PITCHING IN SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION CENTRAL
ROYSTON TOWN FC vs LEISTON FC Saturday 15th January 2022 Kick Off: 3pm
Royston Town FC would like to welcome today's opponents Leiston FC for their visit to Garden Walk for this Pitching In Southern Football League Premier Division Central fixture. We wish their Players, Officials and Supporters an enjoyable afternoon and hope that the match will be a keenly contested and entertaining game.
We also welcome today’s Match Officials and hope they too have an enjoyable game.
TODAY'S MATCH SPONSOR:
Royston Town Football Club President Chairman Secretary
Founded 1875 Alan Barlow Steve Jackson Terry McKinnell 9 Valley Rise, Royston, Herts SG8 9EY 07772 086709
Treasurer Welfare Officer Fixture Secretary Executive Board
Webmaster Programme Editors Official Photographer
email: secretary@roystontownfc.co.uk Jeff Gill Angela Baulk Steve Endacott (07971 512402) Trevor Burrows, Andy Toovey, Eric Joyce, David Baulk, Angela Baulk, Chris Coote, Duncan Easley, Giles Parnwell, Neil MacLeod, Matt Clowery Steve Endacott Angela Baulk, Neil MacLeod Kevin Richards
Football Management Team First Team Manager First Team Asst Manager Reserve Team Manager U18 Team Managers Women's Team Manager Vets Team Manager
Steve Castle Chris Watters Lewis Endacott Dan Evans/Matt Campany Lewis Endacott Lee Wilkinson
Ground
Garden Walk, Royston, Herts SG8 7HP Telephone (01763) 241204
Colours
First XI Reserves U18 Women's Vets
White/Black/White White/Black/White White/Black/Black White/Black/White White/Black/Black
Members of: The Hertfordshire Football Association Southern League Premier Division The Herts Senior County League Thurlow Nunn Youth League Eastern Region Women’s Football League The Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Ladies League Royston Town Football Club is an unincorporated association controlled by its members under the Constitution of RTFC
CLUB HONOURS WINNERS Herts County League (Div I) 1969-70, 1972-73 Herts County League (Premier Div) 1976-1977 South Midlands League (Div I) 1977-1978 South Midlands Reserve League (Div II) 1978-1979 South Midlands Reserve League (Div I) 1979-1980 North Herts (Div IV) League Cup, 1978-79, 1979-1980 Herts Charity Shield, 1981-82, 1989-90, 1996-1997 Herts Intermediate Cup, 1988-1989 Chiltern Youth League (Div I) 1989-1990 South Combinations Reserve Floodlight Cup, 1992-1993 Chiltern Youth League Cup, 1992-1993 South Midlands Challenge Trophy, 1995-1996 Eastern Region Women’s League (Div II) 1998-1999 Eastern Counties Youth League Cup, 2001-2002 South Midlands Reserve Challenge Cup 2004-2005 KB Tyres Division III Champions 2006-2007 South Midlands League (Div I) 2008-2009 South Midlands League Cup (Div I) 2008-2009 South Midlands Floodlit Cup 1994-1995 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012 South Midlands Reserve League (Div II East) 2008-2009 South Midlands Reserve Challenge Cup 2008-2009 KB Tyres Division I League Cup 2009-2010 South Midlands Reserve Floodlit Cup 2009-2010 BIS Cambs League Division 2A 2010/2011 BIS Cambs League Divisional Champions 2010/2011 Veterans Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup 2010/2011 South Midlands Premier League 2011/2012 South Midlands Premier League Cup 2011/2012 Suburban League North Division 2012/2013, 2013/2014 Joint Winners of the Hinchingbrooke Cup 2013 Eastern Region Women’s League Plate 2013/2014, 2014/15 Suburban Premier League 2015-16 Eastern Region Women’s League Division 1 West 2015/16 Southern League Div 1 Central 2016/17
RUNNERS UP South Midlands Challenge Cup, 1978-1979 Herts Charity Shield, 1978-79, 1998-99, 2004-05, 2008-2009 South Midlands League (Premier Div) 1979-1980 North Herts (Div IV) 1979-1980 North Herts (Div III) 1981-1982 North Herts (Div II) 1982-1983 South Midlands Res Section Trophy, 1982-1983 Chiltern Youth League Cup, 1986-87, 1988-1989 Herts Intermediate Cup, 1989-1990 Herts County Youth Cup, 1992-1993 North Herts (Div I), 1993-1994 South Midlands Floodlit Cup, 1995-1996 Herts F.A. Women’s Cup, 1998-99, 2001-2002 2013/14 Eastern Region Women’s League (Div I) 1999-2000, 2013/2014 2014/15 Eastern Junior Plate, 2001-2002 KB Tyres Division I 2008-2009, 2009-2010 South Midlands Reserve Challenge Trophy 2009-2010 South Midlands Reserves Floodlit Cup 2010/2011 Hertfordshire Women’s County Cup 2013/2014 Eastern Region Women’s League, League Cup 2014/15 Southern League Division 1 Central 2014/15 2015/16
WHO'S GOT WHO? Today's other fixtures SATURDAY 15th JANUARY 2022 Banbury United v AFC Rushden & Diamonds Barwell v Peterborough Sports Bromsgrove Sporting v Alvechurch Coialville Town v Tamworth Hitchin Town v St Ives Town Lowestoft Town v Biggleswade Town Nuneaton Borough v Rushall Olympic Redditch United v Stratford Town
SCORES ON THE DOORS! LEAGUE TABLE PITCHING IN SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER CENTRAL DIVISION
https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/southern-football-league-premier-central-division
