Leicestershire Church Football League

The Leicestershire Church Football League, established in 1986,[1] is a men's football competition for church-based teams in Leicestershire, England. It is one of the six Saturday leagues affiliated to the Leicestershire & Rutland County Football Association.[2] Elim Pentecostal Leicester FC have been the most successful club, with 10 league titles and six league cups. Under league rules, the teams must field at least seven players who regularly attend church.[3] The league now has only one division, containing nine teams, but during the seasons from 1990 to 1991 to 2008–09, there were two divisions.

As well as the church league and cup tournaments, LCL teams have also competed in Leicestershire County Cups, such as the Leicestershire Saturday Trophy and the Leicestershire Saturday Vase. The best performance by a LCL team in such competitions came during the 2009–10 season, when Revive FC defeated North Kilworth Sports Reserves 2–1 in the final of the Leicestershire Saturday Vase.[4]

The 2017/2018 league winners were Harborough Churches.

League members

Current members

Arnesby Baptist Enderby Mission United Harborough Churches Knighton Evangelical

Leicester City Vineyard Loughborough Churches Thurnby Church Trinity Life Church West Leicester Church

Former members

Aylestone Friday Night Football Project Barrow Baptist Church Braunstone Evangelical Free Church Christchurch Clarendon Park Church of the Martyrs Coalville Pentecostal Church Elim Pentecostal Leicester Fleckney Baptist Church Friar Lane Baptist Church Holy Trinity Leicester Humberstone Church Kingsway Church Fellowship Leicester Christian Fellowship Leicester Salvation Army

Leicester West Saints Loughborough Emmanuel Lutterworth Saints Melbourne Hall Evangelical Quorn Baptist Church Robert Hall Memorial Baptist Church Rugby Bilton Evangelical Church Sileby Christians South Leicestershire Churches Wigston Assemblies of God Wigston Central Churches Wigston Methodist Church Woodhouse Baptist Church

Notes

• Where teams have merged or been renamed, their old names have been added to the Former members section.
• Following the 2008–09 season, Elim Pentecostal Leicester competed as Kingsway Church Fellowship.
• Following the 2011–12 season, Aylestone Friday Night Football Project and Whetstone Baptist Church merged to form Aylestone & Whetstone.

History

Division One winners

1986–87: Friar Lane Baptist Church 1987–88: Elim Pentecostal Leicester 1988–89: Leicester Christian Fellowship 1989–90: Wigston Assemblies of God 1990–91: Wigston Assemblies of God 1991–92: Elim Pentecostal Leicester 1992–93: Woodhouse Baptist Church 1993–94: Elim Pentecostal Leicester 1994–95: Elim Pentecostal Leicester 'A' 1995–96: Elim Pentecostal Leicester 'A' 1996–97: Coalville Pentecostal Church 1997–98: Coalville United Churches 1998–99: Elim Pentecostal Leicester 1999–2000: Coalville United Churches 2000–01: Coalville United Churches

2001–02: Loughborough Emmanuel 2002–03: Elim Pentecostal Leicester 2003–04: Revive FC (Loughborough University Christian Union) 2004–05: Revive FC (Loughborough University Christian Union) 2005–06: Wigston Churches 2006–07: Elim Pentecostal Leicester 2007–08: Elim Pentecostal Leicester 2008–09: Elim Pentecostal Leicester 2009–10: Melbourne Hall Evangelical Free Church 2010–11: Kingsway FC 2011–12: Enderby Mission United 2012–13: Melbourne Hall Evangelical Free Church 2013–14: United Churches of Leicestershire 2014–15: Aylestone & Whetstone

• 2017–18 Harborough Churches

Division Two winners

1990–91: Fleckney Baptist Church 1991–92: Holy Trinity Leicester 1992–93: Wigston Methodist Church 1993–94: Knighton Evangelical Free Church 1994–95: Wigston Methodist Church 1995–96: Elim Pentecostal Leicester 'B' 1996–97: Humberstone Church 1997–98: Christchurch Clarendon Park 1998–99: Kingsway Church Fellowship 1999–2000: Christchurch Clarendon Park

2000–01: Wigston Assemblies of God 2001–02: Quorn Baptist Church 2002–03: Leicester Salvation Army 2003–04: Wigston Central Churches 2004–05: Melbourne Hall Evangelical Free Church 2005–06: Braunstone Evangelical Free Church 2006–07: Lutterworth Saints 2007–08: Harborough Churches 2008–09: Revive FC (Loughborough University Christian Union)

League Cup winners

1987: Friar Lane Baptist Church 1988: Elim Pentecostal Leicester 1989: Melbourne Hall Evangelical Free Church 1990: Wigston Assemblies of God / Woodhouse Baptist Church (shared) 1991: Leicester Christian Fellowship 1992: Woodhouse Baptist Church 1993: Woodhouse Baptist Church 1994: Elim Pentecostal Leicester 1995: Elim Pentecostal Leicester 1996: Elim Pentecostal Leicester 1997: Elim Pentecostal Leicester 1998: Coalville United Churches 1999: Coalville United Churches 2000: Wigston Methodist Church 2001: Coalville United Churches

2002: Loughborough Emmanuel 2003: Loughborough Emmanuel 2004: Lutterworth Saints 2005: Rugby Bilton Evangelical Church 2006: Melbourne Hall Evangelical Free Church 2007: Melbourne Hall Evangelical Free Church 2008: Lutterworth Saints 2009: Elim Pentecostal Leicester 2010: Revive FC (Loughborough University Christian Union) 2011: Enderby Mission United 2012: Melbourne Hall Evangelical Free Church 2013: United Churches of Leicestershire 2014: United Churches of Leicestershire 2015: Knighton Evangelical Free Church

References

1. Leicestershire Church League Cup Final 2008 matchday programme. 2008. p. 5.
2. "Leicestershire FA affiliated leagues". Leicestershire & Rutland County FA. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
3. "Leicestershire Church Football League Constitution & Rules". Soccer Weekend. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
4. "Leicestershire Saturday Vase Fixtures and Results". Leicestershire & Rutland County FA. Retrieved 27 February 2012.

http://www.soccerweekend.com/division/index.asp?DivisionID=2459