin Town
• Ilford
• Kingsbury London Tigers
• Kingstonian
• Leatherhead
• Leyton (now defunct)
• Leytonstone (became Dagenham & Redbridge)
• London All Peoples Sports Association
• London Caledonians (now defunct)
• London Welsh
• Metropolitan Police F.C.
• North Greenford United
• Northwood
• Old Castle Swifts (became West Ham United)
• Redbridge
• Redbridge Forest (became Dagenham & Redbridge)
• Royal Ordnance Factories (now defunct)
• St. Albans City
• Seven Acre & Sidcup
• Shepherd's Bush (now defunct)
• Southall
• South Kilburn
• Sporting Bengal United
• Staines Town
• Surbiton (now defunct)
• Sutton United
• Thames (now defunct)
• Thames Ironworks (became West Ham United)
• Thamesmead Town
• Tooting & Mitcham United
• Upton Park (now defunct)
• Uxbridge
• Waltham Abbey
• Waltham Forest
• Walthamstow Avenue (became Dagenham & Redbridge)
• Walton & Hersham
• Wealdstone
• Welling United
• Wingate & Finchley
• Wanderers
• Woking
• Yeading (became Hayes & Yeading United))

Clubs in the Premier League and The Football League that have competed in the London FA's London Charity Cup or are located in the Greater London area include:

• AFC Wimbledon
• Arsenal
• Barnet
• Brentford
• Charlton Athletic
• Chelsea
• Crystal Palace
• Dagenham & Redbridge
• Fulham
• Leyton Orient
• Millwall
• Queens Park Rangers
• Tottenham Hotspur
• West Ham United
• Wimbledon (now defunct)

County Cup competitions

Today the London Football Association runs 9 different County Cup competitions:

• The London Senior Cup;
• The London Senior Trophy
• The London Intermediate Cup – commenced in 1914–15;
• The London Junior Cup;
• The London FA Women's Cup – first contested in 1994–95.;
• The London Women's Junior Cup
• The London Veterans Cup;
• The London Sunday Intermediate Cup;
• The London Sunday Junior Cup; and
• The London Sunday Challenge Cup.
• Turnham Green Trophy
• Jack Morgan Cup
• Marcus Lipton Cup
• Presidents Charity Cup The LFA also formerly ran the following competitions:
• London Charity Cup – discontinued in 1975
• London Challenge Cup – discontinued in 2000

The London FA also jointly administers the Capital Women's Cups alongside the Surrey FA, the Amateur Football Alliance and the Middlesex FA.

List of recent London Cup winners

Source

List of recent London Sunday and Veterans Cup winners

Source

Members of council

President

• Lionel Seymour

Vice presidents

• Basil Stallard (1973)
• Stan Nathan (1966)
• David Richbell (1969)
• David Wolff (1970)
• Clive Coleman (1974)
• Michael McElligott (1974)
• Norman Moss (1976)
• Maurice Hales B.E.M (1977)
• Bob Henderson (1977)
• Darryl Ryan (1981)

Chairman

• Tony Sharples (1981)

Vice chairman

• George Dorling (1983)

Honorary treasurer

• Basil Stallard (1973)

Honorary life members

• Lawrie Aldridge (1960)
• Ron Halfacre (1964)
• Harry Hall (1973)
• Cyril Rebak (1973)

Directors and officials

Board of directors

• L.J. Seymour (President)
• David Fowkes ( Chief Executive and Company Secretary)
• RA Blackman
• G Dorling
• BJ Miller
• B Stallard
• AJ Sharples
• GC Taylor
• CD Wheeler

Key officials

• Paul Bickerton ( Chief Executive)
• Josie Clifford (County Development Manager)

References

References

1. "FA – Memorandum on Areas and Overlapping of Associations". FA.
2. "History of the Corinthians".
3. "England's Caps".
4. [http://www.englandfootballonline.com/MatchRsl/MatchRslTst.htmlLondon FA Centenary Match: London FA 3 England 4], England Football Online
5. [https://www.londonfa.com/about/history History of London Football Association], [[London FA]]
6. "London FA – Leagues and Competitions". London FA.
7. "London FA – History of the LFA County Cups". London FA.
8. (20 April 2014). "Four west London sides gear up for Capital Women's Cup".
9. "London FA – About Us – Council". London FA.
10. "London FA – About Us – Board of Directors". London FA.
11. "London FA – About Us – Staff Contact". London FA.