Leisure Leagues

In the 1980s a co-operative of sports facility managers began the first established network of small-sided football leagues, predominantly in sports halls and, in 1990 these were grouped under a single generic name, Leisure Leagues, to represent a local small-sided football league usually located outside London and in rural or provincial towns across the United Kingdom where the opportunity for low cost competitive sport was limited.

In 1998, the Leisure Leagues Allstars was formed to play challenge matches against other 5 a side teams across the country.

Leisure Leagues then grew throughout the United Kingdom with the first leagues in the Republic of Ireland beginning in 2007, in the United States of America in 2012 and in Pakistan in 2017.

Leisure Leagues is the generic name for multiple organisations operating under either a franchise or licence and is the largest independent network of small-sided leagues globally.

Leisure Leagues operates over 70 separate multi-league franchises in the United Kingdom.

Leisure Leagues donates its profits to a range of charities, including Cancer Research UK, the Dogs Trust and Blind Children UK.[5][6] And even with the organisation's massive operations across Europe, they are committed to keeping their travelling carbon neutral.[7]

In 2016, the Leisure Leagues brand launched in Pakistan, with a series of exhibition games involving some of the worlds top footballers, like Ronaldinho and Ryan Giggs, the matches are thought to have attracted the largest crowds ever in the history of 6 a side, and became known as the "Ronaldinho and Friends" games.[8]

In 2019, The brand went to Mexico, launching the first network of leagues in the country.[9]

The organisation has received words of support from several footballing celebrities,[10] including Alan Wiley,[11] Alex McLeish,[12] Stephen Kelly[13] and Jeff Kenna.[14] It is not only in the footballing world though where the charitable work of Leisure Leagues is recognised, as Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Usain Bolt and Boris Johnson have all given messages of support to the organisation.[15]

The Leisure Leagues, using football pitches across the country, give the opportunity to people from different walks of life and standards of football to get involved in a local league.

These are generally people that have been left behind by the 11-a-aide game, which is more geared to better, fitter footballers.

The different leagues in different regions (and days) contain varying numbers of teams and divisions. Teams and players can compete in multiple leagues at the same time and as there are different skill levels throughout the leagues, teams may win one league and find themselves in a relegation battle in another.

As of April 2017 the Leisure Leagues Network had well over 300,000 players, which makes it the biggest independent network of leagues anywhere in the world, with well over 3000 teams playing in competitions in the UK alone.

On 5 September 2016, Leisure Leagues unveiled its new website.[1] The first league to be tested on it was the Flagship competition at Birmingham University.[16] The roll-out was completed fully on 31 October, with the old website switched off on 1 November 2016.[17]

In 2010, Leisure Leagues unveiled plans to franchise their brand worldwide.[18] By 2016, almost a third of their leagues were operating on a franchise basis. This includes the competitions in Ireland[19] the US[20] and Pakistan.[21]

In 2014, the brand moved into the USA, and in 2017 leagues had started in Pakistan, with Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho announcing in mid-March that he was to visit Pakistan to be the face of the launch.[22]

The first ever Leisure Leagues Franchisee, Steve Hogan,[23] was celebrating his tenth anniversary with the firm.

After the success of the launch of the Pakistan leagues, when a series of top stars played in the record breaking games, Leisure Leagues announced a series of brand ambassadors. They added to their star names in September 2018 when Mark Clattenburg signed on as the referees ambassador.[24]

Leisure leagues played a central role in the first ever Socca World Cup in Lisbon. The 32 team event was mostly organised by Leisure Leagues, who supplied the UK teams. Matches were played at the Trunkwala Stadium - named in honour of Leisure Leagues Pakistan.[25] Leisure Leagues Brand Ambassador Mark Clattenburg refereed the final, which was won by Germany.[26]

Leisure Leagues holds the license to operate the England 6 a side team,[27] and in February 2020, it was announced that one of their Partners, James and Richard Ockelford would be the Director Of Football for the England team at the 2020 World Cup.[28]

On 24th June 2020, Leisure Leagues became the first operator in the world to begin one of its leagues after the global pandemic, with the Guernsey competition kicking off.[29] That was followed by the announcement that on the 5th of July, the Kilkenny League in Ireland would follow.[30]

