| Clubname: | Leek |
| Fullname: | Leek Football Club |
| Founded: | 1872 |
| Dissolved: | 1902 |
| Mgrtitle: | Secretary |
| Manager: | Sam Henshaw[1] |
| Ground: | Westwood Lane |
| Pattern La1: | _black_hoops |
| Pattern B1: | _thin_blackhoops |
| Pattern Ra1: | _black_hoops |
| Pattern So1: | _hoops_black |
| Leftarm1: | FFBF00 |
| Body1: | FFBF00 |
| Rightarm1: | FFBF00 |
| Shorts1: | 000000 |
| Socks1: | FFBF00 |
Leek F.C. was an English football club from the town of Leek, Staffordshire.
The club claimed a foundation date in 1872, and by the 1876–77 season was established enough to have had a season of 20 matches, winning 14.[2]
Leek's first competitive match for the club was in the first Staffordshire Senior Cup in 1877–78, beating Cobridge in the first round, and losing to eventual winners Stoke in the second.[3]
Leek played in the FA Cup from 1884 to 1893, reaching the Fifth Round in 1886–87.[4] [5] At that stage the club lost 2–0 at home to the Old Carthusians in front of a crowd of 4,000; Leek twice had the ball between the posts, but both times the score was disallowed.[6]
The club joined the Midland Football League for its inaugural season in 1889, but after one season left for The Combination.[7] Leek lasted five Combination seasons, generally finishing near the bottom,[8] and the club left the league after the 1895–96 season, having lost £120 over the season, despite retaining amateur status.[9] A desperate scheme to pay the club's debts by sending out "collecting cards" was unsuccessful, the exercise not even raising £11,[10] and the club took a berth in the North Staffordshire League. The club continued at this low level until 1902, when it merged with other clubs to form Leek United.[11]
The club wore amber and black until at least 1891.[12] By 1893 the club was wearing white jerseys.[13]
The club originally played at Abney Road, a mile from Leek railway station.[14] By 1879 it was playing at Westwood Lane and used the George Hotel for facilities.[15]