Sport in London
In London, a diverse array of athletics stretching from football to tennis have further granted its city the spotlight throughout the world.
Other popular sports in London include cricket, rowing, rugby, basketball, and most recently American Football.
Morley wrote to Bell's Life newspaper proposing a governing body for football which led directly to the first meeting at the Freemasons' Tavern in central London of the FA.
Historically the London clubs have not accumulated as many trophies as those from the north-west of England, such as Liverpool and Manchester United, but at present Arsenal (founded at Woolwich Arsenal but playing in Holloway), and Chelsea (who actually play in Fulham) are regarded as two of the Premier League's "big four" alongside Manchester United and Liverpool.
The 2020–21 Premier League features six London clubs: Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham and West Ham United.
As of the 2020–21 season, there are eight London clubs in the fully professional Football League (the three divisions below the Premiership), namely AFC Wimbledon, Barnet, Brentford, Charlton Athletic, Dagenham & Redbridge, Leyton Orient, Millwall and Queens Park Rangers.
Hackney Marshes in east London, home to many amateur sides, is reportedly the single largest collection of football pitches in the world.
Wembley was one of the venues for the 1966 FIFA World Cup and the 1996 European Football Championship, and hosted the final of both tournaments.
As well as football matches, Wembley has hosted many other sporting events, including the rugby league Challenge Cup final.
The Oval in Kennington, home of Surrey CCC, became the first ground in England to host international Test cricket in September 1880.
Wasps left the London commuter belt entirely in December 2014, moving to Coventry and purchasing Ricoh Arena, a major football ground.
From their first Premiership season in 2012–13 to their most recent in 2014–15, they shared a football ground outside the commuter belt, Kassam Stadium in Oxford, but they have now returned to Greater London at Old Deer Park in Richmond.
In addition to the professional clubs, many amateur sides exist and include teams such as London Nigerian who draw their players from the supporters of fallen corrupt Nigerian regimes as well as numerous accountants, doctors and lawyers from Nigeria's Igbo and Yoruba communities.
The stadium is also host to The Varsity Match between Oxford and Cambridge as well as the English school's Daily Mail Cup final.
As of 2024, they have returned to the Super League after earning promotion from the RFL Championship in 2023, however are expected to be immediately relegated under the grading system introduced for 2024.
The River Thames is the venue for the Boat Race, held between Oxford and Cambridge universities every year from Putney to Mortlake.
Facilities for rowing are excellent throughout the city, including the state-of-the-art London Regatta Centre, at Royal Albert Dock in the Docklands.
After Towers withdrew from the BBL in 2006, lower-league team London United were elected to the top-tier to ensure the capital continued its presence in Britain's only professional league.
Yet after just a year they too found themselves falling at financial hurdles and were replaced by another lower-league outfit, London Capital, who eventually folded in 2013.
Playing out of Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in year one, the team qualified for the end of season Playoffs with an all English squad.
The following year the club moved into the Copper Box Olympic facility and duly sold out 7,000 seats for their first ever game against US College side, Iowa University.
In the spirit of legacy, the club has forged partnerships whilst building a truly community club in London, in association with GLL (the largest leisure provider in the city), and now the Youngblood Lions, Hackney Community College, Epping Forest College, Raines School, Right Development Foundation and many more.
Between 1991 and 1998, the London Monarchs competed in American football's NFL Europe, winning the inaugural World Bowl.
The first games of the 2007–08 NHL season were played in London, featuring a two-game series between the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings.
[12] Other popular sports include netball, field hockey, basketball, baseball (Croydon Pirates are champions), bowls, snooker, tennis, swimming, motor-racing at Brands Hatch, golf, darts, racquets, croquet, squash, horse-racing (Epsom and elsewhere), boxing, wrestling, archery and rink hockey represented by London Rink Hockey Club, playing in England Premier League and representing England in European Competitions at Top Level.