The following is a selection of Leisure Leagues Competitions as of February 2020

Aldershot: 6 a side leagues. Monday[31] and Wednesday[32]

Altrincham 6 a side league. Thursday[33]

Ashton Under Lyne 6 a side Leagues. Sunday[34] Monday

Birmingham 6 a side Leagues Sunday[35]

Bognor Regis 6 a side League. Monday

Brackley 6 a side league. Sunday

Braintree 6 a side league Sunday

Bridlington 6 a side league Monday

Brighton 5 a side league Tuesday

Bristol 6 a side League Thursday

Burntwood 6 a side League Sunday and Monday

Buxton 6 a side league Wednesday

Cannock 6 a side leagues SundaySunday Monday Monday Wednesday

Derby 6 a side league Sunday

Desford 5 a side league Monday

Gillingham 6 a side league Monday

Guernsey 6 a side league Wednesday

Halifax 5 a side league Sunday Monday Wednesday

Kendal 6 a side league Sunday

Kilkenny (Ireland) 6 a side league Sunday

Kidderminster 6 a side league Sunday Monday

Manchester 6 a side league Monday

Matlock 6 a side Tuesday

Middlesbrough 6 a side Monday

Middleton 6 a side Monday

Newark 6 a side Monday

Newmarket 6 a side Monday

Northwich 6 a side Monday

Nuneaton Etone 6 a side Sunday Monday Tuesday

Nuneaton Academy 6 a side Sunday Monday

Plymouth 6 a side Sunday Monday Thursday

Reading 6 a side Tuesday

Redditch 6 a side Sunday

Rubery 6 a side Tuesday Thursday

Shrewsbury 6 a side Tuesday

Sittingbourne 6 a side Sunday Monday

Solihull 6 a side league Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Solihull @ Solihull Moors F.C. Monday

Spalding Monday Thursday Brand New League Kicking Off March 2020

Stafford Sunday Monday

Stourport Monday

Stroud Monday

Tamworth @ Tamworth F.C. Sunday Monday

After Covid, Leisure Leagues announced a #SummerofWeightloss expansion programme, in line with Boris Johnson's call to the country[36] this involved a massive expansion of new leagues, which was backed by Solihull MP Julian Knight,[37]

Amongst the new leagues that started were Faversham[38]

Faversham 6 a side League. Sunday]

Shepton Mallet 6 a side[39]

Gillingham Sunday 6 a side[40]

Other New Leagues to start are:

Alcester 5 a sideWednesday

Ascot 5 a side Sunday

Bedford 6 a side Sunday

Bradford 6 a side Sunday

Chatteris 6 a sideMonday

Crayford 6 a sideSunday

Crickhowell 6 a side Monday

Dartford 6 a sideSunday

Dorchester 6 a side Sunday

Effingham 5 a sideSunday

Erith 6 a side https://www.leisureleagues.net/league/king-henry-sports-centre/erith-sunday

Haverhill 6 a side Sunday

Oldham 6 a side Sunday

Barnstaple 6 a side Sunday

Dover 6 a side Tuesday

Salisbury 6 a side Sunday

Dewsbury 6 a sideWednesday

Letterkenny 6 a side Sunday

Leicester 6 a side Sunday

Stamford 6 a side Sunday

Portishead 6 a side Sunday

There was another league announced in Dorchester too, at 1610 Sports Centre Thursday

There are more new leagues announced in November:

Corby 6 a side Sunday Corby

Crawley 6 a side Sunday

Gloucester 6 a side Sunday Friday

Ipswich Sunday

Aberdeen 6 a side league Sunday

A raft of new leagues were planned to kick off after the second lockdown.

Amongst them were:

Wembley 6 a side Sunday

Sandiacre 6 a side Monday

St Neots 6 a sideFriday

Whitley Bay 6 a side Sunday

Ivybridge 6 a side Sunday

Luton 6 a side Monday

Hartlepool 6 a side Sunday Thursday

Birmingham 6 a side Sunday Tuesday

BognorSunday

Oadby 6 a side Sunday

With 2021 promising to be a real bumper year with vaccines being announced [41]

'Peterborough 6 a side - Sunday [42]

Crewe 6 a side Sunday

St Neots 6 a side Friday

Bangor 6 a side Sunday

Wigan 6 a side Sunday