Club History
04 Oct 2011

Birstall United Juniors Football Club was the brainchild of Jeff and Sandra Plumb.

The club was formed in 1976 and was managed from the lounge of Jeff and Sandra’s house.

We first started playing competitive football in the under 11’s league of Leicestershire and Rutland Football Association.

Within the first couple of years Jeff steered the county football association into developing an under 10’s league. In those days the football was eleven a side.

Over the years Birstall has seen many boys and girls go through the football club.

We have developed boys and girls of all ability priding ourselves on providing football for the community of Birstall and surrounding villages. As the club grew as did our reputation within local football and within Europe. We have competed in Holland, France and Belgium.

Many of the boys have grown up and gone on to play at top level football and even to the professional game with the likes of Scott and Stef Oakes and Matthew Piper, all of whom went on to play for Leicester City.

Over the years the club expanded to running teams from the age of 11 up to the age of 18. With the start of mini soccer recently we have developed to running even more teams now starting at under 7’s.

With an increasing number of teams teams came the need for ground space to play and train. In partnership with Birstall Parish Council we obtained ground to the bottom of Meadow Lane/Worcester Avenue. This was then ploughed and seeded to make the facility of one large pitch and a small pitch. We then obtained what was known as the Archery field and clubhouse.

Back in 1977 we ran our first International Football tournament and have every year since. We have entertained teams from Germany, Scotland, France and America just to name a few countries.

In December of 2004 we were awarded the FA Charter Mark. This is the Football Association’s recognition of a football club that is both managed and run professionally with the aim of providing a safe environment for children to learn and develop their football skills.

In 2005, in conjunction with the County Football Association Cathy and Dave Scragg began the initiative to encourage the participation of girls within the Club.

This began with running after school coaching sessions in the local schools and culminated in the School - Club Festival in July 2005.

Further development of the girls section saw 2 teams compete in the 2006/07 season at Under 10 and Under 12 level for the first time.

Cathy and Dave have since emigrated to Australia but the girls section continues to develop under new management.

The Club continues to grow and in the 2010/11 season has 22 teams competing in Leagues throughout the County and an ever increasing of array of new talent being developed in the Soccer School.

In 2009 we took on a 30 year lease of the pitches further up Meadow Lane which are owned by the Newfoundpool Club.