Recently, I read an interesting article on the oldest clubs in London, of which you can safely assume there are many. Sadly, the article was not well-researched and did not promote its rules and regulations regarding what constitutes a London-based football club. So here is my attempt, and I will lay out my rules and regulations.

There should be no or minimal contention to the foundation date of the club, unfortunately, this means that clubs such as Corinthian-Casuals and Walthamstow won’t be on this list. Then we get to a geographical location, some clubs on here will be at the extremities of Greater London and others that I believe go beyond into the countryside, apologies Hadley (do feel free to berate me). Essentially, if you are considered a London football club by today’s standards then you get into my list. Here are my top ten, starting with a slightly controversial one:

1) Cray Wanderers: founded 1860

Nickname: The Wands

Ground: Flamingo Park, capacity: 2500

Claim to fame: well… this

A bit controversial because it is their claim, whilst no one has denied it so we are going ahead with it. Way back in the mid-19th century local railway workers and villagers from St Mary Cray had a kickaround on the village green and Bob’s your uncle, Cray Wanderers was born. Since then, they have won a fair few London and Kent League titles, however, The Wands have yet to play in the FA Cup proper or reach the final of the FA Vase or FA Trophy.

2) Uxbridge: founded 1871

Nickname: The Reds

Ground: Honeycroft, capacity: 3770

Claim to fame: One England international (Hubert Heron), winning multiple Middlesex and London Cup competitions, reaching FA Cup second round in 1874

Uxbridge have quite the history, they have reached an FA Amateur Cup final in 1898, they have won four Middlesex Senior Cups, three London Challenge Cups and eight Middlesex Charity Cups. They can also say they have fielded an England international footballer which not many non-league clubs can say. Hubert Heron would go on to play for Wanderers (not Cray) and win three FA Cups with them during the 1870’s. The club now plays down the road in Yiewsley which can be considered outside of London, but the stadium is brand new and fancy and prime for Uxbridge to attempt to climb higher up the Isthmian League pyramid.  

3) Southall: founded 1871

Nickname: N/A

Ground: currently ground sharing with Burnham outside of London

Claim to fame: reaching the FA Vase final in 1986, also reached the FA Amateur Cup final in 1925 and the third round of the FA Cup in 1936

Long before Southall became known as a vibrant South Asian community, the football club was founded in 1871 and played its first match against local rivals Uxbridge that October. The club have had a few decent cup runs reaching the FA Amateur Cup final way back in 1925 a precursor to the modern-day FA Trophy and FA Vase, the latter they reached a final in 1986, a side that featured Premier League legend Les Ferdinand. They even had a decent run to the FA Cup third round in 1936 losing to Watford. Sadly, as with most non-league clubs maintaining a football ground is not easy and Southall has led a nomadic lifestyle since leaving their old stadium Western Road in 1992.

4) Fulham: founded 1879

Nickname: The Cottagers

Stadium: Craven Cottage, capacity: 29589

Claim to fame: being the oldest professional football club in London, reaching the FA Cup final in 1975, and the UEFA Europa League final in 2010, have played regularly in the Premier League

Arguably one of the most beautiful Premier League grounds lodged on the side of the river Thames with a fantastic old cottage in one corner and a rooftop swimming pool on the opposite side. Craven Cottage has hosted Fulham since the 19th century (mostly without said rooftop swimming pool) and is what makes Fulham most people’s favourite away ground. They were due to move into Stamford Bridge, but the owner declined and thus Chelsea was born 26 years later. Fulham have had some great players no least Johnny Haynes and have reached some major finals including the FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League. They did win the Southern League twice before entering the Football League.

5) Leyton Orient: founded 1881

Nickname: The Os

Stadium: Brisbane Road, capacity: 9271

Claim to fame: being called Orient, reaching the FA Cup semi-final in 1978 and playing in the top division of the Football League in 1962-63

They have played most of their history in the lower divisions, but Orient have held a soft spot in everyone’s hearts due to their odd name. It allegedly comes from the Orient Line shipping company, as one of their former players was working there. Leytonstone is the birthplace of Alfred Hitchcock and David Beckham, but the football club is still one of the top three most famous things from the neighbourhood. Stuck in the shadows of their more illustrious neighbours West Ham United (almost literally now the Hammers play in the Olympic Stadium) they have still managed some success including a shot at top-division football in the 1960’s and a run to the FA Cup semi-final where they lost to Arsenal in 1978.

