The Athenian League was an English amateur football league for clubs in and around London. The league was originally to be called the Corinthian League,Athenian Football League minutes 1912-1921 (National Football Museum, Preston). but this name was rejected by the Football Association. It was formed in 1912 with ten clubs, but had to close down in 1914 due to the onset of World War I. When it reformed in 1920, only three of the previous teams rejoined. Clubs left and joined the league at a rate of about one a year, with a number leaving to join the Isthmian League, the strongest amateur league in the London area. Total membership remained fairly stable at between twelve and sixteen clubs until 1963, when it absorbed most of the clubs from two rival leagues, the Corinthian League (most of whose former clubs formed Division One) and the Delphian League (most of whose former clubs formed Division Two). The existing division was renamed the Premier Division.
Over the following years it lost many clubs to stronger leagues, particularly the Isthmian League and Southern League, and successive waves of Isthmian League expansion in 1973, 1977 and 1984 finally forced the league to disband. The league was amongst the first in England to be sponsored by an external company when, in the late 1970s, it was billed as the Kingsmead Athenian League.
Champions The champion clubs were as follows:Athenian League Champions RSSSF SeasonChampions1912–13Catford Southend1913–14Tufnell Park1919–20Luton Clarence1920–21St Albans City1921–22St Albans City1922–23Bromley1923–24Kingstonian1924–25Redhill1925–26Kingstonian1926–27Southall1927–28Sutton United1928–29Leyton1929–30Walthamstow Avenue1930–31Barnet1931–32Barnet1932–33Walthamstow Avenue 1933–34Walthamstow Avenue 1934–35Barking 1935–36Romford 1936–37Romford 1937–38Walthamstow Avenue 1938–39Walthamstow Avenue 1945–46Sutton United 1946–47Barnet1947–48Barnet 1948–49Bromley1949–50Tooting & Mitcham1950–51Bromley1951–52Wealdstone1952–53Hendon1953–54Finchley1954–55Tooting & Mitcham1955–56Hendon1956–57Hayes1957–58Sutton United1958–59Barnet1959–60Hounslow Town1960–61Hendon1961–62Enfield1962–63Enfield
In 1963 the league expanded to three divisions
SeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision Two1963–64BarnetLeatherheadTilbury1964–65BarnetSlough TownHarwich & Parkeston1965–66LeytonBishop's StortfordCroydon Amateurs1966–67LeytonHornchurchEastbourne United1967–68Slough TownCheshuntLewes1968–69Walton & HershamTilburyBoreham Wood1969–70Bishop's StortfordLewesHorsham1970–71DagenhamAveleyHerne Bay1971–72Slough TownHarlow TownStaines Town1972–73Slough TownHorshamRuislip Manor
In 1973 the league was reduced to two divisions
SeasonDivision OneDivision Two1973–74Boreham WoodAlton Town1974–75Letchworth TownEgham Town1975–76CheshuntEpping Town1976–77Leyton-WingateFarnborough Town
In 1977 the league was reduced to a single division
SeasonChampions1977–78Billericay Town1978–79Billericay Town1979–80Windsor & Eton1980–81Windsor & Eton1981–82Leyton-Wingate1982–83Newbury Town1983–84Redhill
Member clubs The league had 115 member clubs during its existence:
Addlestone Alton Town Aveley Aylesbury United Banstead Athletic Barking Barnet Barnet & Alston Basildon United Berkhamsted Town Billericay Town Bishop's Stortford Boreham Wood Brentwood & Warley Bromley Burnham Camberley Town Cambridge City Carshalton Athletic Catford Southend Chalfont St Peter Chelmsford Chertsey Town Chesham Town Chesham United Cheshunt Croydon Dagenham Dorking
Eastbourne Town Eastbourne United Edgware Town Edmonton Egham Town Enfield Epping Town Epsom & Ewell Erith & Belvedere Farnborough Town Faversham Town Feltham Finchley Flackwell Heath Fleet Town Grays Athletic Guildford Hampton Harefield United Haringey Borough Harlow Town Harrow Borough Harwich & Parkeston Hastings & St Leonards Hayes Hemel Hempstead Town Hendon Herne Bay Hertford Town
Histon Hitchin Town Hoddesdon Town Horley Town Hornchurch Horsham Hounslow Kingsbury Town Kingstonian Leatherhead Letchworth Garden City Lewes Leyton Leyton-Wingate Luton Clarence Maidenhead United Maidstone United Marlow Metrogas Molesey Newbury Town Rainham Town Redhill Romford Romford Town Ruislip Manor Slough Town Southall
St Albans City Staines Town Summerstown Sutton United Thatcham Town Tilbury Tooting Tooting & Mitcham Tring Town Tufnell Park Uxbridge Uxbridge Town Walthamstow Avenue Walton & Hersham Ware Wealdstone Welling United Wembley West London Old Boys West Norwood Whyteleafe Willesden Wimbledon Windsor & Eton Wingate Wokingham Town Wolverton Town Woodford Town Worthing
References