London Lions

Maccabi London Lions FC, to give the club its full title, are a football club that was formed by the Maccabi Association London in 1995 as MALEX, looking to compete in a higher grade of football than the local Sunday League’s playing home games at the International University in Bushey.

They initially competed in Division One of the Herts County League, finishing in the top seven in their first four seasons, prior to changing to their current title in 1999, with both Copthall Stadium and Gosling Stadium being used to host home matches.

 

The change of name brought instant success with the Division One title being delivered twelve months later which was rewarded with promotion to the Premier Division, as the club remained all-Jewish, moving to their Rowley Lane in Arkley, Hertfordshire in 2002.

A period of stability followed before a runners-up spot came in 2008-09 which was backed up with the league title in 2009-10 leading to promotion to the Spartan South Midlands League as members of Division One.

 

However, this meant that the club were forced to share grounds once again as their home venue didn’t have the required facilities for the higher grade of football. The homes of St Albans City, Broxbourne Borough, and Hemel Hempstead Town were all used.

Promotion to the Premier Division was achieved in 2012-13 as the Division One title was lifted, but the team went back down after just one season. Lions rejoined the Herts County League in 2015 when Rowley Lane had floodlights installed as well as the Alan Mattey Stand, named in memory of a former player.

The county title was won in 2016-17 under manager Andy Landesberg, leading to a return to Spartan South Midlands League Division One. Following a restructuring of non-league football, the club was placed in the Combined Counties League where they became Division One champions in 2021-22.

Premier Division North football followed as Lions ended the 2022-23 campaign in mid-table prior to moving back to the Premier Division of the Spartan South Midlands League.

 

London Lions FC will play in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division in the 2023-24 season.

My visit

London Lions u18s 4 Concord Rangers u18s 0 (Thursday 14^th October 2021) FA Youth Cup 3rd Qualifying Round (att: c160)

I had been half tempted by the women's Champions League clash at Meadow Park in Borehamwood between Arsenal and Hoffenheim, but instead went for a new ground tick in a competition I generally enjoy. 

A journey by a couple of buses dropped me outside Hadley's Brickfield Lane ground, from where it was a 15-minute walk along Rowley Lane. My first impressions were of an excellent sports facility, with the main pitch in great condition.

It being cut into a bank was an added welcome feature I wasn't expecting. Everything seemed in good condition and cared for. The 3G pitch round the back getting usage from hirers. The stand, the only covered accommodation, modern and of a decent size.

 

The crowd was predominantly made up of peers of the Lions lads. Their support was appreciative and polite. Plenty of nice encouragement and applause, which was very different to the demographic at Barnet earlier in the week.

Before the match I would have thought Concord would be favourites, purely based on the status of the two adult sides. How wrong I was. Not that there was too much between the sides. Both played good flowing football. 

It was the Lions incisiveness around some beautiful stuff on the eye that was the difference. The first goal was so jubilee celebrated that the fence in front of the stand gave way. A second followed not long after.

Concord came out firing, but they had no reply to some of Lions forward play. They even missed a sitter before a well-crafted third. It was 4-0 with about ten minutes remaining with a lovely low curling effort. Full credit to the lads of Rangers who never gave up until the final whistle. 

They had a goal chalked off for offside and when they did get on target, the home keeper pulled off a terrific save from a point-blank header. Also, congratulations were due to the officials on a job well done and to both sides for the respect shown.

At full time I walked back to Elstree and Borehamwood station, retracing my steps from 1982-83 when I was a student in the town. The college where I studied has been demolished and replaced by a leisure centre and hotel.

 

A couple of pubs I used back in the day are now McDonalds and a Sainsbury's. That's the modern world, I guess. It was a bit sad seeing all the empty warehouses and lorry parks. Much had changed, but I was glad that I took the walk.

A thoroughly enjoyable night out, and what was my best match of the week, with one to go.