Hillingdon Borough Football Club was a semi-professional football club based in Ruislip, in the London Borough of Hillingdon. The club was affiliated to the Middlesex County Football Association. Its name was revived in 1990 from the original club, which had been based in Yiewsley. They last played in the before folding in 2026.
History Historic club The original club was founded as Yiewsley Football Club in 1872 after a meeting of eight local businessmen who met at the instigation of Frederick E. Clinch, a baker and owner of the Maythorn bakery on Fairfield Road, Yiewsley.
Yiewsley played friendly games with local clubs as Yiewsley F.C. until the 1885–86 season when they played under the name Yiewsley Rangers. This continued until the 1888–89 season when they played as Yiewsley Unity, Yiewsley Rangers and Yiewsley Star. From the start of 1890 they played as Yiewsley Star, returning to play as Yiewsley F.C from the 1893–94 season.
In the 1887–88 season Yiewsley (Rangers) were playing at Mr Elton's Meadow, West Drayton Green. Here they competed in the West Middlesex Challenge Cup for the first time, playing St Mary's, Acton on 5 November 1887. In the 1895–96 season Yiewsley joined the new West Middlesex League. For the first two seasons Yiewsley only fielded the reserve side in the league. In the 1898–99 season two West Middlesex leagues were run with Yiewsley's first team playing in the first division and the reserves in the second.
In the 1903–04 season poor conduct by players, officials and fans at West Middlesex League games against Harmondsworth on 5 December 1903 and against Hillingdon on 12 December caused Yiewsley's ground to be closed for six weeks by the Middlesex Football Association on 16 December and for Yiewsley were expelled from the West Middlesex League by the West Middlesex League Council on 17 December 1903.
In the 1904–05 season with the first team having to play only friendly games, Yiewsley Reserves were able to continue playing in the Uxbridge and District Junior League, which had been formed in July 1903 for the start 1903–04 football season. They finished the season as runners-up to Southall Athletic Reserves. In the 1905–06 season the Yiewsley first team were winners of the Uxbridge and District Junior League.
In the 1906–07 season Yiewsley were able to rejoin the West Middlesex League with the reserves playing in the Uxbridge and District League. Yiewsley would go on to win the West Middlesex League in the 1907–08 and 1908–09 seasons. Yiewsley entered the FA Cup competition for the first time in the 1908–09 season. Having received a bye in the preliminary round after the withdrawal of Reading Amateurs, Yiewsley were defeated in the first qualifying round 2–1 at home by Aylesbury United on 3 October 1908. In the same season Yiewsley competed in the FA Amateur Cup, the Middlesex Senior Cup, the Middlesex Senior Charity Cup, the Middlesex Junior Cup and the West Middlesex Cup.
Yiewsley were undefeated winners of the West Middlesex League in the 1910–11 season. In September 1911, with the West Middlesex League being suspended for the 1911–12 season, Yiewsley joined the Hounslow and District League. They also played their first team in the Uxbridge and District League, ending the season as undefeated champions of the league and winners of the inaugural Uxbridge and District League Cup. At the start of the 1912–13 season they were playing at Mr Sutton's Meadow, Edgar Road, Yiewsley. By early November 1912 the ground had been renamed Star Meadow. Yiewsley would end the 1912–13 season as champions of both the West Middlesex League and the Hounslow and District League. They would repeat this success in the 1913–14 season as well as being finalists in the 1913–14 West Middlesex Cup. Yiewsley were to enter senior football in the Great Western Suburban League in the 1914–15 season having been elected at the league's annual general meeting on 10 June 1914. However the league was suspended on 16 September 1914 due to the start of First World War.
With the recommencement of the Great Western Suburban League in the 1919–20 season Yiewsley opened the season on 31 August 1919 at home against Chesham United in front of 700 spectators. For the 1919–20 season Yiewsley played at Raab's Farm Meadow in Yiewsley. In August 1920 Yiewsley transferred its home ground to Mr White's Meadow at Trout Lane, but retained the name 'Star Meadow' from the Edgar Road ground. A friendly game against Arabian United took place on 28 August 1920 and Yiewsley's first league game at the new Star Meadow took place on 11 September in the Great Western Suburban League First Division against the 1st Grenadier Guards, ending in a 1–1 draw.
The 1920s proved to be a period of significant financial instability for Yiewsley. In February 1922 the Great Western Suburban League granted Yiewsley a loan of £20 to help with their debts, in particular their ground rent. At Yiewsley's annual meeting on 20 June 1923 it was reported that the football club ended the 1922–23 season just over £54 in debt. Despite their financial difficulties Yiewsley were able to finish runners-up in the Great Western Suburban League in the 1924–25 season. In the 1925–26 season Yiewsley finished third in the league but they ended the season with total receipts of only £325. In the 1926–27 season Yiewsley were admitted into the Spartan League Division II but by the November were in financial difficulties and withdrew from the league.
After the 1926 collapse Yiewsley returned to junior football, joining the Uxbridge and District League Division III in the 1927–28 season as Yiewsley Juniors. In the next season 1928–29 they finished as Division I champions. In the 1929–30 season, Yiewsley Juniors played in the Great Western Suburban League with reserve teams playing in the Uxbridge and District League Divisions I and III.
