London XI - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The London XI was an association football representative team, specially created to take part in the 1955-58 edition of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials...

, the precursor of today's UEFA Europa League although not recognized by UEFA.

The competition was created on April 18, 1955, and the first tournament took three years to complete. The entrants were the major football team of each city which held a Trade Fair

Trade fair

A trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities...

. Like many cities taking part, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

had several strong teams; however rules stated that there could only be a single team from each city . It was decided to create a team especially for the tournament, using the best players from each London-based club. Membership of the team varied considerably between matches, to the effect that as many as 54 players took part in the 8 matches of the campaign.

The London XI, managed by Chelsea

Chelsea F.C.

Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

chairman Joe Mears

Joe Mears

John 'Joe' Mears was chairman of Chelsea Football Club and the Football Association.Mears was the son and nephew of Chelsea F.C. founders, Joseph and Gus Mears respectively. He was a goalkeeper for the Old Malvernians before joining the Chelsea board in 1931, in doing so becoming the youngest...

, reached the final of the cup, after coming top of a group that included special XI teams from Basel

Basel

Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...

and Frankfurt

Frankfurt

Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...

, and then beating Lausanne Sports

Lausanne Sports

Lausanne-Sports is a Swiss sports club based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is most famous for its football department , but the club also had athletics, sport rowing, and rink hockey departments until they split in 2009 over a row about the construction of a new stadium that will be built by...

. London lost 8-2 on aggregate over two legs to FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona

Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

.

The London XI only competed in the 1955-58 tournament, all future Inter-Cities Fairs Cups involving a London team were contested by individual clubs from London instead.

Group stage

Basel XI 0-5 London XI – June 4, 1955
Team: Ron Reynolds

Ron Reynolds

Ronald Sidney Maurice Reynolds was a goalkeeper whose career spanned nearly 20 years; he played 290 League games for three professional clubs, and for most of the 1950s played for Tottenham Hotspur, alongside his friend and tactical confidant, Danny Blanchflower.-Aldershot:Ron was born in...

(Tot), Peter Sillett

Peter Sillett

Peter Richard Tudor Sillett was an England footballer. He played for Chelsea and Southampton as a right-back, and made three appearances for England....

(Che), Jim Fotheringham

Jim Fotheringham

James Gibb Fotheringham was a Scottish football defender.Fotheringham was a product of the Arsenal youth system and at 6'4" looked to be an imposing centre back. However, Fotheringham managed only a few runs in the first team and never really convinced before joining Heart of Midlothian for...

(Ars), Stan Willemse

Stan Willemse

Stanley B "Stan" Willemse was an English footballer who played as a left-back in the Football League for Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea and Leyton Orient....

(Che), Ken Armstrong (Che), Derek Saunders

Derek Saunders

Derek Saunders is a retired English footballer who played most notably for Chelsea during the 1950s.Born in Ware, Saunders played primarily as a wing-half and started his career with amateur side Walthamstow Avenue, who he captained in their 1952 FA Amateur Cup Final win...

(Che), Harry Hooper (Wes), Johnny Haynes

Johnny Haynes

John Norman "Johnny" Haynes was an English footballer, best known for his 18 years at Fulham. He played a club-record 658 games and scored 158 goals for the club between 1952 and 1970...

(Ful), Cliff Holton

Cliff Holton

Clifford Charles "Cliff" Holton was an English footballer.Born in Oxford, Holton played as a full back for non-league Oxford City as a youth, before joining Arsenal in October 1947 at the age of 18. He spent three seasons in the Gunners' reserve team, eventually converting to a centre forward...

(Ars), Eddie Firmani

Eddie Firmani

Edwin Ronald "Eddie" Firmani is a retired football player and manager. He was born in South Africa but represented Italy internationally.-Playing career:...

(Cha), Billy Kiernan

Billy Kiernan

William E. Kiernan was an English football midfielder.Kiernan began his career with Charlton Athletic when Jimmy Seed signed him as an amateur in 1943. However he made no impact at the club and following his release he joined the Royal Ulster Rifles...

(Cha).

Substitute: Brian Nicholas (QPR), on for Saunders 37'.

Scorers: Firmani 33', Holton 37', 43', 74', Hooper 81'.

London XI 3-2 Frankfurt XI – October 26, 1955 at Wembley Stadium
Team: Ted Ditchburn

Ted Ditchburn

Edwin George 'Ted' Ditchburn was an English professional football goalkeeper who played for Northfleet United, Tottenham Hotspur, Romford, Brentwood Town and represented England on six occasions at international level....

(Tot), Peter Sillett

Peter Sillett

Peter Richard Tudor Sillett was an England footballer. He played for Chelsea and Southampton as a right-back, and made three appearances for England....

