1895-96 Season Summary

Highlights

This was a milestone season in the history football in Leicestershire. For the first time two clubs – Leicester Fosse and Loughborough FC represented the county in the Football League, finishing 8th and 12th, respectively in the 16 team Second Division.

Five Leicestershire clubs entered the English Challenge Cup competition. Sadly, none managed to progress through the qualifying rounds.

Leicester Fosse finished 8^th and Loughborough 12th in the Second Division.

Perhaps the most famous fixture ever witnessed in Loughborough took place on 12 December 1896 – the 8-0 demolition of Arsenal – which is still stands as the Londoners record defeat in the Football League.

Loughborough joined the United League.

Leicester Fosse retained the Leicestershire and Northants League title.  The League collapsed at the end of the 1895-96 season.

Castle Donington  won the inaugural North Leicestershire League.

Moira, Barwell Swifts, and Anstey Town were crowned champions of the inaugural Ashby & District and Hinckley & District and Leicester & District Leagues, respectively.

Leicester Fosse Reserves won the Senior Cup; Barwell Swifts the Junior Cup and Belvoir-street, the Challenge Shield.

Leicestershire clubs entered Bass Charity Vase, Birmingham Senior Cup, Gresley & District Cup, Kettering & District Cup competitions.

Leicester Fosse were beaten by Rushden of the final of the Rushden Cup.

The success of the Leicestershire and Northamptonshire League led to the formation of three new ‘junior’ leagues – Hinckley & District (South Leicestershire), Leicester & District, and North Leicestershire.

Jimmy Logan, who had scored a hat trick for Notts County in the 1894 English Cup Final tragically died in Loughborough in May 1896 of pneumonia. He along with his Loughborough team mates take to the field against Newton Heath in a Second Division League match wearing their ordinary clothes, after their kit had been lost. Rain fell heavily throughout the 90 minutes, and at the end of a 0–2 defeat, Loughborough’s players had to return home wearing the very clothes they had played the match in. Jimmy Logan caught a cold, which he managed to shake off, but not long after scoring in a 4–1 victory in the final game of the season against Crewe Alexandra, Logan relapsed. Logan was buried in an unmarked pauper’s grave in Loughborough’s cemetery. Thankfully funds were raised in 2016 to honour the former player with a headstone. Loughborough has a Jimmy Logan Way near the town’s Derby Road Playing Fields.

The Football Association’s register of professional players or 1895-96 included players from the following Leicestershire clubs – Coalville Albion (6), Coalville Town (9), Leicester Fosse (23), Loughborough (30), Melton Town (1), Moira Rovers (1) and Whitwick (3).

Ladies football matches were played at Loughborough (October 1895) and Leicester (May 1896) – the first recorded ladies matches played in the county.

LADIES FOOTBALL ON THE ATHLETIC GROUND – On Monday [14 October 1895] afternoon a match was played  on the Nottingham-road Athletic Ground, Loughborough between two teams of “the Lady Footballers! There was not much actual football about the exhibition which was chiefly watched out of curiosity. Those who had the management of the affair did not extend to the Press the courtesies  which the Loughborough Football Club and all other invariably offer for those reporting matches. The game ended in a victory for the “Whites” by two goals to one. – Leicester Journal 18 October 1895

National Cup Competitions

National Leagues

Leicestershire Cups

Leicestershire Leagues

Other Cup Competitions

Friendly Matches

Additional Information