Southern Amateur Football League
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| Sport | Football |
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| Founded | 1907 |
| No. of teams | 210–220 (20 divisions) (3 senior divisions) |
| Country(ies) |  England |
| Most recent champion(s) | Nottsborough (Division One) Norsemen (Division Two) Old Westminster Citizens (Division Three) |
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 from clubs including former pupils' associations from schools and colleges, business house sports clubs and private clubs. The league currently has member 33 clubs running 215 teams in 20 divisions. All clubs are stricly amateur.
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[edit] Club set-up, sportsmanship and hospitality
As in other AFA leagues it is common for clubs to run several teams with all current SAL clubs running at least four while the biggest clubs run up to 10 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.
[edit] League set up and Challenge Cups
The league is divided into four sections: Senior (1st teams), Intermediate (2nd teams), Junior (3rd teams) and Minor (4th teams and lower). In the Senior, Intermediate and Junior sections there are three divisions (Divisions 1, 2 and 3) each containing 11 teams. The Minor section has a London–wide Division 1 fed by North and South sections.
As well as league competitions the SAL runs five cup competitions. These are:
- Junior Cup (for teams in the Junior section)
- Minor Cup (Minor Divisions 1, 2 North and 2 South)
- Senior Novets Cup (Minor Divisions 3 North, 3 South and 4 South)
- Intermediate Novets Cup (Minor Divisions 4 North, 5 South and 6 South)
- Junior Novets Cup (Minor Divisions 5 North and 7 South)
These were inaugurated for the 1995–96. There are no cups for the first and second teams in the league as these teams are offered an extra 'county divisional' cup by the AFA (either the Middlesex/Essex Cup or the Surrey/Kent Cup, depending on location).
[edit] Current member clubs
The League currently consists of 33 clubs. Three of these (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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[edit] 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. In recent seasons the biggest annual fixture has been the Steve Langley Trophy game against the Amateur Football Combination in memory of the former SAL and Crouch End Vampires captain who died aged 40 of cancer in 2003.
For the 2007–08 season the team entered the FA National League System Cup for the first time, winning the competition on penalties against the Midland Football Combination (Division 1) in the final at the Ricoh Arena after a 1–1 draw. The southern semi-final saw an AFA 'derby' win over the Amateur Football Combination by 2–0 at Dulwich Hamlet.
The team travelled to Turin in October 2008 to compete in the Intermediary Round of the UEFA Regions' Cup where they missed out on qualifying for the Final tournament on goal difference having not conceded a goal during their three games.
[edit] 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Season– | Division 1 | Division 2 | Division 3 |
| 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 | |
| 1937–38 | Civil Service | Norsemen / Lensbury & Britannic House | |
| 1938–39 | Hastings & St Leonards | National Provincial Bank / Eastbourne | |
| Season | Division 1 | Division 2 | |
| 1945–46 | Merton | Old Parkonians | |
| Season | Division 1 | Division 2A | Division 2B |
| 1946–47 | Ealing Association | Westminster Bank | Winchmore Hill |
| 1947–48 | Winchmore Hill | Barclays Bank | Alexandra Park |
| Season | Division 1 | Division 2 | Division 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
(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
