The Metropolitan League was a football league in the south-east of England between 1949 and 1971.Metropolitan and District League 1949–1971 Non-League Matters
History The league was founded in 1949 after several clubs learnt plans for a second division of the Southern League would come to nothing shortly before the start of the season,Cray Wanderers in the Metropolitan League Cray Wanderers FC and was driven by Dagenham secretary Dave Thake, whose club were disappointed about being placed in the lower division of the London League. It was initially named the Home Counties League, but the name was rejected by the Football Association as the name was already in use. By the end of the league's inaugural season it had become known as the Metropolitan & District League, before being renamed the Metropolitan League in 1959. The league started with ten clubs and was largely composed of professional clubs or their reserve or youth teams, and was frequently described as an unofficial lower division of the Southern League. The league added a second division in 1963, but it ran for only a single season, which saw Gillingham Reserves win the title.
However, with the league reduced to only 12 clubs in 1970–71 and several of those about to leave to join the Southern League at the end of the season, the league merged with the Greater London League to form the Metropolitan–London League. This league ceased to exist in 1975 when it merged with the Spartan League to form the London Spartan League, which re-adopted the name Spartan League in 1987.
For three seasons an Amateur Cup was contested between the league's amateur teams; in 1951–52 and 1952–53 it was won by Windsor & Eton, whilst Vickers Armstrong (Surrey) won it in 1953–54. Thereafter it was awarded to the amateur team that finished highest in the league.Metropolitan League Handbook 1964/65
Champions SeasonChampionsLeague Cup winnersMetropolitan League Handbook 1968/69Professional Cup winners1949–50St Neots & DistrictSt Neots & DistrictNot held1950–51DagenhamHeadington United ReservesNot held1951–52HorshamTottenham Hotspur 'A'Tonbridge1952–53Tonbridge ReservesWindsor & EtonTonbridge1953–54Headington United ReservesHastings UnitedGuildford City Reserves1954–55Chelsea 'A'Chelsea 'A'Chelsea 'A'1955–56Hastings United ReservesBedford Town ReservesHastings United Reserves1956–57Chelsea 'A'Guildford City ReservesTonbridge Reserves 1957–58Chelsea 'A'West Ham United 'A'Blakeman, M (2010) The Official History of the Eastern Counties Football League 1935–2010, Volume II Chelsea 'A'1958–59Arsenal 'A'Crawley TownChelsea 'A'1959–60Luton Town 'A'Eastbourne United & Headington United Reserves (joint)West Ham United 'A'1960–61Arsenal 'A'Arsenal 'A'Arsenal 'A'1961–62Dartford ReservesDartford ReservesArsenal 'A'1962–63Arsenal 'A'Bedford Town ReservesDartford Reserves1963–64Charlton Athletic 'A'Tottenham Hotspur 'A'Hastings United Reserves1964–65Gillingham ReservesTottenham Hotspur 'A'St Neots Town St Neots Town FC1965–66Bury TownArsenal 'A'Bury Town1966–67Tottenham Hotspur 'A'Brentwood TownWest Ham United 'A'1967–68Chelmsford City ReservesBury TownChelmsford City Reserves1968–69Bury TownMetropolitan PoliceWest Ham United 'A'1969–70Wellingborough TownBraintree & Crittall AthleticStevenage Athletic1970–71Epping TownCray WanderersBedford Town Reserves
Member clubs
Arsenal 'A' Ashford Town Reserves Barnet Reserves Bedford Town Reserves Bexley United Reserves Bletchley Town Braintree & Crittall Athletic Brentwood Town Brentwood Town Reserves Brighton & Hove Albion ‘A’ Bury Town Callender's Athletic Cambridge City Reserves Canterbury City Canterbury City Reserves Charlton Athletic 'A' Chatham Town Chelmsford City Reserves Chelsea ‘A’ Chertsey Town Chingford Chingford Town Reserves Chipperfield Crawley Town Crawley Town Reserves Cray Wanderers Croydon Rovers Dagenham Dartford Reserves Deal Town Reserves Dickinson (Apsley) Didcot Town Dover Reserves Dunstable Town Dunstable Town Reserves Eastbourne United Epping Town Folkestone Town Reserves Fulham ‘A’ Gillingham Reserves Gravesend & Northfleet Reserves Guildford City Reserves Hammersmith United Hastings United Reserves Hatfield Town Haywards Heath Hillingdon Borough Reserves Horsham Hove United Kettering Town Reserves Leatherhead Luton Town 'A' Margate Reserves Metropolitan Police Millwall 'A' Newbury Town Oxford United 'A' Oxford United Reserves Rainham Town Ramsgate Athletic Reserves Romford Reserves Sheppey United Sittingbourne Reserves Skyways Southwick St Neots Town Stevenage Athletic Stevenage Town Reserves Tonbridge Reserves Tottenham Hotspur 'A' Twickenham Vickers Armstrong (Surrey) Wellingborough Town West Ham United 'A' Wimbledon Reserves Windsor & Eton Wokingham Town Woodford Town
See also List of Metropolitan League seasons
References