The Champions celebrate at Stopsley
Sports CentrePaul Gathern,
Pete Mather, Graham Hunt (obscured), Archie Conway,
Keith Lee, Al Mayman, Al Dawson, Colin Bradley, Russell
Sheppard, Steve Close, Phil Thompson, Kevin Connolly
2.
First Team - 1990-91
North Home Counties Sunday Football League Division 3
The following season, the First Team thought
it would be a good idea to follow suit and won the Division
3 title under Manager Keith Lee.
|
NHC Division 3
|
P. |
W. |
D. |
L. |
F. |
A. |
Pts. |
1. |
Lea Sports |
20 |
10 |
8 |
2 |
60 |
35 |
28 |
2. |
A.F.C. Heron Res. |
20 |
11 |
4 |
5 |
50 |
41 |
26 |
3. |
61
FC |
20 |
8 |
8 |
4 |
41 |
27 |
24 |
4. |
Parkside |
20 |
9 |
5 |
6 |
44 |
30 |
23 |
5. |
F.C.
Houghton |
20 |
8 |
7 |
5 |
48 |
40 |
23 |
6. |
Renault Dodge |
20 |
9 |
4 |
7 |
53 |
40 |
22 |
7. |
Wells Stars |
20 |
9 |
4 |
7 |
38 |
27 |
22 |
8. |
Beds. Firs Service |
20 |
10 |
1 |
9 |
34 |
46 |
21 |
9. |
Red
Star |
20 |
6 |
3 |
11 |
32 |
47 |
15 |
10. |
Old
Moat House |
20 |
5 |
3 |
12 |
42 |
58 |
13 |
11. |
Holy Ghost |
20 |
1 |
1 |
18 |
27 |
78 |
3 |
In a very tight division, the First Team
squeezed home by just 2 points after a nervous 2-2 draw at
home to runners-up AFC Heron Reserves in their final game, when goals from Al Mayman and Phil Thompson salvaged a point.
In the end they finished just 7 points ahead
of the team in 8th place.
Back to Top
4.
Second Team - 1994-95
11.
Under Fourteen Team - 2005-06
Chiltern Youth League Division 3
The Under Fourteens scored 100 league goals
as they took the Division 3 title.
|
Chiltern Youth Div.
3 |
P. |
W. |
D. |
L. |
F. |
A. |
Pts. |
1. |
Lea Sports Pirton |
24 |
18 |
1 |
5 |
100 |
52 |
55 |
2. |
AFC
Kempston Colts ‘A’ |
24 |
16 |
3 |
5 |
62 |
33 |
51 |
3. |
Brickhill Wanderers ‘B’ |
24 |
15 |
4 |
5 |
104 |
34 |
49 |
4. |
AFC
Dunstable |
24 |
15 |
3 |
6 |
64 |
36 |
48 |
5. |
Langford |
24 |
14 |
2 |
8 |
71 |
44 |
44 |
6. |
Bedford Park
Rangers ‘B’ |
24 |
13 |
3 |
8 |
50 |
36 |
42 |
7. |
Marsh Farm |
24 |
11 |
3 |
10 |
59 |
53 |
36 |
8. |
Lewsey Centre |
24 |
10 |
2 |
12 |
41 |
46 |
32 |
9. |
Caddington |
24 |
9 |
2 |
13 |
58 |
89 |
29 |
10. |
Kempston West End |
24 |
8 |
3 |
13 |
50 |
67 |
27 |
11. |
Warden Hill Tigers |
24 |
6 |
2 |
16 |
37 |
54 |
20 |
12. |
Flamstead |
24 |
6 |
1 |
17 |
50 |
121 |
19 |
13. |
Celtic ‘B’ |
24 |
0 |
1 |
23 |
14 |
95 |
1 |
A ten-match winning streak in March and April
2006 was enough to bring the title to Pirton. The team was
involved in a number of high-scoring matches - including 16
matches through the season where seven or more goals were
scored, but in the end their record of 18 wins was the best
in the division.
Back to Top
9.
