ILFL History

Inner London Football League (ILFL) is an adult League which came into being in 2001. The League was formed by a group of local clubs who left the Asian Football League after dissatisfaction with the way it was being managed. Most of those founding clubs still participate in the ILFL to this day. Even from day one there was great interest to join the League. The breakaway group of clubs numbered only six but there was immediate interest from other local clubs to join the new league even before it was officially announced.

The League initially began with a modest fourteen clubs and one division. It was a steep learning curve for the League Committee as everyone was new at it. Even after the first season, the Committee still had a lot to learn and so, to keep things simple it was intentionally not expanded even though there was a long list of clubs wanting to join.

The Committee grew in confidence and after two successful seasons, the League was expanded to twenty clubs spread evenly over two divisions at the start of the third season. The League remains at twenty clubs and two divisions today but there is continued interest from new clubs to join. As much as the Committee wishes to expand, it seems the facilities available locally may hinder this possibility in the short term at least.

Since the founding of the League over twelve hundred people have directly been involved with it one way or another. Almost all are from the local borough and the remainder from neighbouring boroughs and some from even further in London.

Updated: 16/01/2007