Leyton

Leyton FC was a non-league football club from east London who were originally formed in 1868 with a club of the same name disbanding in 2011. The clubs’ history and heritage has caused many disagreements over the years because of several reformations and mergers.

The Hare and Hounds Ground, named after the pub outside the venue on Lea Bridge Road had been earlier used by the first FA Cup winners Wanderers in the 1870’s when the club moved in.

The first incarnation of Leyton folded in 1880, before a club by the name of Matlock Swifts FC were formed in 1889, prior to changing their title to Leyton FC in 1895 and going on to join the London League for the first time in 1897-98 for one season.

‘The Lilywhites’ or ‘Lillies’ re-joined the competition in 1902-03 where they were promoted to the Premier Division twelve months later. The club became members of Division Two of the Southern League in 1905-06, finishing runners-up and winning promotion to Division One.

Leyton went on an FA Cup run in 1909-10 to the third round where they went out to Leicester Fosse after earlier defeating New Brompton and Stockport County. The following couple of seasons saw first round defeats to Chelsea and then Liverpool.

Leyton also fielded a side in Division 1A of the Western League before the club folded in 1913, to be replaced by a new entity of the same name who had also folded by 1915. The fourth club to carry the name of Leyton FC appeared as Leyton Amateur FC in 1919 before they changed their title the following year.

In 1925-26 Leyton went out in the second round of the FA Cup to Reading before the team went all the way to the final of the FA Amateur Cup in 1926-27 where they defeated Barking Town 3-1 at The Den, Millwall.

The Amateur Cup was retained in 1927-28 with a 3-2 victory against Cockfield at Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough. Leyton were denied a hattrick of triumphs the following season when they went down 3-1 to Ilford at Highbury.

The following season saw the FA Cup again bring attention before the side went down in round two to Fulham, but consolation came through the lifting of the Athenian League title, a competition they had joined a couple of years previously.

Leyton reached the final of the FA Amateur Cup in 1933-34 and again in 1936-37 which were both lost to Dulwich Hamlet at the Boleyn Ground, West Ham. Following World War Two, the team finished as league runners-up in 1945-46.

The 1951-52 season saw the Lilywhites reach the Amateur Cup final once again. On this occasion they went down 2-1 after extra time against local rivals Walthamstow Avenue in front of 100,000 fans at Wembley Stadium. Click here to watch the footage.

After ending as Athenian League runners-up in 1964-65, the club went on to be crowned as champions in 1965-66 and 1966-67. However, the team went into decline as they were relegated to Division One in 1967-68 and then Division Two in 1968-69.

The 1973-74 campaign ended in promotion to Division One before a merger took place with Wingate FC to become Leyton-Wingate FC, though a group set up a new Wingate FC to remain close to their heartland playing in Arkley, who would later merge with Finchley FC.

The amalgamation worked as the club were crowned as Athenian League champions in 1976-77 before ending as runners-up the following season before regaining the title in 1981-82 after going the whole season unbeaten.

The success led to the club joining Division Two of the Isthmian League, which they won in 1985-86. The run continued with a runners-up place twelve months later in Division One which led to promotion to the Premier Division.

However, the success failed to continue as the team were relegated in 1990-91 before the club split, with the Wingate members heading back across the city to join their former clubmates leading to a return to the title of Leyton FC.

The Hare and Hounds Ground in 2020

A further merger came in 1995, this time with Walthamstow Pennant to become Leyton Pennant FC, moving  to Wadham Lodge, before eventually changing their name to Waltham Forest in 2003. Forest laid claim to the Leyton FC history and honours.

However a new Leyton FC was set up in 1997, leading to a battle over previous history which led to a high court battle, which Forest didn't have the finance to fight. The following statement from lawyers Richard West Freeman Christofi read.

