Leicester & District Association Football League

Formed in 1958 with the idea of being a league for the reserve teams of Senior League sides.

What do we know about this league ?

I think I have all the teams that participated in the league, I’m missing a few of the divisional champions in the 1960s and I do not have many complete final tables until the 1990s.

The idea for the league was first reported in the newspaper article below:

New soccer league for Leicester

Leicester Evening Mail, Monday 3rd March 1958.

A new league has emerged in Leicester football. It is to be known as the Leicester and District League, and will consist, in the main, of the reserve sides of Senior League clubs.

Twelve clubs were represented at a weekend preliminary meeting, presided over by the County FA secretary, Cyril Williamson.

The new project met with general approval, and the inaugural meeting will be held at the Adult School, Churchgate, Leicester, on Thursday March 20th.

“The clubs had told me of their feelings, and asked me to preside at their first meeting,” said Mr Williamson. “There is no doubt of their keenness to bring such a league into being.”

City and Mutual

Among the clubs concerned are Anstey Nomads, Oadby Town, Wellington Victoria, Enderby Town, Syston St. Peter’s, Cosby United, Wigston Fields and Dainite Sports (Market Harborough).

Earlier this season the Leicestershire Senior League held several meetings to discuss the possiblity of forming a reserve division, but this plan fell through.

Formation of a new competition will hit the Leicester City and Mutual Leagues, in which practically all the clubs are represented by their reserves.

Private grounds

Ron Swann, secretary of Wigston Fields, tells me he has yet to make his report to the committee, but his personal view is that the new league will be a welcome development. “This opinion is shared by all the delegates at the first meeting,” he added.

He pointed out that the Wigston Fields second team, in the Mutual League, had played all but three of their 22 matches. The District League would probably offer at least 30 fixtures.

Another advantage would be the use of privately-owned grounds, not subject to the restrictions on park pitches, while in the new competition there would be no limit on the quota of first team men.

For the first four seasons the league ran with just a single division.

Champions
1958/59Enderby Town Reserves
1959/60Enderby Town Reserves
1960/61Enderby Town Reserves
1961/62Enderby Town Reserves

An additional division was added for the 1962/63 season and the divisions were named Premier Division and Division One.

Premier DivisionDivision One
1962/63Enderby Town ReservesMidland Woodworkers Reserves
1963/64Enderby Town ReservesNewbold Verdon
1964/65Enderby Town ReservesOakham United

A third division was added in 1965 and this was the format of the league for the next seven years.

Premier DivisionDivision OneDivision Two
1965/66Enderby Town Reservesunknownunknown
1966/67Enderby Town ReservesMidland Athletic ReservesDesford Colliery
1967/68Enderby Town ReservesDesford Collieryunknown
1968/69Desford CollieryIbstock WelfareHinckley Colleges
1969/70Desford CollieryLoughborough DynamoLutterworth Town Reserves
1970/71Oadby Town ReservesJones & Shipman ReservesWestfield Rovers Reserves
1971/72Oadby Town ReservesWigston COBBarrow Old Boys Reserves

1972 saw a large number of reserve teams leave the Leicester & District League to form the Leicestershire Combination. This was more than made up by teams joining from other junior leagues. This included the reserve teams too and saw the first reserve divisions created. Over the years the number of reserve divisions has changed but the main divisions remained the same.

