Overview

The Blues are back in home action tomorrow night when they host Needham Market in the Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup quarter-finals.

Leiston remain 8th in the league table after losing 4-1 at a very impressive Spalding United at the weekend.

Needham Market, meanwhile, lost 3-0 at home to Quorn but they stayed in 3rd position.

Leiston should have Kyle Callan-McFadden back in the squad tomorrow. Although the Blues defender is suspended for three league games, the player is available for county cups. Chris Wigger should have all players available for the game after Saturday’s match.

Tuesday night will be the Blues 65th game in the competition, having played their first game in the Suffolk Premier Cup in 1986 away to Brantham Athletic, winning 1-0 thanks to a Paul Addy goal. The Blues have won the competition twice, in 2018 and 2019.

Previous Suffolk Premier Cup meetings with

Needham Market have beaten the Blues in five of the sides previous six meetings in the Suffolk Premier Cup.

In 2008, the sides met for the first time in the competition in the final at Portman Road, with Needham winning 5-4 on penalties after the game had finished 0-0 after extra time. Leiston had a penalty to win it via Danny George but it was saved Liam Jones.

The sides then didn’t meet for eight years, in March 2016, with Christy Finch scoring for the Blues after just two minutes in a 1-0 win for the Blues at AFC Sudbury in the semi-finals. Leiston went on to lose 3-1 in the final against Lowestoft Town at Portman Road.

In March 2017, a year later, the teams drew 4-4 at Woodbridge Town after extra time but Needham won 4-2 on penalties, again in the semi-final.

In March 2020, an early Needham goal knocked out Leiston in the quarter-finals at Victory Road.

The two teams met in the final of the 2022 competition, with Needham Market winning 5-4 on spot kicks at Colchester United FC. The game had finished 0-0 after normal time.

The last time the teams met was in the semi-final in April 2023, when Needham Market defeated Leiston at Stowmarket Town FC 1-0, with Luke Ingram netting a second half penalty.

Needham Market won the Suffolk Premier Cup four times in a row between 2020 and 2024.

Leiston’s home league record against Needham Market is decent though, with the Blues undefeated since April 2004 against the ‘Marketmen’.

Needham have beaten Leiston in the FA Trophy and FA Cup in recent seasons (in 2020 and 2022).

The Blues have beaten Lowestoft Town away (2-2, 5-4 on pens) and Walsham-le-Willows away (3-0) so far in this season’s Suffolk Premier Cup while Needham Market have won 5-0 at home against Brantham Athletic in their only tie to date in the competition this season.

About Needham Market

The club were formed in 1919. Tom Rothery is the current manager, while Keith Nunn is the Chairman.

The team initially played at Young’s Meadow but they moved to Crowley Park.

In 1996 they moved to Bloomfields, the ground being called after former player and clubman Derrick Bloomfield.

1,375 people watched Needham Market lose to Kirkham and Wesham in the 2008 FA Vase semi-final. Kirkham & Wesham went on to beat Lowestoft Town in the FA Vase final that season at Wembley. This was the record attendance for the club it this was beaten on 26th October 2013, when 1,748 spectators watched Needham Market lose 1-0 to Cambridge United in the 4th Round Qualifying of the FA Cup.

The club built a 3G pitch in 2018, along with new changing rooms that were installed.

The club won the Suffolk & Ipswich League Senior Division in 1996, thus getting promoted into the Eastern Counties League. They won the Eastern Counties Premier Division in 2010 (Leiston came third that season), before winning the Isthmian League North Division in 2014/2015.

The team won the Pitching In Southern League Central Premier Division in 2023/2024, but were relegated from the National League North last season.

The town of Needham, Massachusetts, was named after Needham Market. There was just under 5,000 people living in Needham Market in the 2021 Census (there were just over 5,500 in Leiston in the 2011 Census).

FORM GUIDE: - (League only, latest result first): -

BLUES: - LWWLL
NEEDHAM MARKET: - LWWLW.

Games until the end of January 2025: -

Sat 20th Dec: - Halesowen Town (A)
Sat 27th Dec: - Needham Market (H)
Sat 3rd Jan 2026: - Bury Town (A)
Sat 10th Jan: - Kettering Town (H)
Sat 17th Jan: - Stourbridge (H)
Tues 20th Jan: - Alvechurch (H)
Sat 24th Jan: - Harborough Town (A)
Sat 31st Jan: - Royston Town (H).

Match Information
Blues v Needham Market
Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup quarter-final
7.45pm kick off
The Flannery Stadium, Victory Road, LTAA, Leiston, Suffolk, IP16 4DQ
Tel: - 01728 830308.

Admission Prices
Adults £13
Concessions (over 65s) £10
Students (with ID) £8
U16s £3
U5’s FOC.