North Leigh Football Club, nicknamed “The Millers,” is a non-league football club based in Witney, Oxfordshire.
Established in 1908, they currently compete in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One Central, which is part of the eighth tier of English football. The team calls Eynsham Park their home ground.
The club began to gain prominence after World War II by dominating the Witney and District League, winning the Premier Division title seven times in the 1950s, and achieving success in the Oxfordshire Senior Cup. The club’s trophy-winning tradition continued in the 1980s, leading to their entry into the Hellenic League Division 1 in the 1990/91 season. Over the next decade, North Leigh consistently performed well, culminating in winning the Hellenic League Premier Division title in the 2001/02 and 2002/03 seasons. However, the club faced setbacks due to their ground not meeting promotion standards, preventing them from moving up despite their on-field successes.
The club’s fortunes varied over the next few seasons. In 2004/05, North Leigh made a memorable FA Cup run, ultimately being eliminated by Newport County. Subsequent seasons saw fluctuating league performances, including near-misses for promotion and an epic FA Vase run in 2003/04. The club achieved promotion to the Southern League South & West in their centenary year, 2007/08, by winning the league title on goal difference and securing the Oxfordshire Senior Cup. Stability in the Southern League followed, with consistent top-ten finishes, until major changes in 2016 with the departure of long-serving manager Mark Gee and the arrival of John Brough.
Financial struggles and managerial changes marked the 2018/19 season, leading to a dramatic escape from relegation under joint managers Craig Dore and Darren James. The 2019/20 season showed improvement but was curtailed by the pandemic. North Leigh focused on consolidating its position and financial stability during the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2021/22 season, under manager Eddie Odhiambo, brought unprecedented success as the team secured promotion to step 3 of the non-league pyramid by winning the playoffs, highlighted by George Nash’s goal of the season in the final against Ware.