The Metropolitan League was a football league in the south-east of England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

.

The league was founded in 1949 after several clubs learnt plans for a second division of the Southern League

Southern Football League

The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...

 would come to nothing shortly before the start of the season. Originally named the Metropolitan & District League, it was renamed the Metropolitan League in 1959. The league 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.

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

Greater London League

The Greater London League was a football league for clubs in and around London. It was formed in 1964 by a merger of the London League and the Aetolian League, after the two leagues had run a joint league cup the previous season due to both struggling for numbers.The league initially ran with A and...

 to form the Metropolitan–London League

Metropolitan–London League

The Metropolitan–London League was a short-lived football league for clubs in and around London. It was formed in 1971 by a merger of the Greater London League and the Metropolitan League...

. This league ceased to exist in 1975 when it merged with the Spartan League

Spartan League

The Spartan League was an English football league covering London and adjacent counties.Formed in 1907, the league was along with the Isthmian League and the Athenian League, one of the strong amateur competitions in the South, with three clubs reaching the FA Amateur Cup semi-finals...

 to form the London Spartan League, which readopted the name Spartan League in 1987.

Champions

Season	Champions	League Cup winners	Professional Cup winners
1949–50	St Neots & District St Neots Town F.C. St Neots Town F.C. is an English football club based in St Neots, Cambridgeshire. The club are currently members of Division One Central of the Southern League and play at New Rowley Park.-History:...	St Neots & District St Neots Town F.C. St Neots Town F.C. is an English football club based in St Neots, Cambridgeshire. The club are currently members of Division One Central of the Southern League and play at New Rowley Park.-History:...
1950–51	Dagenham Dagenham F.C. Dagenham F.C. was an English football club based in Dagenham. Established in 1949, the club played at Victoria Road from 1955 until its merger with Redbridge Forest in 1992 to form Dagenham & Redbridge.-History:...
1951–52	Horsham Horsham F.C. Horsham F.C. are a non-League football club based in Horsham, West Sussex, England, currently playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division.-History:...		Tonbridge reserves Tonbridge Angels F.C. Tonbridge Angels Football Club is an English football club who play at Longmead Stadium in Tonbridge, Kent, since moving from the Angel Ground in 1980....
1952–53	Tonbridge reserves Tonbridge Angels F.C. Tonbridge Angels Football Club is an English football club who play at Longmead Stadium in Tonbridge, Kent, since moving from the Angel Ground in 1980....		Tonbridge reserves Tonbridge Angels F.C. Tonbridge Angels Football Club is an English football club who play at Longmead Stadium in Tonbridge, Kent, since moving from the Angel Ground in 1980....
1953–54	Headington United reserves Oxford United F.C. Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
1954–55	Chelsea 'A'		Chelsea 'A'
1955–56	Hastings United reserves Hastings United F.C. Hastings United is a semi-professional English football club who currently play in the Isthmian League Premier Division and are affiliated to the Sussex County Football Association and the Hastings Football Association....
1956–57	Chelsea 'A'		Tonbridge reserves Tonbridge Angels F.C. Tonbridge Angels Football Club is an English football club who play at Longmead Stadium in Tonbridge, Kent, since moving from the Angel Ground in 1980....
1957–58	Chelsea 'A'	West Ham United 'A'
1958–59	Arsenal 'A' Arsenal F.C. Reserves Arsenal Reserves are the reserve team of Arsenal Football Club.They have been members of the FA Premier Reserve League Southern Division since its foundation in 1999. They play their home games at Underhill Stadium, which is also the home of Barnet FC. The team mainly consists of Under-21 players...
1959–60	Luton Town 'A' Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...		West Ham United 'A'
