The Amateur Football Combination (AFC) is a football league based in and around London and the Home Counties, and is believed to be the biggest adult football league in Europe.[1]
Current season, competition or edition: 2022-23 | |
| Sport | Football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2002 |
| No. of teams | 200(19 divisions) (5 senior divisions) |
| Country |  England |
| Most recent champion(s) | (Premier) Dorkinians 2022-23 |
History
editThe Amateur Football Combination is one of the biggest adult football leagues in Europe,[2] with around 75 clubs and 200 teams playing Saturday afternoons in and around London and the Home Counties from September through to May, and comprises more than 1% of adult male 11-a-side football teams in England.[citation needed]
The AFC is an adult male league affiliated to the Amateur Football Alliance (AFA), with clubs that also compete from London FA, Middlesex FA and Surrey FA, and was formed in 2002 by the merger of the Old Boys' Football League (1907) and Southern Olympian League (1911) and subsequently merging with the London Financial Football Association (itself comprising the London Banks Football Association, 1900 and the London Insurance Football Association, 1908) in 2006.
AFC Membership
editClubs and club members include "Old Boys" sides, local authorities and businesses, as well as socials.
League Structure
editThe league is divided into four sections using a pyramid system, but plays outside of the "football pyramid" - the top teams do not progress into semi-professional leagues:
| AFC League System | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier | |||
| Senior 1 North | Senior 1 South | ||
| Senior 2 North | Senior 2 South | ||
| Inter. North | Inter. South | ||
| 1 North | 1 South | ||
| 2 North | 2 South | ||
| 3 North | 3 South | ||
| 4 North | 4 South | ||
| 5 North | 5 South | ||
| 5 North | 5 South | ||
| 6 North | 6 South
| ||
Cup Competitions
editAs well as league competitions, AFC clubs take part in cup competitions. Most clubs enter the Amateur Football Alliance County Cups, but depending on their location clubs also enter Surrey FA, London FA and Middlesex FA Cups. Almost all clubs also enter the London Old Boys Cups. In the event of a dry winter, if the league programme finishes early in the spring, the AFC will run its own "Spring Cups".
Recent divisional champions, Senior Section
edit| Season | Premier Division | Senior Division 1 | Senior Division 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-03 | Old Meadonians | Old Salvatorians | Old Tenisonians |
| 2003-04 | Old Meadonians | Parkfield | Glyn Old Boys |
| 2004-05 | Old Meadonians | Bealonians | Wood Green Old Boys |
| 2005-06 | Old Meadonians | Southgate County | Sinjuns Grammarians |
| 2006-07 | Old Meadonians | Enfield Old Grammarians | Old Meadonians Reserves |
| 2007-08 | Old Aloysians | Parkfield | Old Minchendenians |
| 2008-09 | Bealonians | Old Minchendenians | Centymca |
| 2009-10 | Albanian | Old Suttonians | Old Uffingtonians |
| 2010-11 | Old Meadonians | UCL Academicals | Enfield Old Grammarians |
| 2011-12 | Old Minchendenians | Old Suttonians | Honourable Artillery Company Reserves |
| 2012-13 | Old Minchendenians | Enfield Old Grammarians | Shene Old Grammarians |
| 2013-14 | Old Hamptonians | Old Ignatian | Old Pauline |
| 2014-15 | Old Hamptonians | Old Thorntonians | |
| 2015-16 | Old Hamptonians | Old Wokingians | |
| 2016-17 | Old Meadonians | Park View | |
| 2017-18 | Old Hamptonians | Southgate Olympic | |
| 2018-19 | Old Hamptonians | Fulham Compton Old Boys | |
| 2019-20 | N/A | N/A | |
| 2020-21 | Old Hamptonians | ||
| 2021-22 | Old Hamptonians | Old Ignatian/Economicals |
Spirit of Football
editIn 2006 the AFC launched its "Spirit of Football" campaign, emphasising and promoting fair play and respect for all within the game, a concept later embraced nationally within the Football Association's "Respect" campaign.
References
edit- ^ "AMATEUR FOOTBALL COMBINATION". www.amateurfotballcombination.com. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "AMATEUR FOOTBALL COMBINATION". www.amateurfotballcombination.com. Retrieved 22 May 2020.