ðə dˈaʊnz lˈiːɡ wʌz fˈɔːɹmd ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈaɪv wɪð θˈɜːɾi fˈaʊndɚ mˈɛmbɚz, ˈɔːl ʌv ðˌɛm tˈiːmz hˌuː wɜːɹ ɔːlɹˌɛdi plˈeɪɪŋ ɪnðə sˈɪɾi ænd ɔnðə dˈaʊnz mˈɛni pˈɪtʃᵻz.
The Downs League was formed in 1905 with 30 founder members, all of them teams who were already playing in the city and on the Downs' many pitches.