London XI
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The London XI was a
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team that represented the city of
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in the 1955–58 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. The competition began in 1955, and the first tournament took three years to complete. The entrants were the major football team of each city which held a
Trade Fair A trade fair, also known as trade show, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and c ...
. Like many cities taking part, London had several strong teams; however, rules stated that there could only be a single team from each city. Therefore, a representative team was created especially for the tournament, using the best players from the 11 Greater London-based
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
clubs. Membership of the team varied considerably between matches, and some 54 players took part in the team's eight-match campaign. The London XI, managed by
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
chairman
Joe Mears John "Joe" Mears (20 January 1905 – 30 June 1966) was chairman of Chelsea Football Club and the Football Association. Mears was the son and nephew of Chelsea F.C. founders, Joseph and Gus Mears respectively. He was a goalkeeper for the Old Ma ...
, reached the final of the cup, after coming top of a group that included special XI teams from
Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
and
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
, and then beating
Lausanne Sports FC Lausanne–Sport (also referred to as LS) is a Swiss football club based in Lausanne in the canton of Vaud. Founded in 1896, Lausanne Sport played in the Swiss Super League in their most recent 2021-22 season, the highest tier of football i ...
. London lost 8–2 on aggregate over two legs to
FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Founded ...
. The London XI only competed in the 1955–58 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Thereafter, London was represented in the competition by individual clubs who qualified. A unified London side competed in friendly matches even earlier: a "London" team represented the FA in the historic 1866 London v Sheffield match, there were several challenges against the Glasgow FA during the 1880s, and "London" lost 4-2 to
Corinthians The First Epistle to the Corinthians ( grc, Α΄ ᾽Επιστολὴ πρὸς Κορινθίους) is one of the Pauline epistles, part of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle and a co-aut ...
on 21 November 1903 in front of 1500, described as Corinthians "had an easy task" in a 1904 ''
Times Time is the continued sequence of existence and events, and a fundamental quantity of measuring systems. Time or times may also refer to: Temporal measurement * Time in physics, defined by its measurement * Time standard, civil time specific ...
'' article. Two other matches have been referenced – an "annual match" versus Birmingham on 3 October 1910 and a match versus Paris on 18 December 1910.


Teams and match details

;Clubs represented: *
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
*
Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...
*
Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in ...
*
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
*
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
*
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...
*
Leyton Orient Leyton Orient Football Club is a professional football club based in Leyton, East London, England, who compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They are the second oldest football club in London to play at a professio ...
*
Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, eas ...
*
Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...
*
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
*
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...


