Leroy Griffiths

*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.

Leroy Griffiths

Appearances: 1+2 Goals: 0

Date / Year of birth: 30th December 1976

Position: Striker

Season of first appearance: 2002/03

Season of last appearance: 2002/03

Also played for: Arsenal (0), Wimbledon (0), Sutton United, Banstead Athletic, Corinthian Casuals, Hampton & Richmond Borough, Queens Park Rangers (27+10,3), Farnborough Town, Grays Athletic, Fisher Athletic (London), Aldershot Town, Havant & Waterlooville, Lewes, Gillingham (4+21,2), Eastleigh, Staines Town, Athlitikos Omilos Ayias (Cyprus), Redhill, Thurrock, Harrow Borough and Leatherhead

Aggressive striker who started his career in Arsenal's junior ranks before moving on to Wimbledon. Leroy scored once in four Football Combination appearances (one as sub) for the Dons' reserves during 1994/95 and then dropped into non-league football.

He had spells with Sutton and Banstead before joining Corinthian Casuals in the summer of 1998.

Leroy scored 23 goals in 49 appearances for Casuals and then moved on to Hampton & Richmond in January 2000.

In his early days with Hampton & Richmond Leroy cut a distinctive figure with his silver boots and black gloves and he scored three goals before the end of the 1999/00 campaign. Leroy had a trial with Norwich in the summer of 2000 and then made a real name for himself during 2000/01. His 19 goals for Hampton & Richmond prompted Queens Park Rangers to pay £40,000 for him in June 2001.

Leroy made his debut for QPR as a substitute in a 1-0 win over Stoke at Loftus Road on 11.8.01 but picked up an injury and had to be replaced himself just ten minutes after taking to the field. He made his full debut in a 2-1 defeat at Brighton on 8.9.01 and opened his account for the R's when he got both goals in a 2-2 draw at Blackpool on 18.9.01. By the end of the 2001/02 campaign Leroy had made 31 senior appearances but only scored once more.

He was loaned out to Conference club Farnborough for the start of the 2002/03 season and Leroy made five appearances there (four as sub) without scoring before returning to QPR at the end of September 2002.

He then made one first team appearance for Rangers - as a substitute in a 0-0 draw at Port Vale on 2.11.02 - before joining Margate on loan a few days later.

Leroy made his debut in a 1-1 draw with Telford in a Conference game played at Margate's adopted home in Dover on 9.11.02 and the Nationwide football website said he "failed to make an impact". He was substituted after an hour but the Thanet Times said Leroy had "worked hard and showed some good touches". He then made substitute appearances in a 5-0 defeat at Chester on 23.11.02 and a 2-1 defeat at Yeovil on 30.11.02 before returning to QPR.

Leroy had five further first team outings for QPR during the second half of 2002/03 but at the end of the season he was released.

After leaving Loftus Road he had a trial with Staines before signing for Farnborough in August 2003. Leroy's second spell with the club was tarnished by reports of him biting an opponent in a Conference game and after scoring once in five appearances he moved on to Grays in September 2003, signing a full-time contract with the ambitious Essex outfit.

Leroy went on to score 14 goals from 43 appearances (four as sub) for Grays during 2003/04. His tally included two goals in a 3-3 home draw with Margate in an FA Cup tie on 25.10.03. Leroy then bagged 27 goals from 42 outings (six as sub) during the 2004/05 season before being released having fallen out with his manager.

He joined Fisher for the start of the 2005/06 season and on 24.10.06 Leroy scored in a 2-1 win over Margate at Dulwich. The Isle of Thanet Gazette's report said he should then have been sent off for "stamping on and punching Blues centre-back James Smith" but Leroy was only booked. Very shortly afterwards he was substituted.

In January 2006 Fisher loaned Leroy to Aldershot and he scored twice on his Conference debut for the Shots - a 3-1 home win over Halifax on 21.1.06. He ended up with seven goals from 17 appearances (one as sub) before going back to Fisher in May 2006.

Leroy's return to the Dockers saw him turn out for the club in the Conference South play-offs at the end of 2005/06 and he finished the season with 16 goals for Fisher. He stayed with the club for the start of the 2006/07 campaign but in February 2007 Leroy was loaned back to Grays. He scored twice in 13 appearances (seven as sub) before returning to Fisher at the end of the season.

In May 2007 Fisher released their entire squad so in July 2007 Leroy signed for Havant & Waterlooville. He found his opportunities limited with the Hampshire club, partly due to the form of former Margate striker Rocky Baptiste, and in mid-October 2007 Leroy returned to Corinthian Casuals over seven years after leaving the club.

He only played twice for Casuals but scored two goals before quickly moving on to Lewes towards the end of October 2007.

Leroy scored once for Lewes in a handful of outings for the club before landing a surprise move back into the Football League in November 2007. He was signed by League One club Gillingham who were managed by his former Grays boss Mark Stimson.

Leroy was given a short-term deal and said "I'm delighted to be here. I've endured a topsy-turvy season but the gaffer knows what type of player I am. He knows all about my game and gets the best out of me. I'm a player with pace, power and aggression. I'm also very direct and will give my all here at Gillingham. I'm only here initially for a month but if I come in and do what I know I can then hopefully that will be extended."

Leroy made his debut for the Gills in a 2-1 defeat at Yeovil on 18.11.07 and scored his first goal for the club after coming on as a substitute in a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest at Priestfield on 29.12.07. In January 2008 he signed a contract to the end of the 2007/08 season and Leroy was used regularly as a substitute for the remainder of the campaign but only scored once more. He was released by Gillingham at the end of the season.

In the summer of 2008 Leroy joined Conference South club Eastleigh but only played once before linking up with Staines of the Isthmian Premier Division at the end of August 2008.

After a handful of games for Staines Leroy was on the move again as in September 2008 he joined Cypriot outfit Athlitikos Omilos Ayias who played in the second tier of football in Cyprus.

In January 2009 Leroy returned to Staines and finished 2008/09 having scored four goals from 21 Isthmian League appearances (two as sub) during the season as the club won promotion to the Conference South via the play-offs.

Leroy stayed at Staines until February 2011 when he joined Isthmian Premier Division club Sutton for a second spell after his stint there early in his career. He scored seven goals from 16 league outings as Sutton won the title.

Leroy stayed with the Surrey club for the 2011/12 season and on 1.10.11 he scored four goals as Sutton beat visitors Dulwich 5-1 in an FA Cup tie. He was released by Sutton in June 2012.

In the summer of 2012 Leroy linked up with Sussex County League outfit Redhill and scored twice on his debut in a 5-2 home win over Chichester on 4.8.12.

In September 2012 he moved on to Isthmian League Premier Division club Thurrock and on 8.9.12 Leroy was on target in his first outing for them - a 3-0 win at Basildon in the FA Cup. He scored twice more in FA Trophy ties but only featured three times in the league (once as sub) without getting on the scoresheet before leaving the club.

Leroy spent the remainder of 2012/13 back at Sutton where he scored once from 16 Conference South outings (11 as sub) to take his overall tally for the club to 22 goals from 88 appearances.

In July 2013 Leroy signed for Harrow of the Isthmian League Premier Division and by then he was 36.

In September 2013 he moved on to Isthmian League Division 1 South outfit Leatherhead and at the end of February 2014 Leroy went back to Premier Division Grays for a third spell with the club.

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

FAC

FAT

 

KSC

2002/03 (MFC)

1 (52)

2

0

CONFERENCE (10TH OF 22)

2R

5R

W