Kilnfield Colts FC · Armley, Leeds · since 1987
We’re a community football club for 480 boys and girls between five and eighteen. Nobody is cut, nobody spends a season on the bench, and every coach on our touchline is a trained volunteer who stays.
Find your squad
Squads are grouped by school year, never by talent. Pick your child’s age and come along to the next session: the first one is always free.
-
Under 6 to under 8
Mini Colts
Saturdays 9:00 · Wednesdays 17:30
Fun-first football in tiny teams, on short pitches with soft balls and a lot of noise.
-
Under 9 to under 12
Juniors
Saturdays 10:30 · Tuesdays 18:00
Our first league teams. Everyone plays at least half of every match, every single week.
-
Under 13 to under 16
Youth
Sundays 11:00 · Thursdays 18:30
Eleven-a-side with real tactics, county cup runs and a coach who knows your name.
-
Under 10 to under 18
Girls
Mondays 18:00 · Sundays 10:00
Six girls-only teams, a girl-led committee and the loudest touchline in Leeds.
Seven days at Kilnfield
The floodlights are on six nights a week. This is what a week at the ground looks like, from the first cones to the last huddle.
-
Monday
Girls’ night
Six girls’ teams train under the lights, one after another until nine.
-
Tuesday
Keeper school
One hour, two coaches, every goalkeeper from under 9 up and far too many dives.
-
Wednesday
Mini Colts
Cones out at half five. Forty minis, four pitches, nobody standing in a queue.
-
Thursday
Boot swap
Outgrown boots come in, the right size goes out. No money changes hands.
-
Friday
Futsal night
Indoor five-a-side for under 13s and up, with music and the tuck shop open.
-
Saturday
Matchday
Fourteen home games from nine till two, and tea at the hatch all day.
-
Sunday
Hands in
Youth and girls’ league games, then the nets come down and the pitch gets a rest.
Four promises
Written by parents in 1987 and still pinned to the clubhouse door. Every coach signs them before their first session.
-
Everybody plays.
Up to under 12, every child gets equal minutes. After that, nobody plays less than half a match.
-
No trials under 13.
You don’t earn a place in a squad. You turn up, you train, and you’re in the team.
-
First kit is free.
Shirt, shorts and socks are on us for the first season. Boots come from the Thursday swap.
-
Coaches who stay.
Our coaches stay with their squad for at least two seasons, and most stay a lot longer.
This weekend
Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 October. Home games are at the Kilnfield on Example Lane; away grounds are listed in the league app.
| Team | Opponent | Kick-off | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 9 Reds | Stanningley Wasps | Home, pitch 2 | |
| Under 10 Blues | Gotts Park Rangers | Away | |
| Under 11 Girls | Wyther Vale | Home, pitch 1 | |
| Under 12 Reds | Tong Road Athletic | Home, pitch 3 | |
| Under 13 | Raynville Juniors | Away | |
| Under 14 Girls | Hollin Park | Home, pitch 1 | |
| Under 16 | Bell Lane Saints | Home, pitch 1 | |
| Under 18 | Upper Wortley | Away |
The coaches
Thirty-two volunteers, every one with an FA coaching badge, a safeguarding certificate and a DBS check. Here are four of them.
-
Karim Haddad
Head of youth football · UEFA C licence · coaching here since 2009
I want them still loving Saturday mornings when they’re forty.
-
Sam Hartley
Mini Colts lead · FA Introduction to Coaching
Nobody queues at my sessions. If a child is waiting, I planned it wrong.
-
Megan Price
Girls’ section lead · UEFA B licence
The loudest touchline in Leeds belongs to the girls, and they earned it.
-
Tom Ashworth
Goalkeeper coach · FA Level 2 goalkeeping
Every keeper gets a proper warm-up, even the under 9s on a wet Tuesday.
How to join in
From the first email to the first match usually takes about two weeks, and nothing in it costs a penny.
-
1
Book a session
Pick your child’s age group and a day. No forms, no fee and no commitment.
-
2
Come and play
Bring shin pads and a water bottle. We lend boots and bibs to anyone who needs them.
-
3
Meet the squad
The coach introduces your child to the team and walks you through the season.
-
4
First match
Kit is handed over in the clubhouse, then it’s straight out onto the pitch.
From the touchline
-
“My daughter went from hiding behind my legs to captaining the under 11 girls in two seasons.”
Aisha Rahman
Parent, under 11 girls
-
“Nobody ever asked if he was good enough. They only asked if he’d brought his shin pads.”
Mark Feeney
Parent, under 9 reds
-
“I joined at six and now I coach the minis. The clubhouse tea is still terrible.”
Ellis Barker
Former player, Mini Colts coach
-
“Equal minutes sounded soft to me. Then I watched every kid on that pitch get better.”
Joanne Whitaker
Parent, under 12 blues
-
“The best Saturday mornings of my week, and I’m only the one who washes the bibs.”
Priya Shah
Volunteer kit manager
-
“They lent us boots on day one and never once made it awkward.”
Daniel Okoro
Parent, under 7 Mini Colts
What it costs
Fees cover pitch hire, referees, league entries and insurance. Nobody on the committee is paid, and nothing is added on top.
Foundation · under 6 to under 10
£12 a month
- Two sessions a week
- Every match and festival
- First kit included
Development · under 11 to under 14
£18 a month
- Two sessions a week
- League fees and referees
- First kit included
Performance · under 15 to under 18
£22 a month
- Two sessions and futsal night
- League and cup entries
- First kit included
Money never decides who plays. One in five Colts is on a bursary, and nobody else ever knows.
Ask about a bursaryParents ask
My child has never played. Is that a problem?
Not at all. Most Mini Colts have never kicked a ball in a team, and every session starts with games that need no skill whatsoever.
What should they bring to the first session?
Shin pads, a water bottle and trainers or boots. We lend boots, bibs and shin pads to anyone who needs them, no questions asked.
Do you hold trials?
Not below under 13. From under 13 the youth section runs two levels, and players move between them through the season.
How are the coaches checked?
Every coach holds an FA badge, an in-date DBS check and the FA safeguarding certificate. Two adults are at every session.
Can parents stay and watch?
Please do. The touchline is behind the rope, the tea hatch opens at nine and the covered stand is there for wet days.
How can I help the club?
Run a line, wash a kit bag, staff the hatch or take a coaching badge on us. Every role is voluntary and every hour counts.
Come and play. First session free. See you Saturday.
The ground
Kilnfield Recreation GroundExample Lane, Armley
Leeds LS0 0AA
Clubhouse hours
- Monday to Friday, 17:00 to 21:00
- Saturday, 8:30 to 15:00
- Sunday, 9:30 to 14:00