Leek Town F.C.
Full name | Leek Town Football Club | ||
---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Blues | ||
Founded | 1946[1] (as Leek Lowe Hamil) | ||
Ground | Harrison Park, Leek | ||
Capacity | 3,600 (625 seated)[2] | ||
Chairman | Jon Eeles | ||
Manager | Josh Brehaut | ||
League | Northern Premier League Division One West | ||
2022–23 | Northern Premier League Division One West, 2nd of 20 | ||
|
Leek Town Football Club is an English football club based in Leek, Staffordshire, playing in the Northern Premier League Division One West, the eighth tier of English football. The team, nicknamed "The Blues", play their home games at Harrison Park.
The club was founded in 1946 and played in a variety of local leagues including the
Leek Town reached the final of the FA Trophy in 1990, having progressed all the way from the first qualifying round, but lost in the final at Wembley Stadium 3–0 to Barrow.
History
Football was played in Leek from at least 1876, with an earlier side called simply Leek F.C. having been part of The Combination in the 1890s,[3] but the current Leek Town club traces its lineage to the formation of a team called Leek Lowe Hamil in 1946 (although the club's official history does not mention it, some sources state that the club was initially known as Abbey Green Rovers before adopting the Lowe Hamil name).[4][5]
The club began life playing in the local Leek and Moorlands League, playing on a field adjoining a
In 1968 a new committee was formed, under which the club emerged from the doldrums. Manager Paul Ogden took over in 1969 and led the club to two Staffordshire County League championships, followed in quick succession by two Manchester League titles.[4] After the second Manchester League win, Leek joined the Cheshire County League, where they were league champions at the second attempt in the 1974–75 season, but after Ogden left in 1975 to take over as manager of Northwich Victoria a series of managers came and went in quick succession without being able to maintain this level of success.[6]
In 1982 the Cheshire County League merged with the Lancashire Combination to form the new North West Counties League, where Leek spent five relatively unsuccessful seasons.[3] During their spell in this league former England player Mike Pejic took over as manager, Leek's most high-profile appointment to date, but he had only a short reign before moving to Northwich Victoria.[6] Following Kevin Lewis' brief reign Neil Baker took over in 1986 and was to lead the club to some of its greatest successes to date.
Leek were chosen to be among the founder members of the new
In
In
Due to league re-organisations, since 2015 Leek have played in Division One South, Division One West, and Division One South East.[9] In the 2018–19 season Leek again made the play-offs and defeated Ramsbottom United in the semi-finals but lost in the final to Radcliffe. Both the subsequent two seasons were abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] The 2023–24 season saw Leek promoted from the Division One West as champions.[11]
Colours and crest
Leek's home colours have traditionally been all blue, and their away colours all yellow,[12][13] both colours which reflect the town's coat of arms, which is predominantly blue and gold.[14] The club has also used a blue and white kit similar to that of Blackburn Rovers, and away kits in other colours such as red and black,[15] or lime green. The team's shirts were sponsored for a number of years by butter manufacturer Kerrygold, whose headquarters are in the town.[16]
The club's crest features a garb and a Staffordshire knot, both of which are elements of the town's arms,[14] as well as a caduceus, a symbol which appears on token coins issued in Leek in the 18th century.[17]
Stadium and supporters
53°6′35″N 2°2′23″W / 53.10972°N 2.03972°W
Harrison Park lies on the outskirts of Leek and has been the team's home since 1948, when the club purchased what was then called Hamil Park for £1,250. Changing rooms were constructed in the 1950s (previously the players had been obliged to change in a nearby pub), along with the first covered accommodation for spectators, and floodlights (which had previously belonged to the defunct Rugby Town) were erected in 1972, soon after which the stadium was renamed Harrison Park after former club chairman Geoff Harrison.[18] In 1998 the ground was flooded when a nearby reservoir overflowed and the river which runs alongside the ground burst its banks.[19]
The ground has a capacity of 3,600 spectators, with 625 seats. There is a clubhouse for the use of supporters as well as a club shop.
