The Leiria Football Association () is one of the 22 District Football Associations that are affiliated with the Portuguese Football Federation. The AF Leiria administers lower-tier football in the district of Leiria.
On 5 January 2014 Leiria FA won the Portuguese Regions Cup and will represent Portugal in the 2015 UEFA Regions' Cup, starting in September 2014.
Background
The association, commonly abbreviated as the AF Leiria, is the governing body for football in the Portuguese district of Leiria. The Football Association is based in Cruz de Areia in Leiria, close to Escola Secundária Francisco Rodrigues Lobo (Francisco Rodrigues Lobo Secondary School) and LeiriaShopping. The Association's President is Júlio Vieira.
Established on 9 September 1925, known then as Federação Desportiva do Distrito de Leiria (Leiria District Sports Federation), this Federation however ceased to exist in May 1926, due to the trouble times of the politically unstable and financially chaotic years of the Portuguese First Republic. On 20 May 1929, Leiria Football Association was restarted, in his current name. New statutes and regulations was discussed and approved, and elected his first President, Acácio de Almeida Henriques. The founding clubs were: Sport Club Bombarralense, Caldas Sport Clube, Sporting Club das Caldas, Grupo Desportivo "Os Nazarenos", Sporting Club da Nazaré, Atlético Clube Marinhense, Sport Operário Marinhense, Leiria Gimnasio Club, Gimnasio Sportivo Lis e Associação Académica.
Competitions
Leiria clubs compete in the three national levels of the Portuguese football league system in competitions run by the Portuguese League for Professional Football (Primeira Liga and Liga de Honra) and Portuguese Football Federation (Campeonato Nacional de Seniores).
Caldas Sport Clube join the First National Division, where remained four seasons from 1955–56 to 1958–59. In 2012 União de Leiria were demoted to the Segunda Divisão after failing to meet the deadline to sign the team in Liga de Honra, Leiria was automatically relegated to the third level.U.Leiria fora dos Campeonatos profissionais (U. Leiria out of professional competitions) ; Record, 25 May 2012 Ginásio Clube Alcobaça join the First National Division in 1982-83 for one season.
Below the Campeonato Nacional de Seniores (Portuguese Third Division) the competitions are organised at a district level (known in Portuguese as Distritais) with each District Association organising its competitions according to geographical and other factors. The AF Leiria runs to league competitions with the Liga de Honra (1ª division) being at the fourth level of the league system and 1ª Divisão (2ª division) at the fifth level. This second tier is divided into two groups on a geographical basis
In more general terms the AF Leiria currently organises District Championships for Soccer and Futsal for men and women for all age groups including Senior, Junior, Youth, Beginners, Infants and Schools.
Notable clubs affiliated to AF Leiria 2023–24 season
Primeira Liga (tier 1) none
Segunda Liga (tier 2) União de Leiria
Liga 3 (tier 3) Caldas Sport Clube
Campeonato Nacional de Seniores (tier 4) Atlético Clube Marinhense Grupo Desportivo de Peniche
Distritais (tiers 5 & 6) Beneditense Ginásio Clube Alcobaça Sporting Clube de Pombal Associação Desportiva Portomosense
District championships
Historic champions
Year Champions1929/30Atlético Clube Marinhense1930/31 Caldas Sport Clube1932/33 Caldas Sport Clube1933/34 Caldas Sport Clube1934/35Atlético Clube Marinhense1935/36 Sporting Clube das Caldas1936/37Atlético Clube Marinhense1937/38Atlético Clube Marinhense1938/39 S.C.U. Torreense
Year Champions1939/40 S.C.U. Torreense1940/41 S.C.U. Torreense1941/42 S.C.U. Torreense1942/43Atlético Clube Marinhense1943/44 S.C.U. Torreense1944/45 S.C.U. Torreense1945/46 S.C.U. Torreense1946/47 Ginásio Clube Alcobaça
Recent Division Honra winners
