We carry on our summer study of the new clubs joining us in National League North for 2024/25 and today our journey takes us down to Warwickshire.
How did they get here?
Leamington secured their instant return to National League North with a gutsy 1-0 Play-Off Final win at AFC Telford United at the beginning of May.
A 73rd-minute strike from midfielder Ewan Williams was enough to settle the game in The Brakes’ favour as they ended their one-season stay in Southern Premier Division Central in glorious style.
Leamington had finished in third place during the regular season, winning 19 of their 40 games and boasting the best defensive record in the division in conceding just 32 goals.
That mean streak at the back was again a key factor in their triumph over Telford which set-off wild celebrations among the 650-strong travelling support.
Where do they play?
Leamington play their home games at Your Co-op Community Stadium on Harbury Lane, which has been their base since 1998 when it was originally known as The New Windmill Ground.
Situated a couple of miles outside of Leamington itself, among the Warwickshire countryside, the stadium now boasts a capacity of almost 2,500.
Who is in charge?
Paul Holleran remains one of the longest-serving managers in English football having held the reins at Leamington since 2009.
Upon relegation in 2022/23, the experienced boss almost immediately declared his intentions to carry on and the club’s loyalty to him has paid dividends as he led them back at the first attempt.
It means that Holleran has cared out a reputation for success at Step 3 having won promotion on three of the four seasons that Leamington have spent at that level and losing in a Play-Off Final in the other.
He’s become a hugely popular figure with Brakes fans during the past 15 years having initially delivered success in 2012/13 when he guided the team to the Southern Premier League title.
When did we last meet?
Moors and Leamington shared a division back in 2022/23 as The Brakes slipped out of National League North after a 5-1 defeat at AFC Fylde on the final day.
During that campaign, Moors took six points off Leamington with a pair of 1-0 wins. Jude Oyibo scored the only goal as we won away in the opening month of the season before Jake Day nabbed the winner at The Brewery Field in March 2023.