Group stage

;Team: Ron Reynolds (Tottenham),
Peter Sillett Richard Peter Tudor Sillett (1 February 1933 – 13 March 1998) was an English Association football, footballer. He played for Chelsea F.C., Chelsea and Southampton F.C., Southampton as a right-back, and made three appearances for England natio ...
(Chelsea),
Jim Fotheringham James Gibb Fotheringham (19 December 1933 – 16 September 1977) was a Scottish footballer, who played as a defender. Fotheringham was a product of the Arsenal youth system and at 6'4" looked to be an imposing centre back. However, Fotheringha ...
(Arsenal), Stan Willemse (Chelsea), Ken Armstrong (Chelsea),
Derek Saunders Derek Saunders (6 January 1928 – 3 March 2018) was an English footballer who played for Chelsea during the 1950s. Biography Born in Ware, for whose Spartan League side he made 31 appearances in 1945–46 as its youngest ever captain, Saunders ...
(Chelsea),
Harry Hooper Harry Bartholomew Hooper (August 24, 1887 – December 18, 1974) was an American professional baseball right fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB). Hooper batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Hooper was born in Bell Station, Ca ...
(West Ham),
Johnny Haynes John Norman Haynes (17 October 1934 – 18 October 2005) was an English association footballer who played as an inside forward. He made 56 appearances for his country including 22 as captain. He was selected for three World Cup finals squads ...
(Fulham),
Cliff Holton Clifford Charles Holton (29 April 1929 – 31 May 1996) was an English footballer. Born in Oxford, Holton played as a full back for non-league Oxford City as a youth, before joining Arsenal in October 1947 at the age of 18. He spent three sea ...
(Arsenal),
Eddie Firmani Edwin Ronald "Eddie" Firmani (; born 7 August 1933) is a former professional football player and manager. A former forward, he spent most of his career in Italy and England. Born in South Africa, he represented the Italy national team internat ...
(Charlton),
Billy Kiernan William E. Kiernan (22 May 1925 – 3 April 2006) was an English footballer. Kiernan began his career with Charlton Athletic when Jimmy Seed signed him as an amateur in 1943. However, he made no impact at the club and following his release he j ...
(Charlton).
Substitute:
Brian Nicholas Brian Nicholas (born 20 April 1933) is a Welsh former professional footballer, who played as a wing half. Career Born in Aberdare, Nicholas played for Queens Park Rangers, Chelsea, Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is a profession ...
(QPR), on for Saunders 37′. ;Team:
Ted Ditchburn Edwin George Ditchburn (24 October 1921 – 26 December 2005) was an English professional football goalkeeper who played for Northfleet United, Tottenham Hotspur, Romford, Brentwood Town and represented England on six occasions at international ...
(Tottenham),
Peter Sillett Richard Peter Tudor Sillett (1 February 1933 – 13 March 1998) was an English Association football, footballer. He played for Chelsea F.C., Chelsea and Southampton F.C., Southampton as a right-back, and made three appearances for England natio ...
(Chelsea), Stan Willemse (Chelsea), Danny Blanchflower (Tottenham),
Charlie Hurley Charles John Hurley (born 4 October 1936) is an Irish former footballer who played mainly in the Center Back position. Hurley is best known for his long career at Sunderland, where he was named the Black Cats' "Player of the Century" by th ...
(Millwall),
Cyril Hammond Cyril Samuel Hammond (10 October 1927 – 10 September 2016) was an English footballer who made nearly 300 appearances in the Football League playing as a left half for Charlton Athletic and Colchester United Colchester United Football C ...
(Charlton),
Vic Groves Victor George Groves (5 November 1932 – 24 January 2015) was an English association football, footballer. Career Born in Stepney, London, Groves started his career at east London non-league clubs Leytonstone F.C., Leytonstone and Walthamstow A ...
(Orient),
Bobby Robson Sir Robert William Robson (18 February 1933 – 31 July 2009) was an English footballer and football manager. His career included periods playing for and later managing the England national team and being a UEFA Cup-winning manager at Ipswich ...
