Leiston F.C.

Leiston

Full name	Leiston Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Blues
Founded	1880
Ground	Victory Road, Leiston
Capacity	2,250 (250 seated) [1]
Owner	Andy Crisp
Chairman	Andy Crisp
Manager	Darren Eadie & Chris Wigger (joint managers)
League	Southern League Premier Division Central
2023–24	Southern League Premier Division Central, 13th of 21
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours
Current season

Leiston Football Club is a football club based in Leiston, Suffolk, England. They are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division Central and play at Victory Road.

History

Established in 1880, the club was initially closely linked to the Richard Garrett Engineering Works. They reached the final of the Suffolk Senior Cup in 1892, 1897 and 1904, losing on each occasion, although the club did win the Junior Cup in 1895. In 1894 Leiston joined the North Suffolk League, which they played in until 1909. In 1900 the club also joined the Ipswich & District League (later the Suffolk & Ipswich League) and were champions in their first three seasons. ^[2] In 1904 they transferred to the South East Anglian League, but left in 1907 before rejoining in 1911 (when it had been renamed the East Anglian League). ^[3] Between 1912 and 1914 the club also played in the Ipswich & District League.

After World War I the club was reformed as Leiston Works Athletic and rejoined the Ipswich & District League and the East Anglian League. In 1920 they left the EAL and joined the Essex & Suffolk Border League. At the end of the 1920–21 season the club left both the IDL and ESBL to join the Norfolk & Suffolk League before rejoining the IDL in 1926. After finishing bottom of the table in 1934–35 they were reformed as Leiston and dropped into Division 2B. ^[2] The club won all seventeen league matches in 1937–38 and were promoted to Division One after defeating Division 2A winners Manningtree Rovers in a play-off.

In 1948 Leiston rejoined the Norfolk & Suffolk League, but transferred back to the Ipswich & District League in 1953. Despite finishing bottom of the Senior Division in 1979–80, the club avoided being relegated as the division was expanded. ^[4] However, after finishing bottom again in 1981–82 they were relegated. ^[4] They were promoted back to the Senior Division at the first attempt, ^[4] also winning the Suffolk Junior Cup, which they retained in 1983–84. Leiston then spent several years as a yo yo club as they were relegated in 1988–89, promoted back in 1989–90, relegated again in 1991–92 and returned to the Senior Division in 1996–96. After finishing third in 2000–01 the club stepped up to Division One of the Eastern Counties League.

The 2003–04 season saw Leiston finish third in Division One, earning promotion to the Premier Division. The club reached the final of the Suffolk Premier Cup three times in succession between 2006 and 2008, but lost on each occasion; 3–2 after extra time against Lowestoft Town in 2006, 8–0 to Ipswich Town reserves in 2007, and on penalties to Needham Market in 2008. In the same season they beat Brentwood Town on penalties to win the East Anglian Cup. In the 2008–09 FA Cup the club reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time; drawn at home to Conference North club Fleetwood Town, they drew 0–0 in front of a record crowd of 1,250, before losing the replay 2–0. ^[5]

Leiston (in red) playing Margate in 2013

In 2010–11 Leiston won the Eastern Counties League Premier Division, earning promotion to Division One North of the Isthmian League. In 2011–12 they won Division One North, achieving back-to-back promotions and moving up to the Isthmian League Premier Division. ^[6] They finished fifth in the Premier Division in 2017–18, going on to lose 1–0 in the play-off semi-finals to Dulwich Hamlet. The club were transferred to the Premier Central division of the Southern League at the end of the 2017–18 season as part of the restructuring of the non-League pyramid.

Ground

Leiston initially played at the old Recreation Ground, today known as Park Hill, ^[2] with players changing in the White Horse Hotel or at the Works Hall. In 1921 they moved to their current ground on Victory Road, then known as the Leiston Works Athletic Association, after Garretts bought the ground. It was later renamed the Leiston Town Athletic Association.