1960–61	Arsenal 'A' Arsenal F.C. Reserves Arsenal Reserves are the reserve team of Arsenal Football Club.They have been members of the FA Premier Reserve League Southern Division since its foundation in 1999. They play their home games at Underhill Stadium, which is also the home of Barnet FC. The team mainly consists of Under-21 players...	Arsenal 'A' Arsenal F.C. Reserves Arsenal Reserves are the reserve team of Arsenal Football Club.They have been members of the FA Premier Reserve League Southern Division since its foundation in 1999. They play their home games at Underhill Stadium, which is also the home of Barnet FC. The team mainly consists of Under-21 players...	Arsenal 'A' Arsenal F.C. Reserves Arsenal Reserves are the reserve team of Arsenal Football Club.They have been members of the FA Premier Reserve League Southern Division since its foundation in 1999. They play their home games at Underhill Stadium, which is also the home of Barnet FC. The team mainly consists of Under-21 players...
1961–62	Dartford reserves Dartford F.C. Dartford F.C. are an English football club based in Dartford, Kent. After finishing as champions of the Isthmian League Division One North in the 2007–08 season, they compete in the Isthmian League Premier Division. They finished in 8th position in their first season...		Arsenal 'A' Arsenal F.C. Reserves Arsenal Reserves are the reserve team of Arsenal Football Club.They have been members of the FA Premier Reserve League Southern Division since its foundation in 1999. They play their home games at Underhill Stadium, which is also the home of Barnet FC. The team mainly consists of Under-21 players...
1962–63	Arsenal 'A' Arsenal F.C. Reserves Arsenal Reserves are the reserve team of Arsenal Football Club.They have been members of the FA Premier Reserve League Southern Division since its foundation in 1999. They play their home games at Underhill Stadium, which is also the home of Barnet FC. The team mainly consists of Under-21 players...
1963–64	Charlton Athletic 'A' Charlton Athletic F.C. Reserves Charlton Athletic F.C. Reserves were the reserve team of Charlton Athletic. From 1999 until 2007, Charlton Reserves were members of the FA Premier Reserve League Southern however due to the relegation of the first team at the end of the 2006/2007 season, from the Premier League to the Football...	Tottenham Hotspur 'A'
1964–65	Gillingham reserves Gillingham F.C. Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...	Tottenham Hotspur 'A'	St Neots Town St Neots Town F.C. St Neots Town F.C. is an English football club based in St Neots, Cambridgeshire. The club are currently members of Division One Central of the Southern League and play at New Rowley Park.-History:...
1965–66	Bury Town Bury Town F.C. Bury Town Football Club is an English semi-professional football club, based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at Ram Meadow.-Early history:...	Arsenal 'A' Arsenal F.C. Reserves Arsenal Reserves are the reserve team of Arsenal Football Club.They have been members of the FA Premier Reserve League Southern Division since its foundation in 1999. They play their home games at Underhill Stadium, which is also the home of Barnet FC. The team mainly consists of Under-21 players...
1966–67	Tottenham Hotspur 'A'		West Ham United 'A'
1967–68	Chelmsford City reserves Chelmsford City F.C. Chelmsford City F.C. is an English semi-professional football club based in the town of Chelmsford, Essex. The club are currently members of the Conference South and play at the Melbourne Stadium.-Chelmsford:...	Bury Town Bury Town F.C. Bury Town Football Club is an English semi-professional football club, based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at Ram Meadow.-Early history:...	Chelmsford City reserves Chelmsford City F.C. Chelmsford City F.C. is an English semi-professional football club based in the town of Chelmsford, Essex. The club are currently members of the Conference South and play at the Melbourne Stadium.-Chelmsford:...
1968–69	Bury Town Bury Town F.C. Bury Town Football Club is an English semi-professional football club, based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at Ram Meadow.-Early history:...		West Ham United 'A'
1969–70	Wellingborough Town
1970–71	Epping Town Epping Town F.C. Epping Town F.C. was an English football club based in Epping, Essex. They played at Stonards Hill.-History:The club joined the Premier Division of the London League in 1955, and were Premier Division champions in 1963–64, the league's last season. They then became founder members of the Greater...	Cray Wanderers Cray Wanderers F.C. Cray Wanderers F.C. is an English semi-professional football club based in Bromley, London. It is one of the oldest football clubs in the world. The club was established in 1860 in the twin villages of St. Mary Cray and St Paul's Cray, near Orpington, then in the county of Kent.They currently play...	Bedford Town reserves Bedford Town F.C. Bedford Town F.C. is an English football club based in the Borough of Bedford. The club are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division and play at The New Eyrie in Cardington, a parish on the outskirts of Bedford....