(Fulham),
Bedford Jezzard Bedford Alfred George Jezzard (19 October 1927 – 21 May 2005) was an English footballer. Jezzard's teenage years coincided with the Second World War, and he began football as an amateur with Croxley Boys and later Watford, for whom he made th ...
(Fulham),
Roy Bentley Roy Thomas Frank Bentley (17 May 1924 – 20 April 2018) was an English football player and manager. A former forward, Bentley played 367 games for Chelsea and captained the club to their first League Championship in the 1954–55 season. H ...
(Chelsea), Charlie Mitten (Fulham). ;Team:
Jack Kelsey Alfred John "Jack" Kelsey (19 November 1929 – 18 March 1992) was a Welsh international football goalkeeper, who also played for Arsenal. He is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers to play for Wales. Early life Jack Kelsey was born at ...
(Arsenal),
Peter Sillett Richard Peter Tudor Sillett (1 February 1933 – 13 March 1998) was an English Association football, footballer. He played for Chelsea F.C., Chelsea and Southampton F.C., Southampton as a right-back, and made three appearances for England natio ...
(Chelsea),
John Hewie John Davison Hewie (13 December 1927 – 11 May 2015) was a South African-born Scottish international footballer, who spent most of his career with Charlton Athletic. Playing career Hewie was born in Pretoria, South Africa, to Scottish emigrant ...
(Charlton), Danny Blanchflower (Tottenham), Stan Wicks (Chelsea),
Ken Coote Kenneth Alexander Coote (19 May 1928 – 2 August 2003) was an English footballer. He is best remembered for his 14 years as a full back and utility player with Brentford, for whom he tops the all-time appearances list with 559 and was also ...
(Brentford), Jim Lewis (Chelsea),
Derek Tapscott Derek Robert Tapscott (30 June 1932 – 12 June 2008) was a Welsh professional footballer who played as a forward. Tapscott played for Barry Town, Arsenal, Cardiff City, Newport County, Cinderford Town, Haverfordwest County and Carmarthen ...
(Arsenal),
Cliff Holton Clifford Charles Holton (29 April 1929 – 31 May 1996) was an English footballer. Born in Oxford, Holton played as a full back for non-league Oxford City as a youth, before joining Arsenal in October 1947 at the age of 18. He spent three sea ...
(Arsenal), Bobby Cameron (QPR),
George Robb George Robb (1 June 1926 – 25 December 2011) was a footballer who played outside left for Tottenham Hotspur and England. Robb represented Great Britain at the 1952 Olympic Games. He also had a career as a schoolteacher. He died on Christmas D ...
(Tottenham). ;Team: Ron Reynolds (Tottenham), John Bond (West Ham),
Peter Sillett Richard Peter Tudor Sillett (1 February 1933 – 13 March 1998) was an English Association football, footballer. He played for Chelsea F.C., Chelsea and Southampton F.C., Southampton as a right-back, and made three appearances for England natio ...
(Chelsea), Ken Armstrong (Chelsea), Malcolm Allison (West Ham),
Tony Marchi Anthony Marchi (21 January 1933 – 15 March 2022) was an English association football, football player and manager. Career Marchi played for Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur in the position of wing half from 1950 until 1965, which w ...
(Tottenham),
Terry Medwin Terence Cameron Medwin (born 25 September 1932 in Swansea, Glamorgan) is a Welsh former international footballer who played as a winger. Club career Medwin made his debut for his 'home town' team Swansea Town in 1951–52 and went on to make ...
(Tottenham), Stuart Leary (Charlton), David Herd (Arsenal),
Johnny Haynes John Norman Haynes (17 October 1934 – 18 October 2005) was an English association footballer who played as an inside forward. He made 56 appearances for his country including 22 as captain. He was selected for three World Cup finals squads ...
(Fulham),
Billy Kiernan William E. Kiernan (22 May 1925 – 3 April 2006) was an English footballer. Kiernan began his career with Charlton Athletic when Jimmy Seed signed him as an amateur in 1943. However, he made no impact at the club and following his release he j ...
(Charlton).