By Jon Couch THEY say that football and politics should never mix – just ask the officials at Chester FC this week. In a bizarre twist to start the new year, the National League North Blues have been dragged into a Covid border war with both English and Welsh governments claiming authority on its jurisdiction. As you may know, the club’s Deva Stadium straddles the English/Welsh border but although Chester is an English football club, based in an English city and playing in an English league, the ground, although owned by Cheshire West and Cheshire Council is, apparently, governed by Welsh regulations. This week, the Blues were presented with a joint letter from North Wales Police and Flintshire County Council informing them of potential Welsh Coronavirus Regulations breaches for their home games against AFC Fylde on December 28 and AFC Telford United on January 2. As a result, the club have now informed supporters that further potential breaches could be brought if it continued to play home fixtures with crowds while the current restrictions in Wales are in place. Strict new rules mean that live sport in the country can only be attended by 50 people, as the likes of Wrexham and Merthyr Town are, as it stands, having to abide by. Chester chiefs are currently seeking legal advice but, ultimately, it could mean Chester having to play homes games behind closed doors until Welsh regulations are eased or lifted. For Chester, playing to an empty Deva Stadium isn’t an option, as vice-chairman Jim Green warned. “I think all parties need to take a step back, reflect and take some more legal advice,” he said. “The implications of this decision and outcome are very significant. “It’s not viable for us to play without fans in the stadium so it’s going to need some cool heads and common-sense thinking.” What a bizarre situation this is. Pubs and clubs remain open and supporters are still free to pile onto coaches and cross the border to watch their away games. In theory, Chester could erect a big screen in their car park and let thousands of fans attend to watch a game being played yards away. The situation all makes for a very frustrating situation, with the Blues seeking legal advice to confirm their stance. Chester have clearly been caught in some serious crossfire here as the British nations try to learn to live with Covid without having to shut down entirely. For everyone’s sake though, I just hope that common sense prevails and Chester are left alone to carry on safely as normal, without being used as a political football for parliamentary bigwigs.
SO WHEN DID IT ALL BEGIN? The history of Royston Town FC After some intensive research, the evidence is that the club came into existence in 1875 making Royston the third oldest Club in Hertfordshire after Hitchin and Bishop Stortford. The Club’s very first honour came in 1911/12 when they won the Creake Charity Shield beating Wisbech 1-0 in extra time. The Club’s first major honour in more recent times came in the guise of promotion to the Herts County Premier League in 1969/70 and they went on to be champions in 1972/73 and 1976/77. In 1978 we rejoined the South Midlands League and won the Division One title at the first time of asking. Success continued with a final appearance in the Herts Charity Shield for the first time in 1979 and runners up spot in the South Midlands League Premier Division in 1980. The Herts Charity Shield was won in 1981/82 and two years later the Club joined the Isthmian League Division Two North where we remained for 10 seasons before returning to the South Midlands League in 1994. After a period in the doldrums that culminated in relegation from the South Midlands League Premier Division at the end of 2006/07, Paul Attfield was appointed manager with ex-Spurs favourite Tony Galvin returning to Garden Walk 1st Team Coach in November 2007. Paul immediately set about building a new 1st Team squad and a run of 17 games undefeated saw the Club move from the bottom of the table to finish in 5th place in the League. The foundations had been laid for the 2008/09 season and the first team took the South Midlands Division One League title with one of the best sets of stats for any Step 6 Club in the country W33, D4, L3, GF138, GA30, GD+108, PTS 103. The 2011/2012 season will be seen as a watershed in our history with winning the South Midlands Premier Division title and promotion to Step 4 in the shape of the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One Central. In our first season back at Step 4 after an absence of 19 years, it was hard to know what to expect and how we would perform. Most of our supporters felt a mid-table position would be an acceptable target for the season, but we quickly found ourselves exceeding all expectations as our performances propelled us towards the top of the table. Four straight wins in the first four games set the tone and a run of nine wins with just one defeat between October and December saw us maintain a play-off position. In the very last game of the season a playoff was still a possibility and having gone 2-1 up away at AFC Hayes with just a few minutes of the game left it looked a near certainty. But it was not to be as Hayes scored an 87-minute equaliser and our play-off place was lost. In our second season at this level, our steady progress to claim a place in the playoff zone was given a severe jolt when Paul Attfield announced his resignation as first team manager due to ill health at the beginning of November. The search for his replacement began almost immediately and we were inundated with applications from some very well know