SAL Timeline

1907

The League is founded with 17 member clubs in 2 sections:

The following clubs were placed in Section "A": Alleyn Old Boys, Bowes Park, Casuals, Crouch End Vampires, Cheshunt, Civil Service, Croydon, Ealing Association and Eastbourne.

The following clubs were placed in Section "A": Hampstead, Ipswich Town, Lee, New Crusaders, Reigate Priory, Richmond Association, Townley Park and Weybridge.

1908

Croydon and Weybridge resign from the League
Norsemen and Tunbridge Wells join the League

1910

Lee resign from the League
Oxford join the League

1911

Aquarius and L.C.W. & Parr's Bank join the League
Tunbridge Wells resign from the League

1912

Carshalton join the League

1913

Bowes Park and New Crusaders and Oxford resign from the League
Cambridge Town join the League
Weybridge rejoin the League for one season only

1914

League ceased operations due to the outbreak of the Great War
Casuals, Richmond Association, Townley Park and Weybridge resign from the League
Crouch End Vampires, Cheshunt and Civil Service withdrew from the League and did not return on its resumption after WWI

1919

A Reserve Team section is intrudoced with North and South divisions
Cuaco, Honourable Artillery Company, Highgate, Merton, Old Haberdashers, Old Owens and Old Parkonians join the League. Old Wilsonians join the League for one season only

1920

League introduced a Reserve Team Section with North and South divisions
Ashford, Barclays Bank, Bank of England and Snaresbrook join the League
Cheshunt rejoin the League
Honourable Artillery Company, Old Wilsonians resign from the League

1921

Cheshunt, Hampstead and Snaresbrook resign from the League
Hampton & Richmond, L.J.C. & Midland Bank and Ibis join the League

1922

Hampton & Richmond resign from the League
L.C.W. & Parr's Bank renamed Westminster Bank

1923

Reserve Team Section realigned to consist of Divisions 1 and 2
L.J.C. & Midland Bank renamed Midland Bank
Lloyds Bank join the League from the Southern Olympian League

1924

Ashford,Old Haberdashers and Old Owens resign from the League
Motor Union, National Provincial Bank and Old Lyonians join the League

1925

Alexandra Park and Toc H. join the League
Kew Association join the League from the Southern Olympian League

1927

Hastings & St. Leonard's join the League
Lensbury join the League from the Southern Olympian League

1928

League expanded to 3 Senior and 3 Reserve divisions
Britannic House and East Grinstead join the League
Crouch End Vampires rejoin the League from the Nemean Amateur League
Winchmore Hill join the League from the Southern Olympian League

1929

Catford Wanderers join the League
Civil Service rejoin the League from the Isthmian League

1930

Motor Union resign from the League

1931

Highgate resign from the League
Old Grocers join the League from the Old Boys League

1932

Old Stationers join the League from the Old Boys League
Toc H. resign from the League

1933

Britannic House merge with Lensbury to become Lensbury & Britannic House
Thornycroft join the League

1934

Harwich & Parkeston join the League for one season only but did not complete their fixtures

1935

Cambridge Town and East Grinstead resign from the League
Ipswich Town and Harwich & Parkeston resign to form the Eastern Counties League
Highgate rejoin the League
H.M.S. Excellent join the League for one season only
Old Westminster Citizens join the League from the Old Boys League

1936

Divisions 2 and 3 merged into Division 2 of 2 groups (unregionalised)
Pearl Assurance join the League

1938

Old Grocers resign and join the Old Boys League
West Wickham join the League

1939

League ceased operations due to the outbreak of World War II
Highgate and Thornycroft resign from the League

1945

League resumed operations after World War II with 2 divisions in the Senior Section
Old Latymerians join the League

1946

The Reserve Team Section is resumed and the Senior Section returned to 3-division set up
Brentham join the League from the Southern Olympian League
Eastbourne and Hastings & St. Leonard's resign from the League
Borough Polytechnic join the League from the Nemean Amateur League

1948

Both sections realigned to consist of Divisions 1, 2 and 3
A Third Team Section is formed with 2 divisions
Guys Hospital join the League

1949

A Fourth Team Section is formed with 1 division

1950

A Fifth Team Section is added with 1 division

1951

Pinner join the League

1953

Guys Hospital resign from the League

1954

A Third Division is added to the Third Team Section
A Second Division is added to the Fourth Team Section
Polytechnic join the League from the Nemean Amateur League

1957

A Sixth Team Section is added with 1 division

1958

Broomfield join the League from the Nemean Amateur League
Southgate Olympic join the League from the Southern Olympian League

1959

Aquarius resign from the League

1960

A Third Division is added to the Fourth Team Section
A Second Division is added to the Fifth Team Section

