London XI

Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:More citations needed Template:Use dmy dates Template:Short description{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox football club with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| alt | American | body1 | body2 | body3 | capacity | caption | chairman | chrtitle | clubname | coach | coordinates | current | dissolved | founded | fullname | ground | image | image_size | kit_alt1 | kit_alt2 | kit_alt3 | league | leftarm1 | leftarm2 | leftarm3 | manager | mgrtitle | nickname | owner | owntitle | pattern_b1 | pattern_b2 | pattern_b3 | pattern_la1 | pattern_la2 | pattern_la3 | pattern_name1 | pattern_name2 | pattern_name3 | pattern_ra1 | pattern_ra2 | pattern_ra3 | pattern_sh1 | pattern_sh2 | pattern_sh3 | pattern_so1 | pattern_so2 | pattern_so3 | position | rightarm1 | rightarm2 | rightarm3 | season | short name | shorts1 | shorts2 | shorts3 | socks1 | socks2 | socks3 | stadium | title | upright | website }}{{#if:| }}{{#if:| }} The London XI was a football team that represented the city of London 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. Like many cities taking part, London had several strong teams; however, rules stated that there could only be a single team from each city.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Therefore, a representative team was created especially for the tournament, using the best players from the 11 London-area Football League 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 chairman Joe Mears, reached the final of the cup, after coming top of a group that included special XI teams from Basel and Frankfurt, and then beating Lausanne Sports. London lost 8–2 on aggregate over two legs to FC Barcelona.

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,<ref>Representative Matches, Scottish Football Historical Archive (archive version, 2018)</ref> and "London" lost 4-2 to Corinthians on 21 November 1903 in front of 1500,<ref name="PlayUp">Template:Cite book</ref> described as Corinthians "had an easy task" in a 1904 Times article.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Two other matches have been referenced – an "annual match" versus Birmingham on 3 October 1910 and a match versus Paris on 18 December 1910.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Teams and match details

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Clubs represented

• Arsenal
• Brentford
• Charlton Athletic
• Chelsea

• Crystal Palace
• Fulham
• Leyton Orient
• Millwall

• Queens Park Rangers
• Tottenham Hotspur
• West Ham United

Group stage

Team

Ron Reynolds (Tottenham), Peter Sillett (Chelsea), Jim Fotheringham (Arsenal), Stan Willemse (Chelsea), Ken Armstrong (Chelsea), Derek Saunders (Chelsea), Harry Hooper (West Ham), Johnny Haynes (Fulham), Cliff Holton (Arsenal), Eddie Firmani (Charlton), Billy Kiernan (Charlton).
Substitute: Brian Nicholas (QPR), on for Saunders 37′.

Team

Ted Ditchburn (Tottenham), Peter Sillett (Chelsea), Stan Willemse (Chelsea), Danny Blanchflower (Tottenham), Charlie Hurley (Millwall), Cyril Hammond (Charlton), Vic Groves (Orient), Bobby Robson (Fulham), Bedford Jezzard (Fulham), Roy Bentley (Chelsea), Charlie Mitten (Fulham).

Team

Jack Kelsey (Arsenal), Peter Sillett (Chelsea), John Hewie (Charlton), Danny Blanchflower (Tottenham), Stan Wicks (Chelsea), Ken Coote (Brentford), Jim Lewis (Chelsea), Derek Tapscott (Arsenal), Cliff Holton (Arsenal), Bobby Cameron (QPR), George Robb (Tottenham).

Team

Ron Reynolds (Tottenham), John Bond (West Ham), Peter Sillett (Chelsea), Ken Armstrong (Chelsea), Malcolm Allison (West Ham), Tony Marchi (Tottenham), Terry Medwin (Tottenham), Stuart Leary (Charlton), David Herd (Arsenal), Johnny Haynes (Fulham), Billy Kiernan (Charlton).

Semi-finals

Team

Ted Ditchburn (Tottenham), Stan Charlton (Arsenal), Dennis Evans (Arsenal), Brian Nicholas (Chelsea), Jim Fotheringham (Arsenal), Phil McKnight (Orient), Peter Berry (Crystal Palace), Geoff Truett (Crystal Palace), Les Stubbs (Chelsea), Phil Woosnam (Orient), Joe Haverty (Arsenal).

Team

Jack Kelsey (Arsenal), Stan Charlton (Arsenal), Peter Sillett (Chelsea), Ken Coote (Brentford), Bill Dodgin (Arsenal), Derek Saunders (Chelsea), Roy Dwight (Fulham), Jimmy Greaves (Chelsea), Cliff Holton (Arsenal), Johnny Haynes (Fulham), Billy Kiernan (Charlton).

London XI won 3–2 on aggregate.

Final

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First leg

Template:Football box Team: Jack Kelsey (Arsenal), Peter Sillett (Chelsea), Jim Langley (Fulham), Danny Blanchflower (Tottenham), Maurice Norman (Tottenham), Ken Coote (Brentford), Vic Groves (Arsenal), Jimmy Greaves (Chelsea), Bobby Smith (Tottenham), Johnny Haynes (Fulham), George Robb (Tottenham).

Second leg

Template:Football box Team: Jack Kelsey (Arsenal), George Wright (Orient), Noel Cantwell (West Ham), Danny Blanchflower (Tottenham), Ken Brown (West Ham), Dave Bowen (Arsenal), Terry Medwin (Tottenham), Vic Groves (Arsenal), Bobby Smith (Tottenham), Jimmy Bloomfield (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.

#	Date	Venue	Att.	Score	London goalscorers	Ref.
1	Template:Dts	Hampden (I) (A)	5,000	Template:Ntsh0–4		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }} (via British Newspaper Archive.</ref>
2	Template:Dts	The Oval (H)	3,500	Template:Ntsh 3–2		citation	CitationClass=web }} (via) British Newspaper Archive.</ref>
3	Template:Dts	Hampden (II) (A)	5,000	Template:Ntsh 2–6		citation	CitationClass=web }} (via) British Newspaper Archive.</ref>
4	Template:Dts	The Oval (H)	2,000	Template:Ntsh 2–5		<ref name = "sfha"/>
5	Template:Dts	Hampden (II) (A)	4,000	Template:Ntsh 2–2		<ref name = "sfha"/>
6	Template:Dts	The Oval (H)		Template:Ntsh 3–0	Tinsley Lindley J. Burns (2)	citation	CitationClass=web }} (via) British Newspaper Archive.</ref>
7	Template:Dts	Hampden (II) (A)		Template:Ntsh 1–5	scrimmage	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
8	Template:Dts	The Oval (H)		Template:Ntsh 2–3		<ref name = "sfha"/>

See also

• Football in London
• Football in England
• List of football clubs in England
• Copenhagen XI
• Madrid autonomous football team

External links

• Details of the 1955–58 Fairs Cup