and successful managers. After an exhaustive selection process, the Board appointed Steve Castle at the end of November and on Boxing Day Steve officially took over securing a 0 – 0 draw against the League’s form team and eventual champions Dunstable Town. Our 2014/15 season opener was at home against one of the promotion favourites Rugby Town but an impressive team display ensured their threat was stifled and we ran out winners 2 -1. That victory really did set things buzzing but we were quickly brought back down to earth when on the following Tuesday night Bedworth United were the visitors winning the game 3 – 1. As we all know consistency in performances provides the key to long term success and although the early stages of the season produced good results against the likes of Daventry Town and Beaconsfield these were punctuated by dismal performances against the likes of Aylesbury and Egham Town. From mid-November to mid-December We really lost our way with six defeats in seven games but our rollercoaster ride saw an incredible run of form over the Christmas period and into the New Year with five straight wins which helped us maintain a position in the playoff places.
On a miserable Tuesday evening in February, we travelled to lowly AFC Hayes and after an abject performance, we lost the game 2 – 0. This prompted our Chairman to tell Steve Castle that he had given up on this team making the play–offs and said that we should start preparing instead for next season. That message was conveyed to players and we witnessed a most remarkable transformation in our results with a 14 game unbeaten run during which we scored 29 goals and conceded just seven resulting in us achieving the runners up spot to league champions Kettering Town and securing our place in the playoff semi-final where we met local rivals Barton Rovers. After an incident-packed 90 minutes and extra time the game ended in a goalless draw but it was not to be our night and we lost the shoot out 4-5 and had to suffer the agony of all the emotions which go with being defeated in this way. We started the 2015/16 season strongly and between the end of December and the end of March we produced a rich vein of form with only one defeat in 14 games and this ensured we were sitting on top of the league with just 7 games to go and with the expectation that we could win promotion outright ran high throughout the whole club. However, three games in succession proved our downfall when we could only draw 0 – 0 with Bedford and lost to Egham away 3- 1 and Godalming at home 1- 0 and once again we ended up in the play offs against AFC Rushden but we failed to turn up and went out tamely to our opponents 2 - 1. Having finished runners up for two years in succession Steve Castle was determined to make it third time lucky and began to recruit some experienced new blood in the shape of John Frendo and Adam Murray whilst at the same time giving youngsters Gus Scott Morris and Josh Castiglione extended runs in the first team. However, the season didn’t start well and after four games we’d only mustered five points whilst promotion rivals Farnborough just couldn’t stop winning. Although results did improve, defeat in the FA Cup to Heybridge Swifts 4 – 1 and a thrashing by Barton Rovers at home 6 – 3 at the end of September didn’t do a great of good for our confidence. Things took a dramatic turn thereafter with 12 successive league wins which ended with defeat 2-1 at Kidlington in early January 2017, interspersed by a magnificent run in the FA Trophy including a victory against Step 2 outfit Hampton and Richmond Borough before in the replay against Dulwich Hamlet we eventually went down 1 -0. With cup football out of the way, the team put together an incredible run of 16 league games undefeated including a 5 – 0 thrashing of closest rivals Farnborough which saw us maintain the top spot until the end of the season by a margin of 12 points and the highest number of goals scored, 120, across all three Evostik Leagues. Promotion to the Southern Premier League means that the Club was playing at the highest level in its 142-year history! Season 2017/18 saw The Crows exceed all expectations in our first season at Step 3. Throughout the season we managed to maintain our hopes of a play-off place until they were finally put to bed with two successive defeats against the eventual play-off winners Slough Town and we had to be satisfied with a seventh-place finish. The signing of Adam Marriott, a proven goal scorer who had played for Lincoln City, Stevenage and Cambridge United was without a doubt a real coup and he was to play a key role in the progress made by the Club by becoming our leading marksman with 31 goals. A good run in the FA Trophy with wins against Enfield Town and Leatherhead came to an end against Eastbourne Borough when having managed to draw at their place we lost the replay on penalties. We managed to get to the final of the Herts Senior Cup where we played Borehamwood from Step 2 and in spite of a brave performance we never really had the power to compete and lost 2 – 1. Given where we had started from we definitely exceeded our own and many other peoples’ expectations and this has provided us with the building blocks to face this season in the newly constituted Southern Premier Central League.
