Leek Town

He came back in 2024 to open the ground's new 3G pitch.

Leek Town started out as Leek Lowe Hamil, and only became Leek Town in 1951. The Staffordshire side has spent much of its history moving between the divisions of the Northern Premier League, and the closest it came to silverware beyond that level was the 1989-90 FA Trophy final, lost 3-0 to Barrow.

Money troubles have shadowed the club more than once: a winding-up order in 2006, and a promotion denied in 1993-94 over financial irregularities that had nothing to do with results on the pitch. There was also a spell forced on them in the Southern League after their ground fell short of grading requirements. The Blues found their way back to the Premier Division in 2023-24 after winning Division One West, retracing a path they had walked before.

The rivalry with Kidsgrove Athletic carries its own name, "El Staffico", and sits alongside the games against Newcastle Town as the fixtures that matter most to supporters regardless of where the club sits in the pyramid.