So what makes someone Jewish? The answer is that the club has no rigorous set of rules; it instead trusts that if someone considers himself Jewish, then he is, whether or not he grew up with any religious training.

There are about 285,000 Jews in England, according to the 2011 census, and roughly two-thirds of them are said to live in or around London. The Lions were initially known as Maccabi Association London — and played in a Sunday league with other Jewish teams — but changed their name before the 2000 season when the club decided to enter into England’s more formal soccer structure.

At that time, there was some resistance from leaders of Britain’s Maccabi Union, who said it was not appropriate for the team to continue using the Maccabi name if it was going to play on Saturdays (the Jewish Sabbath), as is customary for most leagues in England. Club management considered several alternatives, and ultimately settled on Lions as a tribute to the lion of Judah, which is a symbol of one of the biblical tribes of Israel.

Despite that liturgical connection, though, the players on the London Lions represent a wide swath of Jewish identity. The club’s success — it clinched this season’s South Midlands League Division One title with three matches to go, ensuring a promotion to the ninth level of the pyramid this fall — has attracted players from as far as Manchester (about 200 miles away), which is particularly remarkable given that the players are unpaid. In fact, first-team players have to pay roughly £150 (about $230) to be on the roster and must juggle games and practices with the demands of their outside jobs.

That has often been the most difficult part of running the team, said Tony Gold, the team’s coach. Many players work in real estate or for headhunting firms, and some have high-level management jobs. Getting out of work for a midweek evening match becomes a challenge.