MONTHLY ROUND-UP: SEPTEMBER 1869
Heading into October, it is still unclear who will be this year’s champions in the Metropolitan League as three teams sit so close together in the standings. The Old Westminsters lost three games out of five and have been caught at the top, with Greenwich the team to draw level. They began the month with defeat against The Regent’s Park but won their remaining four games and are tied with the Westminsters with two games to play, starting with a meeting of the two at Westminster in their next game. A fraction behind with three to play are reigning champions the Royal Artillery Barracks, who looked to be out of the race when they opened the month with defeat to Kensington but won their next three, culminating in a 1-0 win over the Westminsters which keeps them very much in contention.
Kensington and Angel are not out of the race yet but it will be tough for them to take the crown. Kensington seemed to have played their way into contention with a six game winning run but a narrow loss to Greenwich followed by another defeat against Clapham has harmed their hopes. Angel started September by winning the first of two games in a day against the Westminsters, but that was as good as the month would get for them as they lost the second game, and then dropped the next three as well. Clapham ended their poor run with two wins to end September but the best they can do is an even record if they win their last two. At the bottom of the standings, The Regent’s Park have overtaken the City of London Club and it now looks as though it will be the City Club, who came close to the title a year ago, who could record the worst record yet seen in the league. They must win at least three of their remaining four games to avoid being the first team to end with a single-digit total of victories.