Season 2018/19 saw us finishing in a respectable 9th position in what proved to be a very strong Premier Division Central. During February/March we recorded six wins out of seven league games to give us a faint hope of a playoff spot, but three straight defeats in April put paid to our chances. We suffered another early at AFC Sudbury in the FA Cup and in the FA Trophy we progressed through two rounds before being beaten in a replay at Needham Market. Season 2019/20 will go down in the Club’s history as one of the most successful and exciting but ultimately one which ended in bitter disappointment. Steve Castle was quick to ensure we had players who were proven goal scorers and the arrival of Matt Bateman, Brandon Adams and Claudio Ofosu did not disappoint. Perhaps the only sadness that our young and highly talented left wing-back Joe Newton had created so much interest from EFL Clubs that in the end, it was inevitable he would have to leave us and Joe was signed by Coventry City. No Crows fans will ever forget the team's brilliant performances in both the FA Cup and FA Trophy and although our FA Cup run ended with defeat to the very talented Maldon and Tiptree in front of a record crowd for Garden Walk of 1152. The interest generated in the Crows both locally and beyond was immense and set the scene for what was to come in the FA Trophy. It all started with very comfortable wins against Brightlingsea Regent and Haywards Heath and then were drawn away at Step 2 table-topping Wealdstone which for many was one of the games of the season as Royston shot into a 2- 0 lead before Wealdstone hit back to pull the tie level 2-2. In spite of being under constant pressure, the Crows mounted a great counterattack down the left and the cross was despatched by Brandon Adams to give the Crow’s victory 3-2. What followed was truly historic with home wins against Step 2 teams Boreham Wood 2-0, Chester 3-0 and away at National League Ebbsfleet 2-0, to set up a quarter-final tie away at Concord Rangers. In the run-up to the game, the rain had been falling heavily but our opponents declared the pitch playable and the invasion of six coach loads of Royston supporters and a convoy of cars and mini-buses descended on Canvey Island. As we started arriving for the kick-off the match referee declared the pitch unplayable and with a sense of extreme disappointment and also a lot of anger we all returned home. The following Tuesday the game went ahead but it was not to be and we were defeated 2-1. There is no doubt the Clubs achievements in the FA Trophy marked a watershed in our history which will be remembered for a very long time. Running alongside the cup success it was easy to forget that we had got ourselves in contention to win the League with a run of only two defeats in 20 league fixtures. With 3 games in hand and only 2 points behind Peterborough Sports and Tamworth and playing some of our best football, we looked nailed on to win the League. Then out of the blue, the Covid crisis hit all levels of football and with what many felt was indecent haste the League decided to null and void the whole season. All our achievements were suddenly for nothing and the taste of bitter disappointment amongst all supporters of the Crows was very hard to swallow. Season 2020/21: As the pandemic took hold it seemed like the chances of seeing a new season start were remote but by summer 2020 there had been a massive improvement and by July the lockdown ended albeit with a host of restrictions in place. By the time we had assembled a squad, we were without key players such as Matt Bateman who moved to Hemel Hempstead and Claudio Ofosu who joined Hartlepool and with a lot of the momentum and energy generated by the now-defunct season now dissipated we were finding it hard to get going again. In the League, we seemed to slip into the habit of conceding goals when in a winning position and a string of draws meant we languished in the lower half of the division. The FA cup again promised to provide excitement with wins against Newmarket, Wroxham and AFC Stamford before losing to our old rivals Bishops Stortford. We won our first two ties in the FA Trophy against Hythe Town and Tamworth before going out 3-2 away at Brackley by which time the League season was yet again declared null and void as the second wave of Covid took its stranglehold. A comprehensive history of the Club can be found in The History of Royston Town FC 1875 2012 first published in 2013. The book was written by the Club’s President, Alan Barlow following more than five years of painstaking research and can be purchased via the Club.
