Leeds City AFC 1918/19

This photograph shows Leeds City A.F.C. during the 1918–19 season, a campaign played in extraordinary circumstances and one that would ultimately become the club’s final chapter.

With the Football League still suspended following the First World War, English football resumed through regional competitions. Leeds City competed in the Midland Section Principal Tournament, facing many familiar league opponents from across the Midlands and North. During the season, Leeds City played against clubs such as Notts County, Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley, Bradford City, Hull City, Huddersfield Town, Leicester Fosse, Grimsby Town, Lincoln City, Coventry City, and Nottingham Forest. Fixtures were frequent, competitive, and often played before large, emotionally charged crowds eager for football’s return.

The side pictured here was built around a regular core of players, despite the instability caused by wartime service and the widespread use of guest players. Among the mainstays of the 1918–19 Leeds City team were:

• Billy Pease, a reliable and consistent performer throughout the season

• Billy McLeod, a powerful and influential presence

• Tom Hall, a regular selection in defence

• Charles Stephenson, an important figure in the half-back line

• Arthur Price and Billy Hibbert, both frequently appearing in match report

These players formed the backbone of a side that remained competitive throughout the season, despite the unusual conditions and frequent squad changes typical of wartime football.

Visually, the image reflects the era perfectly. The players wear Leeds City’s near all-white kit, while club officials stand alongside them in formal suits and hats, reinforcing the Edwardian sense of order and professionalism. Behind them, a densely packed crowd fills the terrace — a powerful reminder of football’s importance to local communities emerging from the trauma of war.

Tragically, the 1918–19 season would be Leeds City’s last. Financial irregularities relating to wartime payments led to the club’s expulsion from the Football League in the following season, and Leeds City was dissolved soon after. Later in 1919, Leeds United was formed, inheriting the city’s footballing future but not its predecessor’s league record.

As such, this photograph represents more than a team lineup. It is a rare surviving image of a lost club, taken at a moment when football, society, and history stood at a crossroads. For collectors and supporters alike, it offers a tangible link to a formative period in the story of football in Leeds.