United avoid the drop

United keeper Jack Hacking catches a cross

Modern day audiences might find it hard to believe that once upon a time Manchester United had to beat Millwall in the last game of the season in order to stay in Division 2.
As the end of the 1934-35 season approached with 41 out of 42 rounds of matches completed Lincoln City were already down with 25 points.
Notts County, in 18th, were safe on 35 points.
In between were Swansea Town (33), Millwall (33) and Manchester United (32).
United had conceded 85 goals, 10 more than any other team in the Division, and had lost 22 of 41 matches played.  Their average home attendance was just 18,500. Manchester City were drawing crowds of 30,000 plus. And so to 05.05.1934. Swansea Town would have been relieved that their crucial match was at home, they hadn't won an away game all season. They duly defeated Plymouth Argyle 2-1 at the Vetch Field with goals from Jack Firth and Wilf Milne.
Meanwhile at the Den Jackie Cape and Tom Manley gave United a 2-0 win in front of a crowd of 35,000. The Sheffield Independent described the result as one of the most remarkable successes of the day.
Manley (left) opened the scoring in the 9th minute and Cape (below) added the second in the 48th. Some controversy surrounded Cape's goal as there were suspicions of offside.

The Southern League 1894–95

First Division
	P	W	D	L	F	A	ave.	pts.
Millwall Athletic	16	12	4	0	68	19	3.58	28
Luton Town	16	9	4	3	36	22	1.64	22
Southampton St Mary’s	16	9	2	5	34	25	1.36	20
Ilford	16	6	3	7	26	40	0.65	15
Reading	16	6	2	8	33	38	0.87	14
Chatham Town	16	4	5	7	22	25	0.88	13
Royal Ordnance Factories	16	3	6	7	20	30	0.67	12
Clapton	16	5	1	10	22	38	0.58	11
Swindon Town	16	4	1	11	24	48	0.5	9

Second Division
	P	W	D	L	F	A	ave.	pts.
New Brompton	12	11	0	1	57	10	5.7	22
Sheppey United	12	6	1	5	25	23	1.09	13
Old St.Stephen's	12	6	0	6	26	26	1	12
Uxbridge	12	4	3	5	14	20	0.7	11
Bromley	12	4	1	7	23	30	0.77	9
Chesham	12	3	3	6	20	42	0.48	9
Maidenhead	12	2	4	6	19	33	0.58	8

Millwall Athletic 

Formed 1885 as Millwall Rovers, became Millwall Athletic in 1889. Played in the Southern League for 22 seasons (champions twice) before joining the Third Division of The Football League in 1920-21. The 'Athletic' was dropped in 1903.

Currently playing in the 3rd tier of the English pyramid. 

Luton Town 

Founded in 1885 following a merger of Luton Town Wanderers and Excelsior.  having played in the first 2 seasons of the Southern league they then resigned to join the United League. 

In 1897–98 Luton joined the Second Division of  The Football League. They re joined the Southern League in 1900–01 following relegation  and remained until joining the Third Division of The Football League in 1920-21. In all they played 18 seasons in the Southern League but never bettered this second placed finish.

Currently playing in the 4th tier of the English pyramid. 

Southampton St Mary’s

St. Mary's Young Men's Association F.C. was also founded in 1885. In 1887 the name was simplified to St Mary's and when they joined the Southern League Southampton was added. They won the Southern League championship for three years running between 1897 and 1899 and again in 1901, 1903 and 1904. 

Played in the Southern League for 22 seasons before joining the Third Division of The Football League in 1920-21. Currently a Premier League side. 
 
Ilford
  Founded in 1881 the Essex club were prominent in amateur football.  They were relegated and left the Southern League at the end of its second season, later joining the Isthmian League. They merged with Leytonstone in 1979 and there is currently an unconnected club of the same name in existence. 

Reading

Founded on Xmas Day 1871. 

Reading played Southern League football for 22 seasons,and joined the Third Division of The Football League in 1920-21. Currently play in the 2nd tier of English football.

 Chatham Town
Founded 1892 (as Chatham United). They currently play at level 8 of the pyramid (Isthmian League Division 1 South). In 1888-89 Chatham reached the last 8 of the FA Cup, but lost 10-1 at home to West Bromwich Albion.  

 Royal Ordnance Factories
Extant 1893-96, effectively an amateur offshoot of the Arsenal , featuring many players who had also represented Dial Square/ Royal Arsenal/ Woolwich Arsenal. 

Clapton
The East London club was founded in 1878 as Downs FC, taking the name Clapton the following year.  They have the distinction of being the first British club to play abroad (Belgium 188?). They currently play at Level 9 (Essex Senior League).


Swindon Town
Originating in 1879,entered the Football League in 1920 and currently playing in the 3rd tier of the English pyramid. The inaugural season of the Southern league was Swindon Town's first as a professional club.

New Brompton FC 
Founded in May 1893. In 1912 assumed the name Gillingham FC. Joined the Football League in 1920. Currently play in the  3rd tier of the English pyramid.

Sheppey United 
The Kent club were in existence from 1890 until 2001. A new club (the third incarnation) was formed in 2010.

Old St.Stephen's
Originated in Westminster in 1880, but moved around South/ West London during the 1890s. 
In 1898 absorbed in a merger to form Shepherd's Bush FC (dissolved 1915).

Uxbridge
Founded in 1871 the Middlesex club currently play at level 8.

Bromley
Founded in 1892 the London club are currently in the 5th tier.

Chesham
A Buckinghamshire club founded in 1879. They took part in a merger to form Chesham United in 1917.

Maidenhead
Founded in 1870, the Berkshire club are currently playing at the 6th level.

1914

The football authorities came in for a great deal of criticism when play continued following the outbreak of war in 1914. There was no reluctance, however, to exploit the potential of the game as a vehicle to promote voluntary enlistment (conscription was not introduced until 1916).
The above posters appealed to the patriotic inclinations of supporters of Millwall and Tottenham Hotspur.

Thames Ironworks F.C.

Mr. Taylor, who is working in the shipbuilding department, has undertaken to get up a football club for next winter and I learn that quoits and bowls will also be added to the attractions. - Thames Iron Works Gazette 1895

 Thames Ironworks F.C. was founded in the summer of 1895 by Dave Taylor and Arnold Hills.

Hills was a remarkable man. A pioneering advocate of vegetarianism and a philanthropist. Among his interests was the Vegetarian Cycling and Athletic Club. An Old Harrovian, he played one international for England, against Scotland in 1879.
In 1895 he was managing director of The Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Limited. He was a great believer in the edifying qualities of organized sport, and also supported the notion of football clubs representing the local community and of the members of that community being stakeholders inn the football club. 
Taylor was a foreman at the Ironworks.
Hills' background was reflected in the original kit of dark blue (Oxford University). The later (1899-1900) claret and blue was taken from the livery of The Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company.
Ironworks were confident enough to enter the FA Cup in their very first season- losing 5-0 to Chatham in the preliminary qualifying round. A low point came with a 6-0 loss to Millwall.
the stats from Ironworks' first season were:

P	W	D	L	F	A
47	30	5	12	136	68

Thames Ironworks joined the Southern league for the  1899–1900 season. Mr Hills' influence was very much in evidence as he made £1,000 available to spend on new talent. 
Ironworks resigned from the Southern League and were dissolved in June 1900, reforming as West Ham United .