Between 1915 and 1919 competitive football was suspended in England.

Many footballers signed up to fight in the war and as a result many teams were depleted, and fielded guest players instead.

The Football League and FA Cup were suspended and in their place regional league competitions were set up; appearances in these tournaments do not count in players' official records.

[citation needed] There were four regional leagues.

The Lancashire and Midland Sections were split into further regional divisions, while the London Combination remained a single league.