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Leicester Fosse FC 1884
  • Leicester Fosse Football Club was founded in 1884. Their first meeting took place in a shed in the garden of 2 Fosse Road Central.
  • In their first seven years, the Club played at several grounds; Victoria Park, Belgrave Road, Mill Lane and Grace Road
  • In 1890, they beat Coalville in the Leicestershire County Cup Final and won their first trophy.

A new Club is formed

Leicester Fosse Football Club was founded in 1884. Their first meeting took place in a shed in the garden of 2 Fosse Road Central. The founders were local boys who lived in the area. Some of them went to Emanuel Chapel in New Park Street and were pupils at Wyggeston Boys School. Each member of the Club paid nine pence to join and another nine pence towards buying a football.

The Fossils

The Club’s first match was on 1 November 1884. They beat Syston Fosse 5-0 and the goal scorers were Arthur West, Hilton Johnson and Sam Dingley. In their first seven years, the Club played at several grounds; Victoria Park, Belgrave Road, Mill Lane and Grace Road. They were nicknamed ‘The Fossils’. In 1890, they beat Coalville in the Leicestershire County Cup Final and won their first trophy.

Leicester Fosse FC 002
Action at Filbert Street in the 1890s; Leicester City Football Club

Moving to Filbert Street

In 1891, the Club joined the Midland League and moved to Filbert Street. Up to 6,000 people watched matches and, in 1893/94, they finished second in the Midland League. By 1894, the Club was elected to the Second Division of the Football League. They started wearing a blue and white strip in 1903 and played one season in the First Division in 1908/09. In July 1919, Leicester Fosse became Leicester City, the new name reflecting Leicester’s new city status.

Timeline
Victorian Leicester
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Area has been redeveloped

Gallery

Plan of Filbert Street in 1894 - Leicester City Football Club
Plan of Filbert Street in 1894
Leicester City Football Club
- Leicester City Football Club

Leicester City Football Club
The 1890 Leicestershire County Cup winning team. The club’s first trophy. - Leicester City Football Club
The 1890 Leicestershire County Cup winning team. The club’s first trophy.
Leicester City Football Club
Action at Filbert Street in the 1890s - Leicester City Football Club
Action at Filbert Street in the 1890s
Leicester City Football Club

Roman Leicester

(47- 500) A military fort was erected, attracting traders and a growing civilian community to Leicester (known as Ratae Corieltauvorum to the Romans). The town steadily grew throughout the reign of the Romans.

Medieval Leicester

(500 – 1500) The early years of this period was one of unrest with Saxon, Danes and Norman invaders having their influences over the town. Later, of course, came Richard III and the final battle of the Wars of the Roses was fought on Leicester’s doorstep.

Tudor & Stuart Leicester

(1500 – 1700) The wool trade flourished in Leicester with one local, a former mayor named William Wigston, making his fortune. During the English Civil War a bloody battle was fought as the forces of King Charles I laid siege to the town.

Georgian Leicester

(1700 – 1837) The knitting industry had really stared to take hold and Leicester was fast becoming the main centre of hosiery manufacture in Britain. This new prosperity was reflected throughout the town with broader, paved streets lined with elegant brick buildings and genteel residences.

Victorian Leicester

(1837 – 1901) The industrial revolution had a huge effect on Leicester resulting in the population growing from 40,000 to 212,000 during this period. Many of Leicester's most iconic buildings were erected during this time as wealthy Victorians made their mark on the town.

Edwardian Leicester

(1901 – 1910) Electric trams came to the streets of Leicester and increased literacy among the citizens led to many becoming politicised. The famous 1905 ‘March of the Unemployed to London’ left from Leicester market when 30,000 people came to witness the historic event.

Early 20th Century Leicester

(1910 – 1973) The diverse industrial base meant Leicester was able to cope with the economic challenges of the 1920s and 1930s. New light engineering businesses, such as typewriter and scientific instrument making, complemented the more traditional industries of hosiery and footwear manufacturing.

Modern Leicester

(1973 – present day) Industry was still thriving in the city during the 1970s, with the work opportunities attracting many immigrants from all over the world. While industry has declined in recent years, excellent transport links have made Leicester an attractive centre for many businesses. The City now has much to be proud of including its sporting achievements and the richness of its cultural heritage and diversity.

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Leisure & Entertainment

De Montfort Hall

Named after the sixth Earl of Leicester, Simon de Montfort, De Montfort Hall was the first purpose-built concert hall in Leicester. It was designed by local architect Mr Shirley Harrison and opened in July 1913.
The Little Theatre

Many actors have appeared here over the years including the playwright John (Joe) Orton in Shakespeare´s Richard III (1948). Undoubtedly the most famous is Richard Attenborough (1923-2014) who made his acting debut at The Little Theatre playing Lucius in Shakespeare´s Julius Caesar in 1937
Abbey Park Buildings

Local architect James Tait designed the park’s pavilion and lodges. The lodges at the Abbey Park Road entrance were built in 1881. The Grade II Slater Street lodge is built in the Tudor style.
Athena - The Odeon Cinema

The Odeon was built during the “Golden Age of Hollywood” when actors like Clark Gable, Katharine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and Greta Garbo were popular with cinema audiences. In the 1930s there were over 25 cinemas in Leicester and probably this one, built in 1938 by the Odeon organisation, was the grandest.
Guild Hall Colton Street

The Guild Hall was opened in 1909 by the Leicester Guild of the Crippled to provide a social centre for people with physical disabilities. As well as being “beautiful and commodious”, this Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau style building was very practical, being an early example of a structure that had been purposely designed to be fully accessible.
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