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 have 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 was 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, which 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 hat-trick 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 II, 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. 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. 

Another group set up a new Wingate FC to remain close to their heartland, playing in Arkley, which would later merge with Finchley FC. The amalgamation worked as the club was 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 was 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 finances to fight. The following statement from lawyers Richard West and Freeman Christofi reads.

         

"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 setup. 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 was intent on 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-tier 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 an investment.

Ashby Institute

Ashby Institute FC was a non-league football club located in the Ashby district of Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire. The Institute was formed in 1908 as an educational and social organisation for local men. It was located on Ashby High Street.

In 1917, the football club was formed, starting out playing on several local pitches. In 1930, Ashby joined the Scunthorpe and District League, before moving to the Lincolnshire League in 1949, moving into a new ground called The Screeds a year later, close to the Institute.

In 1968, Ashby progressed to the Midland League, where they remained until 1982, when the league was disbanded. The club turned down the opportunity to join the newly formed Northern Counties East League, instead returning to the Scunthorpe & District League.

The club folded in 1989, with The Screeds being demolished for new housing in 1993. The old Main Stand was dismantled and re-erected at nearby Bottesford Town.

My visit

Ashby Institute 0 Scarborough 2 (Saturday 4th October 1969) FA Cup Second Qualifying Round (att: 1,323)

This match marks one of my earlier football memories. My Dad took me along for a ride in the car with his good pal Ray Gough and other regulars. I believe it’s the day they discovered I suffered from car and coach sickness!

Naturally enough, my memories are pretty hazy, but I do recall the players coming from a clubhouse behind the goal. Apart from the small stand, there was shallow grass banking in parts. I do remember one of my earliest Boro heroes, Gerry Coyne, running out to play. The game ended in a 2-0 Boro win, with Alan Franks and Alan Cooper netting the goals.

My Dad later regaled me with the story that the Scarborough Evening News and Mercury sports reporter Bill Jenkins had to run down to the High Street to find a public telephone to ring in his match report for the sports edition, as there was no phone at the ground! Boro went on to defeat another now-defunct club, Hull Brunswick, in the next round.

Many thanks must go to Colpic from the excellent Non-League Matters website forum, and Martyn Girdham, who supplied him with information following my requests.

Croydon Athletic

Croydon Athletic FC is a non-league football club based in South Norwood in South London, who were formed by the supporters of their previous club, Croydon Athletic, in 2012, under the title of AFC Croydon Athletic to separate the two. 

The AFC stage was dropped at the end of the 2024-25 season. The reformed club initially shared the Croydon Arena with Croydon FC, before they managed to take up residence at  The Keith Tuckey Stadium, home of the previous club, which was renamed Mayfield Stadium.

Croydon Athletic were originally known as Wandsworth & Norwood FC, following a merger of Wandsworth FC and Norwood FC in 1986, with Keith Tuckey installed as club Chairman. The club were admitted to the London Spartan League, changing their title to Croydon Athletic in 1990.

In 1994-95, the 'Rams’ won the league title after finishing as runners-up the previous season. However, they were refused promotion as the facilities at their home ground were deemed unsatisfactory. After improvements were made to the ground, Athletic joined the Isthmian League for the 1997-98 campaign.

In 2000-01 Croydon won the Division Three title and were placed in Division One South following league reorganisation. After several mid-table finishes, the businessman Mazhar Majeed bought the club in 2008 with the promise of investment, with David Le Cluse being appointed as Chairman.

The Rams were crowned Division One South champions in 2009-10 and were promoted to the Premier Division as further improvements were made to the stadium. Majeed was a property developer and agent to the Pakistan cricket team. He was tried on allegations of arranging spot fixing during a Test Match between England and Pakistan.

The club also came under the spotlight as a consequence. Several questions were being asked in the game of where the money was coming from for high profile signings while the attendances at the Keith Tuckey Stadium were so low. 

Majeed admitted in an interview with an undercover journalist that the only reason he owned Croydon Athletic was to enable money laundering.