1961

A Seventh Team Section is added with 1 division
Pinner resign from the League

1962

The 1962-1963 League season is abandoned due to extreme weather conditions
Lensbury & Britannic House split to become Britannic House and Lensbury

1966

A Second Division is added to the Sixth Team Section

1967

Old Bromleians join the League from the Southern Olympian League

1970

National Provincial Bank mergewith Westminster Bank to become National Westminster Bank

1971

A Third Division is added to the Fifth Team Section
Ealing Association resign and join the Nemean Amateur League
Old Esthameians join the League from the Southern Olympian League

1973

Borough Polytechnic renamed Polytechnic of the South Bank

1975

A Second Division is added to the Seventh Team Section
Polytechnic of the South Bank renamed South Bank Polytechnic

1976

Midland Bank are Division 1 champions in all seven sections of the League for season 1975-1976

1977

A Third Division is added to the Sixth Team Section
An Eighth Team Section is added with 1 division
East Barnet Old Grammarians join the League from the Old Boys League
Old Actonians Association join the League from the Nemean Amateur League

1980

A Second Division is added to the Eighth Team Section

1981

Britannic House renamed British Petroleum

1982

Catford Wanderers resign from the League

1983

Old Salesians join the League from the Old Boys League

1989

Pearl Assurance resign from the League

1990

Royal Bank of Scotland join the League from the London Banks Football Association

1991

British Petroleum resign from the League

1992

A Ninth Team Section is added with 1 division
Old Parmiterians join the League from the Southern Olympian League

1994

The Ninth Team Section is absorbed into the Eighth Team Section which now had 3 divisions
Royal Bank of Scotland resign and rejoin the London Banks Football Association
South Bank Polytechnic renamed South Bank AFC

1995

Five Challenge Cup competitions are introduced: Junior Cup (3rd XI's), Minor (4th), Senior Novets (5th), Intermediate Novets (6th), Junior Novets (7th and lower)

1996

The Seventh and Eighth Team Sections are mergeto form the Minor Teams Section
Old Owens rejoin the League from the Southern Olympian League

1997

Reigate Priory resign and join the Redhill & District League

1998

Old Finchleians join the League from the Southern Olympian League

1999

Cuaco renamed CGU Cuaco
Midland Bank renamed HSBC
Lloyds Bank renamed Lloyds TSB Bank

2000

Sixth Team Division 3 is discontinued
The Challenge Cups are abandoned for season 2000-2001 due to extreme weather conditions

2001

Minor Teams Section Division 4 is discontinued
Barclays Bank renamed Barclays Bank
Nottsborough join the League from the Southern Olympian League
CGU Cuaco and South Bank AFC merge to form South Bank Cuaco

2002

National Westminster Bank resign and join the London Financial Football Association
Old Bromleians resign and join the Amateur Football Combination
Lensbury renamed Weirside Rangers

2003

The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Minor Teams Sections are mergeto form the Minor Section with a London-wide Division 1 fed by 5 North and 5 South divisions
Bank of England are crowned champions of Division 3 and leave the division for the first time in 49 years
Brentham resign and join the Middlesex County League

2004

Old Parmiterians resign and join the Amateur Football Combination
Old Wilsonians rejoin the League from the Amateur Football Combination

2005

Minor Section Division 7 South is introduced
Minor Section Division 6 North is discontinued
Old Lyonians win promotion to Division 1 for the first time since 1934 (71 years)

2007

The League is invited to enter the FA Carlsberg National League System Cup - a competition open to league representative teams, mostly from leagues participating in the National League System (the non-league pyramid). Several other leagues - including the SAL - are invited for the first time. The SAL kicks-off its campaign with a 6-3 victory over the Kent County League in February 2008.

2008

The League representative team wins the FA Carlsberg National League System Cup at the first attempt earning the chance to represent England in the UEFA Regions Cup in Italy in October 2008.

The team remains undefeated and does not concede a goal but finishes runners-up to the Republic of Ireland team thus missing out on qualifying for the final tournament.

The League is nominated by the AFA to take part in an FA Charter Standard League pilot scheme having been identified as having one of the highest proportions of FA Charter Standard member clubs in the country.

2009

The Challenge Cup rules are amended to allocate teams based on the division in which they play rather than the XI they represent within their club. The Junior Cup remains the same - for teams in the Junior Section - while the others were constituted as follows:

Minor Cup - Minor Divisions 1, 2 North and 2 South
Senior Novets Cup - Minor Divisions 3 North, 3 and 4 South
Intermediate Novets Cup - Minor Divisions 4 North, 5 and 6 South
Junior Novets Cup - Minor Divisions 5 North and 7 South