South East Counties League


The South East Counties League was a football league for the youth teams of clubs from Southern England.
The competition grew out of the Middlesex Youth Invitation Cup set up in the 1950s by the Middlesex FA and was formerly known as the South East Counties Youth Football League. For many years it was the top level of youth football in the region, a second division was added in 1964 this more often than not included teams from division one, these teams putting out their younger youth players. There was also a League Cup called "Division One League Cup" which was, in 1986, superseded by the "South East Counties League Cup".
The setup of the FA Premier Youth League, a nationwide competition for the top clubs, in 1997 took many of the top clubs away. The SECL continued for another season with some clubs putting out their youth reserve teams,.
However, in 1998, the Premier Youth League was expanded and renamed the FA Premier Academy League, while a second tier of nationwide youth football, the Football League Youth Alliance was founded, absorbing the remaining teams, meaning the South East Counties League was abandoned.

List of winners and Runners Up

SeasonWinnersRunners up
1954-55ChelseaFulham
1955-56ArsenalChelsea
1956-57ChelseaArsenal
1957-58ChelseaCharlton Athletic
1958-59ChelseaBexleyheath & Welling
1959-60ChelseaArsenal
1960-61ChelseaArsenal
1961-62ChelseaArsenal
1962-63ChelseaQueens Park Rangers
1963-64Queens Park RangersChelsea
1964-65ArsenalQueens Park Rangers
1965-66Queens Park RangersArsenal
1966-67Charlton AthleticIpswich
1967-68Queens Park RangersChelsea
1968-69MillwallIpswich
1969-70Tottenham HotspurMillwall
1970-71Tottenham HotspurArsenal
1971-72ArsenalTottenham Hotspur
1972-73Tottenham HotspurArsenal
1973-74ChelseaLeyton Orient
1974-75IpswichTottenham Hotspur
1975-76IpswichSouthend United
1976-77IpswichChelsea
1977-78Queens Park RangersIpswich
1978-79Tottenham HotspurIpswich
1979-80Norwich CityQueens Park Rangers
1980-81Tottenham HotspurWatford
1981-82Queens Park RangersWest Ham United
1982-83Norwich CityQueens Park Rangers
1983-84ChelseaNorwich City
1984-85West Ham UnitedIpswich
1985-86Tottenham HotspurChelsea
1986-87Tottenham HotspurWatford
1987-88Tottenham HotspurWatford
1988-89Tottenham HotspurArsenal
1989-90Tottenham HotspurChelsea
1990-91ArsenalTottenham Hotspur
1991-92Tottenham HotspurArsenal
1992-93Tottenham HotspurMillwall
1993-94Queens Park RangersTottenham Hotspur
1994-95Tottenham HotspurChelsea
1995-96West Ham UnitedTottenham Hotspur
1996-97Norwich CityChelsea
1997-98West Ham UnitedPortsmouth
1998-99Luton TownLeyton Orient