HMRC became involved with the manager Tim O’Shea, his assistant and several players leaving the club. Worse was to follow as Le Cluse committed suicide, as he was so distraught that a friend of Majeed’s for the club to be caught up in the allegations. Majeed was jailed in November 2011.

Athletic were hit with a £7,500 fine and deducted ten points for financial irregularities a month later as their future was in severe doubt without a backer, after already being relegated to Division One South.

The team failed to fulfil a couple of fixtures before the stadium was locked up, and most players left. The local paper, The Croydon Advertiser, announced that the club was no more on December 16th 2011.

Supporters gathered together and announced that they would form AFC Croydon Athletic in time for the 2012-13 season, playing in the Combined Counties League. Initially, the club couldn't move back to their old stadium and shared The Arena with Croydon FC.

In January 2013, the clubhouse burnt down in an arson attack at The Keith Tuckley Stadium, but the new club constructed a new building and came to an agreement with Croydon Council to return to their spiritual home.

After a massive clean-up campaign, Athletic moved back into the newly renamed Mayfield Stadium during the 2013-14 season. Once settled into their new home, the Rams ended as runners-up in Division One of the Combined Counties League in the 2014-15 season.

Antony Williams had been the manager since the club had reformed, before he departed for Chipstead in May 2016. The side of his replacement, Kevin Rayner, finished in seventh place in the 2016-17 season.

The team finished just below halfway in the table for a couple of seasons before finding themselves towards the bottom when the 2019-20 season was abandoned owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a similar story in 2020-21 when play was again halted.

Athletic were transferred to the Premier Division South of the Combined Counties League for the 2021-22 season, where two lowly placed finishes ensued. The club was purchased by a group including Wifred Zaha and rapper Stormzy in the summer of 2023, as manager Kevin Rayner was replaced by Jermaine McGlashan.

The playoffs were reached, which led to victories over Jersey Bulls and then Knaphill as the AFC won promotion to the Isthmian League South East Division. Keith Millen was appointed as manager in November 2024. His spell lasted until the following February, when he was replaced by Danny Kedwell.

Athletic defeated Sittingbourne in the 2025-26 playoffs, but were denied promotion after AFC Whyteleafe won the final on penalties.

Croydon Athletic FC will compete in the Isthmian League South East Division in the 2026-27 season.

My visits

Croydon Athletic v Sutton United (August 2000) Pre-Season Friendly (att: c250)

It was a pleasant summer's evening when I finished work for the day at Lord’s Cricket Ground, so I decided that a visit to a new ground was in order. I took the tube and train down to Norbury before catching the bus down towards the ground. 

My drawing of the Keith Tuckey Stadium with Athletic's kit at the time.
Please click on the image to enlarge it.

It wasn’t quite as easy, or so I thought, to find the venue, but eventually I was walking up the track at the end of Mayfield Road past a local league pitch and towards the gates. The Keith Tuckey Stadium was small but tidy. It had a small Main Stand with wooden boards providing the seating. 

There were two small covers down the far side, with the rest of the ground consisting of open hard sanding with a few steps thrown in for good measure. The game was mainly attended by visiting United fans and several neutrals. There were a few Crystal Palace shirts on show. The clubhouse was small but welcoming.

The original Main Stand as  scanned from a book

At full time, I saved a lot of time as I now knew where I was going. It didn’t take long before I was on the bus to connect with the train back into central London.

Thursday 3rd August 2006

Croydon Athletic was the final ground I visited on a day off work exploring several venues in the south of the capital and Surrey. My previous ground was Tooting & Mitcham United so I caught the tram from Mitcham to Therapia Lane as I thought I would soon find the ground by cutting through Croydon Cemetery. 

However, this proved to be a lot harder than I thought, as the rain fell steadily. Eventually I caught sight of the floodlights and took an unconventional route though and over fences to arrive at the main gate only to find it closed. 

Thankfully, help was at hand as a groundsman was working inside, and he let me in. The stadium hadn’t really changed, save for the installation of a neat new enlarged Main Stand and a cover behind one of the goals. 

