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| Founded | 1955 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1958 | ||
| Ground | Various | ||
| Manager | Joe Mears | ||
| League | Inter-Cities Fairs Cup | ||
| 1955–58 | Runners-up | ||
TheLondon XI was afootball team that represented the city ofLondon in the1955–58 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 aTrade 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.[1] Therefore, a representative team was created especially for the tournament, using the best players from the 11 London-areaFootball 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 byChelsea chairmanJoe Mears, reached the final of the cup, after coming top of a group that included special XI teams fromBasel andFrankfurt, and then beatingLausanne Sports. London lost 8–2 on aggregate over two legs toFC 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 1866London v Sheffield match, there were several challenges against theGlasgow FA during the 1880s,[2] and "London" lost 4-2 toCorinthians on 21 November 1903 in front of 1500,[3] described as Corinthians "had an easy task" in a 1904Times article.[4] Two other matches have been referenced – an "annual match" versus Birmingham on 3 October 1910 and a match versus Paris on 18 December 1910.[5]
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London XI | 3–2 |  Frankfurt XI |
|---|---|---|
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| London XI | 1–0 |  Basel XI |
|---|---|---|
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| Frankfurt XI | 1–0 | London XI |
|---|---|---|
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| Lausanne XI | 2–1 | London XI |
|---|---|---|
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| London XI | 2–0 | Lausanne XI |
|---|---|---|
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London XI won 3–2 on aggregate.
| London XI | 2–2 |  Barcelona XI |
|---|---|---|
|
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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).
| Barcelona XI | 6–0 | London XI |
|---|---|---|
|
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.
| # | Date | Venue | Att. | Score | London goalscorers | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 January 1883 | Hampden (I) (A) | 5,000 | 0–4 | [9][10] | |
| 2 | 15 December 1883 | The Oval (H) | 3,500 | 3–2 | [9][11] | |
| 3 | 20 December 1884 | Hampden (II) (A) | 5,000 | 2–6 | [9][12] | |
| 4 | 5 December 1885 | The Oval (H) | 2,000 | 2–5 | [9] | |
| 5 | 27 November 1886 | Hampden (II) (A) | 4,000 | 2–2 | [9] | |
| 6 | 3 March 1888 | The Oval (H) | 3–0 | Tinsley Lindley J. Burns (2) | [9][13] | |
| 7 | 23 March 1889 | Hampden (II) (A) | 1–5 | scrimmage | [9][14] | |
| 8 | 25 January 1890 | The Oval (H) | 2–3 | [9] |