SUPPLIERS OF PRIZES FOR THE FAMOUS ROYSTON TOWN FC MEAT RAFFLE
WHO'S WHO OF THE CROWS Joe Welch (Goalkeeper) Joined us from Chelmsford City in 2016/17, Joe started his career at Southend United before joining Histon where he played over 50 games and earned a loan deal at Stevenage. Joe’s other clubs include Ebbsfleet, Bromley and St Albans City. Ed Asafu-Adjaye (Defender) Versatile defender who re-joined the Crows in 2019 after spending a season at Hayes & Yeading. Started his playing career at Luton Town and broke into the 1st team during the 2008/9 season. In total he made 64 appearances for The Hatters before moving to Forest Green Rovers and then to Hemel Hempstead Town. Adam Murray (Defender) Adam joined us at the beginning of 2017/18, having spent the previous two seasons at Cambridge City where he made 60 appearances. He quickly settled into the squad and has proved to be a formidable addition for the Crows. Ronnie Henry (Defender) Signed for the Crows at the beginning of this season after spending a season at Billericay Town. Ronnie was a product of the Spurs youth system, before going on to play 502 games for Stevenage (the club’s all-time record appearances) in two spells either side of two seasons at Luton Town. Daniel Brathwaite (Defender) Club skipper, Dan joined the Crows from Chesham United for the start of 2015/16. He is an experienced defender whose former clubs include Boreham Wood and Dover Athletic. Dan Newton (Defender) Joined the Crows early into season 2020/21, Centre-Back Dan's previous clubs were Biggleswade FC and Northwood. He is a calm and confident defender and cousin of former Crow Joe Newton. James Brighton (Defender) Experienced full-back who joined us in November 2019 from Kettering Town, where he had spent a successful four seasons. James has previously played for Hemel Hempstead Town, Cambridge City & Cambridge United. Spyros Mentis (Midfield) Versatile, hard-working and tough-tackling midfielder or defender, Spyros re-joined The Crows in 2018/19 after a season away at Hayes & Yeading, he previously played just under 100 games for us from 2013 during his first spell at Garden Walk. Tom Newman (Midfield) Joined the Crows at the start of 2018/19, Tom has impressed when called upon and has chipped in with some useful goals from midfield. Isa Rotimi (Midfield) Young midfielder who signed for the Crows at the beginning of season 2019/20, Isa previously spent two seasons at Colney Heath. Dan Green (Midfield) Joined us in December 2018 from Chesham United, Dan is an experienced midfielder whose other previous clubs include St Albans City and Dunstable Town.
Brandon Adams (Forward) Signed for the Crows in 2019, Brandon previously spent four years at Queens Park Rangers which included loan deals at Malaysian club Perlis and Linfield in Northern Ireland. After leaving the R’s in 2018 Brandon dropped into non-league hoping to catch the eye of pro clubs and has certainty impressed. After a short stint at Enfield Town he moved to Ware in 2018/19 and bagged an impressive 23 league goals in 25 games. Isaac Galliford (Forward) Previously with Hitchin Town, St Neots Town & Hemel Hempstead after starting out with Luton Town. Isaac signed for us for the beginning of last season. Whilst with The Canaries Isaac’s performances earned him an England ‘C’ call-up. Matt Bateman (Forward) Re-joined us for the start this season from Hemel Hempstead, where he spent last season after moving from the Crows. Matt signed for the Crows at the start of season 2019/20 and scored an impressive 24 goals in 41 games during that season to earn his move to Hemel. Previous to that Matt played a big part in Berkhamsted’s push for promotion in 2018/19 where he netted 43 times in 54 appearances for The Comrades. Harry Draper (Forward) Signed for the Crows on loan from Stevenage at the start of this season. Harry has been with Stevenage from the age of eight, he signed his first professional deal at Boro’ in summer 2019 and then spent that season on loan at Hitchin Town. Finlay Titchmarsh (Defender) Young defender who signed for the Crows at the beginning of this season, Finlay was originally with Barnet before having spells with Staines Town and Ware. Marcus Goldbourne (Forward) The 20-year-old pacey winger or striker came through the Stevenage U18 ranks and spent time on loan at Dunstable Town whilst on Boro`s books. Also had a brief spell in Swedish football with Ytterhagdaka IK before returning to the UK signing for Hitchin Town. In the summer he signed for Braintree Town and had a loan spell with Brightlingsea Regent. Rhamar Garrett-Douglas (Defender) Young defender who started his career at Barnet and was a regular in their U18s. He was previously at Bishop's Stortford and has also had spells with Maldon & Tiptree and Hullbridge Sports. Carl Mensah (Defender) 25 year-old towering central defender who joined the Crows from Welwyn Garden City at the end of November. His previous clubs include Bedford Town, Harpenden Town, Kempston Rovers, Tring Athletic, Cockfosters and Colney Heath. Dimitrios Kyriatzis (Goalkeeper) A recent addition to the Crows squad having joined us from Bedfont Sports. Dimi's previous clubs include Brentford and Inter Leipzig.