Premier DivisionDivision OneDivision TwoReserves
1972/73Desford CollieryHathernPetfoods– City Gas Res
– Wigston COB Res
1973/74Desford CollieryDownesCountesthorpe United– Desford Colliery Res
1974/75Desford CollieryCountesthorpe UnitedEarl Shilton Town– Hillcroft Res
– Witherley United Res
1975/76Wigston COBSapcote UnitedSyston St. Peter’s– Wigston COB Res
– Syston St. Peter’s Res
1976/77Desford CollieryWigston Fields ‘A’Magpie Old Boys– Wigston COB Res
– Magpie Old Boys Res
1977/78Desford CollieryRavenhurst CasualsHusbands Bosworthunknown
unknown
– Anstey Town Res
1978/79Desford CollieryNew Parks Boys’ ClubWelby Lane United– Holwell Works Res
– Uppingham Town Res
1979/80Desford CollieryWelby Lane UnitedPetfoods– Earl Shilton Town Res
– Welby Lane United Res
1980/81Kegworth RoversPetfoodsAylestone Park Old Boys– Petfoods Res
– Huncote Sports & Social Res
1981/82Barlestone St. GilesApollo AthleticStoney Stanton– Anstey Town Res
– Aylestone Park OB Res
1982/83Barlestone St. GilesFrisby UnitedBurbage Old Boys– Barlestone St. Giles Res
– Hinckley Nomads Res
1983/84Aylestone Park Old BoysBurbage Old BoysHinckley Knight– Downes Sports Res
– Epworth TS Res
1984/85PetfoodsBritish Shoe CorporationCottesmore Amateurs– Thurmaston United Res
– Uppingham Town Res
1985/86PetfoodsHighfield RangersFleckney Old Crown– Petfoods Res
– Loughborough Dynamo Res
1986/87Leicestershire ConstabularyUppingham TownEnderby Rangers– City Gas Res
– Dunton Bassett Res
1987/88Highfield RangersGlenfield TownHinckley Gunners– City Gas Res
– Angraves Res
1988/89Uppingham TownFosse ImpsNew Parks– Angraves Res
– Cottesmore Amateurs Res
1989/90Burbage Old BoysNew ParksCroxton Kerrial– City Gas Res
– Asfordby Amateurs Res
1990/91Burbage Old BoysCroxton KerrialGreetham United– Burbage OB Res
– British Shoe Res
1991/92Cottesmore AmateursSaffron Dynamo– Blaby United Res
– Epworth Res
1992/93Saffron DynamoG&D United– Epworth Res
– GEC S&S Res
1993/94Dunton BassettMagna 73DCE Thurmaston– Cosby United Res
– Stoney Stanton Res
1994/95Cosby UnitedBirstall RBLLutterworth Athletic– Stoney Stanton Res
– DCE Thurmaston Res
1995/96Cosby UnitedThurnby RangersGrange AFC– Cosby United Res
– New Parks Res
1996/97Thurnby RangersGrange AFCQueniborough– Cosby United Res
– Blaby United Res
1997/98Thurmaston TownUppingham TownRatby Sports– Glenfield Town Res
– Rothley Imperial Res
1998/99Uppingham TownRatby SportsSwallow– Cosby United Res
– Dunton Bassett Res
1999/00EpworthBelgrave WMCEast Midlands Electricity 97– Glenfield Town Res
– Birstall RBL Res
2000/01EpworthSwallowHM Sports– Glenfield Town Res
– Barlestone St. Giles Res
– Spinney Kirkland Res
2001/02EpworthOadby Boys Club 93Long Clawson– Belgrave Jungle Res
– Broughton Astley Res
2002/03Rothley ImperialSpinney HillStoke Golding– Barlestone St. Giles Res
– HM Sports Res
2003/04HM SportsWelby Lane UnitedDesford– Cosby United Res
– Stoke Golding Res
2004/05Lutterworth AthleticDesfordBlaby United– Belgrave Blackbird Res
– Mountsorrel Amateurs Res
2005/06Cosby UnitedFC KirklandMountsorrel Amateurs– FC Kirkland Res
– Oakham Imperial Res
2006/07Dunton & Broughton RangersSt. Patrick’sMelton Mowbray– Glenfield Town Res
– St. Patrick’s Res
2007/08Barlestone St. GilesCounty HallMidland Syston St. Peter’s– Glenfield Town Res
– Thurnby United Res
2008/09DesfordKingsway RangersThurnby United 2007– Cosby United Res
– Birstall RBL Res
2009/10BelgraveGuru Nanak GurdwaraNewbold Verdon– Guru Nanak Gurdwara Res
– Kingsway Rangers Res
2010/11Blaby UnitedThurnby United 2007Allexton & New Parks– Cosby United Res
– Allexton & New Parks Res
2011/12Thurnby United 2007BradersNorthfield Emerald– Allexton & New Parks Res
– Aylestone Lounge Res

In 2012 the reserve divisions were merged with the rest of the league to form four divisions.

Premier DivisionDivision OneDivision TwoDivision Three
2012/13Houghton RangersBeaumont TownOadby Boys Club 93Glenfield Town Reserves
2013/14BradersNKF BurbageWhetstone AthleticCosby United Reserves
2014/15Cosby UnitedQueniboroughThurnby ValleyBirstall RBL Reserves
2015/16County HallThurnby RangersBirstall RBL ReservesStuds
2016/17Thurnby RangersBirstall RBLDunton & Broughton United ReservesNorth Kilworth Reserves
2017/18Cosby UnitedNorthfield Emerald 2013North Kilworth ReservesLeicester Three Lions Reserves

Division Three was dropped in 2018 due to lack of teams.

Premier DivisonDivision OneDivision Two
2018/19Houghton RangersOld AylestoneCosby United
2019/20abandoned