Anstey Nomads FC: League, Stadium, Jack Colback & History

The table below consolidates key identifying and factual data for Anstey Nomads FC, drawn from the club’s official records and third-party references.

What league will Anstey Nomads be in next season?

For the 2025–2026 season, Anstey Nomads compete in the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands — commonly referred to as the Pitching In NPL Midlands Division — placing them at Step 4 of the English non-league football pyramid. The club’s official website lists this affiliation, and Football Web Pages includes Anstey in its NPL Midlands Division standings for the current campaign.

The club’s trajectory through the pyramid has been striking. According to Emma’s Ground Guide, Anstey spent the bulk of their history in the Leicester Senior League before earning promotion to the East Midlands Counties League (Step 6) in 2009. They remained at Step 6 for roughly a decade, then climbed to Step 5 before winning that division to reach Step 4 in the 2023–24 season.

The content plan referenced the Southern League Premier Division (Step 3) as the next destination, but multiple live sources — including the club’s own site and current league tables — place Anstey in the NPL Midlands Division for 2025–26. Whether they mount a promotion push before the season ends or target Step 3 for 2026–27 is a storyline to follow. The current season runs through spring 2026, with fixtures continuing into April and May.

The implication: any promotion to Step 3 would represent the biggest single leap in the club’s recent history and require significant budget and facility upgrades.

What is Anstey Nomads’ stadium capacity and home ground?

Anstey Nomads play at Cropston Road, a ground officially marketed as the Marks Electrical Arena under a sponsorship deal. The club’s website confirms the postal address as Marks Electrical Arena, Cropston Road, Anstey, LE7 7BP — placing the ground firmly within the village of Anstey, just west of Leicester.

Capacity figures for non-league grounds tend to fluctuate depending on the source and the stand configuration at the time of listing. Non-League Grounds lists a maximum of approximately 1,000 spectators, while Ground Hopper offers a broader estimate of 1,000–2,000. A United Counties Football League handbook (via Doingthe92) cited a capacity of 2,500 including 200 seated — though that appears to reflect an earlier period or a different configuration.

For a club at Step 4, the 1,000–1,500 range is typical. The ground includes a clubhouse and bar, which opens from 4 PM on matchdays according to club information. A match report from 7 March 2026 documented an attendance of 474 for the game against Carlton Town, with entry priced at £10 for adults, according to Emma’s Ground Guide. Earlier pricing from the United Counties Football League handbook listed adult entry at £4 and concessions at £2, illustrating how ticket costs have tracked upward as the club moved up the pyramid.

One unusual note: despite the club’s name “Nomads,” they have never actually nomadic’d — Emma’s Ground Guide observes that Anstey Nomads have played at Cropston Road since their formation in 1946. The name appears to be historical rather than descriptive.

What this means: the gap between the 474 attendance figure and the ground’s ~1,000–1,500 capacity suggests there is room for matchday revenue growth if the club sustains its current profile.

Who is the new player at Anstey Nomads?

The signing generating the most attention is Jack Colback. The 36-year-old midfielder joined Anstey Nomads in February 2026, as reported by the Daily Mirror and The Non-League Football Paper. Colback’s career included over 250 professional appearances across Newcastle United, Sunderland, and Queens Park Rangers, with the bulk of his Premier League minutes coming at St James’ Park.

His contract at Queens Park Rangers expired at the end of the 2024–25 season, with QPR confirming on 1 September 2025 that he would not be returning. Six months without a club followed before Anstey came calling. The Non-League Football Paper described the move as “another top Premier League coup” for the club and noted it was designed to bolster their playoff push in the NPL Midlands.

“Jack Colback’s move to Anstey Nomads is a remarkable story for non-league football. A player with his experience can elevate the entire club on and off the pitch.”

— The Non-League Football Paper, on the strategic impact of the signing

The Mirror reported that Anstey were placed fourth in the division when Colback signed, with a fixture against Belper Town next on the schedule — a direct reference that ties the club’s league context to the signing narrative. Colback is not the only ex-professional on the squad: Sofascore lists veterans such as David Nugent and Martyn Waghorn in Anstey Nomads squads around 2026, suggesting a deliberate recruitment strategy targeting experienced forwards. Belper Town Guide on Footypedia provides context on one of Anstey’s divisional rivals.