Member clubs

During its existence, 67 clubs (including reserve teams) played in the league:

• Arsenal 'A'
  Arsenal F.C. Reserves
  Arsenal Reserves are the reserve team of Arsenal Football Club.They have been members of the FA Premier Reserve League Southern Division since its foundation in 1999. They play their home games at Underhill Stadium, which is also the home of Barnet FC. The team mainly consists of Under-21 players...
  
  
• Barnet reserves
  Barnet F.C.
  Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
  
  
• Bedford Town reserves
  Bedford Town F.C.
  Bedford Town F.C. is an English football club based in the Borough of Bedford. The club are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division and play at The New Eyrie in Cardington, a parish on the outskirts of Bedford....
  
  
• Bexley United reserves
  Bexley United F.C.
  Bexley United Football Club were an English football club who played at Park View Road in Welling.There was a club of the same name which played in the Kent League before the war....
  
  
• Bletchley Town
  Milton Keynes City F.C.
  Milton Keynes City Football Club are a defunct football club that was based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. The name has been used by two English non-League football teams from the Milton Keynes area during the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s....
  
  
• Braintee & Crittall Athletic
  Braintree Town F.C.
  Braintree Town F.C. is an English football club based in Braintree, Essex. The club are currently members of the Conference National and play their home matches at Cressing Road.-History:...
  
  
• Brentwood Town
  Brentwood Town F.C.
  Brentwood Town F.C. are an English football club based in Brentwood, Essex. The club is currently a member of the Isthmian League Division One North.-History:...
  
  
• Brentwood Town reserves
  Brentwood Town F.C.
  Brentwood Town F.C. are an English football club based in Brentwood, Essex. The club is currently a member of the Isthmian League Division One North.-History:...
  
  
• Brighton & Hove Albion 'A'
  Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
  Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
  
  
• Bury Town
  Bury Town F.C.
  Bury Town Football Club is an English semi-professional football club, based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at Ram Meadow.-Early history:...
  
  
• Callender Athletic
• Cambridge City reserves
  Cambridge City F.C.
  Cambridge City Football Club is an English football club currently playing in the Southern League Premier Division.-History:The club was founded in 1908 Cambridge Town F.C., as Cambridge had not been granted city status at that point, and were committed to amateur sport...
  
  
• Canterbury City
  Canterbury City F.C.
  Canterbury City F.C. are a football club currently based in Herne Bay near Canterbury, England. Reformed in 2007, they are the first football club formed as a Community interest company. For the 2011–12 season they will compete in the Kent League Premier Division...
  
  
• Charlton Athletic 'A'
  Charlton Athletic F.C. Reserves
  Charlton Athletic F.C. Reserves were the reserve team of Charlton Athletic. From 1999 until 2007, Charlton Reserves were members of the FA Premier Reserve League Southern however due to the relegation of the first team at the end of the 2006/2007 season, from the Premier League to the Football...
  
  
• Chatham Town
  Chatham Town F.C.
  Chatham Town are an English Association Football club based in Chatham, Kent. They currently play in Division One North of the Isthmian League and are nicknamed "The Chats"....
  
  
• Chelmsford City reserves
  Chelmsford City F.C.
  Chelmsford City F.C. is an English semi-professional football club based in the town of Chelmsford, Essex. The club are currently members of the Conference South and play at the Melbourne Stadium.-Chelmsford:...
  
