Leithen Vale Sports Club Founded 1985

An Innerleithen football team was initially created 1985 as part of plans to twin St Ronan’s primary school with a French primary school. 

Part of the twinning celebrations was to be a football game between the 2 schools. 

The twining had been arrange by Felicity Ballantyne, who was the councillor for Peeblesshire.  The then headmaster of St Ronan’s, Mr Campbell, asked Andrew Caldwell to set up and coach the team – Andrew was a football referee at that time. 

Mr Campbell made the travel arrangements for the Team and coaches to get to France, managing to arrange for everyone to get down to Brighton by train for £1 each – there was lots of deals and special offers used – a lot cheaper than the cost we’ve found recently when trying to arrange travel to different tournaments. 

The twinning with Le Nouvion, and the football game was such a success and enjoyed by all, that it was agreed that there would be a return event back in Innerleithen. 

In June 1985, after the trip to France, and with the planned return visit, it was decided that Innerleithen needed their own junior football club.  Andrew arranged a meeting with all the parents and explained what needed to happen – he and the Club were given great support, by the parents, who became coaches and helpers.  From this, the Club was created and it was initially called Leithen Vale Boys Club. 

In order to ensure the new Club was going to get games they need to join the Lothian Federation of Boys Clubs – the registration window for Clubs closed in the September, so we only had 3 months to get ourselves set up.  Thankfully there wasn’t as much paperwork then as there is now. 

With the Club set-up and ready for the return event, Le Nouvion decide that they wanted to come over in February 1986.  Despite the time of the year, Andrew remembers that when Le Nouvion arrived the weather was glorious for the time they were here, but the day after they left it was back to the usual Scottish winter weather. 

From these initial events, the Club regularly attended and hosted various clubs from across Europe – including events in France, Belgium & Germany, creating close ties with those Clubs and others that attended them. 

In some tournaments, there were teams from Metz, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. 

We won various tournaments, and came close in others – losing one 1 final after a dodgy refereeing decision on a penalty, and another on a penalty shootout. 

Back in the domestic league we struggled in our first year, but grew from then on.  The Club really blossomed, and we had over 150 children regularly attending. 

As well as football, Lothian Federation of Boys Clubs covered 25 different sports – including badminton, tennis, table tennis, hockey, rugby, netball, athletics & chess. 

In 1986, with the introductions of girls to the Club and all these other sports, the Club changed its name to Leithen Vale Sports Club. 

There wasn’t really any other sports clubs in the Borders at this time, so LVSC was attracting children from as far afield as Gala, Selkirk and Hawick. 

On the footballing front we had an u15s, u12s and u10s Teams. 

In the other sports, LVSC boasts 2 Scottish Champions – Craig Rendell in badminton and Robert “Doc” Docherty in chess.  Both of them winning the Lothian Federation of Boys Clubs events, then going to the Scottish Championships. 

For such a small town, we really have achieved, and continue to do, so much in sports for the children of Innerleithen and the surrounding areas.