Leicester

Founding and early years (1884–1949)

Formed in 1884 by a group of old boys of Wyggeston School as "Leicester Fosse", the club joined The Football Association (FA) in 1890. Before moving to Filbert Street in 1891, the club played at five different grounds, including Victoria Park south-east of the city centre and the Belgrave Road Cycle and Cricket Ground. The club also joined the Midland League in 1891, and were elected to Division Two of the Football League in 1894 after finishing second. Leicester's first match in the Football League was a 4–3 defeat at Grimsby Town, with a first league win the following week, against Rotherham United at Filbert Street. The same season also saw the team's largest win to date, a 13–0 victory over Notts Olympic in an FA Cup qualifying match. In 1907–08, the club finished as Second Division runners-up, gaining promotion to the First Division, the highest level of English football. However, the club was relegated after a single season which included the team's record defeat, a 12–0 loss against Nottingham Forest.

In 1919, when league football resumed after World War I, Leicester Fosse ceased trading due to financial difficulties. The club was reformed as "Leicester City Football Club" which was particularly appropriate as the borough of Leicester had recently been given city status. Following the name change, the club enjoyed moderate success in the 1920s under the management of Peter Hodge, who won the Division Two title in 1924–25. Hodge left in May 1926 and was replaced two months later by Willie Orr. In the 1927–28 First Division, the club finished in third place before recording their second highest ever league finish a season later in 1928–29, finishing as runners-up by a single point to The Wednesday. However, the 1930s saw a downturn in fortunes, with the club relegated in 1934–35. After promotion in 1936–37, another relegation in 1938–39 would see them finish the decade in Division Two.

Post-World War II (1949–2000)

Leicester reached the FA Cup final for the first time in their history in 1949, losing 3–1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers. The club, however, was celebrating a week later when a draw on the last day of the season ensured survival in Division Two. In 1954, Leicester won the Division Two championship, with the help of Arthur Rowley, one of the club's most prolific ever strikers. Despite relegation in the previous season, under the management of Dave Halliday, Leicester returned to Division One in 1957, with Rowley scoring a club record 44 goals in one season. Leicester remained in Division One for 12 years until 1969, their longest period to date in the top division of English football. Halliday left the club in October 1958.

Under the management of Matt Gillies, who was appointed on 8 November 1958, and his assistant Bert Johnson, Leicester reached the FA Cup final on another two occasions, but were defeated in both 1961 and 1963. As they lost to double winners Tottenham Hotspur in 1961, Leicester were England's representatives in the 1961–62 European Cup Winners' Cup. For much of the 1962–63 season, the club led the First Division and became nicknamed the "Ice Kings" due to their remarkable run of form on icy and frozen pitches. Leicester eventually finished in 4th place, the club's best post-war finish. Gillies guided Leicester to their first piece of silverware in 1964, when they beat Stoke City 4–3 on aggregate to win the League Cup. Leicester also reached the League Cup final in the following year, but lost 3–2 on aggregate to Chelsea. Gillies and Johnson received praise for their version of the "whirl" and the "switch" system, a system that had previously been used by the Austrian and Hungarian national teams. After a poor start to the season, Matt Gillies resigned as manager in November 1968. His successor Frank O'Farrell was unable to prevent relegation, but the club reached the FA Cup final again in 1969, losing 1–0 to Manchester City.

In 1971, Leicester were promoted back to the First Division, and won the FA Charity Shield for the first time. Due to double winners Arsenal's commitments in European competition, Second Division winners Leicester were invited to play FA Cup runners-up Liverpool. Leicester won the match 1–0 with Steve Whitworth the winning goalscorer. Jimmy Bloomfield was appointed as the club's new manager in June 1971, and the team remained in the First Division throughout his tenure. Leicester also reached the FA Cup semi-final in 1973–74. Frank McLintock, a notable former player of seven years in a successful period from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, succeeded Bloomfield in 1977.