TODAY'S OPPONENTS Leiston FC Club History Leiston Town Football Club were first established in 1880 and at the time were undoubtedly closely associated with the Richard Garrett Engineering Works. In the early days, games were played on the old Recreation Ground adjacent to Gas Hill (now known as Park Hill) and players would change either at the White Horse Hotel or at the Works Hall. In the early 1920’s Richard Garrett’s bought the ground off Victory Road renaming it the Leiston Works Athletic Association and this has been the home for over 90 years although the ground name was changed in the 1980’s to LTAA (Leiston Town Athletics Association) following the closure of the Garrett’s Works. In the early years, the club were members of the North Suffolk League and then Ipswich and District League, winning the latter League three times in seasons 1900/01, 1901/02 & 1902/03 and then were runners up the next season (1903/04). They then had two spells in the South East Anglian League (East Anglian League) sandwiched between spells in the Ipswich & District League. After the Great War the club changed from Leiston Town to Leiston Works Athletic coinciding with the ground naming change, and during the 1920’s were part of three Leagues – Essex and Suffolk Border League, Ipswich & District League and North Suffolk League. In 1934 the club returned to be called Leiston Town spending fourteen years in the Ipswich & District League before returning to the North Suffolk League for a third time but yet again returning to the Ipswich & District League five years later in 1953 where they stayed for the next 48 years. During the Second World War the King’s Regiment, which included most of the players of Liverpool FC, were stationed at Leiston and they played some of their matches at the LWAA ground. Leiston Town were ‘full members’ of the Football Association from the early 1950’s until 1982 following their relegation from the Senior Division (the only other Suffolk teams to be full members at this time were Ipswich Town and Lowestoft Town) and soon after this period the club dropped the Town part to become just Leiston FC. Leiston first entered the FA Cup in September 1919 as Leiston Works Athletic and even earlier (1900) entered the FA Amateur Cup as Leiston Town and then after the Great War as Leiston Works Athletic and then later that century first entered the FA Vase in 1987 before first entering the FA Trophy in 2011. The clubs Youth team were the first club in Suffolk to enter the FA Youth Challenge Cup reaching the First Round and a trip to Highbury to face Arsenal in 1954 where they took an early lead before losing 8-1 to the Gunners. In 1980 the club received the ‘Illuminated Address’ from the Football Association to celebrate the club’s centenary but this decade saw some indifferent form in the Suffolk & Ipswich League including relegation to Division One in 1983 and a third place finish in the Senior Division in 1986. Further relegations and promotions followed into the 1990’s before the club achieved their long term goal of progression to the Eastern Counties set up in 2001 finishing third and the necessary promotion placing. Despite their prestigious history, Leiston Football Club has not had the best of fortune with regards to silverware. After a hat-trick of League titles in 1900, 1901 and 1902 the club won the Suffolk Senior Cup in 1913 however, they never saw another Senior trophy won until 1983, a 70 year gap! After four times ending as runners up in the Suffolk FA Premier Cup (2006, 2007, 2008 & 2016) the club has now won ‘back to back’ Suffolk FA Premier Cups defeating Bury Town 3-0 in 2018 and Felixstowe & Walton United 3-2 in 2019, all six finals played at Portman Road. Just the one Suffolk Senior Cup Final (presented by the Football Association) success in 1913, defeating Bury United 3-0 in the final. All the other seven final appearances (1892, 1897, 1904, 1914, 1949, 1966 and 1986) ended in defeat. However, in the Suffolk Junior Cup fortunes have fared more favourably. Six finals and four wins, in 1895, 1909 (Leiston Reserves), 1983 and 1984, with 1984 also seeing the club lift the Suffolk & Ipswich League Division One trophy. Following promotion from Step 7 to Step 6 and in their first Jewson (Eastern Counties) League season, Leiston lifted the Division One Knockout Trophy in 2002. The club also lifted the prestigious East Anglian Cup after a penalty shoot-out over higher ranked Brentwood Town in May 2008 and then the club achieved back to back titles winning the Ridgeons Premier Division in 2011 and the Ryman League Division One North a year later in 2012. Efforts on and off the field in the past few seasons has also seen the club win prestigious awards for Respect and Fair Play from the Ryman League and the club is extremely proud to collect such achievements.