Semi-finals

;Team:
Ted Ditchburn Edwin George Ditchburn (24 October 1921 – 26 December 2005) was an English professional football goalkeeper who played for Northfleet United, Tottenham Hotspur, Romford, Brentwood Town and represented England on six occasions at international ...
(Tottenham), Stan Charlton (Arsenal), Dennis Evans (Arsenal),
Brian Nicholas Brian Nicholas (born 20 April 1933) is a Welsh former professional footballer, who played as a wing half. Career Born in Aberdare, Nicholas played for Queens Park Rangers, Chelsea, Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is a profession ...
(Chelsea),
Jim Fotheringham James Gibb Fotheringham (19 December 1933 – 16 September 1977) was a Scottish footballer, who played as a defender. Fotheringham was a product of the Arsenal youth system and at 6'4" looked to be an imposing centre back. However, Fotheringha ...
(Arsenal),
Phil McKnight Phil McKnight (15 June 1924 – 25 May 2018) was a Scottish footballer, who played for Alloa Athletic, Chelsea and Leyton Orient Leyton Orient Football Club is a professional football club based in Leyton, East London, England, who compete in ...
(Orient), Peter Berry (Crystal Palace),
Geoff Truett Geoffrey Frederick Truett (23 May 1935 – 5 January 2015) was an English professional footballer, who played as a winger. Early and personal life Geoffrey Frederick Truett was born on 23 May 1935, in Forest Gate, Essex. He was evacuated to A ...
(Crystal Palace),
Les Stubbs Leslie "Les" Stubbs (18 December 1929 – 1 February 2011) was an English footballer. Playing mainly as an inside forward, Stubbs started out with his local side, Great Wakering Rovers before signing for Southend United. He made his debut for ...
(Chelsea),
Phil Woosnam Phillip Abraham Woosnam (22 December 1932 – 19 July 2013) was a Welsh association football inside-right and manager. A native of Caersws, Powys, Wales, Woosnam played for five clubs in England and one in the United States. He played internat ...
(Orient),
Joe Haverty Joseph Haverty (17 February 1936 – 7 February 2009) was an Irish association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder#Winger, winger. He was cap (sport), capped 32 times for the Republic of Ireland national football team, Republic of ...
(Arsenal). ;Team:
Jack Kelsey Alfred John "Jack" Kelsey (19 November 1929 – 18 March 1992) was a Welsh international football goalkeeper, who also played for Arsenal. He is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers to play for Wales. Early life Jack Kelsey was born at ...
(Arsenal), Stan Charlton (Arsenal),
Peter Sillett Richard Peter Tudor Sillett (1 February 1933 – 13 March 1998) was an English Association football, footballer. He played for Chelsea F.C., Chelsea and Southampton F.C., Southampton as a right-back, and made three appearances for England natio ...
(Chelsea),
Ken Coote Kenneth Alexander Coote (19 May 1928 – 2 August 2003) was an English footballer. He is best remembered for his 14 years as a full back and utility player with Brentford, for whom he tops the all-time appearances list with 559 and was also ...
(Brentford), Bill Dodgin (Arsenal),
Derek Saunders Derek Saunders (6 January 1928 – 3 March 2018) was an English footballer who played for Chelsea during the 1950s. Biography Born in Ware, for whose Spartan League side he made 31 appearances in 1945–46 as its youngest ever captain, Saunders ...
(Chelsea),
Roy Dwight Royston Edward Dwight (9 January 1933 – 9 April 2002) was an English footballer. He scored the opening goal in the 1959 FA Cup Final for Nottingham Forest. Career Fulham Although a winger, he was renowned for his shooting ability. Dwight sco ...
(Fulham),
Jimmy Greaves James Peter Greaves (20 February 1940 – 19 September 2021) was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. Greaves is regarded as one of England’s best ever players. He is England's fifth-highest international goalscorer ...
(Chelsea),
Cliff Holton Clifford Charles Holton (29 April 1929 – 31 May 1996) was an English footballer. Born in Oxford, Holton played as a full back for non-league Oxford City as a youth, before joining Arsenal in October 1947 at the age of 18. He spent three sea ...
(Arsenal),
Johnny Haynes John Norman Haynes (17 October 1934 – 18 October 2005) was an English association footballer who played as an inside forward. He made 56 appearances for his country including 22 as captain. He was selected for three World Cup finals squads ...
(Fulham),
Billy Kiernan William E. Kiernan (22 May 1925 – 3 April 2006) was an English footballer. Kiernan began his career with Charlton Athletic when Jimmy Seed signed him as an amateur in 1943. However, he made no impact at the club and following his release he j ...
(Charlton). ''London XI won 3–2 on aggregate.''


Final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...