(Che), Stan Willemse

Stan Willemse

Stanley B "Stan" Willemse was an English footballer who played as a left-back in the Football League for Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea and Leyton Orient....

(Che), Danny Blanchflower

Danny Blanchflower

Robert Dennis "Danny" Blanchflower was a former Northern Ireland international footballer and football manager, and journalist who captained Tottenham Hotspur F.C. during its double-winning season of 1961. He was ranked as the greatest player in Spurs history by The Times in 2009...

(Tot), Charlie Hurley

Charlie Hurley

Charles John Hurley born 4 October 1936) was a centre back. He began his career at Millwall, where his term at The Den was disrupted by injury which certainly delayed his debut on the international stage. Hurley is best remembered from his time at Sunderland, where he was named the Black Cats'...

(Mil), Cyril Hammond

Cyril Hammond

Cyril Samuel Hammond , is an English footballer who played as a left half in the Football League.-External links:*...

(Cha), Vic Groves

Vic Groves

Victor George "Vic" Groves is an English former footballer.Born in Stepney, London, Groves started his career at east London non-league clubs Leytonstone and Walthamstow Avenue, and then briefly as an amateur for Tottenham Hotspur before signing professional forms with Leyton Orient in 1954...

(Ley), Bobby Robson

Bobby Robson

Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....

(Ful), Bedford Jezzard

Bedford Jezzard

Bedford Alfred George Jezzard, , was a football player. Jezzard's teenage years coincided with the Second World War, and he began football as an amateur with Croxley Boys and later Watford, for whom he made three FA Cup appearances...

(Ful), Roy Bentley

Roy Bentley

Roy Thomas Frank Bentley is a retired English football player who played most notably for Chelsea and the England national side. He later became a manager...

(Che), Charlie Mitten

Charlie Mitten

Charles "Charlie" Mitten was an English football player, who came through the junior ranks at Manchester United...

(Ful).

Scorers: Jezzard 46', 76', Robson 60'.

London XI 1-0 Basel XI – May 4, 1956 at White Hart Lane

White Hart Lane

White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....

Team: Jack Kelsey

Jack Kelsey

Alfred John "Jack" Kelsey was a Welsh international football goalkeeper, who also played for Arsenal. He is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers to play for Wales.- Early career :...

(Ars), Peter Sillett

Peter Sillett

Peter Richard Tudor Sillett was an England footballer. He played for Chelsea and Southampton as a right-back, and made three appearances for England....

(Che), John Hewie

John Hewie

John Davison Hewie is a former Scottish international footballer who spent most of his career with Charlton Athletic....

(Cha), Danny Blanchflower

Danny Blanchflower

(Tot), Stan Wicks

Stan Wicks

Stan Maurice Wicks was an English professional footballer who played for Reading and Chelsea. Wicks won the League Championship in 1955 with Chelsea, making 21 league appearances that season...

(Che), Ken Coote

Ken Coote

Ken Coote was an English footballer.A defender, he spent his entire professional career with Brentford, joining the west London club as an amateur from Wembley Town in 1949...

(Bre), Jim Lewis

Jim Lewis (footballer)

James "Jim" Lewis was an English footballer. He was one of the most successful amateur footballers of his generation....

(Che), Derek Tapscott

Derek Tapscott

Derek Robert Tapscott was a Welsh former professional footballer and Wales international.-Early life:Born in Barry, to Florence and Stanley, Tapscott was one of sixteen children. As a child he began attending High Street Junior School in August 1936 where he remained until leaving school at the...

(Ars), Cliff Holton

Cliff Holton

(Ars), Bobby Cameron

Bobby Cameron

Bobby Cameron is a former professional footballer who played for Queens Park Rangers, Leeds United and Southend United.-Playing career:...

(QPR), George Robb

George Robb

George Robb is a former footballer who played outside left for Tottenham Hotspur and England. He represented Great Britain at the 1952 Olympic Games. He also had a career as a schoolteacher.-Career :...

(Tot).

Scorers: Robb 87'.

Frankfurt XI 1-0 London XI – March 27, 1957
Team: Ron Reynolds

Ron Reynolds

(Tot), John Bond

John Bond (footballer)

John Frederick Bond is an English former professional football player and manager. His son Kevin Bond is also a former footballer.-Playing career:...

(Wes), Peter Sillett

Peter Sillett

Peter Richard Tudor Sillett was an England footballer. He played for Chelsea and Southampton as a right-back, and made three appearances for England....

(Che), Ken Armstrong (Che), Malcolm Allison

Malcolm Allison

Malcolm Alexander Allison was an English football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Mal", he was one of English football's most flamboyant and intriguing characters because of his panache, fedora and cigar, controversies off the pitch and outspoken nature.Allison's managerial potential become...

