The Blues head to Bury Town today for a Suffolk derby in league action (3pm kick off) after an excellent 3-1 home win against Redditch United on Saturday afternoon.

A Harvey Sayer double in the first half and Adam Mills goal on the stroke of half-time helped the Blues to a strong win. The victory put Leiston into 7th position on Saturday. Bury Town, meanwhile, are flying and have won five out of five in the league, sitting just behind Real Bedford in second place separated by just goal difference.

Chris Wigger will have Adam Marriott available again after the striker was an unused substitute on Saturday afternoon but Joao Rangel is not quite ready just yet.

Bury Town have Charlie Beckwith in goal, who played for Leiston at Junior, Youth and Reserve level and also made 28 appearances for the Blues First team, while George Quantrell played 175 times for Leiston. Sam Ford also had a spell with the Blues.

A FEW PREVIOUS CLASHES WITH BURY

Today will be only the third meeting between the sides in the Southern League after the teams drew 1-1 at Bury Town and Bury won 3-1 at Leiston last season. At Ram Meadow on Tuesday, 3rd February 2025, Leiston took the lead after a Taylor Parr own goal just before the half hour mark, before Ollie Canfer levelled up just on half-time as 596 spectators watched on in poor weather conditions.

The two teams have met many times previously in various other leagues over the years including the Norfolk & Suffolk League, Jewson League and Isthmian League. They have also met numerous times in various cup competitions especially Suffolk County Cups.

Leiston and Bury Town met in last season’s Suffolk Premier Cup First Round at the Getaway Cars Stadium. Ben Fowkes got a late winner in the 88th minute to put Leiston into the next round, with Billy Johnson making a couple of fine saves in stoppage time to save the game from going to penalties.

Before last season, the last league meeting was in the Isthmian League at Victory Road in April 2015 where a Justin Miller goal earned the West Suffolk side all the points and this after the Blues' Gareth Heath saw an earlier penalty saved. Leiston also ended the game with ten men after the dismissal of Tom Bullard in the first half all in front of 255 spectators.

The sides first met in the league (Jewson League Premier Division) on Saturday, 30th October 2004 at Leiston when Blake Saker scored the only goal in front of 192 fans in a 1-0 win.

Steven Wright’s side then visited Bury Town on Saturday, 9th April 2005. The sides drew 1-1. Glenn Driver netted for the Blues while Jason Tatham scored for the hosts. Bury Town came second that season in the Eastern Counties Premier Division that season, while Leiston came 9th (out of 22 teams) in their first season at Step 5.

Leiston lost 1-0 at Bury Town the following season, on Saturday, 22nd April 2006. Tatham again with the Bury Town goal that saw them finish second again, behind winners Lowestoft Town. Leiston came 9th once again.

Bury Town accepted promotion that season while Leiston played for another five seasons at Step 5, winning the Eastern Counties Premier Division in 2011, and after winning the Isthmian North Division a year later, were promoted to the Isthmian Premier, where they would play Bury Town.

The sides first met at Step 3 on Tuesday 18th December 2012 with an entertaining 3-3 draw. Leiston led 2-0 and 3-1 thanks to goals from Emmanuel Osei, Gareth Heath and Joe Jefford while John Sands grabbed a couple with Adam Tann the other to enable Bury Town a point. Leiston ended the game with ten men following the dismissal of Michael Brothers. 325 people watched the game on a cold evening.

The following season, Leiston won 2-0 on Tuesday, 4th February 2014 at Bury in the league. Conor Hubble and Craig Parker were on target for Leiston. The last time the two sides met in the league at Bury Town was on Boxing Day 2014 where the two teams played out a goalless draw in front of 445 people.

Leiston played Bury Town the next season in the Ryman League Cup First Round, with the Blues winning 3-0. John Sands, Christy Finch and Blake Saker netted the goals.

ABOUT BURY TOWN

BURY Town was established in 1872 by William Lake. They were one of 11 founder members of the Suffolk FA. They were previously also known as Bury United, a side that Leiston defeated for their only Suffolk Senior Cup success in 1913.

The club played in the Norfolk & Suffolk League and South East Anglian League before joining the Essex and Suffolk Border League.

The club moved into Senior Football in 1935, joining the Eastern Counties League. They won the Suffolk Senior Cup in 1937 and retained the trophy for the next two seasons, while they won it for a fourth time in 1945.

They became the first-ever winners of the Suffolk Premier Cup in 1959, winning the competition for the first four years.

They reached the First Round of the FA Cup for the first time in the 1968/1969 season, as they drew 0-0 with Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic in front of 3,000 spectators before losing 0-3 in the replay.

The club had a spell in the Southern League in the early 1970s before switching back to play in the Eastern Counties League but then back to the Southern League in the mid 1980s. They returned again to the Eastern Counties League after relegation from the Midland Division in 1997.

After winning promotion in 2006 to the Isthmian North, they won the title on the last day of the 2009/2010 season, where they spent five seasons at Step 3 until 2015.

Last season, they won 1-0 in the play-final in the Isthmian North Division against Brightlingsea Regent to gain promotion back to Step 3.

Bury Town came 13th last season, taking 58 points from their 42 league games.

LEISTON GAMES AHEAD

Saturday 5th Sep: Grays Athletic (Away) Emirates FA Cup 1st Round Qualifying
Saturday 12th Sep: Banbury United (Away)
Saturday 19th Sep: Emirates FA Cup 2nd Round Qualifying
Tuesday 22nd Sep: Peterborough Sports (HOME)
Saturday 26th Sep: FA Trophy 3rd Round Qualifying
Tuesday 29th Sep: Real Bedford (Away)

MATCH INFORMATION
Bury Town v Blues
Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central
Monday, August 31st, 3pm kick off
OCS Ram Meadow Stadium, Corton Lane, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 1XP
Tel: 01284 754721

Admission Prices:
Adults £13
Concession £9
10-14 year olds £4
Under 10’s Free of charge

Programmes: £2.50

Game 6/42