It was on a cold and wet February night in Merseyside that Leek Town Chairman Jon Eeles accepted the fate that awaited his beloved club – they would finally achieve the glory of promotion at the end of the season.
Winning had become a familiar feeling for the Blues who were in the midst of a ‘relentless’ 23-game unbeaten streak that saw them go 16 points clear at the top of the table. On that particular evening in Merseyside, Leek edged past a strong Prescot Cables side with a 1-0 victory, and it looked a certainty that they would gain promotion at the end of the season.
Fast-forward two months and it was an Easter Monday win at Newcastle Town that mathematically guaranteed them both promotion and the league title – with four games to spare.
And it’s the feel-good factor around the club that will benefit local businesses says Jon, who is now preparing for life in the Northern Premier League.
“This isn’t just about football. Promotion to step three is absolutely massive for Leek and the Moorlands.
“It helps to put us on the map and attracts bumper crowds to games – turbocharging the local economy, particularly our neighbouring hospitality businesses.
“Ultimately, it’s more people through the doors at pubs, restaurants, bars and hotels which can only be a great thing for the local area.”
From next season, Leek will play their games in the Northern Premier League, where they’ll face off against the likes of Macclesfield FC, Marine AFC and FC United of Manchester.
“These are bigger, high-profile games that will have a knock-on on effect for our partners and sponsors, who will now have more eyes on their advertisements.
“It’s like a reward for their support having stood by us for all these years, and we believe that ripple from promotion will be felt right across the Moorlands.”
Leek have also enjoyed a cup run, booking their place in the Staffordshire Senior Cup final for the ninth time in the club’s history. The game is a repeat of last year’s final at the bet365 Stadium, where Leek were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Rushall Olympic.
“We’re really looking forward to the final and facing off against Rushall again. We’ve been in the final eight times but have only won the competition once – so we’d definitely like to lift the trophy this year.
“It’s not just our men’s side who are in form. Leek Town Ladies are also in a cup final, this time at Stafford Town, where they’ll play Sporting Khalsa Women in the Women’s Challenge Cup final on Tuesday, 9 April. Hopefully they will bring home the trophy.”
Jon hasn’t just been concentrating on the first-team football, though. A number of initiatives have been launched to engage the wider local community that have proved extremely popular throughout the season.
“We are proud to have no fewer than 25 junior teams based here at the F. Ball Community Stadium, and we also host both walking and open-age social football sessions that are hugely popular.
“We also teamed up with Staffordshire Chambers for a charity football tournament recently that highlighted the fantastic things that apprentices have done for the Staffordshire business community. I’d like to personally thank all of the businesses that attended on the day for their incredible support.”
Originally a board member and lifelong fan, Jon took the reins as Chairman in 2015. As he approaches a decade at the club, he acknowledges a shift in the way that Leek Town operates as a business.
“Its always challenging when you are running what is effectively a volunteer organisation alongside a job at KMF.
“We had major challenges during my tenure, including when we invested in the 3G surface, but we have commercialised that and are now a very, very busy club.
“Covid-19 made us rethink the way we operate, pushing us into a new era of digitalisation as our social media presence skyrocketed.
“There are so many successful clubs now that all have a focus on inclusion and community. We would like to think that we are one of them.”
Jon is maintaining a ‘realistic’ approach to next season but is keen to continue the momentum around the club.
“We don’t want to get relegated at the first attempt so it’s probably about trying to stay in the league. Mid-table would be absolutely fantastic.
“This group of players are probably as good as we have ever had. We have a fantastic manager in Josh Brehaut who I am sure will have a long and successful career in the game.
“I genuinely believe that our management team and players within three years could be knocking on the door of the National League. That is down to support and crowd.
“It’s a brilliant feeling and I am so pleased for everyone involved: players, management, sponsors, volunteers, and anyone who has had a touch point with us.”
View tickets for Leek’s upcoming fixtures, here.
Tickets for Leek Town Ladies’ cup final are available, here.
