Leek CSOB

Leek CSOB History

Leek CSOB Football Club was formed in 1945 by the late schoolmaster Trevor Harvey to provide football and other sports for the youngsters leaving school immediately at the end of the Second World War. It was a time of poverty and the formation of the Old Boys Club provided the opportunity for boys to play sport. Leek County School Old Boys has run continuously since its formation, starting off in the Leek Minor League and in 1948 the late Manager, Ernie Webster ran the team. The Club played in the local Youth League until the 1959/60 season. The Old Boys as they were known and still are known throughout North Staffordshire and the North West. In the 1959/60 season they won the Leek Post Charity Shield. The following season the team (all under 21) entered the Leek & Moorland League under Manager Ernie Sharrocks. In 1960/61 the Club won the coveted Sentinel Cup at Vale Park, home of Port Vale in front of over 2,000 spectators to bring the Trophy back to Leek after a 30-year interval by beating Stone St Michael�s by 2-1, this trophy was originally won by a Leek Team known as Leek Alexandra in the 1930�s. Good years followed when in the 1961/62 season the Club won the Leek & Moorland League Championship and the League Cup and the Youth Team won the Leek & Cheadle League Cup.

Harry Lacey came on the scene and he became the man that kept the Club running for some 11 years, almost single handed. The Old Boys went on to win the League Cup again in 1963/64 and again in 1973/74. The 70�s and 80�s were lean years for the Club. The Club moved the Senior side into the Staffs County League (North) and were finalists in the Bourne Sports Trophy and the Leek Cup in the 1980�s, and semi-finalists in the Walsall Senior Cup. Stan Lockett took over as Manager from Harry Lacey in 1974 following Harry�s retirement and he was in charge for 5-years following which he became the Club Secretary. Chris Brough became the Manager followed by Neil Baker (Now Assistant at Crewe Alex) for two years in the 1980�s and he went on to become the Manager of Leek Town prior to going to Crewe. Dave Lacey ran a very successful Youth Team winning the Sentinel Cup again only at Stoke City�s Victoria Ground and also was in charge when the Old Boys Youth Team won the Sentinel Shield for the first time. David was the forerunner of the Club�s present Youth Section, and the Club became a FA Charter Standard Community Club in 2003.

The Club became founder members of the Staffordshire Senior League , and in the 1990�s the present Club Chairman, Chris McMullen led the Club on the field to its most successful period in its history. The then Chairman, Ken Hill, led the Club in those successful days and he along with his Management Committee took the massive step for CSOB, TO JOIN THE North West Counties Football League following the winning of the Senior League Championship and the chance of promotion to the NWCFL Division 2 in the 1995/96 season. In that season the Club won the Staffordshire Senior League Championship, the League Cup, the League Shield, the Leek Cup and the whole Leek CSOB Squad represented the Senior League to win the Inter-League Cup against a Liverpool League Representative Team. Ken Hill was the Chairman of the Club for 25 years and his leadership was a period of great stability, he was well respected by everyone in the Non-League game. In the 1996/97 season the Old Boys gained promotion to Division 1 (Now known as the Premier League) of The NWCFL, they played in the Premier for three seasons before being relegated back to Division One. The Old Boys throughout its 65 year history has been forced to hire grounds for all its teams to participate in organised football.

In the 2005 season the Old Boys played the newly formed FC United of Manchester in their first ever official League game at Harrison Park, some 2,595, spectators invaded Harrision Park. It became a Media event with BBC TV and Sky TV being present The police insisted the game should be and �all ticket� match and applications for tickets came flooding in from all parts of Great Britain and over 2,000 Match Programmes were sold that day. Before the match Manager at the time, Chris McMullen, was inter viewed by Radio Stoke and by BBC TV. FC United won the game 5-2 but ever since there has been a rapport between the two Clubs.

The Club has 14 teams, three of which are Girls Teams and ages range from Under 7�s to Under 18 plus a Senior Team. The present Manager of the Senior side is Brett Barlow and he has been joined by Steve Callear, Steve was the Club�s Captain for 10 years and he played and captained the side during its most successful period in the 90�s. The Old Boys ambition is still to strive for a home of its own where all Members can have a facility of their own. The Club now has four Girls Teams at U8, 10, 12 and a Ladies team, so this section of the Club continues to grow rapidly. The Old Boys managed, after a very close game, to gain silverware last season, when they won the Staffordshire Senior Vase trophy with a narrow win after extra time against Norton United at Stafford Rangers Ground. During the close season Leek CSOB won The FA Community Award for 2011 when they were awarded The FA Development Club County Award for the region of Staffordshire. They received their award at Walsall F.C., Stadium in July 2011. In November of this year the whole Junior Section will be based at Birchall where CSOB are in Partnership with SMDC and the new facility will be a base for all the Club�s Junior Teams.