In the 1930–31 season Yiewsley changed their name to Yiewsley and West Drayton F.C. in honour of the recently created Yiewsley and West Drayton Urban District, finishing as joint winners in the Uxbridge and District League Division I with Cowley St Laurence and winners of the Junior Cup. They played the 1930–31 season at Thorney Meadow. For the following 1931–32 season Yiewsley and West Drayton moved to the Clarke's Meadow ground on Royal Lane. In the 1931–32 season they won the Uxbridge and District Premier League and Premier Cup, defeating Botwell Wanderers 5–3 in the final. In the 1932–33 season Yiewsley were runners up in the Uxbridge and District Premier League and defeated finalists in the Premier Cup; however, they won the Middlesex Junior Cup for the first time, defeating Pinner 6–4 in the replayed final. In the 1933–34 season Yiewsley and West Drayton joined the South-West Middlesex League Intermediate Division B and played their first home game of the season at Star Meadow, Trout Lane against N.P.L.(National Physical Laboratory) on 21 October 1933, winning 7–1. Yiewsley and West Drayton finished the 1933–34 season as league champions and winners of the Middlesex Intermediate Cup after winning 4–1 in a replayed final against Enfield Reserves.
In the 1934–35 season the club's name reverted to Yiewsley F.C. Having gained promotion in the previous season, they played in the Premier Division of the South-West Middlesex League. The 1935–36 season saw Yiewsley's last game at Star Meadow which took place on 18 April 1936 with a 10–1 win against F.G. Minter's. For the 1936–37 season Yiewsley's new ground was on the Evelyn's estate, Falling Lane, where they were granted a 21-year lease. To mark the change Yiewsley reverted to their old colours of Oxford and Cambridge blue instead of the black and white they had played in for the previous six seasons. Ten to twelve thousand people attended the Evelyn's Stadium opening ceremony and fete which took place on 22 August 1936. The first game of the 1936–37 season took place at Evelyn's on 29 August 1936 against Hayesco II in the South-West Middlesex Premier League, resulting in a 4–0 win. In the 1936–37 season Yiewsley won the South-West Middlesex Premier league, the Middlesex Intermediate Cup and the South-West Middlesex Victory Cup. In the 1937–38 season they won the South-West Middlesex Premier league and the Middlesex Intermediate Cup, winning the league by a clear eight points. In the 1938–39 season Yiewsley competed in the South-West Middlesex Premier League and the newly created Senior Division of the Middlesex County League, winning the Middlesex County League Senior Cup 1–0 against Deerfield and West Hendon on 3 May 1939.
At the annual meeting of the Spartan league on 8 June 1939 Yiewsley were admitted for the second time. They were to play the 1939–40 season in the Spartan League Division II. Yiewsley started the season with two away wins, defeating Apsley Reserves 8–4 on 26 and Harrow Town 4–2 on 30 August. However, the declaration of war on 3 September 1939 caused the league to be abandoned after its general meeting on 14 September 1939. In early October 1939 Yiewsley were transferred to the Western No 2 Group which was renamed the West Middlesex Combination League on 17 October 1939. Yiewsley's first game in the new league was away at Pinner on 21 October 1939 which ended in a 5–5 draw. Yiewsley ended the 1939–40 season as runners-up to Edgware Town. For the 1940–41 season the West Middlesex Combination League was replaced by the Middlesex Senior League. However, Yiewsley tendered its resignation from the league on 9 September 1940 because of being unable to field a competitive team, as players and supporters were working weekends as part of the war effort. In the 1941–42 to 1943–44 seasons Yiewsley were able to field a team in the Middlesex Senior league and in the 1944–45 season also competed in the Great Western Combination League. Yiewsley joined the Great Western Combination League again when it was reestablished in the 1946–47 season and played in the league until the 1950–51 season.
In 1945–46 Yiewsley were finally successful in completing a season in the Spartan League. They competed in Diversion I Western Section, opening the season at Aylesbury on 15 September 1945 with a 5–3 defeat. Having finished runners-up in the 1948–49 season, in the 1949–50 season Yiewsley finished winners of the league, gaining promotion to the Spartan League Premier Division. They followed this by going on to win the championship play-off game against the Eastern Section winners Hertford Town 6–1. In the following 1950–51 season they won the Spartan Premier Division at the first attempt, clinching the title with a 2–1 win at Aylesbury, who finished the season in third place. In March 1951 Yiewsley were one of the 14 clubs who founded the Delphian League which was to commence from the following 1951–52 season. Yiewsley's first game in the new league took place on 18 August against Wembley at Vale Farm ending in a 1–0 defeat.
In the 1954–55 season Yiewsley joined the Corinthian League, opening the season with a 1–0 win against Edgware Town on 21 August at their new ground, Leas Stadium in front of 2,600 spectators. Yiewsley had wanted a new ground for several years due to the limited facilities at the leased Evelyn's Stadium. In early 1946 a site was purchased. A Yiewsley F.C. 'New Ground Fund' was established to pay for the purchasing loan with many local individuals and businesses contributing. A 'Sports and Fete day' took place at Evelyn's on 23 July 1946 raising £320 for the fund. This brought the total raised to £600 towards a target of £1000. However it wasn't until the 1951–52 season that work began on the site of Leas Stadium. It was situated west of the Evelyn's stadium along Falling Lane and was named after a house there called 'The Leas'. Construction of the 10,000 capacity stadium took three years to complete at a cost of £7000.