Leyton F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Leyton


fullname = Leyton Football Club
nickname = The Lilywhites (or Lillies), The Swifts
founded = 1868 (reformed 1997)
ground = Leyton Stadium,
London
capacity = 4,000
chairman = flagicon|England Costas Sophocleous
manager = flagicon|England Steve Newing and Del Deanus
league = Isthmian League Division One North
season = 2007–08 | position = Isthmian League Premier Division, 22nd (relegated)
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=FFFFFF|body1=FFFFFF|rightarm1=FFFFFF|shorts1=083378|socks1=FFFFFF
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=f0bf3f|body2=f0bf3f|rightarm2=f0bf3f|shorts2=f0bf3f|socks2=f0bf3f

Leyton Football Club are an English association football club based in Leyton, in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The first team to go by the name was founded in 1868, and the current club, which began playing in 1997, won a High Court action in 2002 in support of its claim to be a continuation of the original team, making it the second oldest existing club in Greater London, after Cray Wanderers.

The team members play in white shirts with blue shorts and white socks, and the team is one of a number of teams nicknamed the "Lilywhites"; the reason for this is unknown, but may be related to "Lilywhites No 5", the first official ball of the Football Association. The Lillies are unrelated to their Football League neighbours Leyton Orient F.C.

History

The club was founded in 1868, and has disbanded twice in its history.Fact|date=September 2007 In 1975 the club merged with Wingate to become Leyton-Wingate F.C., until 1992 when they reverted back to being plain "Leyton". In 1995 the club merged with Walthamstow Pennant and moved away from Leyton Stadium to become Leyton Pennant F.C., now known as Waltham Forest F.C.

A new Leyton Football Club was set up in 1997, and following a High Court case in 2002, successfully won the right to be recognised as an official continuation of the original club. A statement by lawyers Richard West 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." [ [http://www.fchd.info/LEYTON.HTM Football Club History Database - Leyton ] ]

At the beginning of the new millennium Leyton won back-to-back promotions, winning the Essex Senior League in 2001/02 then finishing second in the Isthmian League Second Division the following season. In 2003/04 Leyton finished second in the Isthmian League First Division North, gaining a place in the new Isthmian League Premier Division for the following season as the non-league pyramid was reconstructed. 2004/05 saw Leyton finish fifth in the Isthmian Premier Division and reach the final of the play-offs for promotion to the Conference South, but the Lilywhites were beaten 2-1 in the final by Eastleigh F.C.

Costas Sophocleous the club chairman, was once the manager. Having managed the team for the 2003/04 and 2004/05 seasons, Sophocleous decided to step back from management to concentrate on his role as chairman. Following a bad start to the season, however, two managers were sacked in quick succession and the chairman took over the managerial role again.

Leyton F.C then appointed Troy Townsend as manager for the English 2005/06 season. He continued to manage the first team squad, the reserves side (which compete in the capital league) and the Eastern Junior Alliance U18's squad.

The 2006/07 campaign saw Leyton complete the season in 15th position. This led Troy Townsend to step aside as manager of the first team to concentrate on the reserves and U18's sides. The following season, under manager Rowley Cray, the club suffered an 11-1 home defeat to Hendon and a 9-0 loss at AFC Hornchurch en route to relegation.

Steve Newing and Del Deanus have been appointed as joint managers for the 2008/09 season. The duo had success at Edgware Town before it was disbanded in 2008, most notably winning the Spartan South Midlands League treble of the Premier Division, Premier Division Cup and Challenge Trophy in the 2006/07 season. A number of players have followed the pair to Leyton for the new season.

tadium

Leyton F.C. play at the Leyton Stadium (previously known as the Hare and Hounds, and before that as the Wingate-Leyton Stadium). The club has ten youth teams, ranging in age from under nines to under eighteens, and runs a Football in the Community scheme for local schools.

Honours

;As Leyton FC (founded 1868)

*1891-92 Winners Walthamstow Charity Cup
*1892-93 Champions Leyton & District Alliance
*1893-94 Champions Leyton & District Alliance
*1893-94 Winners Essex Junior Cup
*1894-95 Winners London Junior Cup
*1895-96 Champions South Essex League
*1896-97 Winners Essex Senior Cup
*1896-97 Champions South East league
*1896-97 Winners Walthamstow Charity CUP
*1897-98 Winners Essex Senior Cup
*1899-00 Winners Essex Senior Cup
*1899-00 Champions South Essex League
*1900-01 Winners Essex Senior Cup
*1902-03 Winners Essex Senior Cup
*1903-04 Winners London Senior Cup
*1909-10 Finalist London Challenge Cup
*1923-24 Champions London League
*1924-25 Champions London League
*1924-25 Finalist Essex Senior Cup
*1925-26 Champions London League
*1925-26 Finalists Essex Senior Cup
*1926-27 Winners FA Amateur Cup
*1927-28 Winners FA Amateur Cup
*1927-28 Finalists London Challenge Cup
*1928-29 Champions Athenian League
*1929-30 Winners Essex Senior Cup
*1930-31 Winners Essex Senior Cup
*1932-33 Finalists London Charity Cup
*1933-34 Finalists FA Amateur Cup
*1933-34 Finalists London Senior Cup
*1934-35 Winners London Charity Cup
*1934-35 Winners Essex Senior Cup
*1936-37 Winners London Charity Cup
*1936-37 Finalists FA Amateur Cup
*1937-38 Finalists London Senior Cup
*1939-40 Finalists Essex Senior Cup
*1941-42 Joint Holders Grays & Tilbury Cup
*1945-46 Runners-up Athenian League
*1945-46 Finalists London Senior Cup
*1945-46 Finalists East Anglian Cup
*1946-47 Finalists London Charity Cup
*1948-49 Finalists Essex Senior Cup
*1949-50 Finalists Essex Senior Cup
*1951-52 Finalists FA Amateur Cup
*1963-64 Finalists Essex Thamesside Trophy
*1964-65 Winners Essex Thamesside Trophy
*1964-65 Runners-up Athenian League
*1965-66 Champions Athenian League
*1966-67 Champions Athenian League
*1966-67 Winners Essex Thamesside Trophy
*1966-67 Finalists London Charity Cup
*1970-71 Finalists London Charity Cup
*1972-73 Finalists East Anglian Cup
*1972-73 Joint Holders Premier Midweek Floodlight Cup

;As Leyton Wingate FC (renamed 1975)
*1976-77 Champions Athenian League
*1977-78 Runners-up Athenian League
*1981-82 Champions Athenian League
*1981-82 Winners Essex Thamesside Trophy
*1984-85 Champions Isthmian League Division Two (North)
*1984-85 Winners Thorn EMI lighting Football Floodlighting Competition
*1984-85 Finalists Essex Senior Trophy
*1986-87 Runners-up Isthmian League Division One

;As Leyton FC (renamed 1992)

*1992-93 Winners Essex Thamesside Trophy

;As Leyton FC (reformed 1997)

*1998-99 Runners-up Essex Intermediate League Division Two
*2000-01 Runners-up Essex & Herts League Division One
*2001-02 Winners Foresters Essex Senior League
*2001-02 Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy
*2002-03 Runners-up Isthmian League Division Two
*2002-03 Winners Associate Members Trophy
*2003-04 Runners-up Isthmian League Division One North

External links

* [http://www.leytonfc.co.uk/ Official site]
*fchd|id=LEYTON|name=Leyton
*fchd|id=LEYTONW|name=Leyton-Wingate

References