Athenian League

Template:For Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football league

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,<ref name=minutes>Athenian Football League minutes 1912-1921 (National Football Museum, Preston).</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Champions

The champion clubs were as follows:<ref>Athenian League Champions RSSSF</ref>

Season	Champions
1912–13	Catford Southend
1913–14	Tufnell Park
1919–20	Luton Clarence
1920–21	St Albans City
1921–22	St Albans City
1922–23	Bromley
1923–24	Kingstonian
1924–25	Redhill
1925–26	Kingstonian
1926–27	Southall
1927–28	Sutton United
1928–29	Leyton
1929–30	Walthamstow Avenue
1930–31	Barnet
1931–32	Barnet
1932–33	Walthamstow Avenue
1933–34	Walthamstow Avenue
1934–35	Barking
1935–36	Romford
1936–37	Romford
1937–38	Walthamstow Avenue
1938–39	Walthamstow Avenue
1945–46	Sutton United
1946–47	Barnet
1947–48	Barnet
1948–49	Bromley
1949–50	Tooting & Mitcham
1950–51	Bromley
1951–52	Wealdstone
1952–53	Hendon
1953–54	Finchley
1954–55	Tooting & Mitcham
1955–56	Hendon
1956–57	Hayes
1957–58	Sutton United
1958–59	Barnet
1959–60	Hounslow Town
1960–61	Hendon
1961–62	Enfield
1962–63	Enfield

In 1963 the league expanded to three divisions

Season	Premier Division	Division One	Division Two
1963–64	Barnet	Leatherhead	Tilbury
1964–65	Barnet	Slough Town	Harwich & Parkeston
1965–66	Leyton	Bishop's Stortford	Croydon Amateurs
1966–67	Leyton	Hornchurch	Eastbourne United
1967–68	Slough Town	Cheshunt	Lewes
1968–69	Walton & Hersham	Tilbury	Boreham Wood
1969–70	Bishop's Stortford	Lewes	Horsham
1970–71	Dagenham	Aveley	Herne Bay
1971–72	Slough Town	Harlow Town	Staines Town
1972–73	Slough Town	Horsham	Ruislip Manor

In 1973 the league was reduced to two divisions

Season	Division One	Division Two
1973–74	Boreham Wood	Alton Town
1974–75	Letchworth Town	Egham Town
1975–76	Cheshunt	Epping Town
1976–77	Leyton-Wingate	Farnborough Town

In 1977 the league was reduced to a single division

Season	Champions
1977–78	Billericay Town
1978–79	Billericay Town
1979–80	Windsor & Eton
1980–81	Windsor & Eton
1981–82	Leyton-Wingate
1982–83	Newbury Town
1983–84	Redhill