Great Western Suburban League

Football league

Great Western Suburban LeagueFounded| 1904

|

First season| 1904–05
Folded| 1931
Country|  England
Divisions| One
Domestic cup(s)| FA Cup
FA Amateur Cup
Most championships| Botwell Mission
Napier
(4 titles each)

The Great Western Suburban League was a football league that was primarily held in the Home counties, founded in 1904.

## History

[edit]

The Great Western Suburban League was founded on the 18 May 1904, at a meeting called by Mr. W. G. Langdon of Staines which was held at the De Burgh Hotel in Yiewsley, Middlesex.[1] It drew its membership from teams in the Home counties to the west of London, located near to the Great Western Railway. An initial rule of the league that stated that all clubs should have their grounds situated within about a mile of any Great Western Railway station between Paddington and Reading was amended in a special general meeting held at the Royal Hotel in Slough on 19 March 1914 to allow the admission into the league of Chesham Town and Newbury Town.[2]

The league was generally considered by clubs to be a stepping stone to the Spartan League. After the 1926–27 season, all the member clubs left, with a new constitution of teams being formed for the following season. Following the 1930–31 season, in which only seven teams competed, the league folded.[3]

## Champions

[edit]

Season | Winner[3] | Runners-up | Third place

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1904–05 | 2nd Grenadier Guards | Maidenhead Norfolkians | Hounslow
1905–06 | Hounslow | Brentford reserves | Maindehead Norfolkians
1906–07 | Shepherd's Bush | Brentford reserves | Hounslow
1907–08 | Brentford reserves | 1st Grenadier Guards | Windsor & Eton
1908–09 | Brentford reserves | Reading reserves | Wycombe Wanderers
1909–10 | Reading reserves | Brentford reserves | Wycombe Wanderers
1910–11 | Brentford reserves | Uxbridge | Southall
1911–12 | 2nd Grenadier Guards | Staines | Wycombe Wanderers
1912–13 | Southall | 19th Royal Hussars | Windsor & Eton
1913–14 | 19th Royal Hussars | Maidenhead Norfolkians | Southall
1914–19 | Not held due to World War I [4]
1919–20 | Maidenhead United | Botwell Mission | Slough
1920–21 | Botwell Mission | Maidenhead United | Windsor & Eton
1921–22 | Botwell Mission | Windsor & Eton | Uxbridge Town
1922–23 | Botwell Mission | Staines Lagonda | Hounslow
1923–24 | Botwell Mission | Staines Lagonda | Cowley
1924–25 | Hounslow | Yiewsley | Newbury Town
1925–26 | Newbury Town | Watford Old Boys | Yiewsley
1926–27 | Leyland Motors | Newbury Town | Watford Old Boys reserves
1927–28 | Napier | Holland Athletic reserves | Hounslow Rangers
1928–29 | Napier | Roxeth & Harrow Old Boys | Holland Athletic reserves
1929–30 | Napier | Ealing Celtic | Minters Athletic
1930–31 | Napier | Feltham Sports | Ealing Celtic

## Member clubs

[edit]

* 1st Coldstream Guards
* 1st Grenadier Guards
* 1st Irish Guards
* 1st Scots Guards
* 2nd Grenadier Guards
* 2nd Scots Guards
* 3rd Coldstream Guards
* 3rd Grenadier Guards
* 19th Royal Hussars
* Ashford
* Berkhamsted Town reserves
* Botwell Mission
* Botwell Mission reserves
* Brentford reserves
* Bush Hill Park reserves
* Chesham Town
* Chesham United reserves
* Chiswick Generals
* Cowley
* Ealing Celtic
* Feltham Sports
* Firestones
* Fourstores
* Great Western Railway reserves
* Hanwell
* Hanwell Athletic
* Hanwell Guild
* Harmondsworth St. Mary's
* Harrow & Greenhill
* Harrow Weald
* Hayesco
* Holland Athletic reserves
* Hounslow
* Hounslow Rangers
* Kensington Town
* Leavesden Mental Hospital
* Leyland Motors
* Lyons Club reserves
* Maidenhead Norfolkians
* Maidenhead United
* Marlow
* Minters Athletic
* Napier
* Newbury Town
* Paddington
* Park Royal reserves
* RAF Uxbridge
* Reading Amateurs
* Reading reserves
* Reading United
* Roxeth & Harrow Old Boys
* Royal Horse Guards
* Savoy Hotel
* Shepherd's Bush
* Slough
* Slough Trading Company
* Southall
* Southall United
* Staines
* Staines Lagonda
* Uxbridge
* Uxbridge Town
* Uxbridge Town reserves
* Uxbridge Unity
* Watford Old Boys
* Watford Old Boys reserves
* W.E.R.S.A.C
* Western United
* Willesden Town
* Windsor & Eton
* Windsor & Eton reserves
* Wycombe Wanderers
* Wycombe Wanderers reserves
* Yiewsley
* Yiewsley Juniors

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Middlesex & Buckinghamshire Advertiser, Uxbridge, Harrow & Watford Journal". 21 May 1904. p. 5.
2. ^ "Great Western Suburban League, The radius Enlarged. Chesham Town Admitted". The South Bucks Standard. 26 March 1914. p. 7.
3. ^ a b "Great Western Suburban League 1904–1931". Non-League Matters. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
4. ^ "Local Football - No Senior Competitions". Windsor, Eton & Slough Express. 19 September 1914. p. 5.