Journal
The Best 5-a-Side Leagues in London: With Your Mates, or With Your Company?
What are the best 5-a-side leagues in London?
It depends who you are playing with. For you and your mates, Powerleague runs good local leagues at venues across London. For playing with your company against other companies, Secta runs industry leagues for London firms: refereed, mixed ability, filmed, and built around playing the companies you compete with.
Two kinds of league
Most 5-a-side in London falls into one of two camps. There are open leagues, where any team can enter and you play whoever turns up that night. And there are company leagues, where every team is a business and the point is playing with your colleagues against other firms.
Both are good. They are just built for different people.
For you and your mates: Powerleague
Powerleague is the biggest name in London 5-a-side, with venues across the city and local leagues running most nights of the week. Pick a venue near you, enter your team and play. If you have a regular group of friends who want a weekly game close to home, it is hard to beat.
Why Secta exists
Secta was born because our founder, Cal, wanted a different kind of game. He loved playing, but not another Tuesday night against aggressive blokes in an open league who treat a kickabout like a cup final.
Playing football with your company should be different. It should be a night your whole team looks forward to, whether they play every week or have not kicked a ball since school. Thanks to Secta, it is.
What makes a company league different
You play with your colleagues, against your rivals. Every team in a Secta league is a company, usually from the same industry, so you are playing the firms you compete with for clients and talent.
Every game has a qualified referee, so it stays competitive without getting silly. Leagues are mixed ability by design. Seasons end with a finals night, and games are filmed so the rest of the company can follow the table. You turn up and play; we sort the pitch, the referee and the fixtures.
Secta's leagues
The East London Property League and the Creative Football League play weekly at Aldgate. The London Tech Football League, the London Law League, the Finance & Fintech League and the Secta Women's League are taking founding members and interest for their next seasons.
Not ready for a season? Enter one team into a one-day tournament, or play a single friendly against another company.
See Secta's leaguesFAQ
Questions, answered
How much does a 5-a-side league cost in London?
Venue leagues usually charge per team, per match. Company leagues are usually priced per team, per season, covering the pitch, referees and league management.
Is a company league less competitive?
It is still competitive, and the table matters. The difference is that games are refereed and everyone is a colleague or a professional rival, so it stays friendly.
Can I join a company league on my own?
Company leagues are entered by company teams. If your company is a few players short, Secta can help top up the squad.
Are there women's 5-a-side leagues in London?
Yes. Some Powerleague venues run women's leagues, and the Secta Women's League is a league for women's teams from London companies, open to every level.
Got a headcount and a rough date?
That's all we need to start putting a plan together.