;Team:
Jack Kelsey Alfred John "Jack" Kelsey (19 November 1929 – 18 March 1992) was a Welsh international football goalkeeper, who also played for Arsenal. He is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers to play for Wales. Early life Jack Kelsey was born at ...
(Arsenal),
Peter Sillett Richard Peter Tudor Sillett (1 February 1933 – 13 March 1998) was an English Association football, footballer. He played for Chelsea F.C., Chelsea and Southampton F.C., Southampton as a right-back, and made three appearances for England natio ...
(Chelsea),
Jim Langley Ernest James Langley (7 February 1929 – 9 December 2007) was an English association football, footballer noted for his pacey, rampaging runs from the left full-back (association football), full-back position and his long throw-ins. He is remem ...
(Fulham), Danny Blanchflower (Tottenham),
Maurice Norman Maurice Norman (8 May 1934 – 27 November 2022) was an English footballer who played nearly 400 times in the Football League as a centre half for Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur. At international level, Norman won 23 caps for the England n ...
(Tottenham),
Ken Coote Kenneth Alexander Coote (19 May 1928 – 2 August 2003) was an English footballer. He is best remembered for his 14 years as a full back and utility player with Brentford, for whom he tops the all-time appearances list with 559 and was also ...
(Brentford),
Vic Groves Victor George Groves (5 November 1932 – 24 January 2015) was an English association football, footballer. Career Born in Stepney, London, Groves started his career at east London non-league clubs Leytonstone F.C., Leytonstone and Walthamstow A ...
(Arsenal),
Jimmy Greaves James Peter Greaves (20 February 1940 – 19 September 2021) was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. Greaves is regarded as one of England’s best ever players. He is England's fifth-highest international goalscorer ...
(Chelsea), Bobby Smith (Tottenham),
Johnny Haynes John Norman Haynes (17 October 1934 – 18 October 2005) was an English association footballer who played as an inside forward. He made 56 appearances for his country including 22 as captain. He was selected for three World Cup finals squads ...
(Fulham),
George Robb George Robb (1 June 1926 – 25 December 2011) was a footballer who played outside left for Tottenham Hotspur and England. Robb represented Great Britain at the 1952 Olympic Games. He also had a career as a schoolteacher. He died on Christmas D ...
(Tottenham). ;Team:
Jack Kelsey Alfred John "Jack" Kelsey (19 November 1929 – 18 March 1992) was a Welsh international football goalkeeper, who also played for Arsenal. He is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers to play for Wales. Early life Jack Kelsey was born at ...
(Arsenal),
George Wright George Wright may refer to: Politics, law and government * George Wright (MP) (died 1557), MP for Bedford and Wallingford * George Wright (governor) (1779–1842), Canadian politician, lieutenant governor of Prince Edward Island * George Wright ...
(Orient),
Noel Cantwell Noel Euchuria Cornelius Cantwell (28 February 1932 – 8 September 2005) was an Irish footballer player and sometime cricketer. Club career Cantwell was born in Cork, Ireland, and was educated at the Roman Catholic Presentation Brothers College ...
(West Ham), Danny Blanchflower (Tottenham), Ken Brown (West Ham),
Dave Bowen David Lloyd Bowen (7 June 1928 – 25 September 1995) was a Welsh football player and manager, who captained his country to their first ever World Cup finals, in 1958. Playing career Born in Maesteg, Bowen first played for Northampton Town. H ...
(Arsenal),
Terry Medwin Terence Cameron Medwin (born 25 September 1932 in Swansea, Glamorgan) is a Welsh former international footballer who played as a winger. Club career Medwin made his debut for his 'home town' team Swansea Town in 1951–52 and went on to make ...
(Tottenham),
Vic Groves Victor George Groves (5 November 1932 – 24 January 2015) was an English association football, footballer. Career Born in Stepney, London, Groves started his career at east London non-league clubs Leytonstone F.C., Leytonstone and Walthamstow A ...
(Arsenal), Bobby Smith (Tottenham),
Jimmy Bloomfield James Henry Bloomfield (15 February 1934 – 3 April 1983) was an English football player and manager. He made nearly 500 appearances in the Football League, including more than 300 in the First Division with Arsenal, Birmingham City and West ...
(Arsenal), Jim Lewis (Chelsea). ''Barcelona XI won 8–2 on aggregate.''


London v Glasgow

*8 matches played; *London: 2 wins (15 goals); *Glasgow: 5 wins (27 goals); *1 draw.


See also

*
Football in London Football is the most popular sport, both in terms of participants and spectators, in London. London has several of England's leading football clubs, and the city is home to seventeen professional clubs, several dozen semi-professional clubs an ...
*
Football in England Association football is the most popular sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game (association football), Laws of ...
* List of football clubs in England *
Copenhagen XI Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
*
Madrid autonomous football team The Madrid autonomous football team is the regional football team for the Community of Madrid, Spain. They are not affiliated with FIFA or UEFA, because the Community of Madrid is represented internationally by the Spain national football team. The ...


Notes


References


External links


Details of the 1955–58 Fairs Cup
{{Football in London Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Football in London 1955 establishments in England 1958 disestablishments in England Football teams in England Football combination XI teams Association football clubs established in 1955