  
• Chelsea 'A'

• Chertsey Town
  Chertsey Town F.C.
  Chertsey Town Football Club is an football club based in Chertsey, Surrey, England. The club was established in 1890 and, from the Surrey Senior League, joined the Metropolitan League in the 1964–65 season. They have reached the quarter-finals of the FA Vase twice in their history...
  
  
• Chingford Town
• Chingford Town reserves
• Chipperfield
• Crawley Town
  Crawley Town F.C.
  Crawley Town Football Club is an English football club based in Crawley, West Sussex. They won the title of the Football Conference, by a record 15 point margin on second place, and with it promotion to The Football League, in April 2011.-1896–2009:...
  
  
• Crawley Town reserves
  Crawley Town F.C.
  Crawley Town Football Club is an English football club based in Crawley, West Sussex. They won the title of the Football Conference, by a record 15 point margin on second place, and with it promotion to The Football League, in April 2011.-1896–2009:...
  
  
• Cray Wanderers
  Cray Wanderers F.C.
  Cray Wanderers F.C. is an English semi-professional football club based in Bromley, London. It is one of the oldest football clubs in the world. The club was established in 1860 in the twin villages of St. Mary Cray and St Paul's Cray, near Orpington, then in the county of Kent.They currently play...
  
  
• Croydon Rovers
• Dagenham
  Dagenham F.C.
  Dagenham F.C. was an English football club based in Dagenham. Established in 1949, the club played at Victoria Road from 1955 until its merger with Redbridge Forest in 1992 to form Dagenham & Redbridge.-History:...
  
  
• Dartford reserves
  Dartford F.C.
  Dartford F.C. are an English football club based in Dartford, Kent. After finishing as champions of the Isthmian League Division One North in the 2007–08 season, they compete in the Isthmian League Premier Division. They finished in 8th position in their first season...
  
  
• Dickinsons
• Didcot Town
  Didcot Town F.C.
  Didcot Town F.C. are a football club based in Didcot in Oxfordshire, England. They won the FA Vase in 2005 and are currently members of Division One South & West of the Southern League, having been relegated from the Premier Division in 2010–11....
  
  
• Dunstable Town
  Dunstable Town F.C.
  Dunstable Town have always been associated with Royal Blue and White, in a number of combinations. Unlike some of the larger clubs who hold an identity with one particular pattern, Dunstable have had stripes, hoops, halves, quarters, pin stripe and plain shirts...
  
  
• Dunstable Town reserves
  Dunstable Town F.C.
  Dunstable Town have always been associated with Royal Blue and White, in a number of combinations. Unlike some of the larger clubs who hold an identity with one particular pattern, Dunstable have had stripes, hoops, halves, quarters, pin stripe and plain shirts...
  
  
• Eastbourne United
• Epping Town
  Epping Town F.C.
  Epping Town F.C. was an English football club based in Epping, Essex. They played at Stonards Hill.-History:The club joined the Premier Division of the London League in 1955, and were Premier Division champions in 1963–64, the league's last season. They then became founder members of the Greater...
  
  
• Fulham 'A'
  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...
  
  

• Gillingham reserves
  Gillingham F.C.
  Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
  
  
• Gravesend & Northfleet reserves
• Guildford City reserves
  Guildford City F.C.
  Guildford City Football Club is a football club based in Guildford, Surrey, England. The club was originally established in 1921, folded in 1974 and were reformed in 1996...
  
  
• Hastings United reserves
  Hastings United F.C.
  Hastings United is a semi-professional English football club who currently play in the Isthmian League Premier Division and are affiliated to the Sussex County Football Association and the Hastings Football Association....
  
  
• Hatfield Town
  Hatfield Town F.C.
  Hatfield Town F.C. is a football club based in Hatfield, Hertfordshire . They currently play in Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division.-History:...
  
  
• Haywards Heath
  Haywards Heath Town F.C.
  Haywards Heath Town F.C. is a football club based in Haywards Heath, England. They were formed in 1888. In 1989, they changed their name from Haywards Heath F.C. to their present name....
  