(Wes), Tony Marchi

Tony Marchi

Anthony "Tony" Marchi is a retired English football player of Italian descent, who played for Tottenham Hotspur in the position of wing half from 1950 until 1965, which was broken up by a two-year spell in Italy with Vicenza and Torino. During much of his career at Spurs, Marchi was mostly used as...

(Tot), Terry Medwin

Terry Medwin

Terence "Terry" Cameron Medwin is a former Welsh international footballer who played as a winger.He made his debut for his home-town team Swansea Town in 1951-52 and went on to make 148 Football League appearances for the Swans.Medwin moved to Tottenham Hotspur for £25,000 in May 1956, and played...

(Tot), Stuart Leary

Stuart Leary

Stuart Edward Leary was a South African who played football as a centre-forward and cricket as an all-rounder....

(Cha), David Herd

David Herd (footballer)

David George Herd is a Scottish former international association footballer. His regular position was as a forward where he was a consistent goal scorer.-Family:...

(Ars), Johnny Haynes

Johnny Haynes

John Norman "Johnny" Haynes was an English footballer, best known for his 18 years at Fulham. He played a club-record 658 games and scored 158 goals for the club between 1952 and 1970...

(Ful), Billy Kiernan

Billy Kiernan

(Cha).

Semi-finals

Lausanne Sports

2-1 London XI – September 16, 1957
Team: Ted Ditchburn

Ted Ditchburn

(Tot), Stan Charlton

Stan Charlton

Stanley "Stan" Charlton is an English former football player and manager. He is the son of Stanley Charlton, who played at full back for Exeter City and Crystal Palace during the 1920s and 1930s...

(Ars), Dennis Evans

Dennis Evans

Dennis Joseph Evans was an English football player.Born in Old Swan, Liverpool, Evans first played junior football for his hometown club, Ellesmere Port Town. He had an unsuccessful trial with Wolves, before signing for London side Arsenal and moving to Harringay in January 1951...

(Ars), Brian Nicholas (Che) , Jim Fotheringham

Jim Fotheringham

(Ars), Phil McKnight

Phil McKnight

Phil McKnight is a former professional footballer who played for Alloa Athletic, Chelsea and Leyton Orient.- External links :*, Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database...

(Ley), Peter Berry (Cry), Geoff Truett (Cry), Les Stubbs

Les Stubbs

Leslie 'Les' Stubbs was an English footballer.Playing mainly as an inside forward, Stubbs started out with his local side, Great Wakering Rovers before signing for Southend United. He made his debut for Southend in 1948 and scored 45 goals in 88 games over the next four seasons...

(Che), Phil Woosnam

Phil Woosnam

Phillip Abraham Woosnam is a Welsh former Association football inside-right and manager. He went on to become commissioner of the North American Soccer League.-Playing career:...

(Ley), Joe Haverty

Joe Haverty

Joe Haverty was an Irish football player.Haverty played for Home Farm and St Patrick's Athletic, before signing for Arsenal in July 1954...

(Ars).

Scorers: Haverty 70'.

London XI 2-0 Lausanne Sports

Lausanne Sports

– October 23, 1957 at Highbury

Arsenal Stadium

Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006...

Team: Jack Kelsey

Jack Kelsey

Alfred John "Jack" Kelsey was a Welsh international football goalkeeper, who also played for Arsenal. He is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers to play for Wales.- Early career :...

(Ars), Stan Charlton

Stan Charlton

Stanley "Stan" Charlton is an English former football player and manager. He is the son of Stanley Charlton, who played at full back for Exeter City and Crystal Palace during the 1920s and 1930s...

(Ars), Peter Sillett

Peter Sillett

Peter Richard Tudor Sillett was an England footballer. He played for Chelsea and Southampton as a right-back, and made three appearances for England....

(Che), Ken Coote

Ken Coote

Ken Coote was an English footballer.A defender, he spent his entire professional career with Brentford, joining the west London club as an amateur from Wembley Town in 1949...

(Bre), Bill Dodgin

Bill Dodgin, Jr.

William "Bill" Dodgin was an English former football player and manager.Dodgin was born in Wardley, County Durham, the son of footballer Bill Dodgin, Sr. He began his career as an amateur, before signing for Southampton, whom his father managed. When Dodgin Sr...

(Ars), Derek Saunders

Derek Saunders

(Che), Roy Dwight

Roy Dwight

Royston Edward Dwight was an English footballer.When he was eight, Roy’s mother died in childbirth, while giving birth to his sister Susan, and following his father’s death, he moved in with his grandparents....

(Ful), Jimmy Greaves

Jimmy Greaves

James Peter 'Jimmy' Greaves is an English former football player, England's third highest international goalscorer, the highest goalscorer in the history of Tottenham Hotspur football club, the highest goalscorer in the history of English top flight football and more recently a television pundit -...