My ally even came back to give me a programme from the previous home game, which was a lovely touch. I went on my way, happy with my day's work, but ready for a good, long rest!

AFC Croydon Athletic 2 Beckenham Town 0 (Wednesday 28th September 2016) Southern Counties East League Premier Division (att: 89)

It was the second week of my settling-in period in my new job location at Uxbridge, with my tasks to familiarise myself with several new stations. As I got done around 6pm, I had my eye on rounding off another good day with a long overdue visit to see how AFC Croydon were getting along.

The train from Victoria took me to Norbury, from where I decided to walk to the ground. Heading down London Road took me no time, but I got lost in the streets off there in the lead up to the ground as I got slightly lost.

I made kick off time after paying my £7 admission along with another couple of quid for a programme. Mayfield Stadium had been restored to its former condition following the couple of years without use. While it was confined, it had everything a venue of that status required, and more.

AFC were top of the table with seven wins from seven before play, while Beckenham, who I’d seen lose 2-1 at Croydon a month earlier, were languishing at the wrong end of the table. Therefore, it was no real shock when Warren Mfula put the home side ahead in five minutes after a real howler from the Town keeper.

The visitors actually got back into the game, and it was quite even after the goal. I had my usual walk around the pitch to take in some different angles. At the break, I went inside the comfortable clubhouse for a tea.

The second half was much of the same. The Rams played some good football, with Beckenham equalling them on occasions. It was building up into a very interesting last quarter when a couple of the floodlights went out on sixty eight minutes.

Referee Bobby Kwatt had stopped the game when the rest of the lights went, leaving the ground in the dark save for the emergency lighting and the clubhouse. I gave it five minutes and then made an early decision to call it a night. I was aware of several games via the excellent Non League Matters forum, where abandonments followed floodlight failures.

It wasn’t easy finding my way along the rough and potholed lane back to Mayfield Road. Eventually, I reached some proper roads and caught buses to Streatham and then Brixton, at which point I’d found out via Twitter that the teams had returned after a twenty-minute sojourn.

AFC Croydon had doubled their lead as Mfula added to his tally to keep his side top of the table. I was pleased that I’d made the effort, but I definitely stored in the memory bank the distance from London Road to the ground. Google Maps can be deceiving!

Tuesday 1st December 2020

Click here to read about a further visit as part of my 100-mile Sawasdee Cup Charity Walk late in 2020, as I called in on all the clubs in the top five tiers within Greater London to raise money for Junior Cricket Development in Thailand.

Burnham Ramblers

Burnham Ramblers FC is a non-league football club from Burnham-on-Crouch in the east of Essex, around fifty miles from central London. The town is a favourite location for sailing.

The Ramblers were formed in 1900, becoming members of the Mid Essex League. After using four different grounds, the club moved into Wick Road in 1927. In 1966, Burnham became a founder member of the Essex Olympian League.

The 1980s saw Ramblers move to Leslie Field to the west of the town, where the new ground also included two other pitches and training facilities to cater for the club’s many sides. Ramblers joined the Essex Senior League for the 1985-86 season.

Ramblers suffered a huge blow in 2020 with the passing of chairman Gordon Brasted, before Mike Everett was appointed as manager in 2003. He lasted until 2006 when Derek Robinson took over the reins until 2008 when former Football League player Gary Kimble was appointed.

In 2010, former club captain Keith Wilson became manager, taking the side to the Essex Senior League title in 2012-13 after a few top five finishes, winning promotion to the Isthmian League, where they were placed in Division One North.

At the same time, the club applied to move to new facilities to the west of Leslie Field to cater for its growing membership and status. In July 2014, Wilson was replaced by Lee Elliston, whose spell lasted a few weeks, leading to the appointment of Bertie Brayley.

The side was relegated in 2014-1,5 leading to the return of Wilson to the hotseat. Lee Hughes took over at the start of the 2016-17 campaign, with Ramblers dropping down another level at the end of 2017-18 to join Division One South of the Eastern Counties League.

