Leek Town F.C.

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,{{Cite web | access-date=6 July 2007 | access-date=6 July 2007 | access-date = 6 July 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081120031131/http://www.nonleaguefooty.co.uk/club/leek-town.html | archive-date = 20 November 2008 | url-status = dead

The club began life playing in the local Leek and Moorlands League, playing on a field adjoining a pub, before joining the Staffordshire County League in 1947. In 1949–50, Lowe Hamil were champions of this league, becoming the first (and to date only) team to win the title without losing a single match (some sources state this title win occurred in 1950–51). In 1951, the team switched to the Manchester League, adopting the name Leek Town at the same time, and won the championship at the first attempt, after which the team relocated once more to the Mid-Cheshire League, where again they played for just one season. In 1954, the team joined the Birmingham & District League but resigned in the middle of the 1956–57 season due to financial difficulties, after which they had another brief spell in the Manchester League, which was also curtailed due to monetary problems, before eventually returning to the Staffordshire County League.

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. 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.

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. 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. 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 Northern Premier League Division One in 1987, and in 1989–90, won the Division One title to gain promotion to the Premier Division, the highest level at which they had ever played. In the same season, they progressed through eight rounds of the FA Trophy, including a quarter-final win over Darlington, that season's Conference champions, to reach the final at Wembley Stadium but were defeated 3–0 by Barrow.

In 1993–94, Leek finished second in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, which should have been sufficient for promotion to the Football Conference. However, they were refused promotion due to financial irregularities. To compound their problems, they were shifted from the Northern Premier League to the Southern League; the resulting travel costs proved a severe drain on the club. After one season, the club was allowed to return to the Northern Premier League.

In 1996–97, Leek claimed the Northern Premier League title by ten points and were this time granted promotion to the Conference. In their first season at this level, they narrowly managed to avoid relegation but could not repeat the feat the following year and were relegated back to the Northern Premier League Premier Division. In 2000–01, the Blues were relegated to Division One, but regained their place in the Premier Division when the league was restructured due to the formation of Conference North in 2004. The club achieved several mid-table finishes in the league but struggled off the pitch. On 21 June 2006, it was announced that the club was in such severe financial peril that it was facing a winding-up order,{{Cite web |access-date=2 July 2007 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930032416/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?&newsmode=FULL&nid=35729 |archive-date=30 September 2007 |access-date=18 July 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022204924/http://www.unibondleague.com/news.php?nid=5064 |archive-date=22 October 2007

Due to league re-organisations, Leek have played since 2015 in Division One South, Division One West, and Division One South East. In the 2018–19 season, Leek again made the play-offs and defeated Colne in the semi-finals but lost in the final to Radcliffe. Both the subsequent two seasons were abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2023–24 season saw Leek promoted from the Division One West as champions. In the 2024–25 season, Leek played at Step 3 for the first time since 2008.

Colours and crest

Leek's home colours have traditionally been all blue, and their away colours all yellow, both colours which reflect the town's coat of arms, which is predominantly blue and gold.{{Cite web | access-date=22 December 2021 | access-date=8 September 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080922074023/http://www.leektown.co.uk/info/clubshop.php | archive-date = 22 September 2008

The club's crest features a garb and a Staffordshire knot, both of which are elements of the town's arms, as well as a caduceus, a symbol which appears on token coins issued in Leek in the 18th century.{{Cite web | access-date=22 December 2021

Stadium and supporters

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.{{Cite web |access-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130709154205/http://www.pyramidpassion.co.uk/html/leek_town.html |archive-date=9 July 2013 |url-status=dead}} In 1998, the ground was flooded when a nearby reservoir overflowed and the river which runs alongside the ground burst its banks. The ground was renamed to the F Ball Community Stadium, following the change of surface from grass to ATP in 2021.

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. The highest attendance figure recorded at Harrison Park came when the club played near-neighbours Macclesfield Town in an FA Cup 2nd qualifying round match in the 1973–74 season in front of a crowd of 3,512. When Leek played in the Conference National, the average home attendance was around 600.{{Cite web |access-date=7 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006184658/http://stats.confguide.com/1999/ENG/teams/LeekTwn.html |archive-date=6 October 2008 | access-date=22 December 2021

The Clubs home attendance has continued to improve since covid, with semi elite football becoming more and more popular, with average home attendances being an average of 600. Leek experienced its two biggest home crowds in the last 30 years against Macclesfield in 2023 and 2025, both being in excess of 2,000.

Statistics and records

Leek's highest ever finish in the English football league system was a 19th-place finish in Conference National (level 5) in 1997–98, the first of two seasons the team played at that level. The Blues have only twice progressed beyond the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup, reaching the first round in 1993–94 and the second round in 1990–91, when they held Chester City to a draw at home but lost 4–0 in the replay. Leek reached the final of the FA Trophy in 1989–90 but lost 3–0 to Barrow at Wembley Stadium.{{Cite web |archive-url=https://archive.today/20050426084017/http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFATrophy/History/Postings/2002/05/10116.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 April 2005 |access-date=4 July 2007

Managers

Despite their relatively short history, over 30 men have managed The Blues. Paul Ogden has had six separate spells in charge.{{Cite web | access-date=26 January 2010 |access-date=3 July 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022204824/http://www.unibondleague.com/news.php?nid=5070 |archive-date=22 October 2007

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Current staff

As of August 2024

Honours

Rivalries

Leek's main local rivals are Buxton,{{Cite web| url = http://www.buxtonadvertiser.co.uk/thebucks?articleid=2966811| title = Old rivalry is to be reignited | access-date=3 July 2007| publisher = Buxton Advertiser| author=Louise Bellicoso| date = 20 June 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070630005931/http://www.buxtonadvertiser.co.uk/thebucks?articleid=2966811 | archive-date = 30 June 2007}} the two sides having been historic Northern Premier League rivals throughout the 1990s. Matlock Town and Kidsgrove Athletic{{Cite web |access-date = 3 July 2007

References

References

1. "History". Leek Town F.C..
2. (29 April 2012). "Ilkeston FC promoted". Ilkeston Advertiser.
3. "Leek Town". The Football Club History Database.
4. (2 April 2024). "Leek Town Clinch West Division Title With Four Games To Spare".
5. Williams, Tony. (1978). "The FA Non-League Football Annual 1978–79". MacDonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd.
6. Williams. Tony. "Non-League Club Directory 2007". Tony Williams Publications Ltd. (2007)
7. (28 October 2018). "20 years ago: Do you remember when Leek Town flooded?". [[Stoke Sentinel]].
8. (2011). "Non-League Club Directory 2011". TW Publications.
9. (3 October 2010). "Johnson leaves Leek". Leek Town F.C..
10. White, Andy. (6 October 2010). "Leek appoint former Watford captain Cox". [[The Non-League Paper]].
11. (17 April 2011). "Cox drops resignation bombshell". Leek Town F.C..
12. Perkin, Alex. (28 March 2011). "YLP: "Management team all but in place"".
13. Snee, Tom. "Flurry of transfers at Leek". Northern Premier League.
14. Hannah, Jim. (1 April 2016). "Leek Town: Ant Danylyk – I love the place now it's my job to lift the players". The Sentinel.
15. "Contact". Leek Town F.C..
16. "First squad". Leek Town F.C..
17. "League Record". Leek Town F.C..
18. (September 2017). "Leek Town Weekly News". Northern Premier League}}{{dead link.