  
• Hillingdon Borough reserves
  Hillingdon Borough F.C.
  Hillingdon Borough Football Club are a semi-professional football club based in Ruislip, in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It was also the name of a now-extinct club that existed between 1965 and 1987.-Historic club:...
  
  
• Horsham
  Horsham F.C.
  Horsham F.C. are a non-League football club based in Horsham, West Sussex, England, currently playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division.-History:...
  
  
• Hove United
• Kettering Town reserves
  Kettering Town F.C.
  Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08...
  
  
• Leatherhead
  Leatherhead F.C.
  Leatherhead F.C. is a football club based in Leatherhead, Surrey, England. The club is nicknamed The Tanners and plays home at Fetcham Grove.-History:...
  
  
• Luton Town 'A'
  Luton Town F.C.
  Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
  
  
• Metropolitan Police
  Metropolitan Police F.C.
  Metropolitan Police F.C. is the football club of the Metropolitan Police Service, although in recent years there has been a relaxation in the rule that players had to be serving members of the police force...
  
  
• Newbury Town
  Newbury Town F.C.
  Newbury Town F.C. is a now-defunct football club based in Newbury, England. They won the Hellenic League title two times in their history. They also won the Isthmian League Division Two in 1994, but ceased to exist just before the start of the 1995–96 season...
  
  
• Oxford United reserves
  Oxford United F.C.
  Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
  
  
• Rainham Town
  Rainham Town F.C.
  Rainham Town F.C. was an English football club based in Rainham, Greater London. Their home ground was Deri Park.-History:The club was established in 1945 and initially played at the Rainham Working Men's Club Ground before moving to Deri Park in 1948. They were founder members of the Delphian...
  
  
• Romford reserves
  Romford F.C.
  Romford F.C. is an English football club based in Romford, Greater London. The club are currently members of Division One North of the Isthmian League, and play at Mill Field in Aveley.-History:...
  
  

• Sheppey United
  Sheppey United F.C.
  Sheppey United F.C. is an English football club based on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. The club are currently members of Division One of the Kent County League and play at the Sheppey Sports Ground.-History:...
  
  
• Skyways
• Southwick
  Southwick F.C.
  Southwick F.C. is a football club based in Southwick, West Sussex, England. It was founded in 1882 and was among the founding members of the Sussex County League. It has won the Sussex County League title six times in its history....
  
  
• St Neots Town
  St Neots Town F.C.
  St Neots Town F.C. is an English football club based in St Neots, Cambridgeshire. The club are currently members of Division One Central of the Southern League and play at New Rowley Park.-History:...
  
  
• Stevenage Athletic
  Stevenage Athletic F.C.
  Stevenage Athletic F.C. was an English football club based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The club existed from 1968 until being declared bankrupt in 1976, after which Stevenage Borough were established.-History:...
  
  
• Stevenage Town reserves
  Stevenage Town F.C.
  Stevenage Town F.C. was an English football club based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The club existed from 1899 until 1968, after which Stevenage Athletic were established.-History:...
  
  
• Tonbridge reserves
• Tottenham Hotspur 'A'
• Twickenham
• Vickers Armstrong
• Wellingborough Town
• West Ham United 'A'
• Wimbledon reserves
  Wimbledon F.C.
  Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
  
  
• Windsor & Eton
  Windsor & Eton F.C.
  Windsor & Eton F.C. was an English association football club based in Windsor, Berkshire, last playing in the Southern League Premier Division in 2010–11, until it was wound up on 2 February 2011 due to large debts. A new club, Windsor F.C., has been formed to compete in the 2011–12...
  
  
• Wokingham Town
• Woodford Town
  Woodford Town F.C.
  Woodford Town F.C. was an English football club based in Woodford, Greater London.-History:The club was established in 1937, and were founder members of the Delphian League in 1951. In 1961 they switched to the Metropolitan League, before joining Division One of the Greater London League in 1967...