Non-League and Academy football writer

The Southern Amateur Football League 2024/25 season returns early on in the new year, so I thought that I’d do a summary (similar to the other pieces that I’ve written recently) of how the top four divisions of the very competitive and quality SAL are going, so far. Last season’s Senior Division 1 runners-up (West Wickham), go into the new year as leaders of the division, with 16 points from their first eight matches. With last season’s Senior Division 1 champions, Nottsborough, two points behind West Wickham (they’ve played seven Division 1 matches so far), with a game in hand over them. Hammersmith’s talented first team follow in the Division 1 standings, not far behind, and in third place after seven matches played. The very well known and famous Civil Service FC’s first team are in fourth place at this stage of the season, and they are the only side in Division 1 who are still unbeaten in that division, winning one game and drawing seven.

On Civil Service, they are a side who I have seen on a decent number of occasions so far this season, and they are a really good and well organised side. Although they have been knocked out of both the SAL and AFA Senior Cup’s, Civil Service’s first team are still in the Middlesex Premier Cup. They are in the semi-finals of what is primarily a competition that includes non-League sides. Civil Service have already beaten Camden United and Bedfont, on their way to the semi-finals. Civil Service are a really friendly club, and earlier in the year I had the pleasure of interviewing their club president – James Kellett, on my blog. NUFC Oilers (they are still in the Surrey FA Saturday Premier Cup) are in fifth place in Division 1, and they are then followed by one of last season’s promoted teams, Winchmore Hill, in the table.

Alleyn Old Boys and Old Finchleians sit just above the relegation zone, above of Actonians Association, a club who are doing ever so well in cup competitions this season (they are in the quarter-finals of the Middlesex Intermediate Cup), and last season’s Division 2 champions Weirside Rangers. In Senior Division 2, Nottsborough 2nds lead the way, going into the new year, with four wins from their first six games of the Division 2 season. In second place are Merton, who are one point behind Nottsborough 2nds. A bit further down in the table, are West Wickham 2nds and Old Lyonians, who are in third and fourth place in the table respectively. After being relegated from the Senior Division 1 at the end of the 2023/24 season, Polytechnic are in fifth place, but they are three points away from Merton, who are in the promotion spots.

Towards the bottom of the Senior Division 2 table is Old Meadonians, and then in the relegation zone there is Alexandra Park, and HSBC FC. Last season Bank of England finished in fourth place in Senior Division 3. However, this season the talented side are currently in first place in that particular SAL division, with 12 points from their first six games. In the other promotion spot is north London based club Norsemen, who have won four of their first seven games. I saw third placed side South Bank Cuaco face fifth placed (in between both sides in the table this season are Old Wilsonians) side Old Parmiterians, in a good game in this division earlier in the season. I was very impressed with the way in which their first team manager Edward Watson had the team playing their football, and their style of play was very effective and impressive, with South Bank Cuaco winning that match 3-0. They must surely be a real contender for promotion to Division Two, for next season.

Nottsborough 3rds are in sixth place in Division 3, with Civil Service 2nds in seventh place, with three wins from their first four league matches of this season. I will be covering a Middlesex Saturday Junior Cup quarter-final tie between Civil Service 2nds and Old Millhillians, in January. Below seventh place in the table are Old Parkonians, Old Blues, and former Middlesex County Football League side Wilberforce Wanderers. Finally, in Division 4 of the SAL, Old Parmiterians 2nds go into the new year as league leaders, with 17 points from their first eight league games. Just below them in table are south London based side City of London. Old Meadonians 2nds, Winchmore Hill 2nds, and Alexandra Park 2nds, are in third, fourth, and fifth place in the table, respectively.

Just past the midway point of the Division 4 table sit Actonians Association 2nds and South Bank Cuaco 2nds. Winchmore Hill 3rds are also in this division, alongside their second team, and they are currently in eighth place in the table. The bottom two clubs in the table are the famous old amateur side Crouch End Vampires (they were relegated from Division 3 last season) and Polytechnic 2nds. East London based side Cambridge Heath did finish in bottom place in Division 3 in 2023/24, but they have since left the SAL, and they are subsequently not playing in the now named Division 4 this season. I’m looking forward to hopefully getting to a number of SAL matches during the second half of this season. It is a great league, and the success of teams such as Civil Service and Actonians Association (from Division 1) goes to show that at least from Division 1 of the SAL, that teams can really go toe to toe with sides at step 6 and 7 of the non-League system, in cup competitions. I wish all of the SAL clubs all the very best for the second half of this interesting season.