We focus a real piece of footballing history today as we look at the programme for an FA Amateur tie (The Divisional Final) between Enfield FC v Walthamstow Grange played on Saturday 20th November 1920 over 100 years ago! The E's were yet to move into their Southbury Road Stadium and played in Cherry Orchard Lane until 1936.
At the time Enfield were members of the London League Premier Division alongside Barking Town, Grays Athletic, London Generals, Catford Southend, Custom House, Chiswick Town, Belvedere, Gnome Athletic and their opponents that day.
The wonderfully named Gnome Athletic were based in Walthamstow and originally a works team for motoring company Peter Hooker Limited. The manufactured engines with the French Gnôme and Le Rhône Engine Company. Latterly they played under the name of Walthamstow Town and Walthamstow Borough. The more well known Walthamstow Avenue are not connected to Grange or Gnome having already been formed in 1900.
Walthamstow Grange (also played under the names Walthamstow Town and Walthamstow Borough) were formed in 1898 by former pupils of Higham Hill School. They played in the London League from 1906 to 1930.
Their home grounds can be traced to two former landmarks of significance to the local area that are now sadly no more. They first played behind The Royal Standard public house on the corner of Blackhorse Lane and Forest Road. In 1919 the club aquired some land and moved to Chingford Road on the site which became the world famous Walthamstow Greyhound Stadium. The stadium being developed through the 1920s where dog racing began to be held with the pitch in the middle of the track. In 1931 the stadium was developed further and the pitch built over causing the club to have no pitch to play on and sadly they folded.
The E's had lost out to Luton Amateurs in the FA Cup in a 2-1 away replay defeat after a 2-2 draw at home.
So far in the Amateur Cup they had played Wood Green and Hertford Town - both of which had been wins.
They had also played a team called Blackwall & Thames Ironworks in the London Senior Cup - This club obviously had connections with the Thames Ironworks & Shipbuilding Company in East London but not West Ham United as the original Thames Ironworks FC had already changed their named in 1904.
The club notes describe the previous Saturday's 2-2 draw at Custom House as 'strenuous ninety minutes' where 'bumps were numerous but happily there were no broken bones'. Luckily there 'was no bad feeling once the game was over' and 'Bob Lizzimore wears a scar or two as a result of the match.'
The club notes also detail that the proprietors of Rialto Cinemas have agreed to throw on screen the club's away results and other club news.
The game ended 2-2 with Enfield winning the replay in Walthamstow 3-2 the following Saturday.
Barking Town won the 1920/21 London League which ran from 1896 to 1964.
Today's Spartan South Midlands League can trace it's history back to the London League as in 1964 it merged with the Aetolian League to form the Greater London League. In 1971 it merged with the Metropolitan League to form the Metropolitan-London League which in turn merged with the Spartan League in 1975 to form the London Spartan League which then in 1997 joined with the South Midlands League to form the modern day SSMFL.
Over the years the London League was won by 3rd Grenadier Guards, Thames Ironworks, Woolwich Arsenal Reserves, Park Royal, Leavesden Mental Hospital, Eton Manor, Tilbury, Chingford and Epping Town amongst other clubs.
There was even a club called Savoy Hotel who won Division Two in the 1923/24 season.
Many thanks to Glynn Smith for providing the programme from his amazing collection.
Many thanks to @ifihadntseen for the information on Walthamstow Grange.
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