Club Overview
Long Eaton United Football Club are a Derbyshire club based in the town of Long Eaton, close to the Nottinghamshire border. Known as the Blues, the club was formed in 1956 and has played at Grange Park since its foundation. Its history includes decades in regional leagues, two Derbyshire Senior Cup successes, a memorable connection with European Cup winner Garry Birtles and a dramatic rise through the pyramid in the early 2020s.
In 2026/27, Long Eaton United compete in the Northern Premier League Midlands Division at Step 4. The season is also the club’s 70th anniversary season. The Blues have worked to develop the ground and the wider club, with improvements to the clubhouse, hospitality, seating, changing facilities and community football forming part of their recent story.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Long Eaton United Association Football Club |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1956 |
| Nickname | The Blues |
| Home town | Long Eaton, Derbyshire |
| Home ground | Grange Park |
| Address | Grange Park, Station Road, Long Eaton, Derbyshire, NG10 2EF |
| 2026/27 league | Northern Premier League Midlands Division (Step 4) |
| Club colours | Blue, reflected in the club nickname |
| Official website | longeatonutd.co.uk |
Club History
A new club in 1956
Long Eaton United were established in 1956 and immediately made Grange Park their home. In their first season, the side was known as “The Stripes” and finished second in the Central Alliance League Division One South, behind Skegness Town. The reserve side won the Derby Senior League Cup in 1957/58, and in the following season the first team captured the Division One South championship.
These early seasons gave the club a foundation in local football and established Grange Park as its long-term base. In 1961 the club joined the reformed Midland Counties League, where it faced fellow East Midlands sides and developed its place in the regional game. The reserves also enjoyed success, winning the Central Alliance Division One championship and Derbyshire Divisional Cup in the early 1960s.
Derbyshire Senior Cup success
One of the club’s early senior milestones arrived in 1964/65, when Long Eaton United won the Derbyshire Senior Cup by beating Alfreton Town 1–0 at Derby County’s Baseball Ground. Eleven years later, the trophy returned to Grange Park again after United defeated Matlock Town over two legs, winning 1–0 and 2–1. These cup victories remain important honours in the club’s record.
Long Eaton continued to build its football operation through the 1970s, with reserve-team honours and regular competition in the Midland League. The club’s story during this period was rooted in the local football community, with Grange Park serving as both a first-team ground and a base for developing players.
League reorganisation and rebuilding
At the end of the 1981/82 season, the Midland Counties League and Yorkshire League merged to form the Northern Counties East League. Long Eaton were placed in Division One South because of ground-facility requirements, and the transition proved difficult. A number of players moved to nearby Ilkeston Town, and the club had to rebuild its team and stabilise its position.
Under manager Pete Johnson, the Blues recovered, winning a division championship and reaching the League Cup final, which they lost to Alfreton Town after a replay. Promotion to the Premier Division followed. Later, a lack of floodlights led to a move into the Central Midlands League in 1989/90. The club was subsequently reorganised and gradually worked its way back through the regional structure.
The 1990s and early 2000s were also a period of development away from the first-team results. The club restructured, expanded its youth section and invested in facilities. Lottery funding helped support a Centre of Excellence project, while floodlights, fencing, dressing rooms and multi-activity areas were added or improved. The club’s youth and community work became an increasingly important part of its identity.
Return to the Northern Counties East League
Long Eaton returned to the Northern Counties East League structure and gained promotion to Division One at the end of 2002/03, followed by promotion to the Premier Division after the 2003/04 campaign. In 2008/09, the Blues finished runners-up in the Northern Counties East Premier League and won the League Cup, a significant double achievement for the club at that level.
In 2014/15, Long Eaton moved laterally into the newly formed Midland Football League. They finished third in their first season and won the Polymac Packaging League Cup, beating Rocester 2–0 at the Bescot Stadium in Walsall. The move marked another stage in a long journey through the changing regional leagues of the non-league pyramid.
Garry Birtles and a link to European football
One of the most famous names associated with Long Eaton United is Garry Birtles. The striker joined the club from Clifton All Whites in 1975 and became a major goal threat at Grange Park. His performances attracted the attention of Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough, who signed him for Forest. Birtles went on to help Forest win back-to-back European Cups before later joining Manchester United.
Birtles’ journey from local football at Grange Park to the European stage is a distinctive part of Long Eaton’s heritage. The club marked its 60th anniversary with a special event involving Birtles in 2017, recognising his connection with the Blues and his subsequent achievements in the professional game.
Champions and a step into the national pyramid
The 2021/22 season was a breakthrough. After a league reorganisation moved the club into the United Counties League Premier Division North, Long Eaton won the championship. Their FA Cup campaign also reached the third qualifying round, where they lost narrowly, 3–2 away to Stratford Town. The title showed that the Blues could compete at the top end of their division and set up a new challenge in the Northern Premier League.