Current squad

As of 1 June 2024 ^{[7] [8]}

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Pos. Nation Player GK   ENG Sam Donkin DF   ENG Seb Dunbar(captain) DF   ENG Eddie Jackson DF   ENG Rossi Jarvis DF   CAN Wyatt Hill MF   ENG Albie Armin

Pos. Nation Player MF   ENG Ryan Jarvis MF   ENG Cameron Rayworth MF   ENG Ollie Saunders MF   ENG George Quantrell FW   ENG Ben Fowkes FW   JAM Jamar Loza

The Southern Football League does not use a squad numbering system.

Management and coaching staff

Boardroom

As of 18 August 2021 ^[7]

Position	Name
Chairman	Andy Crisp

Current staff

Position	Name
Joint Managers	Darren Eadie Chris Wigger
First Team Coaches	Nigel Ling Lee Norfolk

Managerial history

Period	Manager	Notes
2006–2007	Jason Dozzell
2008–2010	Carl Chenery
2010–2013	Mark Morsley
2013	Danny Laws
2013	Steve Pitt	[9]
2013–2014	Steve Ball	[10]
2014–2016	Richard Wilkins
2016–2018	Glen Driver	[11]
2018–2019	Stuart Boardley	[12]
2019	Ian Cornforth	[13]
2019–2020	Glen Driver	[14]
2020–Present	Darren Eadie & Chris Wigger	[15]

Honours

• Isthmian League
  • Division One North champions 2011–12
• Eastern Counties League
  • Premier Division champions 2010–11
  • Division One Cup winners 2001–02
• Suffolk & Ipswich League
  • Champions 1900–01, 1901–02, 1902–03
  • Division 2B champions 1937–38
• East Anglian Cup
  • Winners 2007–08
• Suffolk Premier Cup
  • Winners 2017–18, 2018–19
• Suffolk Junior Cup
  • Winners 1894–95, 1982–83, 1983–84

Records

• Best FA Cup performance: First round, 2008–09 ^[6]
• Best FA Trophy performance: Fourth round, 2022–23 ^[6]
• Best FA Vase performance: Quarter-finals, 2010–11 ^[6]
• Record attendance: 1,250 v Fleetwood Town, FA Cup first round, 8 November 2008 ^[1]
• Most league goals: Lee McGlone 60 ^[16]
• Most league appearances: Gareth Heath, 201

See also

• Leiston F.C. players
• Leiston F.C. managers

References

1. Club Information Leiston F.C.
2. Blakeman, M (2010) The Official History of the Eastern Counties Football League 1935–2010, Volume II ISBN   978-1-908037-02-2
3. East Anglian League Non-League Matters
4. Suffolk & Ipswich League 1979–1999 + 2000–2004 Non-League Matters
5. Fleetwood Town 2–0 Leiston BBC Sport, 18 November 2008
6. Leiston at the Football Club History Database
7. "Leiston". www.leistonfc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
8. "Leiston: Squad". Soccerway.
9. Brammer, Chris (20 October 2013). "Leiston chief reveals reasons behind appointments of Steve Pitt and Steve Ball". Green'Un. Ipswich. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
10. Bacon, Mike (4 December 2013). "New Leiston boss Steve Ball takes charge with Rob Bate at Victory Road". Green'Un. Ipswich. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
11. "Glenn Driver appointed new Blues boss". Leiston F.C. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
12. Boardley and Head take over at Leiston as Victory Road club announce new management team East Anglian Daily Times, 30 October 2018
13. "Blues manager Stuart Boardley resigns". Leiston F.C. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
14. "Glen Driver and Tony Kinsella return to Victory Road". Leiston F.C. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
15. "BLUES APPOINT DARREN EADIE AND CHRIS WIGGER AS JOINT FIRST TEAM MANAGERS". Leiston F.C. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
16. Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2012) Non-League Club Directory 2013, p561 ISBN   978-1-869833-77-0

External links

• Official website

52°12′15.84″N1°34′17.13″E / 52.2044000°N 1.5714250°E / 52.2044000; 1.5714250