First Team - 2001-02
North Home Counties Sunday Football League Division 3
In 2001-02 it was the adults' turn again when
the First Team, under the leadership of Steve Baggett, took
the Division 3 Championship by a point from 61 FC.
|
NHC Division 3
|
P. |
W. |
D. |
L. |
F. |
A. |
Pts. |
1. |
Lea Sports |
20 |
11 |
5 |
4 |
50 |
32 |
27 * |
2. |
61
FC |
20 |
11 |
4 |
5 |
52 |
44 |
26 |
3. |
Flint United |
20 |
10 |
3 |
7 |
42 |
32 |
23 |
4. |
Magnum AFC |
20 |
10 |
2 |
8 |
66 |
44 |
22 |
5. |
FC
Houghton Res. |
20 |
9 |
3 |
8 |
53 |
45 |
21 |
6. |
Postels |
20 |
9 |
3 |
8 |
50 |
49 |
21 |
7. |
Dog
and Duck |
20 |
8 |
5 |
7 |
43 |
43 |
21 |
8. |
Brache Green Man Res. |
20 |
8 |
3 |
9 |
47 |
48 |
19 |
9. |
Globe AFC |
20 |
7 |
1 |
12 |
38 |
55 |
15 |
10. |
Icknield Athletic |
20 |
6 |
3 |
11 |
41 |
59 |
15 |
11. |
Red
Lion |
20 |
3 |
4 |
13 |
30 |
61 |
10 |
*
Including 1 match awarded.
Despite just 1 win in their first 5 league
games, and 1 win in 4 games against their 2 nearest rivals,
consistency through the season and a mean defence brought
the title back to Pirton.
Back to Top
North
Home Counties Sunday Football League Division 5
7.
Third Team - 1997-98
Luton Sunday League Division 1
The Thirds had been knocking at the door of the Luton Sunday
League Division 1 Championship for some years, finishing
2nd, 3rd, 2nd and 4th in the preceding 4 seasons, but it was
Steve Baggett who took them to their first title.
|
Luton Sunday
Division 1 |
P. |
W. |
D. |
L. |
F. |
A. |
Pts. |
1. |
Lea Sports ‘A’ |
16 |
14 |
1 |
1 |
59 |
21 |
43 * |
2. |
Woodlands Social |
16 |
11 |
1 |
4 |
73 |
21 |
34 |
3. |
Icknield Rangers |
16 |
9 |
1 |
6 |
54 |
34 |
28 |
4. |
One
Nation |
16 |
9 |
1 |
6 |
53 |
37 |
28 |
5. |
Mary Seacole |
16 |
7 |
2 |
7 |
46 |
41 |
23 |
6. |
Luton Rangers |
16 |
7 |
1 |
8 |
40 |
52 |
22 |
7. |
Carpenters Arms |
16 |
7 |
0 |
9 |
36 |
34 |
21 |
8. |
Bramingham Rovers |
16 |
3 |
1 |
12 |
27 |
71 |
10 |
9. |
Finn McCouls |
16 |
1 |
0 |
15 |
17 |
94 |
3 |
* Includes
1 match awarded 2-0.
In the end, only 2 matches in February 1998
spoiled a perfect league season: a 2-2 home draw with Mary
Seacole and a 4-1 defeat to Icknield Rangers. One Nation did
manage a 5-3 win over us in the Challenge Cup and there was
a surprise 4-3 extra time defeat to Division 2 Windsor
Castle in the TT Trophy, but otherwise the team swept all
before them.
Back row: Phil Thompson, Steve Goldsmith,
Graham Carter, Dave Newman, Kelvin Callow, Hugh Byrne, Al
Palmer
Front row: Phil Clarke, Mick Marsh, Steve
Baggett, Rick Vipers, Neil Hebron, Paul Gathern, Archie
Conway
Back
to Top
6.
Under Seventeen Team - 1994-95
Bedford Colts Under Seventeen Division
The Under Seventeens, under Kieran Dimambro,
claimed the joint championship of the Beds Colts League in
remarkable circumstances.
|
Beds Colts Division
1 |
P. |
W. |
D. |
L. |
F. |
A. |
Pts. |
1=. |
Lea Sports Stopsley |
20 |
16 |
0 |
4 |
83 |
34 |
32 * |
1=. |
Bletchley Colts |
20 |
15 |
2 |
3 |
68 |
17 |
32 |
1=. |
Brickhill Wanderers |
20 |
14 |
4 |
2 |
75 |
32 |
32 |
1=. |
Kempston Rovers |
20 |
16 |
0 |
4 |
75 |
32 |
32 |
5. |
Sandy Albion |
20 |
11 |
3 |
6 |
54 |
36 |
25
* |
6. |
Cranfield Colts |
20 |
8 |
3 |
9 |
54 |
52 |
19 |
7. |
St.
