Eagles Land Benfica F.C.

Lore & Background

The club began as Sport London e Benfica in 1981, playing Sunday league football in Camden and later the Chiswick & District League. After winning divisions in the Marathon Sunday League and Hayes & District Sunday League, they switched to Saturday football in 2005, joining the Middlesex County League. They won successive promotions, reaching the Spartan South Midlands League by 2006–07. A mid-season resignation in 2010–11 followed a groundshare change, but the club continued with youth and futsal teams, winning the Middlesex FA Futsal fives in consecutive seasons. Re-entering the Middlesex County League in 2017, they experienced relegation before a resurgence in 2022–23, winning the Middlesex County Junior Trophy and the Jeff Nardin & Combination Cup, though the latter was later awarded to LPFC Old Boys due to a suspended player being fielded. Back-to-back promotions in 2022–23 and 2023–24 lifted them to the Premier Division, and in 2024–25 they won the Premier Division title, earning promotion to Division One of the Combined Counties League. The club was renamed Eagles Land Benfica in 2026 and moved to Preston Park in Harefield.

Reader's Guide

Eagles Land Benfica F.C. represents a notable example of a club that transitioned from Sunday league roots to senior Saturday football, achieving multiple promotions across English non-league tiers. Their history includes a period of instability—resigning from the Spartan South Midlands League mid-season in 2010–11—followed by a sustained rebuild through youth and futsal programs. The club's back-to-back promotions in 2022–23 and 2023–24, along with cup successes, highlight a resurgence that culminated in the 2024–25 Middlesex County League Premier Division title. The renaming in 2026 and move to Preston Park mark a new chapter. Their legacy includes a best FA Vase run to the second round in 2008–09 and a series of league and cup honours at county level, demonstrating resilience and adaptability within the English football pyramid.

Did You Know?

• The club was originally named Sport London e Benfica and founded on 15 May 1981.
• They won the Middlesex County Junior Trophy in 2022–23, defeating CB Hounslow United's third team 6–0 in the final.
• In 2023–24 they secured back-to-back promotions and won both the Jim Rogers President's Division One Cup and the Middlesex County Junior Cup.