         

"Please note that by Order of the High Court Chancery Division dated 26 July 2002, in an action brought against Leyton Pennant Football Club and the Football Association, Leyton Football Club (now incorporated as a Limited Company) of Wingate Stadium Lea Bridge Road Leyton has effectively been restored as Leyton Football Club, the unincorporated club formed in 1868; has had its membership to the FA restored; has had its history dating back to 1868 restored and the order also requires Leyton Pennant to refrain in any way from holding itself out to being Leyton Football Club.”

Leyton had spent the 1997-98 season in the Spartan South Midlands League under chairman Costas Sophocleous before moving across to the Essex Intermediate League. In 1999-00 The Lillies were promoted to the Essex Senior League, going on to win the title in 2001-02 and winning promotion to the Isthmian League.

The club had many youth teams under its wing, but rumours were rife that big money was being spent on first team players wages. Leyton were promoted from Division Two at the first attempt, and then went up once again to the Premier Division in 2003-04. 

Troy Townsend, father of future England international Andros, became team manager before stepping back down to concentrate on the youth set up. Several other managers came and went as Leyton were relegated back down to Division One North in 2007-08. 

This proved to be the beginning of the end for the club. In October 2009 chairman Sophocleous and former director Philip Foster pleaded guilty to their part in a £16M VAT fraud. 

Both were sentenced to jail; Sophocleous for eight years and three months, Foster for six years and three months. Others were cleared for associated money laundering although accountant Stewart Collins was sentenced to six years in jail.

Sophocleous' wife Louise took over the running of the club, but the cracks started to appear and debts ran up. The club was ironically reprieved from relegation at the end of the 2010-11 season as other clubs higher up the pyramid suffered from financial troubles. 

However, the rest bite was brief. Players and staff were left unpaid and began to leave. In January 2011 Mrs Sophocleous sent in a letter of resignation to the Isthmian League and the club was disbanded.

My visits

Leyton 2 Eastleigh 2 (Saturday 23rd October 2004) Isthmian League Premier Division (att: 61)

It was a dark and gloomy Saturday afternoon, but I wanted to get out and see some live football. After a look at the fixtures the game at the Hare and Hounds tickled my fancy, so I took the tube to West Hampstead and then the North London line to Hackney Central before taking the bus across Lea Bridge to a stop near the ground.

I forewent the charms of the pub that the ground was named after. Instead I used the smart club facility; E10. This bar had new tables and chairs along with a TV showing the live lunchtime game. 

Plenty of players from Leyton’s youth teams were using up the rest of their energy. It was encouraging to see lots of the community represented. From the advert leaflet it seemed that the club were intent in drawing in numbers to watch the live entertainment on offer.

Several fans had travelled up from Eastleigh, who were not short of funding themselves. Former Southampton striker Nicky Banger was in their squad.

I paid my admission and took stock of The Hare and Hounds. It was a tight hemmed in venue with open standing behind each end, a low cover down the far side and two small seated stands on the Lea Bridge Road Side, along with more open standing.

From memory I enjoyed the game and the general day out in pleasant environs. This could well have been helped as I listened to updates of Scarborough hammering Accrington Stanley 5-0 from the snug position at the back of one of the stands. I was shocked by the smallness of the attendance and wondered just how the club survived?

I vowed to give the club another visit for a game, as they had announced plans to build a seated stand behind the Lea Bridge End goal in the future

Wednesday 26th September 2007

I attempted to return to The Hare and Hounds as part of a marathon groundhopping day in the east of the capital and Essex. However, the gates were locked and I couldn't find any access.

Friday 3rd December 2020

I was on the final day of a marathon 100 mile walk around all the top five tiers football stadiums in Greater London with my pal Jeff Cards.

On route between Leyton Orient and Tottenham Hotspur we were walking down Lea Bridge Road when I told Jeff that I'd show him some additional history. The gates were open, so in we walked.

A gent asked what we were doing. The pitch had a marquee on it, and was used for parking. The stands were in a bad state of disrepair, but there was still the opportunity of it being brought back to life should anyone purchase it and make investment.