The Leyton Sixth Form College site used to be home to Leyton County High School for Boys, a grammar school for 11 to 18-year-olds. It became Leyton Senior High School for Boys in 1968, catering for 14 to 18-year-old boys, and Leyton Sixth Form College in 1988.
After all the changes brought about by the change of status at the end of the last decade, some adjustment was needed but sport continued to flourish. In the early 1990’s LSC was one of a group of Essex Colleges which got together and launched a programme of ‘block fixtures’ on Wednesdays which embraced sports such as football, netball, rugby and hockey. This gave the opportunity for many students to be involved in sport on the same afternoon. The boys football was getting well established and on occasions when there were no planned ‘block fixtures’ we were able to take up invitations from other colleges for multiple football matches. There were a number of occasions where we travelled with 4 teams to such fixtures. In 1992 we contested the semi-final of the Ebden Cup against Alleyns School, played at Ive Farm Playing Fields (on 10/03/92). We were runners up on that occasion. Better was to come in season 1994/5 when LSC went a step further and reached the final of the Ebden Cup. The lead up to this final was victories over Cardinal Pole (4-2), Acland Burleigh (7-4), Homerton House (5-0), Elliot (3-1) and St Charles (3-2). LSC were able to secure use of Leyton Orient's stadium for this very important game for free (which would not be the case these days), which allowed us to open the gates to all of our own students and many more at local schools. In a very close match SFX lead at half-time but LSC equalised early in the second half. So it continued until a most controversial penalty decision late in the game allowed SFX to re-take the lead 2-1 and that was the final score. The match was videoed and many have looked for the supposed hand ball, without success, but that is sport.
The second half of the 1990’s produced some outstanding successes. It must be explained that our location in North East London also makes us one of the specified Essex Metropolitan Boroughs. Indeed, until the late 1960’s Leyton was very much part of Essex as all my exercise books at George Mitchell School and then Leyton County High School proudly stated on the front cover. The London Government Act of 1963 changed this, as Leyton was eventually amalgamated with Walthamstow and Chingford to became the London Borough of Waltham Forest. However, our sporting associations lived on, largely through tradition but also due to logistics as travel to far flung parts of Essex is much quicker than to many closer parts of London but on congested roads. As time has elapsed, the arrival of the M11 and later the M25, but also the upgrade of the A13 has made this even more the case.
Any thoughts that this allows us ‘easier’ competition must be immediately dispelled. Essex has an incredibly high standard of sports competition across the board but is particularly strong in athletics where over the last couple of decades the name of Essex has continually dominated at the English Schools Athletics Championships. Other sports such as Basketball, Cricket, Football, Netball, Rugby and Volleyball (and more) prove even more so that this is the case.
I mention this to put in perspective the achievement of our Under 17 boys cricket team (Essex champions 1996). Even more so, perhaps, the unique ‘double achievement’ of both our boys and girls basketball teams where both became Essex Champions in 1997. At the same time our volleyball teams were ‘making waves’ at the London Youth Games where year after year either the girls or boys were finishing in top 3 positions but frequently it was both. We also entered into a long running period of annual success at JUVO, another regional Volleyball event.
There is a need now to look at the ‘bigger picture’. Many will not be aware of the fact that while by day this site was ‘home’ to a boys school, from Monday to Thursday it also operated as an ‘Evening Institute’ offering courses in such diverse subjects as English, Maths, Flower arranging, Hairdressing, Spanish and many more including fitness sessions, badminton and volleyball. There was also through the 1980’s a growing clamour over the issue of school sports facilities laying idle in the evenings, at weekends and during school holiday periods when they could (should?) be made available for use by the local community. During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s financial constraints (reduced funding from the Local Authority) caused initially a reduction in the number of evenings of operation of these ‘evening classes’ and eventually actual closure. The situation arose where the long -standing attendees of badminton and volleyball sessions wished to continue so organised themselves as clubs and sought private booking of the college sports hall on their regular evenings.
Then circa 1995/6 ‘Lottery Funding’ of sports facilities became available! Our three tennis courts at the top of the sports field were becoming ‘tired’ and in need of an upgrade. LSC gained the first lottery funded facility in Waltham Forest. Of course, in order to succeed with this bid the college had to commit to 30 hours of ‘Community Use’. We were now well on the road to making a significant contribution to the evening and weekend sporting opportunities in our local area, which has long since continued.
The 1996/1997 season proved hugely successful for the LSC basketball teams.
The women's under 17 team lost by 1 point in a thrilling final of the Waltham Forest Cup against Highams Park. But, in the Essex U19 Cup competition, with no eligibility restrictions on the squad based on year group, the starting five were back to full strength and in a closely contested battle with favourites, Sandon, the women's team ran out Essex Champions by 1 point in a 51-50 victory secured in overtime. Kelly Bibby deserves special mention for scoring the lay-up to level the scores with seconds on the clock and take the final into the match-winning overtime period.
The men's team also faced Highams Park in the final of the Waltham Forest Cup, and in a very competitive but sporting match, LSC recorded a convincing win (84-52) to become borough champions. The very next day, against Havering Sixth Form College, in the final of the Essex Cup, the boys found it difficult to find their rhythm and the half-time score of 14-14 was probably an all-time low for the competition. Fortunately, the second half proved much more fruitful and eventually secured a comfortable victory (57-47) to become Essex Champions. Mention must be made of Noel Azebiah who scored 41 points in the first final and 25 points against Havering to lead the team to their much deserved wins.
Trésor Lomana LuaLua was a student at Leyton Sixth Form College in 1997 and 1998.
On the 1st October 1997 LSC played an Essex Colleges league game against COLVIC in Colchester, and Trésor's was the standout performance of the match. A representative from Colchester United had attended the game (which had finished in a 1-1 draw) and after seeking permission from coach, Jim Howell, spoke to Trésor about a future with Colchester United. At the conclusion of the academic year, Trésor did sign for Colchester and from there he went on to play for Newcastle United and Portsmouth in the Premier League, played in the Champions League for Newcastle and Olympiacos and represented the Democratic Republic of Congo at an international level.
Stanley Osuide was a student at Leyton Senior High School for Boys from 1990 to 1993.
Stanley was the English Schools athletics team captain and headed the UK high jump rankings for two years, with a PB of 2.15m set in 1991.
Whilst still a student at the college, 17-year-old Stanley Osuide competed for GB at the 1992 IAAF World Youth Athletics Championships in Seoul, Korea, finishing in 16th position.