Season1ª Divisão2000/01Ginásio Clube Alcobaça2003/04Grupo Desportivo Os Nazarenos2004/05Ginásio Clube Alcobaça2005/06Sport Clube Escolar Bombarralense2006/07União Desportiva da Serra2007/08Grupo Desportivo de Peniche2008/09Associação Desportiva Portomosense2009/10Sport Clube Escolar Bombarralense2010/11Ginásio Clube Alcobaça2011/12 Centro Cultural e Recreativo Alqueidão da Serra2012/13 Associação Desportiva Portomosense2013/14 Sporting Clube Pombal2014/15 Grupo Desportivo de Peniche2015/16Ginásio Clube Alcobaça2016/17Marinhense2017/18Grupo Desportivo de Peniche2018/19Marinhense
List of member clubs
AbbreviationSettlementOfficial NameDivision (tier)CupOther informationAlegre e UnidoBajouca, LeiriaGrupo Alegre e UnidoDistritais (5)NoneAlfeizerenseAlfeizerãoSport União AlfeizerenseDistritais (5)*Alqueidão da SerraAlqueidão da Serra, Porto de MósCentro Cultural e Recreativo Alqueidão da SerraDistritais (5)*AlvaiázereAlvaiázereGrupo Desportivo de AlvaiázereDistritais (5)NoneAnsiãoAnsiãoClube dos Caçadores de AnsiãoDistritais (5)*ARCUDAAlbergaria dos Doze, PombalAssociação Recreativa e Cultural Desportiva de Albergaria dos DozeDistritais (5)NoneAtouguienseAtouguia da Baleia, PenicheGrupo Desportivo AtouguienseDistritais (5)*AvelarenseAvelar, AnsiãoAtlético Clube AvelarenseDistritais (5)NoneBeneditenseBenedita, AlcobaçaAssociação Beneditense de Cultura e DesportoDistritais (4)* *BoavistaBoavista, LeiriaGrupo Desportivo e Recreativo da BoavistaDistritais (5)NoneBombarralenseBombarralSport Clube Escolar BombarralenseDistritais (5)* *CaldasCaldas da RainhaCaldas Sport ClubeCampeonato Nacional (3)* * *CaseirinhosPombalAssociação Cultural e Desportiva dos CaseirinhosDistritais (5)NoneFigueiró dos VinhosFigueiró dos VinhosAssociação Desportiva de Figueiró dos VinhosDistritais (4)*Ginásio AlcobaçaAlcobaçaGinásio Clube AlcobaçaDistritais (4)* *GuienseGuia, PombalGrupo Desportivo GuienseDistritais (4)* *GRAPPousos, LeiriaGrupo Recreativo Amigos da PazDistritais (4)NoneIlhaIlha, PombalGrupo Desportivo da IlhaDistritais (5)NoneLeiria e MarrazesMarrazes, LeiriaSport Clube Leiria e MarrazesDistritais (4)* *Lisboa e MarinhaMarinha GrandeSport Lisboa e MarinhaDistritais (5)NoneMaceirinhaMaceira, LeiriaAssociação Cultural e Recreativa MaceirinhaDistritais (5)*MarinhenseMarinha GrandeAtlético Clube MarinhenseDistritais (4)* *Mata MourisquenseMata Mourisca, PombalUniao Desportiva Recreativa Cultural Mata MourisquenseDistritais (5)NoneMeirinhasMeirinhas, PombalAssociação Recreativa de MeirinhasDistritais (4)NoneMoita do BoiLouriçal, PombalAssociação de Promoção Social, Desportiva, Recreativa e Cultural da Moita do BoiDistritais (5)NoneMotor ClubeMonte Redondo, LeiriaMotor ClubeDistritais (5)NoneNadadouroNadadouro, Caldas da RainhaAssociação Cultural Recreativa NadadouroDistritais (5)NoneNazarenosNazaréGrupo Desportivo NazarenosDistritais (4)* *Os VidreirosMarinha GrandeGrupo Desportivo «Os Vidreiros»Distritais (5)*OuteirenseCarvide, LeiriaClube Os Democratas Recreativo OuteirenseDistritais (5)NonePataiensePataias, AlcobaçaClube Desportivo PataienseDistritais (4)*PedroguensePedrógão GrandeRecreio PedroguenseDistritais (5)NonePelarigaPelariga, PombalGrupo Desportivo PelarigaDistritais (4)NonePenichePenicheGrupo Desportivo de PenicheDistritais (4)* * *PortomosensePorto de MósAssociação Desportiva PortomosenseCampeonato Nacional (3)* *PousafloresAnsiãoGrupo Desportivo Recreativo PousafloresDistritais (5)NoneRanhaVermoil, PombalAssociação Desportiva da RanhaDistritais (5)NoneSanto AmaroOrtigosa, LeiriaGrupo Desportivo Santo AmaroDistritais (5)NoneSp. PombalPombalSporting Clube de PombalDistritais (4)* *U.Leiria SADLeiriaUnião de LeiriaCampeonato Nacional (3)* * *U.LeiriaLeiriaUnião de LeiriaDistritais (4)NoneUnidosLeiriaGrupo Desportivo, Recreativo e Cultural UnidosDistritais (5)NoneVieirenseVieira de Leiria, Marinha Grande Industrial Desportivo VieirenseDistritais (5)* *
Footnote 1-10 games in Portuguese Cup. * 11-100 games in Portuguese Cup. * * 101+ games in Portuguese Cup. * * *
See also Portuguese District Football Associations Portuguese football competitions List of football clubs in Portugal
References
External links A.F. Leiria