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.

There were three regional leagues; the South-West Combination played in 1915–16 was discontinued.

Each league, except the London Combination, was split into a principal tournament, consisting of a single league, and then a subsidiary tournament of four groups.