Last updated : Friday, 19 April 2024
Introduction
The Open Age League is an amateur football league in England affiliated to the Amateur Football Alliance (AFA). It is based in and around Greater London and caters for 11–a–side men's adult teams.
The league was founded in 1907 and currently has 40 open aged member clubs and a handful of veterans-only clubs running around 190 teams in 21 divisions. All clubs are strictly amateur.
The league's headquarters are located at the Southern Amateur Football League Ground in Raynes Park, London.
League structure
The Open Age League is divided into four sections:
- Senior (restricted to 1st teams, 3 divisions)
- Intermediate (4 divisions)
- Junior North (3 divisions)
- Junior South (3 divisions)
The top two teams in each division of the Senior section are promoted to the next higher division, while the bottom two teams are relegated to the next lower division.
The top two teams in each division of the Intermediate section are promoted to the Senior section, while the bottom two teams are relegated to the Junior section.
The top two teams in each division of the Junior section are promoted to the Intermediate section, while the bottom two teams are relegated to the lowest division of the same section.
Cup competitions
The Open Age League also hosts a number of cup competitions, including:
- The Challenge Cup
- The League Cup
- The President's Cup
- The Veterans Cup
The Challenge Cup is the most prestigious cup competition in the league and is open to all teams in the Senior and Intermediate sections.
The League Cup is open to all teams in the Junior section.
The President's Cup is a knockout competition for teams in the Senior section that have been knocked out of the Challenge Cup.
The Veterans Cup is a knockout competition for teams in the Senior and Intermediate sections that are made up of players over the age of 35.
