Letcombe F.C.

Letcombe Football Club is a football club based in Letcombe Regis, Oxfordshire, England. They are currently member of the Hellenic League Division Two South and play at Bassett Road.

Letcombe
Full nameLetcombe Football Club
Nickname(s)The Brooksiders
GroundBassett Road, Letcombe Regis
ChairmanDennis Stock
ManagerDavid Richardson
LeagueHellenic League Division Two South
2019–20Hellenic League Division Two West (transferred)
Bassett Road in April 2007

History

It is unclear when the club was established, but the earliest record of football in the village is from 1910, when the club was members of the Wantage Division of the North Berks League.[1] In 1911 the league was reorganised, with Letcome placed in the Wantage & Faringdon Division. The club won the division and played Abingdon & Wallingford Division champions Radley for the league championship at Challow Park in Wantage, losing 5–3 after extra time.[2] The following season saw both Letcome and Radley win their divisions again; after the championship match ended 1–1 after extra time, the title was shared.[3]

Following World War I, Letcome did not return to the league for the 1919–20 season,[4] but rejoined the following season amid league expansion, and were placed in Division Two (Wantage).[5] The club left the league at the end of the season, returning again in 1923–24 and re-entering Division Two (Wantage). Despite only finishing fourth,[6] they were promoted to Division One (Wantage). The club were runners-up in the division the following season,[7] but finished bottom of the division in 1928–29,[8] and subsequently left the league.

In 1946 a Letcome Regis club joined Division Two of the North Berks League. Following league reorganisation, they were placed in Division One (West) for the 1947–48 season and went on to finish bottom of the division,[9] after which the club left the league and later folded.[1] After being reformed in 1961,[1] they joined Division Three of the North Berks League.[10] Despite only finishing fourth in Division Three in 1962–63, the club were promoted to Division One the following season as Division Three was disbanded. They finished bottom of Division One in 1964–65,[11] but were not relegated as the division was expanded from ten to fourteen clubs. However, after finishing in the bottom three the following season, the club were relegated to Division Two.

The 1969–70 season saw Letcome finish bottom of Division Two.[12] They finished bottom again in 1971–72 and were relegated to Division Three. Despite finishing in the top half of Division Three in 1973–74, the club were relegated to Division Four. The following season saw them finish second-from-bottom of Division Four, resulting in relegation to Division Five. In 1977–78 the club finished third in Division Five and were promoted to Division Four. They were promoted again the following season after another third-place finish, moving back up to Division Three.

In 1983–84 Letcome were Division Three runners-up,[13] earning promotion to Division Two. The following season saw them win the Division Two title and promotion to Division One.[14] In 1989–90 the club were Division One champions, remaining unbeaten during the league season.[15] They then moved up to Division One of the Chiltonian League.[16] The club won Division One at the first attempt, earning promotion to the Premier Division.[16]

In 1993 Letcome transferred to Division One of the Hellenic League.[16] When the league was restructured in 2000, they were placed in Division One West, before being transferred to Division One East in 2002.[16] The club were Division One East runners-up in 2003–04, but were unable to take promotion due to a lack of floodlights at their ground.[1] Three seasons later they were moved back into the West division, where the club remained until being moved back into the East division in 2011. In 2012 they were moved back to Division One West.[16] At the end of the 2017–18 season the club were demoted to Division Two West due to the ground not meeting the requirements for their level. However, the club withdrew from the league shortly before the start of the 2018–19 season,[17] with the first team taking over from the reserves in Division Three of the North Berks League.

Letcome won Division Three at the first attempt, and transferred to Division Two West of the Hellenic League.

Honours
  • Chiltonian League
    • Division One champions 1990–91
  • North Berks Football League
    • Champions 1912–13 (shared), 1989–90
    • Division Two champions 1984–85
    • Division Three champions 2018–19
    • Wantage & Faringdon Division champions 1911–12, 1912–13
  • North Berks Cup
    • Winners 1987–88

Records

References
  1. History Letcombe F.C.
  2. Final League Tables 1911/1912 North Berks League
  3. Final League Tables 1912/1913 North Berks League
  4. Final League Tables 1919/1920 North Berks League
  5. Final League Tables 1920/1921 North Berks League
  6. Final League Tables 1923/1924 North Berks League
  7. Final League Tables 1924/1925 North Berks League
  8. Final League Tables 1928/1929 North Berks League
  9. Final League Tables 1947/1948 Archived 2017-02-02 at the Wayback Machine North Berks League
  10. Final League Tables 1961/1962 North Berks League
  11. Final League Tables 1964/1965 North Berks League
  12. Final League Tables 1969/1970 North Berks League
  13. Final League Tables 1983/1984 North Berks League
  14. Final League Tables 1984/1985 North Berks League
  15. Final League Tables 1989/1990 North Berks League
  16. Letcombe at the Football Club History Database
  17. FOOTBALL: Letcombe withdraw from Hellenic League Oxford Mail, 3 August 2018
  18. Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2016) Non-League Club Directory 2017, Tony Williams Publications, p429 ISBN 978-1869833695

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