Mary’s |
20 |
7 |
1 |
12 |
44 |
57 |
15 |
8. |
Flitwick Eagles |
20 |
6 |
1 |
13 |
42 |
67 |
13 |
9. |
Aqmpthill Boys |
20 |
4 |
2 |
14 |
31 |
61 |
10 |
10. |
Wootton Rangers |
20 |
3 |
2 |
15 |
22 |
68 |
8 |
11. |
Putteridge |
20 |
1 |
0 |
19 |
18 |
109 |
2 |
* Points
from Sandy Albion vs. Lea Sports were awarded to Lea Sports
Stopsley.
The Championship looked lost when the league
docked us 2 points for not fulfilling an away fixture vs.
Sandy Albion on Good Friday, but we successfully appealed to
the Bedfordshire FA that the league had not given us
sufficient notice of the fixture and they ruled that the
game should be replayed. By the time this decision was made,
we were well into May and Sandy refused to play the game,
conceding the points to Lea Sports. There was also
insufficient time to arrange play-offs to decide the title,
so it was split four ways and the league had to buy four
sets of medals!
(Picture taken at the end of the preceding
season at Under Sixteen)
Back to Top
5. Fourth Team - 1994-95
Luton Sunday League Division 2
Kevin Knight's Fourth XI swept all before them in Division 2
of the Luton Sunday League in only their third season of
league football.
|
Luton Sunday
Division 2 |
P. |
W. |
D. |
L. |
F. |
A. |
Pts. |
1. |
Lea Sports Stopsley ‘B’ |
18 |
14 |
2 |
2 |
88 |
20 |
44 * |
2. |
Luton Rangers |
18 |
9 |
5 |
4 |
48 |
41 |
32 |
3. |
Hibbert Arms |
18 |
8 |
4 |
6 |
45 |
34 |
28 |
4. |
Icknield Rangers |
18 |
8 |
4 |
6 |
43 |
42 |
28 |
5. |
Round Green Rangers |
18 |
8 |
3 |
7 |
45 |
35 |
27 |
6. |
GML
Comets |
18 |
7 |
3 |
8 |
42 |
59 |
24 |
7. |
Emerald United Res. |
18 |
5 |
5 |
8 |
42 |
52 |
20 |
8. |
Dunstable Drivers |
18 |
6 |
2 |
10 |
31 |
52 |
20 |
9. |
Two
Brewers |
18 |
5 |
3 |
10 |
38 |
52 |
18 |
10. |
AFC
Oakley Res. |
18 |
3 |
3 |
12 |
26 |
59 |
12 |
* Includes
1 match conceded 2-0.
Lea Sports only lost 2 league games all
season, one of which was a conceded game to Two Brewers
after fixture congestion at the end of the season (the team
also reached the Invitation Cup final, where they lost to
Chalton Strollers). The other defeat was to Icknield
Rangers, whom they had earlier beaten 10-1! There were no
league defeats after Christmas and the league was
effectively wrapped up in December when challengers Luton
Rangers were walloped 6-0.
Much of the same team were to reach the
Invitation Cup Final the following year, pictured here is
that Cup Final team:
Back row:
Dean Kempson, Kevin Knight, Craig Brooke, Phil Roberts, Dave
Malvern, Houston Ferguson, Owen McKee, Marcus Olden, Andrew
Sexton
Front row: Richard Sexton,
Graham Manton, Steve Grimes, Rob Middleton, Steve Middleton,
Ian Clarke, Damian Corbett
Back to Top
The 'Golden Season' of 1994-95 brought
three Championships to the Club. The runaway winners of
Division 5 were Laurence Freed's 'invincible' Reserves.
