# London Five-a-Sides

The Evening Standard London Five-a-Sides was an annual indoor football tournament organized by the Sports Council (now Sport England). As the competition name suggests it featured Football League clubs from the capital city. The latter years of the event was open to Football League clubs outside London.

## History

The competition usually took place towards end of the domestic football season in April or May. The competition was on six-year hiatus from 1961 to 1966 and then a seven-year break between 1986 and 1992.
The first venue of choice was the Empress Hall, Earls Court. The second edition was transferred to the Harringay Arena. The event moved to Empire Pool Wembley in 1959. It shared a home with the National Five-a Side tournament that ran from 1968 to 1986.
ITV (Thames Television) covered the best of the action on its late evening show Midweek Sports Special for London and surrounding areas only. Commentary came from Brian Moore. The final three editions in the 1990s were shown by Sky TV to a wider audience.
Originally, only First Division and Second Division clubs from the Football League were eligible to participate.

## List of Finals

| Years | Winners | Score | Runners up |
| 1954 | Charlton Athletic | 3–1 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 1955 | Fulham | 4–1 | West Ham United |
| 1956 | Tottenham Hotspur | 2–1 | Fulham |
| 1957 | Fulham | 3–2 | West Ham United |
| 1958 | Leyton Orient | 1–0 | Crystal Palace |
| 1959 | Crystal Palace | 4–1 | Charlton Athletic |
| 1960 | Tottenham Hotspur | 3–1 | West Ham United |
| No competition between 1961–66 |||||
| 1967 | West Ham United | 4–0 | Arsenal |
| 1968 | Charlton Athletic | 2–1 | Crystal Palace |
| 1969 | Crystal Palace | 2–0 | Brentford |
| 1970 | West Ham United | 2–1 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 1971 | Queen's Park Rangers | 1–0 | West Ham United |
| 1972 | Queen's Park Rangers | 3–0 | Southampton |
| 1973 | Chelsea | 2–2 (Pens) | Millwall |
| 1974 | Queen's Park Rangers | 2–1 | West Ham United |
| 1975 | Charlton Athletic | 5–3 | Millwall |
| 1976 | Leyton Orient | 6–1 | Queen's Park Rangers |
| 1977 | Arsenal | 2–1 (aet) | West Ham United |
| 1978 | Millwall | 3–2 | Queen's Park Rangers |
| 1979 | Millwall | 3–2 | Crystal Palace |
| 1980 | Queen's Park Rangers | 2–1 | Charlton Athletic |
| 1981 | Arsenal | 2–2 (2–1 p) | West Ham United |
| 1982 | Fulham | 2–0 | Charlton Athletic |
| 1983 | Millwall | 3–2 | Brentford |
| 1984 | West Ham United | 2–1 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 1985 | Queen's Park Rangers | 3–3 (Pens) | Arsenal |
| No competition between 1986–92 |||||
| 1993 | Watford | 1–1 (1–0 p) | Wimbledon |
| 1994 | Wycombe Wanderers | 0–0 (1–0 s) | Wimbledon |
| 1995 | Wycombe Wanderers | 0–0 Shootout | Luton Town |

## Titles by Club

| Team | Finals Won | Finals Lost | Winning Years | Losing Years |
| Queen's Park Rangers | 5 | 2 | 1971, 1972, 1974, 1980, 1985 | 1976, 1978 |
| West Ham United | 3 | 7 | 1967, 1970, 1984 | 1955, 1957, 1960, 1971, 1974, 1977, 1981 |
| Charlton Athletic | 3 | 3 | 1954, 1968, 1975 | 1959, 1980, 1982 |
| Millwall | 3 | 2 | 1978, 1979, 1983 | 1973, 1975 |
| Fulham | 3 | 1 | 1955, 1957, 1982 | 1956 |
| Crystal Palace | 2 | 3 | 1959, 1969 | 1958, 1968, 1979 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2 | 3 | 1956, 1960 | 1954, 1970, 1984 |
| Arsenal | 2 | 2 | 1977, 1981 | 1967, 1985 |
| Leyton Orient | 2 | – | 1958, 1976 | |
| Wycombe Wanderers | 2 | – | 1994, 1995 | |
| Chelsea | 1 | – | 1973 | |
| Watford | 1 | – | 1993 | |
| Brentford | – | 2 | | 1969, 1983 |
| Wimbledon | – | 2 | | 1993, 1994 |
| Luton Town | – | 1 | | 1995 |
| Southampton | – | 1 | | 1972 |