London Five-a-Sides

Football tournament
London Five-a-Sides
Founded1954 [1]
Abolished1995[1]
RegionLondon, England (The Sports Council)
Last championsWycomble Wanderers (2nd title)
Most successful club(s)Queen's Park Rangers (five titles)
Television broadcastersITV
Sky TV (1993–95)

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]

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] Commentary came from Brian Moore.[2] The final three editions in the 1990s were shown by Sky TV to a wider audience.[1]

Originally, only First Division and Second Division clubs from the Football League were eligible to participate.[3]

List of Finals

Years Winners[1] Score Runners up Ref
1954 Charlton Athletic 3–1 Tottenham Hotspur [4][5]
1955 Fulham 4–1 West Ham United [4][6]
1956 Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 Fulham [5]
1957 Fulham 3–2 West Ham United [6]
1958 Leyton Orient 1–0 Crystal Palace [7][8]
1959 Crystal Palace 4–1 Charlton Athletic [9][10]
1960 Tottenham Hotspur 3–1 West Ham United [11][5]
No competition between 1961–66
1967 West Ham United 4–0 Arsenal [4][12]
1968 Charlton Athletic 2–1 Crystal Palace
1969 Crystal Palace 2–0 Brentford [13][14]
1970 West Ham United 2–1 Tottenham Hotspur [5]
1971 Queen's Park Rangers 1–0 West Ham United [15][16]
1972 Queen's Park Rangers 3–0 Southampton
1973 Chelsea 2–2
(Pens) 		Millwall [17][18]
1974 Queen's Park Rangers 2–1 West Ham United
1975 Charlton Athletic 5–3 Millwall
1976 Leyton Orient 6–1 Queen's Park Rangers [19][20]
1977 Arsenal 2–1
(aet) 		West Ham United [21][22]
1978 Millwall 3–2 Queen's Park Rangers
1979 Millwall 3–2 Crystal Palace
1980 Queen's Park Rangers 2–1 Charlton Athletic [23]
1981 Arsenal 2–2
(2–1 p) 		West Ham United
1982 Fulham 2–0 Charlton Athletic [24]
1983 Millwall 3–2 Brentford [25][26]
1984 West Ham United 2–1 Tottenham Hotspur [27][5]
1985 Queen's Park Rangers 3–3
(Pens) 		Arsenal [28]
No competition between 1986–92
1993 Watford 1–1
(1–0 p) 		Wimbledon [29][30]
1994 Wycombe Wanderers 0–0
(1–0 s) 		Wimbledon [31][32]
1995 Wycombe Wanderers 0–0
Shootout 		Luton Town [33][34]

Titles by Club

Team[1] 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Football Nostalgia: London Evening Standard 5-A-Side Tournament". comicus.co.uk. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Football Nostalgia: Tony Incenzo on Special Trains And Five-A-Side Tournaments". 888sport.com. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  3. ^ "SPECIAL! Watch Fulham and Che sea five-a-sides". West London Observer. 8 April 1955. Retrieved 19 July 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ a b c "INDOOR FOOTBALL". Late Tackle Football. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2020 – via pressreader.com.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Other activities". My Eyes Have Seen The Glory. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b "1950 -1959 Trophy Cabinet". flysohigh.co.uk. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  7. ^ "A SHOCK FOR FULHAM". Croydon Advertiser. 9 May 1958. Retrieved 19 July 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "PIERCE SCORES FOUR GOALS AT HARRINGAY". Croydon Times. 9 May 1958. Retrieved 19 July 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "THE NIGHT PALACE HAD THEIR OWN BACK ON ARSENAL". Croydon Advertiser. 8 May 1959. Retrieved 19 July 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "GLAZIERS ARE BEST AT FIVE A SIDE". Sydenham Gazette. 8 May 1959. Retrieved 19 July 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "10th May 1960- London Five-a-side Football Championship (at the Empire Pool, Wembley)". oldwatford.com. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  12. ^ "London Five-a-side Champions : Wembley 1967". flysohigh.co.uk. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  13. ^ "23rd April 1969- London Five-a-side Football Championship (at the Empire Pool, Wembley)". oldwatford.com. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  14. ^ "BAD NIGHT FOR WEST LONDON CLUBS". West London Times. 2 May 1969. Retrieved 3 February 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ^ "The 1971 London Five-a-Side Football Championship was Won by QPR". indyrs.co.uk. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  16. ^ "5 May 1971- London Five-a-side Football Championship (at the Empire Pool, Wembley)". oldwatford.com. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  17. ^ "2nd May 1973- London Five-a-side Football Championship (at the Empire Pool, Wembley)". oldwatford.com. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  18. ^ "BEES BEAT RANGERS IN "FIVES"". Middlesex Chronicle. 4 May 1973. Retrieved 3 February 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  19. ^ "Phil Hoadley". leytonorient.com. Leyton Orient FC. 5 May 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  20. ^ "Stay-at-home Bowles plays five-a-side". Fulham Chronicle. 7 May 1976. Retrieved 19 July 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  21. ^ "24th May 1977- London Five-a-side Football Tournament (at the Empire Pool, Wembley)". oldwatford.com. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  22. ^ "FIVES FAILURE". Hammersmith Gazette. 2 June 1977. Retrieved 19 July 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  23. ^ "30th April 1980- London Five-a-side Football Championship (at Wembley Arena)". oldwatford.com. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  24. ^ "Fulham toast of five-a-side". Fulham Chronicle. 9 April 1982. Retrieved 19 July 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  25. ^ "London Five-a-Sides". Millwall History. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
    "Millwall 1982-83 Season Review". Millwall History. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  26. ^ "Bees Gold: Stan Bowles and Brentford reach 1983 Evening Standard Final". brentfordfc.com. Brentford FC. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  27. ^ "28th March 1984- London Five-a-side Football Championships (at Wembley Arena)". oldwatford.com. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  28. ^ "13th March 1985- London Five-a-side Football Championship (at Wembley Arena)". oldwatford.com. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  29. ^ "10th May 1993- London Five-a-side Football Championship (at Wembley Arena)". oldwatford.com. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  30. ^ "Fives agony". Croydon Advertiser. 14 May 1993. Retrieved 19 July 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  31. ^ "Retro - A look back on the 1993/94 season: May 1994 - Shock Five-a-side success for Wanderers". Chair Boys. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
    "9th May 1994- London Fives (at Wembley Arena)". oldwatford.com. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  32. ^ "Happy Wanderers!". Lincolnshire Echo. 10 May 1994. Retrieved 19 July 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  33. ^ "Wanderers take 5-a-title: Monday 15th May 1995: London Fives at Wembley". Chair Boys. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  34. ^ "15th May 1995- London Fives (at Wembley Arena)". oldwatford.com. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  • Midweek Football Coverage 1968/69 - 1982/83 Midweek Football on TV.
  • Evening Standard London 5-a-Sides, 1983 The Football Attic.