|
NHC Division 5
|
P. |
W. |
D. |
L. |
F. |
A. |
Pts. |
1. |
Lea Sports Stopsley Res. |
20 |
16 |
1 |
3 |
65 |
18 |
33 |
2. |
Houghton Town
Res. |
20 |
12 |
5 |
3 |
48 |
23 |
29 |
3. |
Markyate |
20 |
12 |
3 |
5 |
58 |
31 |
27 |
4. |
AFC
Stopsley |
20 |
12 |
3 |
5 |
59 |
42 |
27 |
5. |
Swan Rangers |
20 |
12 |
2 |
6 |
54 |
40 |
26 |
6. |
Royal Mail |
20 |
8 |
2 |
10 |
46 |
45 |
18 |
7. |
Streatley Chequers |
20 |
7 |
4 |
9 |
40 |
48 |
18 |
8. |
Hexton Res. |
20 |
7 |
4 |
9 |
37 |
47 |
18 |
9. |
Barbarians |
20 |
3 |
6 |
11 |
30 |
48 |
12 |
10. |
Wells Stars |
20 |
4 |
3 |
13 |
42 |
55 |
11 |
11. |
Red
Lion Sundon |
20 |
0 |
1 |
19 |
25 |
107 |
1 |
8.
Under Fourteen Team - 1999-2000
Chiltern Youth League Division 2
Godfrey Knock's Under Fourteen Reds had a
great season in Division 2 in 1999-2000.
|
Chiltern Youth
Division 2 |
P. |
W. |
D. |
L. |
F. |
A. |
Pts. |
1. |
Lea Sports Reds |
20 |
18 |
1 |
1 |
85 |
24 |
37 * |
2. |
Markyate |
20 |
15 |
1 |
4 |
93 |
33 |
31 |
3. |
Harpenden |
20 |
14 |
2 |
4 |
80 |
41 |
30 |
4. |
Ampthill |
20 |
9 |
2 |
9 |
56 |
62 |
20 |
5. |
Leighton United ‘B’ |
20 |
8 |
3 |
9 |
44 |
54 |
19 |
6. |
Houghton Wanderers |
20 |
8 |
3 |
9 |
53 |
53 |
19 |
7. |
Flitwick Eagles |
20 |
7 |
4 |
9 |
54 |
55 |
18 |
8. |
Luton Irish |
20 |
6 |
3 |
11 |
45 |
46 |
15 |
9. |
Harlington |
20 |
6 |
2 |
12 |
50 |
75 |
14 |
10. |
Dunstable Town
‘B’ |
20 |
4 |
3 |
13 |
31 |
67 |
11 |
11. |
Parkside Rangers |
20 |
3 |
0 |
17 |
24 |
105 |
6 |
* Includes
1 game awarded 1-0.
The only defeat was in the final fixture at
home to Ampthill: despite leading 5-1 at one point, the
thought of the champagne went to the boys' heads and they
lost an amazing game 6-5. The only other team to come close
were Leighton Utd. who snatched a 1-1 draw in Pirton in
November 1999. Ben L'Honoré had a
great season up front, scoring 51 goals in 30 games.
Two years later the same team reached the
final of the Royston Crow Under 16 League Cup Final (losing
on penalties to Stevenage Borough).
Back to Top
In the season when they reached the Final
of the Bedfordshire Centenary Cup (losing to Rising Sun
Potton on sudden-death penalties) and the Semi-Final of the
Luton News Cup (losing 1-0 to Britannia), the Reserves were
never in trouble in the League and won 16 of their 20
matches. They lost twice to runners-up Houghton Town Res.
and once to Swan Rangers, although winning the return 4-0,
when Al Mayman scored his 100th goal for the Club.
Bedfordshire Centenary Cup Final at
Cranfield Utd. vs. Rising Sun Potton 23 April 1995
Back Row: Dave Newman, Trevor England, Ashley
Burgess, Stewart Jenner, Adrian Burton, Nick Kane, Alex
Houghton, Bobby McGrath, Steve Smith, Laurence Freed
Front Row: Trevor Taylor, Paul Gathern,
Archie Conway, Mike Brown-Fraser, Mark Abrahams, Steve
Bingham, Al Mayman
Back to Top