6) Tottenham Hotspur: founded 1882

Nickname: Spurs/ The Lillywhites

Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (White Hart Lane), capacity: 62850

Claim to fame: Two-times champions of England, eight FA Cups including one as a non-league club last and only club to do so in the football league era, three UEFA titles and the most England players capped by a single club

Contrary to popular belief Tottenham is a club with an incredible amount of history, from their early days when they won the 1901 FA Cup as the only non-league side to do it in the Football League era to Bill Nicholson’s famous double in 1961. They are one of only five teams to have won the league title the season after getting promoted, they have won three European trophies, eight FA Cups and four League Cups. They have provided England with the most players of any club in the country. Their stadium is a brand-new glamourous behemoth built on the corner of the old stadium. Their only problem is they have not won a trophy since 2008 or a league title since 1961.

7) Queens Park Rangers: founded 1882

Nickname: The R’s

Stadium: Loftus Road, capacity: 18439

Claim to fame: Played in the first ever Community/ Charity Shield losing to Manchester United in a replay, finished second behind Liverpool in the league in 1976, lost the FA Cup final to Tottenham in 1982 & won the League cup in 1967

QPR fans have not had much to celebrate in the last few decades; the struggle to get into the Premier League saw them struggle to stay in it once there. An embarrassing number of high-profile players came through the doors, but none could help The R’s maintain their top-flight status. Being the seventh oldest club in London does mean they hold a bit of history tucked away in their West London home right next to one of the biggest shopping centres in the World. Being part of the first Charity Shield back in 1908 and forcing a replay against then champions of England Manchester United. Since then their greatest period came in the mid-70’s narrowly missing out on a league title to Liverpool.

8) Millwall: founded 1885

Nickname: The Lions

Stadium: The Den, capacity: 20146

Claim to fame: a vociferous, passionate fanbase that sometimes causes trouble at football matches, FA Cup finalists in 2004

Founded by a food can factory workers on the Isle of Dogs, Millwall’s working-class roots are a huge part of what makes the club so famous. A passionate fanbase that has followed the club through thick and thin. Sometimes it has boiled over, leaving Millwall with a reputation for violence that many other clubs would equally warrant. However, they are famous the World over for becoming the final boss in almost every hooligan movie about the British sub-culture in the 1970’s and 80’s. On the pitch there’s not much to say, they have rarely been in the top division and have reached one FA Cup final losing to Manchester United 3-0 in 2004.  

9) Kingstonian: founded 1885

Nickname: The K’s

Ground: ground sharing with Raynes Park Vale after being kicked out of their home Kingsmeadow by Chelsea Women’s

Claim to fame: one-time FA Amateur Cup winners & two-times FA Trophy winners, being kicked out of their ground by Chelsea Women’s

Kingstonian fans have led a pretty miserable existence for the past eight years. In a gesture of goodwill, they allowed phoenix club AFC Wimbledon to ground share with them at Kingsmeadow in 2002. The club lost the lease to the ground in 2003, but it went straight to its owner, who sold the ground to AFC Wimbledon a year later. In 2015 The Wombles sold the ground to Chelsea who wanted to use it as their women’s team’s home ground. The money would allow Wimbledon to return to their brand-new Plough Lane home. Two years later Chelsea managed to evict the K’s who have been nomads ever since. Historically Kingstonian have won many trophies including the FA Amateur Cup in 1933, the FA Trophy twice in 1999 and 2000, the Isthmian League three times in 1934, 1937 and 1998 and the Surrey Senior Cup 13 times. All of that is a distant memory as Kingstonian fans have made it their mission to battle against their owners and the many clubs they have ground shared with making many enemies along the way. 

10) Arsenal: founded 1886

Nickname: The Gunners

Stadium: Emirates Stadium (Highbury), capacity: 60704

Claim to fame: 13 times champions of England, 14 times winners of the FA Cup (current English record), only second club in English football history to go unbeaten for a whole season

Born from the workers of a gunnery factory in south-east London, Woolwich Arsenal, now known simply as Arsenal are one of the greatest clubs in English football history. They have the third most league titles with 13, the most FA Cups with 14 and are one of only two clubs that are invincible, unbeaten throughout a whole season in 2003-04. They are famous around the World all that’s missing is a UEFA Champions League title, which they narrowly missed out on in 2006 losing to Barcelona 2-1.