| Founded | 1949 |
|---|---|
| First season | 1949–50 |
| Folded | 1971 |
| Country |  England |
| Divisions | One (1949–1963, 1964–1971) Two (1963–1964) |
| Number of clubs | Lowest: 9 (1949–50) Highest: 22 (1964–65) |
| Feeder to | Southern League |
| Domestic cup(s) | FA Cup |
| League cup(s) | League Cup Professional Cup Amateur Cup |
The Metropolitan League was a football league in the south-east of England between 1949 and 1971.[1]
The league was founded in 1949 after several clubs learnt plans for a second division of the Southern League would come to nothing shortly before the start of the season,[2] and was driven by Dagenham secretary Dave Thake, whose club were disappointed about being placed in the lower division of the London League.[1] It was initially named the Home Counties League, but the name was rejected by the Football Association as the name was already in use. By the end of the league's inaugural season it had become known as the Metropolitan & District League, before being renamed the Metropolitan League in 1959.[1] The league started with ten clubs and was largely composed of professional clubs or their reserve or youth teams, and was frequently described as an unofficial lower division of the Southern League.[2] The league added a second division in 1963, but it ran for only a single season, which saw Gillingham Reserves win the title.
However, with the league reduced to only 12 clubs in 1970–71 and several of those about to leave to join the Southern League at the end of the season, the league merged with the Greater London League to form the Metropolitan–London League. This league ceased to exist in 1975 when it merged with the Spartan League to form the London Spartan League,[3] which re-adopted the name Spartan League in 1987.
For three seasons an Amateur Cup was contested between the league's amateur teams; in 1951–52 and 1952–53 it was won by Windsor & Eton, whilst Vickers Armstrong (Surrey) won it in 1953–54. Thereafter it was awarded to the amateur team that finished highest in the league.[4]
