The Southern Professional Floodlit Cup was an association football competition played in the late 1950s, which involved clubs from London, South East England and a small number of teams from the Midlands.
The inaugural competition was won by West Ham United with the other winners being Luton Town, Portsmouth, Arsenal and Coventry City.
[1] The competition operated on a straight knockout basis with all ties being decided over single matches, with replays if necessary.
The final was played on the home ground of one of the competitors.
[2] Ten clubs competed:[3] Aldershot, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Millwall, Orient, Portsmouth, Queens Park Rangers, Reading, Watford, West Ham United Thirteen clubs competed:[4] Aldershot, Arsenal, Brentford, Chelsea, Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace, Luton Town, Millwall, Orient, Queens Park Rangers, Reading, Watford, West Ham United Sixteen clubs competed:[5] Aldershot, Arsenal, Brentford, Chelsea, Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Luton Town, Millwall, Orient, Portsmouth, Queens Park Rangers, Reading, Southampton, Watford, West Ham United Sixteen clubs competed:[6] Aldershot, Arsenal, Brentford, Charlton Athletic, Coventry City, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Luton Town, Millwall, Orient, Portsmouth, Queens Park Rangers, Reading, Southampton, Watford, West Ham United Eighteen clubs competed:[7] Aldershot, Arsenal, Brentford, Charlton Athletic, Coventry City, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Leicester City, Luton Town, Millwall, Orient, Portsmouth, Queens Park Rangers, Reading, Southampton, Southend United, Watford, West Ham United [2]