London Five-a-Sides

The Evening Standard London Five-a-Sides was an annual indoor football tournament organized by the Sports Council (now Sport England). As the competition name suggests it featured Football League clubs from the capital city. The latter years of the event was open to Football League clubs outside London.[1]

London Five-a-Sides
Founded1954 [1]
RegionLondon, England (The Sports Council)
Current championsWycomble Wanderers
Most successful club(s)Queen's Park Rangers, (five titles)
Television broadcastersITV
Sky TV (1993–95)

History

The competition usually took place towards end of the domestic football season in April or May.[1] The competition was on six-year hiatus from 1961 to 1966 and then a seven=year break between 1986 and 1992.[1]

The first venue of choice was the Empress Hall, Earls Court.[1] The second edition was transferred to the Harringay Arena.[1] The event moved to Empire Pool Wembley in 1959.[1] It shared a home with the National Five-a Side tournament that ran from 1968 to 1986.[1]

ITV (Thames Television) covered the best of the action on its late evening show Midweek Sports Special for London and surrounding areas only.[1] The final three editions in the 1990s were shown by Sky TV to a wider audience.[1]

Winners
Years[1][2] Winners Score Runners up Ref
1954 Charlton Athletic 3–1 Tottenham Hotspur [3][4]
1955 Fulham 4–1 West Ham United [3][4]
1956 Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 Fulham
1957 Fulham 3–2 West Ham United [3][2]
1958 Leyton Orient 1–0 Crystal Palace [3]
1959 Crystal Palace 4–1 Charlton Athletic
1960 Tottenham Hotspur 3–1 West Ham United [3][5]
No Competition from 1961–66
1967 West Ham United 4–0 Arsenal [6][4]
1968 Charlton Athletic 2–1 Crystal Palace [6]
1969 Crystal Palace 2–0 Brentford [6][7][8]
1970 West Ham United 2–1 Tottenham Hotspur [9][2]
1971 Queen's Park Rangers 1–0 West Ham United [9][10]
1972 Queen's Park Rangers 3–0 Southampton
1973 Chelsea 2–2
Penalties		 Millwall
1974 Queen's Park Rangers 2–1 West Ham United [9]
1975 Charlton Athletic 5–3 Millwall
1976 Leyton Orient 6–1 Queen's Park Rangers [9][11]
1977 Arsenal 2–1
After extra time.		 West Ham United [9][12]
1978 Millwall 3–2 Queen's Park Rangers
1979 Millwall 3–2 Crystal Palace
1980 Queen's Park Rangers 2–1 Charlton Athletic [2]
1981 Arsenal 2–2
2–1 on Penalties		 West Ham United [2]
1982 Fulham 2–0 Charlton Athletic [2]
1983 Millwall 3–2 Brentford [2][13]
1984 West Ham United 2–1 Tottenham Hotspur [2]
1985 Queen's Park Rangers 3–3
Penalties.		 Arsenal [2]
No Competition from1986–92
1993 Watford 1–1
Penalties.		 Wimbledon [14][2]
1994 Wycombe Wanderers 0–0
Shoot-out		 Wimbledon [2][15]
1995 Wycombe Wanderers 0–0
Shoot-out		 Luton Town [2][16]

Titles by Club
Team[2] Finals Won Finals Lost Winning Years Losing Years
Queen's Park Rangers 5 2 1971, 1972, 1974, 1980, 1985 1976, 1978
West Ham United 3 7 1967, 1970, 1984 1955, 1957, 1960, 1971, 1974, 1977, 1981
Charlton Athletic 3 3 1954, 1968, 1975 1959, 1980, 1982
Millwall 3 2 1978, 1979, 1983 1973, 1975
Fulham 3 1 1955, 1957, 1982 1956
Crystal Palace 2 3 1959, 1969 1958, 1968, 1979
Tottenham Hotspur 2 3 1956, 1960 1954, 1970, 1984
Arsenal 2 2 1977, 1981 1967, 1985
Leyton Orient 2 – 1958, 1976
Wycombe Wanderers 2 – 1994, 1995
Chelsea 1 – 1973
Watford 1 – 1993
Brentford – 2 1969, 1983
Wimbledon – 2 1993, 1994
Luton Town – 1 1995
Southampton – 1 1972

References
  1. "Football Nostalgia: London Evening Standard 5-A-Side Tournament". Comicus. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  2. "London 5-A-Side Football Championships – The 1980s & 90s". Fly So High. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  3. "London 5-A-Side Football Championships – The Early Years". Fly So High. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  4. "INDOOR FOOTBALL". Late Tackle Football Magazine. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  5. "10th May 1960- London Five-a-side Football Championship (at the Empire Pool, Wembley)". Old Watford. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  6. "London Five-a-side Champions : Wembley 1967". Fly So High. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  7. "23rd April 1969- London Five-a-side Football Championship (at the Empire Pool, Wembley)". Old Watford. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  8. "BAD NIGHT FOR WEST LONDON CLUBS". West London Times. 2 May 1969. Retrieved 3 February 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. "London 5-A-Side Football Championships – The 1970s". The Fly So High. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  10. "The 1971 London Five-a-Side Football Championship was Won by QPR". Indy Rs. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  11. "A BUNCH OF FIVES!". Orient 1881. 7 May 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  12. "24th May 1977- London Five-a-side Football Tournament (at the Empire Pool, Wembley)". Old Watford. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  13. "London Five-a-Sides". Millwall History. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  14. "10th May 1993- London Five-a-side Football Championship (at Wembley Arena)". Old Watford. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
    "RETRO FOOTBALL: THE EVENING STANDARD LONDON 5-A-SIDES – COMPETITIVE CUP PLAYED WITH FIRST TEAM PLAYERS, 1993". Who Ate All The Pies. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  15. "Retro - A look back on the 1993/94 season: May 1994 - Shock Five-a-side success for Wanderers". Chair Boys. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  16. "Wanderers take 5-a-title: Monday 15th May 1995: London Fives at Wembley". Chair Boys. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
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