NB: prior to the first ever national league held in 1980, a few earlier attempts were made to
crown national champions (or rather, select teams for the African champions cup), but these
competitions are apparently not considered official.
1967/68 Blackpool (Freetown)
1975 Mammy Yoko
1977 apparently cancelled
NB: first held in 1980. 1980 East End Lions (Freetown) 1981 Real Republicans (Freetown) 1982 Sierra Fisheries (Freetown) 1983 Real Republicans (Freetown) 1984 Real Republicans (Freetown) 1985 East End Lions (Freetown) 1986 Old Edwardians (Freetown) 1987 Sierra Fisheries (Freetown) 1988 Mighty Blackpool (Freetown) 1989 Freetown United (Freetown)´ 1990 Old Edwardians (Freetown) 1991 Mighty Blackpool (Freetown) [league abandoned, Blackpool awarded title] 1992 East End Lions (Freetown) 1993 East End Lions (Freetown) 1994 East End Lions (Freetown) 1995 Ports Authority (Freetown) 1996 Mighty Blackpool (Freetown) 1997 East End Lions (Freetown) 1998 Mighty Blackpool (Freetown) 1999 East End Lions (Freetown) 2000 Mighty Blackpool (Freetown) 2001 Mighty Blackpool (Freetown) 2002 not played 2003 not played 2004 not played 2005 East End Lions (Freetown) 2006 Kallon FC (Freetown) 2008 Ports Authority (Freetown) 2009 East End Lions (Freetown) 2010 East End Lions (Freetown) 2011 Ports Authority (Freetown) 2012 Diamond Stars (Kono) 2013 Diamond Stars (Kono) 2014 East End Lions (Freetown) 2015 not played 2016 not played; rebel league abandoned 2017 not played 2018 not played 2019 East End Lions (Freetown) 2020 abandoned 2021/22 Bo Rangers 2022/23 Bo Rangers 2023/24 Championships (34; since 1980): 12 East End Lions 6 Mighty Blackpool 3 Kallon FC (includes Sierra Fisheries) Ports Authority Real Republicans 2 Bo Rangers Diamond Stars (Kono) Old Edwardians 1 Freetown United
The Sierra Leone Football League (SLFL) was founded on 23 March 1923 and changed name to Sierra Leone Amateur Football Association (SLAFA) on 26 March 1926. It was affiliated to the Football Association in London as Sierra Leone was a British colony at the time. The SLAFA folded in the sixties and was refounded in July 1967. At the same time, the WAFA (Western Area Football Association) started organising the regional championship in the Western Area (around Freetown), which hitherto had been organised by the (old) SLAFA. The (new) SLAFA changed name to Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) in 1992. After a national league was established in 1980, the regional championship apparently disappeared (although it initially may have served as a kind of qualifying competition for the nationwide tournament, which initially was decided by a final).
SLFL 1923 East End GC 1924 Regents Olympic 1925 Regents Olympic SLAFA 1926 Academy GC 1927 Bame Games Club 1928 Regents Olympic 1929 South End Tyrants 1930 Bame Games Club 1931 Old St Anthony 1932 Old St Anthony 1933 International 1934 Regents Olympic 1935-38 not known 1939 Regents Olympic 1940-43 not known 1944 Young Tigers 1945 not known 1946 Tigers 1947 East End Lions 1948 Young Tigers 1949 Everton 1950 Old Edwardians 1951 Police FC 1952 Sokro XI 1953 Regents Olympic 1954 East End Lions 1955 Blackpool 1956 U.A.C. 1957 Old Edwardians 1958 Railway 1959 Regent Olympic 1960 East End Lions 1961 Arsenal 1962 Blackpool 1963 Blackpool 1964 East End Lions 1965 East End Lions 1966 Blackpool WAFA 1967 Blackpool 1968 Old Edwardians 1969 Bolton Nationale 1970 Ports Authority 1971 Ports Authority 1972-73 not known 1974 Blackpool 1975/76 Blackpool 1976/77 abandoned 1977/78 Blackpool 1978-80 not known
Sources included: [FIF 31], FIFA Handbook 1935, Joseph Turay (in "Public Review"), Hassan Conteh (in "Sierraeye")
Additions thanks to Barry Baker, José Batalha and Hans Schöggl
Prepared and maintained by Julio Bovi Diogo and Neil Morrison for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Authors: Julio Bovi Diogo and Neil Morrison
Last updated: 26 Oct 2023
(C) Copyright Julio Bovi Diogo, Neil Morrison and RSSSF 1996/2023
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