Leeds City F.C.

Infobox Football club
clubname = Leeds City


fullname = Leeds City Football Club
nickname = The Peacocks, The Citizens, City
shortname =
founded = 1904, 1924
dissolved = 1919, 1927
ground = Elland Road, Leeds, England
capacity = 36,000
league = N/A
pattern_la1=_yellowborder|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=_yellowborder|leftarm1=0000FF|body1=0000FF|rightarm1=0000FF|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=0000FF
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=_unknown|pattern_ra2=|leftarm2=|body2=|rightarm2=|shorts2=|socks2=

Leeds City Football Club were the leading professional football club in Leeds, England, before World War I.

History

The club was formed in 1904, taking the crest of Leeds as the club badge [cite web |url=http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/seasons/190506.htm |title=1905-06, Where it all began... |accessdate=2006-10-13 |work=Dave Tomlinson |publisher=mightyleeds.co.uk] and adopting blue, yellow and white as the club's colours.cite web |url=http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Leeds_City/Leeds_City.htm |title=Leeds City |accessdate=2006-10-13 |date=August 2006 |work=Dave Moor |publisher=Historical Kits] They were elected to the Football League in 1905. The original secretary, a role that then also carried the modern responsibilities of manager and coach, was Gilbert Gillies (1904-1908) who was followed by Frank Scott-Walford before in 1912, they appointed Herbert Chapman who guided the club to their highest position in the league (4th in the Second Division).

Leeds City's whole league career was in the Second Division. However during the 1st World War there ensued a sequence of financial irregularities, including breaking the ban on paying players during the war, that led to the club's dissolution in 1919. They were expelled from The Football League eight games into the 1919-20 season. Port Vale took over their remaining fixtures (as well as their results up to that point).

In the wake of their demise, Leeds United were formed, and entered the Football League the following year.

Player auction

On 17 October 1919, an auction was held at the Metropole Hotel in Leeds, where the playing staff was auctioned off along with other assets of the club. The 16 members of the playing squad were bought by 9 different clubs for a total of £9,250.cite web |url=http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/seasons/191920.htm |title=Review of 1919-20 - Disaster strikes |accessdate=2006-11-16 |date= |work=Dave |publisher=MightyLeeds.co.uk]

None of the players auctioned ever played for the new Leeds United, but winger Ivan Sharpe, who had scored 17 goals in 65 appearances for City between 1913 and 1915, spent 2½ years at United between 1920 and 1923 (but only played once) and right-half Harry Sherwin, who left City just 5 months before their dissolution, went on to score twice in 107 games for United between 1921 and 1925.

Revival

1920s

The club did re-form in 1924 as an amateur club, taking part in the Yorkshire Football League. They finished 6th, 4th and 11th in the three seasons they took part. The club however dissolved in 1927.

Current situation

Currently there is a men's senior team under the name of Leeds City which formed in 2006 and admitted to West Yorkshire League Division Two. They were promoted twice in successive seasons to the West Yorkshire League Premier Division which is at tier 11 of the English football league system pyramid, 10 levels below where the original club played. They play near the Adel War Memorial at Adel Memorial Recreational Ground, Church Lane in Adel situated in the north of Leeds.

There is also a female team using the Leeds City name; Leeds City Vixens L.F.C., a local women's football club. They play in the Northern Combination Women's Football League, 1/4 of the women's third division

Neither the current Leeds City or Leeds City Vixens L.F.C. are recognised as an official continuation of the old club and are in fact only a continuation of the name. Neither club plays in Leeds City's traditional colours either, both playing in white shirts with a shade of blue trim along with shorts and socks in the same shade of blue.

Attendance

City's attendances were among the worst in the league, and the club was never particularly well financed. This is mainly attributed to the area being traditionally a rugby league area. The club however are the highest placed team, not currently in the league, in the all time average attendance figures for the Football League & Premier League having an average attendance of 10,234 and a total attendance of 1,944,365 for all matches played. [cite web |url=http://www.nufc.com/html/attendance-all-time.html |title=All Time League Attendance Records |accessdate=2006-09-12 |date=4 September 2006 |work=Niall Mackenzie |publisher=Newcastle's Unofficial Fans Collaboration]

Former players

* Evelyn Lintott
* Dick Ray
* Ivan Sharpe
* Fred Spiksley
* Tommy Hynds
* Billy Gillespie
* Billy Scott

ee also

*
*

References

External links

* [http://www.wafll.com/leeds-statistics/ The complete Leeds City match statistics] from wafll.com
* [http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/history/leedscity.htm The Leeds City years - Leeds United Fans Site]
* [http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/history/scandal19.htm The Leeds City Scandal - Leeds United Fans Site]
* [http://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/Articles/1919-20article.html Article at FootballSite]
* [http://www.fchd.info/LEEDSC.HTM Leeds City at Football Club History Database]
* [http://www.wya.leaguemanager.biz/ West Yorkshire Association Football League]
* [http://www.leedscityfc.org/ Official Leeds City Website]