Southern Amateur Football League
 | |
| Sport | Football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1907 |
| No. of teams |
c.200 (19 divisions) (3 senior divisions) |
| Country | England |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Polytechnic (Division 1) NUFC Oilers (2014/15 Division 2) HSBC (Division 3) |
The Southern Amateur League (SAL) is an association football league affiliated to the Amateur Football Alliance (AFA). It is based in and around Greater London and caters for 11–a–side men's adult teams. Its member clubs include former pupils' associations, banks and business houses as well as private clubs. For season 2015-16 the league has 36 member clubs running around 200 teams in 19 divisions. All clubs are strictly amateur.
Club set-up, sportsmanship and hospitality
As in other AFA leagues it is common for clubs to run several teams with some SAL clubs running up to 9 teams. This allows players of all abilities to play against teams from other clubs of a similar standard. The best players will be picked for the 1st team, the best of the remainder going into the 2nd team and so on down the club.
The SAL places emphasis on sportsmanship and hospitality, with all players expected to socialise with their opponents and the match officials after the game. Disciplinary problems and cases of violent conduct are generally perceived to be experienced less in SAL football – and AFA football in general – than in other types of football.
Sponsorship (14Fourteen)
For the 2014-15 season the League announced that sportswear manufacturer 14Fourteen would become the League's principle sponsor while its cup competitions would be sponsored by the Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health (ISEH). 14Fourteen were already involved with SAL club Alexandra Park due to 14Fourteen Chief Executive Phillippe Wick having played for the club in the 1980s.
League set-up and Challenge Cups
The league is divided into four sections: Senior (1st teams only), Intermediate, Junior and Minor. The Senior and Intermediate divisions have three divisions each (1, 2 and 3) while the Junior Section has four. The Minor Section is divided into North (4 divisions) and South (5 divisions). Promotion and relegation takes place within each section and also between the Junior and Minor Sections. In the Minor Section 2 teams per club may play in the same division but only 1 is allowed in all other sections..
As well as league competitions the SAL runs five cup competitions. These are:
- Senior Cup (for teams in Senior Divisions 1, 2 and 3)
- Intermediate Cup (for teams in Intermediate Divisions 1, 2 and 3)
- Junior Cup (for teams in Junior Divisions 1, 2 and 3)
- Minor Cup (Junior Division 4, Minor Division 1 North and Minor Division 1 South)
- Senior Novets Cup (Minor Divisions 2 North, 2 South and 3 South)
- Intermediate Novets Cup (Minor Divisions 3 North and 5 South)
- Junior Novets Cup (Minor Divisions 4 North and 5 South)
The Junior Cup and below were inaugurated for the 1995–96. The Senior and Intermediate Cups were introduced for season 2015-16. They were not previously considered necessary as 1st and 2nd teams were offered an extra 'county divisional' cup by the AFA (either the Middlesex/Essex Cup or the Surrey/Kent Cup, depending on location).
Current member clubs
Three of the current members (Alleyn Old Boys, Civil Service and Crouch End Vampires) are founder members of the League while 19 have been in membership since before World War II.
The current member clubs are:
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Representative team
The League representative team has played a programme of friendly fixtures since the 1920s against other AFA affiliated leagues and universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. Two matches are played each season in memory of past servants to the League. The Champion Club plays against a Rest of the League XI at the beginning of each season for the Stuart Hyde Trophy, named for the former SAL and Southgate Olympic team manager. Later in the Autumn the League face the Amateur Football Combination for the Steve Langley Cup in honour of the former SAL, AFA and Crouch End Vampires captain.
Beginning in 2007 the team was entered the FA Inter-League Cup (formerly the FA National League System Cup) which it won at the first attempt in 2008. This earned the team the chance to represent England at the 2008 UEFA Regions Cup. In a preliminary round hosted in Italy the team was unbeaten and did not concede a goal but missed out on qualifying on goal-difference. It played teams from Italy, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland (whence came the group winners). The team subsequently lost to eventual winners Guernsey in the 2009-10 competition and reached the semi-final, bowing out to the Isle of Man, in 2011-12 edition.
