The war was not long over, and the now famous Hackney Marshes became synonymous for its football pitches. These pitches were created on the foundations of the rubble created by the ‘Blitz’ and the heavy bombing of London.

At first the pitches were small and on top of the one another. Often just a yard or so between the pitches, which is not surprising because there were over 120 pitches to start with. The dressing rooms were no more than huts without any lighting and there were no luxuries  such as hot water and showers

By natural process our local Sunday football league was created for mainly North London teams which at the time was mostly made up of Hackney & Leyton residents but also from most parts of North and East London and even as far south as North Kent. So in 1947 the Hackney & Leyton Sunday League began.

Our league has been running since 1947 at the iconic Hackney Marshes in East London and is the most widely recognised grassroots football league in the UK. We are an integral part of the community in East London and surrounding areas, offering opportunities for adults of all ages and backgrounds to play football together.

Our league has seen players reach the professional ranks; it was on the Hackney Marshes that heroes of English football like Bobby Moore to David Beckham started their football craft. It was also the setting for the Park Life Nike commercial featuring Eric Cantona, Ian Wright, Robbie Fowler and for the Adidas campaign featuring Lionel Messi. But our roots first started after World War II…