(Che), Cliff Holton

Cliff Holton

(Ars), Johnny Haynes

Johnny Haynes

John Norman "Johnny" Haynes was an English footballer, best known for his 18 years at Fulham. He played a club-record 658 games and scored 158 goals for the club between 1952 and 1970...

(Ful), Billy Kiernan

Billy Kiernan

(Cha).

Scorers: Greaves 10', Holton 76'.

London won 3-2 on aggregate

Final

London XI 2-2 CF Barcelona

FC Barcelona

Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

– March 3, 1958 at Stamford Bridge

Stamford Bridge (stadium)

Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...

Team: Jack Kelsey

Jack Kelsey

Alfred John "Jack" Kelsey was a Welsh international football goalkeeper, who also played for Arsenal. He is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers to play for Wales.- Early career :...

(Ars), Peter Sillett

Peter Sillett

Peter Richard Tudor Sillett was an England footballer. He played for Chelsea and Southampton as a right-back, and made three appearances for England....

(Che), Jim Langley

Jim Langley

Ernest James "Jim" Langley , was an English association football player noted for his pacey, rampaging runs from the left fullback position and his long throw-ins...

(Ful), Danny Blanchflower

Danny Blanchflower

(Tot), Maurice Norman

Maurice Norman

Maurice Norman is an English former footballer who played nearly 400 times in the Football League as a centre half for Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur. At international level, Norman won 23 caps for the England national team....

(Tot), Ken Coote

Ken Coote

Ken Coote was an English footballer.A defender, he spent his entire professional career with Brentford, joining the west London club as an amateur from Wembley Town in 1949...

(Bre), Vic Groves

Vic Groves

(Ars), Jimmy Greaves

Jimmy Greaves

(Che), Bobby Smith (Tot), Johnny Haynes

Johnny Haynes

John Norman "Johnny" Haynes was an English footballer, best known for his 18 years at Fulham. He played a club-record 658 games and scored 158 goals for the club between 1952 and 1970...

(Ful), George Robb

George Robb

(Tot).

Scorers: Greaves 10', Langley (pen) 88'.

CF Barcelona

FC Barcelona

Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

6-0 London XI – May 1, 1958
Team: Jack Kelsey

Jack Kelsey

Alfred John "Jack" Kelsey was a Welsh international football goalkeeper, who also played for Arsenal. He is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers to play for Wales.- Early career :...

(Ars), George Wright

George Wright (footballer)

George Wright was an English footballer who played as a full-back.Wright was born in Ramsgate, Kent and began his career at Ramsgate Athletic and played for Margate before joining West Ham United in 1951....

(Ley), Noel Cantwell

Noel Cantwell

Noel Euchuria Cornelius Cantwell was an Irish cricketer and football player born in County Cork, Irish Free State...

(Wes), Danny Blanchflower

Danny Blanchflower

(Tot), Ken Brown

Ken Brown (footballer)

Kenneth 'Ken' Brown is an English former football player and manager. As player, he made more than 400 appearances in the Football League representing West Ham United, where he spent the majority of his career, and Torquay United, and was capped once for the England national team...

(Wes), Dave Bowen

Dave Bowen

David Lloyd "Dave" Bowen was a Welsh football player and manager, who captained his country to their only ever World Cup finals, in 1958.-Playing career:...

(Ars), Terry Medwin

Terry Medwin

(Tot), Vic Groves

Vic Groves

(Ars), Bobby Smith (Tot), Jimmy Bloomfield

Jimmy Bloomfield

James Henry "Jimmy" Bloomfield was an English football player and manager.Born in Notting Hill, North Kensington, London, Bloomfield started his career at non-league Hayes before joining Second Division side Brentford in October 1952...

(Ars), Jim Lewis

Jim Lewis (footballer)

James "Jim" Lewis was an English footballer. He was one of the most successful amateur footballers of his generation....

(Che)

CF Barcelona won 8-2 on aggregate

Key:
Ars – Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

; Bre – Brentford

Brentford F.C.

Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....

; Cha – Charlton Athletic

Charlton Athletic F.C.

Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...

; Che – Chelsea

Chelsea F.C.

; Cry – Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace F.C.

Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...

; Ful – Fulham

Fulham F.C.

Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

; Ley – Leyton Orient

Leyton Orient F.C.

Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...

; Mil – Millwall

Millwall F.C.

Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...

; QPR – Queens Park Rangers

Queens Park Rangers F.C.

Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...

; Tot – Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

; Wes – West Ham United

West Ham United F.C.

West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

External links

Details of the 1955-58 Fairs Cup

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Group stage

Semi-finals

Final

See also

External links