South East Counties League

Last updated

South East Counties League
Organising body FA
Founded1954
First season1954–55
Folded1998
Country England
Last champions Luton Town (1st title)
Most championships Tottenham Hotspur (13 titles)

The South East Counties League (SECL) was a football league for the youth teams of clubs from Southern England.

The competition grew out of the Middlesex Youth Invitation Cup set up in the 1950s by the Middlesex FA and was formerly known as the South East Counties Youth Football League. [1] For many years it was the top level of youth football in the region, a second division was added in 1964 this more often than not included teams from division one, these teams putting out their younger youth players. There was also a League Cup called "Division One League Cup" which was, in 1986, superseded by the "South East Counties League Cup". The setup of the FA Premier Youth League, a nationwide competition for the top clubs, in 1997 took many of the top clubs away. The SECL continued for another season with some clubs putting out their youth reserve teams,. [2]

However, in 1998, the Premier Youth League was expanded and renamed the FA Premier Academy League, while a second tier of nationwide youth football, the Football League Youth Alliance was founded, absorbing the remaining teams, meaning the South East Counties League was abandoned.

List of winners

[3]

SeasonWinnersRunners-up
1954–55 Chelsea Fulham
1955–56 Arsenal Chelsea
1956–57 Chelsea Arsenal
1957–58 Chelsea Charlton Athletic
1958–59 Chelsea Bexleyheath & Welling
1959–60 Chelsea Arsenal
1960–61 Chelsea Arsenal
1961–62 Chelsea Arsenal
1962–63 Chelsea Queens Park Rangers
1963–64 Queens Park Rangers Chelsea
1964–65 Arsenal Queens Park Rangers
1965–66 Queens Park Rangers Arsenal
1966–67 Charlton Athletic Ipswich
1967–68 Queens Park Rangers Chelsea
1968–69 Millwall Ipswich
1969–70 Tottenham Hotspur Millwall
1970–71 Tottenham Hotspur Arsenal
1971–72 Arsenal Tottenham Hotspur
1972–73 Tottenham Hotspur Arsenal
1973–74 Chelsea Leyton Orient
1974–75 Ipswich Tottenham Hotspur
1975–76 Ipswich Southend United
1976–77 Ipswich Chelsea
1977–78 Queens Park Rangers Ipswich
1978–79 Tottenham Hotspur Ipswich
1979–80 Norwich City Queens Park Rangers
1980–81 Tottenham Hotspur Watford
1981–82 Queens Park Rangers West Ham United
1982–83 Norwich City Queens Park Rangers
1983–84 Chelsea Norwich City
1984–85 West Ham United Ipswich
1985–86 Tottenham Hotspur Chelsea
1986–87 Tottenham Hotspur Watford
1987–88 Tottenham Hotspur Watford
1988–89 Tottenham Hotspur Arsenal
1989–90 Tottenham Hotspur Chelsea
1990–91 Arsenal Tottenham Hotspur
1991–92 Tottenham Hotspur Arsenal
1992–93 Tottenham Hotspur Millwall
1993–94 Queens Park Rangers Tottenham Hotspur
1994–95 Tottenham Hotspur Chelsea
1995–96 West Ham United Tottenham Hotspur
1996–97 Norwich City Chelsea
1997–98 West Ham United Portsmouth
1998–99 Luton Town Leyton Orient

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References

  1. ↑ "The History of the Middlesex County FA".
  2. ↑ "Arsenal youth team appearances 1997/98".
  3. ↑ "South East Counties League: Archives". SCEFL.com.


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