 

Alex Salmon took over as manager prior to the arrival of John Brandon in February 2020. Luke Goodson was the next man in charge from April 2021, before other managers came and went, before Pierce Anderson was given the job in January 2024.

The club was reprieved of further demotion in 2023-24, with Paul Hayes coming in as the new team boss in June 2024.

Burnham Ramblers FC will play in the Eastern Counties League Division One South in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Burnham Ramblers 3 Tilbury 1 (Saturday 28th December 2013) Isthmian League Division One North (att: 113)

My last game of 2013 coincided with having to work night shift post over the Christmas break. I wanted to go somewhere relatively close to London and to somewhere new. The bad weather earlier in the week had me on red alert as I went to bed in rather despondent form after yet another England batting collapse in The Ashes.

I woke to find the skylight in my top-floor flat missing and a bright blue sky staring down at me. After emergency calls to my landlord, I headed to Liverpool Street station, where I purchased a return for £9.90 on my Network Railcard.

The journey necessitated a change at Wickford before getting aboard the Crouch Valley Line to Burnham on Crouch. The journey took seventy minutes all told. The weather was bright, with signs of it getting cold as the afternoon continued.

Google Maps had come up trumps once again as I found a quick route to the ground along Foundry Lane, following the road along the side of the railway, before crossing the tracks and cutting through the industrial estate to Springfield Road. It took me around ten minutes.

I purchased the reasonable programme for £1.50 at the gate and then adjourned upstairs to the bar to watch the last twenty minutes of the West Ham v West Brom game while sampling a couple of bottles of Speckled Hen. After drinks, I went out and paid my £8 admission as the sun was beginning to set in the distance.

Leslie Field was a tidy set-up. The clubhouse and changing rooms had aesthetic gables which then looked like they formed the roof of the neat seated stand in front, a bit like at Champion Hill Dulwich, but on a smaller scale. 

Opposite was another changing room block to serve the other pitches, with a small cover facing the main pitch to cater for spectators. The Springfield Road end had three steps of terracing behind the goal, with the rest of the ground consisting of open flat grass and hard standing.

The visiting youthful Tilbury side came flying out of the blocks, putting pressure on the home goal. It was no shock when Danny Francis netted after a header from a corner had struck the crossbar. They continued in the same vein until Ramblers got to grips and gradually got into the game. 

My average day continued as I dropped my iPhone, and the back cover smashed on the concrete. In sixteen minutes, the Ramblers should have restored parity, but Neil Richmond’s spot kick was kept out by the Dockers keeper Chico Ramos. 

The equaliser eventually came courtesy of a cracking shot from the edge of the box by Liam Burgess. Just before the break, I headed upstairs to the bar, where food was available. My cheeseburger, chips, and Bovril at £4.50 were most enjoyable.

I took up a position in the seated stand and was right behind a fantastic shot from Dan Williams bend into the Tilbury net off the far post. The visitors bounced back and continued pouring forward as the match went from end to end. Tilbury were a little too ambitious with some of their passing, while pulling out some startling stuff, whereas Burnham appeared to put a higher price on keeping possession.

Tilbury’s Mitch Gilbery hit the post after getting through before Burnham’s forwards hit the post at the other end, and a rocket shot bounced back off the crossbar. The pitch was playing reasonably well following the awful pre-holiday weather, but it was soft in places, which led to a few errors.

Tilbury continued to look for the equaliser but were susceptible on the break. Sure enough, The Ramblers sealed the contest with three minutes remaining as Richmond slotted home at the far post.

This signalled time for me to make my way back, as the torch on my injured phone helped me find the way to the far side of the railway. I made the station with a few minutes to spare before my trains took me back to the metropolis as I enjoyed a doze.

It had been a decent day in nice surroundings. Scarborough Athletic gained a creditable draw at league leaders Leek Town, and when I got home, I saw the ridiculous Cardiff City owner make an even bigger idiot of himself as his side blew their lines.