London Football Association
Regional football association in England

London Football Association
AbbreviationLFA
Formation1882
PurposeFootball association
HeadquartersWembley Stadium
Location
Paul Bickerton
Websitewww.londonfa.com
Football matches in Regent's Park

The London Football Association (LFA) is the regional Football Association for inner areas of London. The London FA was established in 1882 and is affiliated to The Football Association. The London FA administers all levels of men's, women's and youth football within its area, a circle 12 miles in radius with Charing Cross at the centre.

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.

Corinthians 1896-7

According to the Memorandum on Areas and Overlapping of Associations the London FA covers the area 12 miles from Charing Cross.[1] 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[2] and is said to be the inventor of the international cap.[3]

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.[4] Friendly matches had also been played against foreign opposition after the end of World War II, including annual matches in Belgium.[4]

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.[5][4]

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.

A Sunday football match in progress at Brook Farm open space.

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. [1]

Affiliated leagues

Disbanded or amalgamated leagues

The Underhill Stadium at Barnet staged Athenian League football from 1912 to 1965

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

Major non-League leagues

Other leagues

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:

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:

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.[7]
  • Turnham Green Trophy
  • Jack Morgan Cup
  • Marcus Lipton Cup
  • Presidents Charity Cup

The LFA also formerly ran the following competitions:

The London FA also jointly administers the Capital Women's Cups alongside the Surrey FA, the Amateur Football Alliance and the Middlesex FA.[8]

List of recent London Cup winners

Season London Senior Cup London Intermediate Cup London Junior Cup London Women's Cup London Women's Junior Cup
2000–01 Ford United Corinthian-Casuals Reserves Competition Void Fulham Ladies
2001–02 Croydon London City Athletic TC Sports Fulham Ladies
2002–03 Bromley Cray Valley Paper Mills Memorial Sports Charlton Athletic Ladies
2003–04 Dulwich Hamlet Cray Valley Paper Mills Battersea Arsenal Ladies
2004–05 Fisher Athletic Metrogas Real Phoenix Charlton Athletic Ladies
2005–06 Fisher Athletic (2) Metrogas Fenerbahce Charlton Athletic Ladies
2006–07 Tooting & Mitcham United Corinthian-Casuals Reserves Tornados Arsenal Ladies
2007–08 Tooting & Mitcham United (2) Metrogas Flanders Arsenal Ladies
2008–09 Hendon Summertown Arsenal Ladies
2009–10 Metropolitan Police F.C. Arsenal Ladies
2010–11 Wingate and Finchley Cray Valley Paper Mills AFC Sevenoaks Arsenal Ladies West Ham United Ladies
2011-12 Hendon (2)
2012-13 Bromley FC (2)
2013-14 AFC Wimbledon
2014-15 Hendon (3)
2015-16 Tooting & Mitcham United (3)
2016-17 Cray Valley Paper Mills
2017-18 Balham
2018-19 Welling United
2019-20 Hendon (4)
2020-21 Tooting & Mitcham United (4)
2021-22 Brentford B
2022-23 Charlton Athletic

Source[7]

List of recent London Sunday and Veterans Cup winners

Season London Sunday Challenge Cup London Sunday Intermediate Cup London Sunday Junior Cup London Veterans Cup
2000–01 Livingstone Sporting Club Tropic Regent Celtic
2001–02 Green Island United Libra Arms Black Horse Reginald Vets
2002–03 Memorial Sports Aris Roebuck Walthamstow Pennant Vets
2003–04 St Anselm's Aris Mottingham Village Walthamstow Pennant Vets
2004–05 Aris Mehmetcik Fenerbahce Walthamstow Pennant Vets
2005–06 Aris Albion Manor Red Star (Camden) Fisher Athletic (London)
2006–07 Akincilar Frenford Sunday Rolls Park Baldon Sports
2007–08 New Salamis Eureka Clapton Rangers Waltham Forest Vets
2008–09 Baldon Sports Clapton Rangers Cetinkaya Cinar
2009–10 New Salamis
2010–11 New Salamis Greengate Yalova Livingstone RARA
2011–12 Eltham Town
2012–13 APOEL UK
2013–14 FC Tripimeni
2014–15 New Salamis
2015–16 Baldon Sports
2016–17 New Salamis
2017–18 New Salamis

Source[7]

Members of council

Directors and officials

See also

References

  1. ^ "FA – Memorandum on Areas and Overlapping of Associations" (PDF). FA. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
  2. ^ "History of the Corinthians". Corinthian-Casuals Football Club. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  3. ^ "England's Caps". www.englandfootballonline.com. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  4. ^ a b c History of London Football Association, London FA
  5. ^ FA Centenary Match: London FA 3 England 4, England Football Online
  6. ^ "London FA – Leagues and Competitions". London FA. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
  7. ^ a b c "London FA – History of the LFA County Cups". London FA. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
  8. ^ "Four west London sides gear up for Capital Women's Cup". 20 April 2014.
  9. ^ "London FA – About Us – Council". London FA. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  10. ^ "London FA – About Us – Board of Directors". London FA. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  11. ^ "London FA – About Us – Staff Contact". London FA. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  • Official website
  • London FA Cups
  • London FA Partnerships
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=London_Football_Association&oldid=1331510015"