Statistics and records
Leek's highest ever finish in the
Managers
Despite their relatively short history, over 30 men have managed The Blues. Paul Ogden has had six separate spells in charge.[6][24][25]
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Current staff
Position | Name |
---|---|
Manager | Josh Brehaut |
Assistant Manager | Peter Ward |
Physiotherapist | Gilly Parkin |
Coach | Danny Pugh |
Coach | Dom Kurasik |
Chairman | Jon Eeles |
Vice Chairman | Paul Bateman |
Director | Tracy Reynolds |
Director | Neil Baker |
Director | Steve Norris |
Director | Ian Smith |
First Team Secretary | Tom Eeles |
Honours
Honour | Season(s) |
---|---|
Northern Premier League Premier Division champions |
1996–97
|
Northern Premier League Division One champions |
1989–90
|
Northern Premier League Division One West champions |
2023–24 |
FA Trophy Finalists |
1989–90 |
Cheshire County League Champions |
1974–75[3] |
Manchester League Champions |
1951–52,[36] 1971–72,[37] 1972–73[38] |
Staffordshire County League Champions |
1950–51, 1969–70, 1970–71[36] |
Rivalries
Leek's main local rivals are Buxton,[39] the two sides having been historic Northern Premier League rivals throughout the 1990s. Matlock Town[40] and Kidsgrove Athletic[41] are also considered local rivals to the Blues.
References
- ^ a b c d "History". Leek Town F.C. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
- FC United of Manchester. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Leek". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 6 July 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f "Leek Town F.C." Mossley F.C. Retrieved 6 July 2007.
- ^ "Leek Town F.C." nonleaguefooty.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2007.
- ^ a b c "Past managers of Leek Town F.C." Leek Town F.C. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
- ^ "Leek face winding-up order". nonleaguedaily.com. 22 June 2006. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 2 July 2007.
- ^ "Leek Town Saved – Press Statement". Northern Premier League. 11 June 2007. Archived from the original on 22 October 2007. Retrieved 18 July 2007.
- ^ a b c d "Leek Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ "Ilkeston FC promoted". Ilkeston Advertiser. 29 April 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
- ^ "Leek Town Clinch West Division Title With Four Games To Spare". www.thenpl.co.uk. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ Williams, Tony (1978). The FA Non-League Football Annual 1978–79. MacDonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd. p. 137.
- ISBN 978-1-869833-55-8.
- ^ Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ "Club shop". Leek Town F.C. Archived from the original on 22 September 2008. Retrieved 8 September 2008.
- ^ "Team building". Kerrygold. Archived from the original on 27 September 2006. Retrieved 4 July 2007.
- The British Museum. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ "Leek Town FC". Pyramid Passion. Archived from the original on 9 July 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- Stoke Sentinel. 28 October 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-86983-368-8.
- ^ "stats for confguide.com". ConfGuide.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
- ^ "Attendances by Season". Leek Town F.C. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ "FA Trophy Statistics". The FA. Archived from the original on 26 April 2005. Retrieved 4 July 2007.
- ^ "Leek Town Appointment for Ogden". Northern Premier League. 13 June 2007. Archived from the original on 22 October 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2007.
- ^ a b "Ogden Returns to Take Charge at Leek- But Only One Game". Northern Premier League. 30 September 2007. Archived from the original on 4 October 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
- ^ "Ogden makes brief return to Leek hot-seat". NonLeagueDaily.com. 1 October 2007. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- ^ a b "Leek Town Shocked by Moores Exit". Northern Premier League. 29 November 2007. Archived from the original on 1 December 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
- ^ "Johnson leaves Leek". Leek Town F.C. 3 October 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
- ^ White, Andy (6 October 2010). "Leek appoint former Watford captain Cox". The Non-League Paper. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
- ^ "Cox drops resignation bombshell". Leek Town F.C. 17 April 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
- ^ Perkin, Alex (28 March 2011). "YLP: "Management team all but in place"". Retrieved 28 March 2011.
- ^ Snee, Tom. "Flurry of transfers at Leek". Northern Premier League. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
- ^ Hannah, Jim (1 April 2016). "Leek Town: Ant Danylyk – I love the place now it's my job to lift the players". The Sentinel. Retrieved 17 April 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Contact". Leek Town F.C. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ "First squad". Leek Town F.C. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ a b "League Record". Leek Town F.C. Archived from the original on 30 December 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ "Non League Tables for 1971–1972". UK Soccer – Non League Archive. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2007.
- ^ "Non League Tables for 1972–1973". UK Soccer – Non League Archive. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2007.
- ^ Louise Bellicoso (20 June 2007). "Old rivalry is to be reignited". Buxton Advertiser. Archived from the original on 30 June 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2007.
- ^ "Leek Town Weekly News". Northern Premier League. 8 April 2007. Retrieved 6 December 2007.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Leek Town Weekly News". Northern Premier League. 25 March 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2007.[permanent dead link]
External links