Leavesden Hospital Football Club was a

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

club based in Leavesden,

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

History

On 9 October 1870, the Metropolitan Asylum for Chronic Imbeciles was founded by the

Metropolitan Asylums Board The Metropolitan Asylums Board (MAB) was established under Poor Law legislation to deal with London's sick and poor. It was established by the Metropolitan Poor Act 1867 and dissolved in 1930, when its functions were transferred to the London Count ...

Leavesden, Hertfordshire Leavesden is a residential and commercial area in the northern part of Watford, England. It lies within the M25 Motorway. On its eastern side it is bounded by the M1 Motorway. Leavesden is split into two councils which are Watford Borough Counc ...

. Following a name change to Leavesden Asylum, a football club baring the same name was founded in 1887 due to recreation being encouraged at the facility. The club entered the

Hertfordshire Senior County League The Hertfordshire Senior County League is a football competition based in Hertfordshire, England. Founded in 1898, there are currently two divisions at senior level and two divisions at reserve and development level. Sitting at step 7 of the Nat ...

Western Division in 1908, leaving the league system in 1910, before returning in 1912. Following

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, now under the guise of Leavesden Mental Hospital, the club entered the

FA Amateur Cup The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition for amateur clubs. It commenced in 1893 and ended in 1974 when the Football Association abolished official amateur status. History Following the legalisation of professionalism within footba ...

for the first time in 1919, losing 3–1 against Langley Park. In 1922, the club once again left the Herts County League, joining the reformed league in 1927, winning the league for a fourth time in the 1927–28 season. Following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the club rejoined the London League under the name of Leavesden Hospital. In 1955, the club joined the Herts County League, winning the league in 1958, 1961, 1962 and 1964, before joining the

Spartan League The Spartan League was a football league in England covering London and adjacent counties. Established in 1907, it merged with the South Midlands League in 1997 to form the Spartan South Midlands League. History The Spartan League was establish ...

in 1965, rejoining the Herts County League two years later. In 1974, the club entered the

Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

for the longest cup tie in football, with seven ties between played against

London Colney London Colney () is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. It is located to the north of London, close to Junction 22 of the M25 motorway. It is near St Albans and part of the City and District of St Al ...

between 6 November and 17 December 1971 in the Herts Intermediate Cup. In the 1988–89 season, the club played their final season in senior football, finishing 15th in the Herts County League Division One.

Ground

The club played at Woodside Road in Leavesden. The ground was later used by

Kings Langley Kings Langley is a village, former Manorialism, manor and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Hertfordshire, England, north-west of Westminster in the historic centre of London and to the south of the Chiltern Hills. It now forms part o ...

Records

*Best

performance: Third round, 1919–20, 1922–23, 1932–33, 1946–47 *Best

FA Vase The Football Association Challenge Vase, usually referred to as the FA Vase, is an annual football competition for teams playing in Steps 5 and 6 of the English National League System (or equivalently, tier 9 or 10 of the overall English footbal ...

performance: First round, 1985–86, 1986–87

References

External links

* Association football clubs established in 1887 1887 establishments in England Association football clubs disestablished in 1989 1989 disestablishments in England Hertfordshire Senior County League London League (football) Spartan League Football clubs in Hertfordshire Works association football teams in England Great Western Suburban League {{England-footyclub-defunct-stub