History
When the Acton & Willesden and Streatham & Mitcham clubs joined the Rugby Football League in 1935, a number of supporters and rejected trialists formed a number of amateur teams in London. There was no amateur competition in London at that time but leading teams were Acton Hornets, Park Royal Rangers, Hendon, Dagenham, and Harlesden All Blacks. None of these clubs survived the failure of the two professional clubs.
Amateur clubs were again formed in Morden, Brixton, Mitcham, Slough and Southampton; and a four-team Southern Amateur Rugby League existed in 1949–50 before folding. There was an attempt to revive the league in 1955, when a Mr Tim Wood, of Chigwell Row, Essex, wrote to the Rugby Football League to enquire about possible assistance.
Local rugby league enthusiasts began to train in the National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace in 1965; and twelve months later the London Amateur Rugby League Association was formed in Hackney Marshes, with Eddie Waring as its first president. It was soon renamed the Southern Amateur Rugby League as teams from outside London joined the league.
By 1981, there were enough teams competing to form a Second division and a Third division ran between 1984 and 1988. The league was rebranded the London Amateur Rugby League in 1986 to reflect the concentration of sides in the London area after outpost clubs Cheltenham, Aberavon, Hemel Hempstead, Milton Keynes and Wokingham (soon renamed Surrey Heath) all switched to the newly formed Midlands & South West League (MASWARLA) by its second season (Wokingham had been founder members). In 1995–96 there were two regionalised Second divisions due to the Eastern Counties League being absorbed into the London League and an influx of teams from South West England.
The Southern Conference League, founded in 1997, was the fore-runner of the Rugby League Conference. It included some of the top teams in the London Amateur Rugby League, focusing on clubs that either had or promised junior sections. As the best of the London League was gradually included into the Conference, the rest reformed as a summer merit league for new clubs, police / prison sides and second and third teams. The last winter season completed was 1998/99 and the first summer season was 2000.
The Gordon Anderton Memorial Trophy knock-out competition was established in 1997 and ran for two seasons. It was named after Gordon who ran the London League from 1965 to just before his death in the mid-90s.
Throughout most of its history the league ran throughout the traditional winter season, with a switch to a summer league in 2000 following the lead of the Super League which made the switch in 1996. The last winter London League season in 98/99 finished with only four teams still playing. The first London summer merit league started with eight teams.
From 2000 the London League Champions were determined via a play-off series culminating in a Grand Final. In 2011 the league was renamed London, South and East Merit League with teams joining from the East of England. In 2012 it became the London & South East Entrance League with the Eastern teams leaving to form the East Merit League.
Read more about this topic: London, South And East Merit League
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