League champions, Senior Section
| Season | Section 'A' | Section 'B' | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1907–08 | New Crusaders | Reigate Priory (s) | |
| 1908–09 | New Crusaders (a) | Norsemen | |
| 1909–10 | New Crusaders | Tunbridge Wells | |
| 1910–11 | New Crusaders | Alleyn Old Boys | |
| 1911–12 | Civil Service | L.C.W. & Parr's Bank | |
| 1912–13 | New Crusaders | Crouch End Vampires | |
| 1913–14 | Civil Service | Carshalton | |
| Season | Division 1 | Division 2 | Division 3 |
| 1919–20 | Merton | Aquarius | |
| 1920–21 | Cambridge Town | Cheshunt | |
| 1921–22 | Ipswich Town | L.J.C. & Midland Bank | |
| 1922–23 | Eastbourne | Old Parkonians (e) | |
| 1923–24 | Westminster Bank | Barclays Bank | |
| 1924–25 | Midland Bank | Old Lyonians | |
| 1925–26 | Eastbourne | Toc H. | |
| 1926–27 | Ealing Association (a) | Merton | |
| 1927–28 | Cambridge Town | Hastings & St Leonards | |
| 1928–29 | Cambridge Town | Kew Association (s) | Britannic House |
| 1929–30 | Ipswich Town | Merton (s) | Civil Service (a) |
| 1930–31 | Cambridge Town (a) | Civil Service | Catford Wanderers |
| 1931–32 | Cambridge Town | Catford Wanderers | East Grinstead |
| 1932–33 | Ipswich Town | Lloyds Bank | Cuaco |
| 1933–34 | Ipswich Town | Westminster Bank | Alexandra Park |
| 1934–35 | Hastings & St Leonards | Cuaco | Thornycroft |
| 1935–36 | Hastings & St Leonards | Aquarius | Highgate (e) |
| 1936–37 | Hastings & St Leonards | Highgate*
Ealing Association* |
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| 1937–38 | Civil Service | Norsemen*
Lensbury & Britannic House* |
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| 1938–39 | Hastings & St Leonards | National Provincial Bank*
Eastbourne* |
|
| 1939–45 | no competition | no competition | no competition |
| 1945–46 | Merton | Old Parkonians | |
| 1946–47 | Ealing Association | Westminster Bank*
Winchmore Hill* |
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| 1947–48 | Winchmore Hill | Barclays Bank*
Alexandra Park* |
|
| 1948–49 | Winchmore Hill | Brentham | National Provincial Bank |
| 1949–50 | Catford Wanderers | Crouch End Vampires | Old Latymerians |
| 1950–51 | Catford Wanderers | Midland Bank | Aquarius |
| 1951–52 | Winchmore Hill | Civil Service | Cuaco |
| 1952–53 | Catford Wanderers | Pinner | Old Stationers |
| 1953–54 | Alexandra Park | Lensbury & Britannic House | Old Lyonians |
| 1954–55 | Winchmore Hill | Carshalton | Aquarius |
| 1955–56 | Winchmore Hill | Barclays Bank | Polytechnic |
| 1956–57 | Cuaco | Lensbury & Britannic House | Ibis |
| 1957–58 | Old Westminster Citizens | Old Stationers (o) | Merton |
| 1958–59 | Cuaco (a) | Polytechnic | Broomfield |
| 1959–60 | Cuaco | Broomfield | Crouch End Vampires |
| 1960–61 | Broomfield | Borough Polytechnic | National Provincial Bank |
| 1961–62 | Cuaco (a) | Polytechnic | Kew Association |
| 1963–64 | Midland Bank | West Wickham | Old Parkonians |
| 1964–65 | Old Stationers | Catford Wanderers | Pearl Assurance |
| 1965–66 | Southgate Olympic | Ibis | Old Westminster Citizens |
| 1966–67 | Norsemen | Winchmore Hill | Barclays Bank |
| 1967–68 | Winchmore Hill | Civil Service | Old Bromleians |
| 1968–69 | Civil Service | Barclays Bank | Kew Association |
| 1969–70 | Midland Bank | Kew Association | Pearl Assurance |
| 1970–71 | Civil Service | Ibis | Old Bromleians (o) |
| 1971–72 | Southgate Olympic | Barclays Bank | Old Esthameians (o) |
| 1972–73 | Midland Bank | Old Westminster Citizens | Brentham |
| 1973–74 | Midland Bank | Norsemen | Carshalton |