In 2022/23, Long Eaton made history by reaching Step 3 of the English football pyramid for the first time. A late-season surge took them into the play-offs. They drew their semi-final at Hebburn Town and progressed through a penalty shoot-out, then travelled to Stockton Town for the final. That match also went to penalties, and the Blues prevailed to secure promotion. Jamie Walker was central to the run, scoring in the play-offs and converting the decisive penalties in both ties.
The achievement was particularly striking because the team had started the season near the bottom of the table before moving into the play-off positions. It demonstrated the importance of momentum, squad belief and the club’s ability to respond to a difficult start. The promotion brought a new level of opponents and away travel, and marked the highest point in the club’s league history.
Recent seasons and the 70th anniversary
Long Eaton began their first season at Step 3 in the Southern League Premier Central in 2023/24. The club continued to invest in Grange Park, with work around the clubhouse and hospitality spaces, improvements to seating and changing rooms, and further maintenance and pitch-care projects. These upgrades formed part of a wider effort to make the ground and club more sustainable for players, supporters and community teams.
The Blues returned to Step 4 football and entered the Northern Premier League Midlands Division. The club’s official 2026/27 season announcement describes this as its 70th anniversary campaign and confirms that the first-team management team of Brad Munn and Aaron Cole remained in place for a fourth season. The anniversary season offers an opportunity to reflect on the club’s growth since 1956 while continuing to compete against established Midlands sides.
Honours and Achievements
- Central Alliance League Division One South runners-up in the club’s inaugural 1956/57 season.
- Central Alliance League Division One South champions: 1958/59.
- Derbyshire Senior Cup winners: 1964/65 and 1975/76.
- Northern Counties East League Division One South champions: 1984/85.
- Northern Counties East League Premier Division runners-up: 2008/09.
- Northern Counties East League Cup winners: 2008/09.
- Midland Football League Cup winners: 2014/15.
- United Counties League Premier Division North champions: 2021/22.
- Northern Premier League Division One East play-off winners: 2022/23, securing promotion to Step 3 for the first time.
- FA Cup third qualifying round: 1965/66, 1967/68, 1970/71, 1976/77 and 2021/22.
- FA Vase quarter-finalists: 2020/21.
Ground Guide: Grange Park
Address: Grange Park, Station Road, Long Eaton, Derbyshire, NG10 2EF.
Grange Park has been Long Eaton United’s home since the club was formed in 1956. The ground has developed alongside the club, moving from a basic local football venue towards a multi-use site supporting senior, academy, youth and community football. Recent projects have included a clubhouse extension, the 1956 hospitality suite, new seating in the main stand, extended changing rooms and an electronic irrigation system for the main pitch.
The ground is an important part of the club’s community presence. Its facilities support more than the first team: the club has invested in youth development, academy football and community teams, helping make Grange Park a base for football across different age groups. Supporters can check the official website for current ground policies, facilities and matchday updates.
Away-day and matchday information
- Address: Grange Park, Station Road, Long Eaton, Derbyshire, NG10 2EF.
- Parking: The club has previously advised that a free car park is available at the ground but has limited capacity. Arrive early and follow stewards’ directions; check current arrangements before travelling.
- Admission: Prices change by season and competition. The club published 2026/27 season-card information in June 2026; consult the current matchday notice for up-to-date admission prices and concessions.
- Food and drink: The club has clubhouse and matchday refreshment facilities; check its latest visitor information for what is available at your fixture.
- Accessibility: Contact the club in advance if you need specific access information or assistance.
- Fixture information: Confirm the date, kick-off time and any changes through the official fixture list before setting off.
The Blues’ Identity and Local Football
Long Eaton sits close to the Derbyshire–Nottinghamshire boundary, and its league history has repeatedly brought the club into contact with teams from both counties and the wider East Midlands. Its rivalries and regular opponents naturally shift when leagues are reorganised, so the current fixture list is the best guide to the season’s local contests.
The nickname “the Blues” is reflected in the club’s identity, while Grange Park gives the team continuity through decades of league changes. The Garry Birtles story adds a particularly memorable link to the professional game, but the club’s own achievement is the long-running work of volunteers, coaches, supporters and players who have sustained football in Long Eaton since 1956.
NonLeagueReview Ground Notes
Grange Park is a ground with a story that goes beyond the first-team table. It has been the Blues’ home from the beginning, a place where youth and community football have grown alongside the senior side, and the starting point for one of the town’s most famous football journeys in Garry Birtles. For groundhoppers, the club’s rise to Step 3 in 2022/23 and its return to Step 4 make the recent history especially worth knowing before a visit.