THE HISTORY OF FOOTBALL IN CHINGFORD - CHINGFORD FC v MARGATE RESERVES 1963

* The following article was first published in as part of the 'The Twelve programmes ofJune 2012' by The Cold End - I've refreshed and updated it to include what's happened with football in Chingford since *

When Chingford played at White Hart Lane or could it have been The Spurs Training Ground in Cheshunt?

Chingford v Margate Reserves 1963

Today we feature Chingford FC v Margate FC from Saturday 24th August 1963 in the Metropolitan League. The history of football in the town of Chingford is a rather complex one with numerous clubs popping up over the years. Here is time line which helps with the history -

1948 
Chingford Town join the Southern League and finish 21st (out of 22) and then 24th (out of 24) in the two seasons they were members. Eight teams from the 1948/49 season have since gone on to join The Football League.

1950/51 

Chingford Town withdraw from the Southern League and the club's first team take over reserve team fixtures in the Metropolitan League. Town reached the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup where they lose to local rival's Woodford Town in a home replay 0-4. They beat Ilford and Crittall Athletic to reach this stage which is the furthest the club ever got in it's short history.  

1951

Chingford Town fold

1952/53 
Parkhill (Chingford) enter the London League. There is a Parkhill Road in E4 which is just at the top of Kings Head Hill which is where this name probably originates.

1955/56
Parkhill (Chingford) become Chingford FC and continue to play in the London League until 1962/63

1963/64 

Chingford FC play in the Metropolitan League Division Two for one season.

1964/65

Chingford FC join the Greater London League

1971/72

Greater London League merges with Metropolitan League to form 'Metropolitan London League' 

1975

Chingford FC are founder members of the London Spartan League which is formed when 'Metropolitan London League and 'Spartan League' merge.  

1979/80

Chingford FC finish 5th in the Premier Division (the highest position in their 11 season stay) competing against teams such at Berkhamsted Town, Amersham Town, Merstham, Fisher Athletic (who finished 8th) and Kingsbury Town.

1987 

Chingford FC leave the London Spartan League 

1991

Chingford Wanderers join the London Spartan League (LSL) Division Two

1992

Chingford Wanderers change name to Chingford Town and join the London Spartan League.

1993/94

Chingford Town withdraw from the LSL and their playing record is expunged.

1994/95

Chingford United join the LSL Division Two. 

1997

Chingford United change name to Chingford Town and are founder members of the Spartan South Midlands League (SSMFL) Division One

1998/99 

Chingford Town leave SSMFL after finishing bottom of the table and conceding 174 goals in just 24 games.

1999 

Chingford Town join the London Intermediate League and compete for three seasons until 2002.

2007

Chingford Athletic FC form and play in the Ilford and District League  

2009

Chingford Harriers FC form and play in the Ilford and District League

2010

A newly formed "Chingford Town" whom had been playing in the GA Roberts Enfield Alliance withdraw from the League after failing to fulfil their fixtures.

2011/12
Chingford Athletic move up the pyramid and join the Essex Olympian League finishing 9th in Division Three. 

2013
Here is a link to a 2013 Cold End interview with Edwin Jabbari who is the founder of Chingford Harriers - LINK HERE

2014 
A newly formed "Chingford Town" play in the Essex Alliance League Premier Division for the 14/15 and 15/16 seasons. 

2019/20
For the 2019/20 season Chingford has the following clubs competing in senior and intermediate football -  

Chingford Athletic in the Essex Olympian League Division One which is step eight of the non-league ladder. Athletic have won Division Four in 17/18, Division Two in 18/19 and were on course to win Division One as they were top by six points when football was suspended in March. Ongar Town in third place with six games in hand and only twelve points behind may argue that point though. 

Chingford Athletic Reserves & Rapid Chingford in the Essex Alliance League Premier Division. 

Chingford United in the Essex Alliance League Division One.

Chingford Harriers in the Essex Alliance League Division Three.  

The programme issued for this match was simple four pager with the team line ups in the centre pages along with club notes on the rear page. The club notes are very interesting as they state 'we would take this opportunity of expressing our sincere gratitude to the officials of Tottenham Hotspur FC for the use of the ground, it is indeed a very fine gesture by this great club' which appears to indicate this game was played at White Hart Lane??.... or most probably at the then Spur's training ground in Cheshunt which at the time had three pitches. One had a stand which held around 40-50 people. 

The notes go on 'of todays game, we are all anxious to see how our lads shape up to this new venture. Margate are considered to be one of the best teams in the league, but the lads have the ability to rise to the occasion and it should prove a truly great game. We hope that our own ground will be ready by the 14th September, when we entertain the Civil Services in the London Senior Cup'

This fixture was played in the Metropolitan League Division Two and it was against the reserve side of Margate as at the time their first team played in the Southern League.

The Metropolitan League was formed in 1949 and went on until 1975 when a merger with the Spartan League created the London Spartan League. It had been named the Metropolitan-London League from 1971 to 1975 after a merger with The Greater London League. The league featured many football league 'A' sides during the 1950's and 1960's with Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Charlton Athletic all wining the league title in this period. The winners of the last Metropolitan League in 1971 were Epping Town with Cray Wanderers winning the 1975 Metropolitan-London League. The wikipedia page for the league is full of lots of nice information here.

The notes end with 'GOOD LUCK CHINGFORD'

Chingford Town and Chingford FC played at a ground in Newgate Street which if your familiar with the area is just off of Friday Hill near to Woodford Golf Course. The following pictures were taken by TheColdEnd in 2012 and they show that there is not much left of a football stadium let alone a pitch. There are remnants/remains of a scaffold type stand and some concrete terracing which I think were part of the ground -