| 1974–75 | Catford Wanderers | Old Bromleians (o) | Old Esthameians |
| 1975–76 | Midland Bank | Barclays Bank | Merton |
| 1976–77 | Kew Association | Carshalton | South Bank Polytechnic |
| 1977–78 | West Wickham | Barclays Bank | East Barnet Old Grammarians (m) |
| 1978–79 | Catford Wanderers | East Barnet Old Grammarians (o) | Old Westminster Citizens |
| 1979–80 | West Wickham | Southgate Olympic | Old Bromleians |
| 1980–81 | Old Esthameians (o) | Old Bromleians | Britannic House |
| 1981–82 | West Wickham | Old Parkonians | Old Stationers |
| 1982–83 | Crouch End Vampires | Lensbury | Barclays Bank |
| 1983–84 | Winchmore Hill | Old Stationers | Old Salesians |
| 1984–85 | West Wickham | Old Salesians (a, o) | Old Actonians Association |
| 1985–86 | National Westminster Bank | Old Actonians Association (m) | Ibis |
| 1986–87 | West Wickham | Old Parkonians (e, o) | Brentham |
| 1987–88 | West Wickham | Old Actonians Association | Merton |
| 1988–89 | West Wickham | Midland Bank | East Barnet Old Grammarians |
| 1989–90 | West Wickham | Carshalton | Southgate Olympic |
| 1990–91 | West Wickham | Old Bromleians | Alexandra Park |
| 1991–92 | Old Actonians Association | Crouch End Vampires | Lensbury |
| 1992–93 | National Westminster Bank | Lensbury | Old Latymerians |
| 1993–94 | South Bank Polytechnic | East Barnet Old Grammarians | Old Parmiterians |
| 1994–95 | South Bank | Carshalton | Old Lyonians |
| 1995–96 | Old Actonians Association (a) | Old Parmiterians | Old Salesians |
| 1996–97 | Old Parmiterians | Lloyds Bank | Midland Bank |
| 1997–98 | Norsemen | National Westminster Bank (s) | Old Stationers |
| 1998–99 | Old Actonians Association (m) | Old Bromleians | Alleyn Old Boys |
| 1999–00 | Old Actonians Association (m) | Alleyn Old Boys | Broomfield |
| 2000–01 | Old Actonians Association | Broomfield | Old Lyonians |
| 2001–02 | Old Owens | Old Salesians | Nottsborough |
| 2002–03 | Old Salesians | Winchmore Hill (a) | Bank of England |
| 2003–04 | Old Esthameians | Nottsborough | Kew Association |
| 2004–05 | Broomfield (me) | East Barnet Old Grammarians | Old Wilsonians |
| 2005–06 | Old Owens (o) | Alleyn Old Boys | Merton |
| 2006–07 | Nottsborough | Polytechnic (me) | South Bank Cuaco |
| 2007–08 | West Wickham (sk) | Old Esthameians | Old Parkonians |
| 2008–09 | Nottsborough (a) | Broomfield | Lloyds TSB Bank |
| 2009–10 | Nottsborough | East Barnet Old Grammarians | Old Parkonians |
| 2010–11 | Nottsborough | Norsemen | Old Westminster Citizens |
| 2011-12 | Old Salesians | Civil Service | Alexandra Park |
| 2012-13 | Nottsborough | Polytechnic | Old Garchonians |
| 2013-14 | Old Owens (o) | Old Garchonians | NUFC Oilers |
| 2014-15 | Winchmore Hill | NUFC Oilers | Lloyds AFC |
| 2015-16 | Polytechnic (†) | Old Parkonians | HSBC |
- Between 1936 and 1948 (not including the years of World War II and the transitional season of 1945-46) the league operated two Second Divisions divided apparently at random (certainly not geographically) and no Third Division.
(†) indicates team also won SAL Senior Cup
(a) indicates team also won AFA Senior Cup
(e) indicates team also won AFA Essex Senior Cup
(m) indicates team also won AFA Middlesex Senior Cup
(s) indicates team also won AFA Surrey Senior Cup
(me) indicates team also won AFA Middlesex/Essex Senior Cup
(sk) indicates team also won AFA Surrey/Kent Senior Cup
(o) indicates team also won Old Boys Senior Cup
Further reading
- Morris, Terry (2015). In A Class of Their Own: A History of English Amateur Football. Chequered Flag Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9932152-4-7.