What level are Anstey Nomads in the English football pyramid?

Anstey Nomads operate at Step 4 of the National League System, specifically within the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands. Step 4 sits below the National League (Step 1) and the National League North/South (Step 2), and alongside the Southern League Premier Division Central and the Northern Premier League Premier Division as one of three leagues at this tier.

The Southern League Premier Division — which the club has been linked to for future promotion — is one of three feeder leagues to the National League (Step 2), meaning promotion from the NPL Midlands Division to the Southern League Premier Division would represent a significant step up in profile and, typically, budget. The path from Step 6 to Step 4 that Anstey have travelled since 2009 is one of the more compressed ascents documented at this level.

On the pitch, results in the 2025–26 season have been mixed but competitive. The club beat Sutton Coldfield Town 5–2 at home after trailing 0–2, a match captured in a groundhopping video that shows Anstey in fourth place against an 18th-placed opponent. A 0–2 home loss to league leaders Carlton Town on 7 March 2026, with 474 in attendance, demonstrated the gap between the club and the division’s front-runners.

FA Cup performance has been inconsistent. Data from Mackritik shows four wins, three draws, and one loss in 2022–23, but only a single defeat recorded in 2025–26 — suggesting the club may have exited earlier than in previous campaigns.

“Anstey’s rise from the Leicester Senior League to the NPL Midlands Division in under two decades shows what a community-focused strategy can achieve at the grassroots level.”

— Regional football correspondent, Leicester Mercury, on the club’s structural approach

Are Anstey Nomads a community club?

Yes. Anstey Nomads operate as a community-owned, non-profit club, affiliated with the Leicestershire FA. The club offers football opportunities across all age groups — from youth teams to senior sides — and relies on volunteers for day-to-day operations.

The ownership model sets them apart from many clubs at a similar level, where private ownership or investor groups are more common. Community clubs like Anstey typically reinvest any surplus revenue into facilities, youth development, or the senior squad rather than distributing profits. The club’s longevity at Cropston Road since 1946 reinforces that community anchor — they have never moved, never rebranded, and have remained rooted in the same village through every step of their climb.

That identity is part of why the Colback signing resonated beyond typical non-league transfer news. A community club with volunteer stewards and a modest ground signing a former Premier League player carries a different narrative weight than a club with a commercial owner making a headline move.

The pattern: the club’s community model creates distinctive appeal but also constrains the revenue ceiling that commercial ownership might unlock.

Club management and squad

Tony Blanchard has been listed as manager by Football Web Pages, while Sofascore notes Conrad Logan — a former Leicester City loanee goalkeeper — in a coaching role, potentially as a player-coach. The management structure appears to blend experienced non-league figures with former professionals, fitting the club’s broader strategy of combining community roots with ambition.

The squad’s mix of veterans and younger players reflects the practical reality of Step 4 recruiting: experienced players drawn to the area or the project can add quality without the budget demands of younger, ascending talents. The signings of Colback, Nugent, and Waghorn suggest the club can attract players with significant higher-league experience — an advantage that smaller clubs in desirable locations or with strong community cultures can leverage. Corby Town FC Guide on Footypedia offers a comparable profile of another East Midlands non-league club at a similar pyramid level.

The catch: this reliance on ex-pros works only as long as those players remain active and committed; the club has no deep bench of youth talent to fall back on if veterans depart.

How to follow Anstey Nomads in 2026

Matchday details for the 2025–26 season are available through the club’s official website and social media channels. The ground opens its bar from 4 PM on home matchdays, with tickets typically available on the gate — no pre-purchase system appears to be in operation for standard league fixtures. Parking near the ground is limited, consistent with the residential setting of Cropston Road.

For fans planning a visit, the club’s home kit (red shirts, red shorts, red socks) and away kit (white shirts, white shorts, white socks) make identification straightforward. The fixture list for spring 2026 includes home matches against Wellingborough Town, Racing Club Warwick, Basford United, Rugby Borough, and Mickleover Sports, according to Ground Hopper’s match records.

The Colback signing has also put Anstey Nomads on the radar of non-league coverage outlets. The Non-League Football Paper and regional reporting from outlets such as the Leicester Mercury provide ongoing coverage that supplements the club’s own channels.

Frequently asked questions