Season 2008/2009 will be long remembered in the history of Leiston as we became only one of three sides to ever reach the First Round proper of the FA Cup after starting the completion at the Extra Preliminary Round stage. Memorable wins at higher ranked Carshalton Athletic and Conference Premier Lewes in a run that lasted nine games and ended in a replay defeat at Conference North Fleetwood Town in front of 2000 fans after a record crowd of 1250 had watched the First Round goal less draw at Victory Road. After ten seasons in the Eastern Counties League, the club gained promotion to the Ryman League as champions of the Ridgeons League. The inaugural Ryman League season provided unexpected success and at the first attempt secured the Division One North title with some fantastic performances including a 26 game unbeaten run. Now in its ninth season at Step Three, the club achieved its highest ever finish in the 2017/2018 season (5th) and reached the end of season play offs, narrowly defeated 1-0 against Dulwich Hamlet. Movement across to the newly formed Southern League Central Premier Division has seen the side struggle and a first season during the 2018/2019 season saw a 19th placed finish. A very youthful Reserve side played some great football last term and ended as the ‘top’ Reserve side in the Division, finishing in a very respectable 10th place. The club continues to engage youth development and the Under 18's had another strong season and continues to progress while the continued links with Junior sides in the community will see the club evolve further for the future. Over the years, Leiston have been blessed with many able and willing Chairmen, Secretaries and committee members and the club prides itself on its family attitudes. The club has also been very fortunate over the years to have players of note in their ranks and includes many links with professional clubs including Ian Gillespie, Ted Phillips, Jackie Warne, Stuart Boardley, Byron Lawrence, Kyle Hammond and Jason Dozzell. The club continues to improve its facilities in line with FA grading requirements and now has some of the best Non League facilities in Suffolk and the club is forever looking to improve. The efforts of Chairman Andy Crisp and Vice Chairman Peter Mayhew have been the main driving factors behind the changes and the meteoric rise of the club to step three of the national pyramid.
WHO ARE YA? Leiston FC Player Pen Pics Darren Eadie Joint-Manager. Made his name with Norwich City, making 204 1st team appearances between 1993-99, before a big money move to Leicester City. Unfortunately injury curtailed his playing career. He made 10 appearances for England U21. Joined Leiston in March 2020 and had to wait nearly six months for his first game due to the Covid pandemic. Chris Wigger Joint-Manager. A former Norwich City youth team product Chris then went on to play for Wroxham. Took his first step on the management ladder with Cromer, before guiding Sheringham to two promotions in three seasons. Was appointed along with Darren Eadie as joint-manager in March 2020. Sam Donkin Goalkeeper. Sam joined Leiston in November 2019 from fellow Southern Premier Central Biggleswade Town having also played for Corby Town. Sam is a goalkeeper coach with Norwich City Academy having previously worked at West Ham and Stevenage. Joe Potter Goalkeeper. Joe joined Leiston in February 2019 from Felixstowe & Walton United. Joe is highly rated and great things are expected of him in the future. Seb Dunbar Defender. Seb began his career with Ipswich Town. In the summer of 2011, he joined National League North side Bishop`s Stortford. After a season at Woodside Park, Dunbar joined Leiston but after one campaign at Victory Road, he signed for then-Isthmian Premier outfit Bury Town. He re-joined the Blues in 2017 and was selected in the Isthmian Premier Division Team of the Year in 2018-19. In the summer of 2019 he joined Stowmarket Town but after two seasons has returned for a third spell at Victory Road Jake Hutchings Defender. Originally with Leyton and Torquay United, Jake also had a spell in the Scottish Premiership with Hearts before returning south with Grays Athletic. He first signed for Leiston in October 2016 and was part of the squad that finished just outside the play-offs that season. He left that summer to join Isthmian Premier outfit Merstham and then signed for Vanarama National League South side Braintree Town in June 2019. In November 2019, Jake was appointed as player-manager, despite his young age, but quit after a month and re-joined Leiston. He moved to Isthmian Premier side Kingstonian in 2020, but has returned for a third spell in the summer of 2021. Siju Odulesi Defender. Siju played for the Blues in the 2019/2020 season and has returned for a second spell at the club. Siju scored three goals that season including an unforgettable overhead kick late on at home to Needham Market on New Years Day in 2020 as the Blues picked up an important 2-1 win. Adam Bailey-Dennis Defender. ABD joined Leiston in October 2020 from AFC Sudbury. He is vastly experienced having previously spent a number of seasons in the National League with Bromley, Chelmsford City, Concord Rangers, Hemel Hempstead and Braintree Town. Ollie Saunders Defender. Ollie joined Leiston in November 2019 on a permanent basis having previously having a spell with the club on loan from Braintree Town. Was previously at Grimsby Town and Norwich City. Mason Sinclair Defender. Still only 18 years old Mason is an outstanding prospect. He was a schoolboy at Ipswich Town and joined Leiston in March 2019 making his 1st team debut the same month v Biggleswade.
