Last updated : Monday, 01 April 2024
I Zingari Amateur Football League
The I Zingari Amateur Football League was an amateur association football competition based in Liverpool, England. It was founded in 1895 and ran until 2006, when it merged with the Liverpool County Combination to form the new Liverpool County Premier League.
The league's name means "the gypsies" in dialecticised Italian, and I Zingari was the name of an English amateur cricket club formed in 1845, and an Australian one formed 40 years later. The Liverpool football league's name invokes their spirit of amateur competition.
History
The I Zingari League was founded in 1895 by a group of amateur footballers who wanted to create a competitive league for players who were not able to commit to full-time professional football. The league initially had just three teams, but it quickly grew in popularity and by the 1920s it had over 20 teams competing in it.
The league was a feeder to the North West Counties League, and many players who went on to play professional football started their careers in the I Zingari League. Some of the most notable players to have played in the league include:
- Billy Liddell (Liverpool)
- Ian St John (Liverpool)
- Kevin Keegan (Fulham, Liverpool, Newcastle United)
- Graeme Souness (Liverpool, Rangers)
- John Barnes (Liverpool, Newcastle United)
The I Zingari League was disbanded in 2006 after it merged with the Liverpool County Combination to form the new Liverpool County Premier League. The decision to merge was made in order to create a more competitive league for amateur footballers in the Liverpool area.
