The Rise and Rise of North Leigh
North
Leigh FC, The Millers, are a football club based in the small Oxfordshire
village of North Leigh. Just a few miles outside of Witney and Oxford, the club
is surrounded by teams that have richer and more glamorous histories. This,
however, has not prevented them from rising up from local leagues to the top of
the Southern League Division One (Tier 8 in English football).
North Leigh village has a population of under 2000. Within a 30 mile radius of the club there is a proliferation of league and higher placed non-league teams. Oxford United, Oxford City, both Abingdon teams, Didcot Town, Banbury Town and even Brackley Town are all close enough to draw players away from North Leigh. In recent years both Abingdon Town and United have slipped down the pyramid and are both now languishing at the bottom of the Hellenic Premier (tier 9). Didcot are in the same division as North Leigh and Banbury a division higher. Both Oxford City and Brackley are now in the Conference North and Oxford United, at the time of writing, lead League 2.
Their home stadium, The Eynsham Hall Sports Ground, is one of the more picturesque grounds that I have visited. Certainly unique in that it is set, pretty much, on the front lawn of Eynsham Hall. The view from the club house stand, past the far goals is very impressive with the stately home rising up in the near distance. The ground itself has, of course, hard standing all around with a covered area behind the clubhouse goal and a covered seating for 175 on one side. I would certainly recommend a visit to this stadium.
Although founded in 1908, North Leigh only joined the Hellenic League Division 1 (tier 10) in 1990. After gaining promotion to the Premier League they then went on to win the league in 2001-02 and again the following season. On both occasions the club did not apply to join the Southern League. However, in 2007-08, they did finally attain promotion when long-term table-toppers Almonsbury Town lost 1-0 to Abingdon Town on the last day of the season.
Five seasons down the line and North Leigh currently sit proudly atop the Southern League Division One South & West. This is a fantastic achievement for such a small club (and I don’t mean that in a derogatory manner). It speaks volumes for the way that the club is run that they can entice good players away from larger and possibly, more glamorous, clubs on their doorstep.
North Leigh FC, in my opinion, typify why I and many others now prefer to watch football at this level rather than the so-called elite level. The club, and I certainly don’t know these people personally, is run by football people who are prepared to give their own time and money for the benefit of the club. They are never going to draw crowds in the thousands so they cut their cloth accordingly. Admission and tea bar prices are kept to a sensible and reasonable level so that the club is accessible to anyone who wishes to come along.
I know, from experience, that this model is replicated across the majority of clubs at this level. They are generally run by volunteers who want to be able to put something back into their community. Long may it stay this way.
North Leigh village has a population of under 2000. Within a 30 mile radius of the club there is a proliferation of league and higher placed non-league teams. Oxford United, Oxford City, both Abingdon teams, Didcot Town, Banbury Town and even Brackley Town are all close enough to draw players away from North Leigh. In recent years both Abingdon Town and United have slipped down the pyramid and are both now languishing at the bottom of the Hellenic Premier (tier 9). Didcot are in the same division as North Leigh and Banbury a division higher. Both Oxford City and Brackley are now in the Conference North and Oxford United, at the time of writing, lead League 2.
Their home stadium, The Eynsham Hall Sports Ground, is one of the more picturesque grounds that I have visited. Certainly unique in that it is set, pretty much, on the front lawn of Eynsham Hall. The view from the club house stand, past the far goals is very impressive with the stately home rising up in the near distance. The ground itself has, of course, hard standing all around with a covered area behind the clubhouse goal and a covered seating for 175 on one side. I would certainly recommend a visit to this stadium.
Although founded in 1908, North Leigh only joined the Hellenic League Division 1 (tier 10) in 1990. After gaining promotion to the Premier League they then went on to win the league in 2001-02 and again the following season. On both occasions the club did not apply to join the Southern League. However, in 2007-08, they did finally attain promotion when long-term table-toppers Almonsbury Town lost 1-0 to Abingdon Town on the last day of the season.
Five seasons down the line and North Leigh currently sit proudly atop the Southern League Division One South & West. This is a fantastic achievement for such a small club (and I don’t mean that in a derogatory manner). It speaks volumes for the way that the club is run that they can entice good players away from larger and possibly, more glamorous, clubs on their doorstep.
North Leigh FC, in my opinion, typify why I and many others now prefer to watch football at this level rather than the so-called elite level. The club, and I certainly don’t know these people personally, is run by football people who are prepared to give their own time and money for the benefit of the club. They are never going to draw crowds in the thousands so they cut their cloth accordingly. Admission and tea bar prices are kept to a sensible and reasonable level so that the club is accessible to anyone who wishes to come along.
I know, from experience, that this model is replicated across the majority of clubs at this level. They are generally run by volunteers who want to be able to put something back into their community. Long may it stay this way.