Robert Eagle Midfielder. Born in Leiston, Robert was with Norwich City as a youngster and made 10 Football League appearances for them in 2006-7. He subsequently played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Grimsby, making over 50 appearances for the latter. Now in his third spell at Leiston, Robert has also made over 100 appearances for Lowestoft as well as playing for AFC Sudbury. Joe Marsden Midfielder. Joe has returned for a second spell having been signed from local rivals Needham Market. He made the move in the opposite direction in the summer of 2018 and made almost 100 appearances for the Marketmen, scoring 26 goals. Joe initially rose through the ranks of youth and reserves at Lowestoft Town before moving to Wroxham in the Isthmian Division One North before re-joining the Trawlerboys in the summer of 2014 where he played National League football. Jamie Eaton-Collins Midfielder. JEC is a former Norwich City youngster who saw his progress halted by injury having been awarded a professional contract. He joined Leiston in the summer of 2020 having previously played for AFC Sudbury and Whitton United. George Quantrell Midfielder. George signed for the club during the close season from Stowmarket Town where he had excelled. He has previously played for Dereham Town and the management team were delighted to fight off other interested clubs to get his signature. Ben Hunter Midfielder. Ben joined Leiston in the summer from local rivals AFC Sudbury. He had made over 100 appearances during his time there. Still only 20 years old Leiston fought off competition from several clubs to obtain his signature. Dylan Switters Midfielder. A schoolboy with Norwich City, Dylan joined Stevenage and made his league debut against Exeter City in April 2018. He had recently been with Gottne IF in Sweden. He joined Leiston in September 2020 once International Clearance had been received. Finlay Barnes Midfielder. Finlay joined Norwich City as a youngster and spent 10 years at the club before moving to Norwich United for half a season. The midfielder netted 16 goals whilst assisting 26 goals in the Thurlow Nunn Premier League. He joined Leiston in the summer of 2020 and was instrumental in the club’s run to the 4th Qualifying Round of last season’s FA Cup. Ollie Godbold Midfielder. Ollie made his first team debut at the age of 16 last season against Coalville Town. A very exciting prospect he signed a two year contract during the summer Brendan Ocran Midfielder. Brendan started his career with Barnet before signing professional forms with Colchester United. He then joined Billericay Town in 2017 and was part of a selective England non-League select team who visited the Falkland Islands in 2017/18. More recently he has played for Braintree Town and Merstham. Adam Mills Striker. Adam came through Needham Market`s academy and returned in 2017 after short spells at Maldon & Tiptree and AFC Sudbury. A fast, wide player who is unstoppable in full flight, he is dangerous both in the air and on the ground. He signed for National League South side Braintree Town in August 2019 and then re-joined Leiston`s league rivals Needham Market for a third spell in November 2019 before making the move to Victory Road in the summer. Will Davies - Striker. Will joined Leiston in the summer of 2018, having played for Coplestonians in the SIL. During the first three months of the season he scored 19 goals in 19 appearances for the reserves in Eastern Counties Division One, before becoming a regular member of the first team squad. Was the top scorer in the FA Cup last season for the whole competition, a fantastic feat
PLAYER SPONSORSHIP
Joe Welch
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Daniel Brathwaite Katherine Thompson
Ed James Brighton Asafu-Adjaye
Kelshall Jake Easley Plastics
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Sponsorship available from
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Dan Green
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per season
Contact ALAN BARLOW for details
SQUADS Saturday 15th January 2022 Kick Off: 3PM TODAY'S MATCH SPONSOR:
TODAYS OFFICIALS REFEREE: Jack Bloxham ASSISTANTS: Benjamin Jerrams / Christopher Poole
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Joe Welch (GK) Ed Asafu-Adjaye Daniel Brathwaite Carl Mensah Adam Murray (c) Ronnie Henry Finley Titchmarsh Harry Draper Brandon Adams Matt Bateman Isaac Galliford Tom Newman Dimitrios Kyriatzis (GK) James Brighton Fred Brown Isa Rotimi Makai Murray Dan Green Spyros Mentis Dan Newton Marcus Goldbourne Rhamar Garrett-Douglas
Steve Castle / Chris Watters Scott Taylor / Amber Murray
Sam Donkin (GK) Joe Marsden Seb Dunbar Jake Hutchins Adam Bailey-Dennis Siju Odulesi Jamie Eaton-Collins Robert Eagle Ben Hunter Finlay Barnes Ollie Saunders Adam Mills Joe Potter (GK) Will Davies Brendan Ocran George Quantrell Spencer Keller Nyan Mesuria Kai Fletcher
MANAGERS SPORTS THERAPISTS
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Chris Wigger / Darren Eadie Nigel Ling / Lee Norfolk