Name

Archibald (Archie) Leitch

Designation
Engineer and Architect
Born
1865
Place of Birth
Glasgow
Location
Glasgow, Liverpool, London
Died
1939

  • Birth date            27 April 1865 at Glasgow
  • Married                June 1890 Jessie Black
  • Death date          4 March 1939

Born in Glasgow in 1865 Archibald Leitch  - a consulting engineer and factory architect by profession - became to football what Frank Matcham was to theatre, in effect its designer in chief. Millions of spectators sat or stood in Leitch’s structures, built for  such famous clubs as Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Tottenham, Aston Villa Hearts, and, not least, Glasgow Rangers, where his stadium career began in 1889, and nearly ended three years later when one of his stands gave way, leading to the death of 26 spectators. Leitch witnessed the tragedy and vowed never to let it be repeated. [Engineering Archie, flyleaf]

Generally known as Archie, he was born on 27 April 1865 in Comleypark Street, Camlachie, Glasgow, the fourth of six children of Archibald Leitch, blacksmith, who may have worked at William Beardmore's nearby Parkhead Forge. Archie was educated at Hutcheson's Grammar School from 1876 to 1880, and subsequently at Anderson's College. In 1882 he joined the engineering company of Duncan Stewart & Co at their London Road Iron Works at Bridgeton Cross, becoming a draughtsman in 1887. In 1896 Leitch commenced practice on his own account as a 'Consulting and Inspecting Engineer', with an office at 40 St Enoch Square. Leitch received a commission from Rangers Football Club, for the design of their new Ibrox Park stadium in March 1899. The largest purpose-built football venue the world had ever seen, it opened in April 1900. Leitch proved his devotion to the club by claiming no fees for the design of the stadium.

Despite the Ibrox disaster of 1902, when 26 spectators were killed, Leitch went on to design some of the best-known football stadiums in Britain, including Fulham’ Craven Cottage ( partly listed Grade II) and Arsenal's Highbury in 1913, Leitch remained virtually unknown during his lifetime, and received no recognition from the architectural or engineering establishments (by whom his work would have been dismissed as merely functional and utilitarian). Following the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, and the introduction of all-seater stadiums, most of Leitch’s stands and terraces have now been demolished. Belatedly his contribution to football stadium design was finally recognised by the publication in 2005 of Simon Inglis’s book “Engineering Archie.”

In Lancashire Leitch carried out works at Blackburn Rovers, Preston North End, Liverpool and Everton, while in Greater Manchester he carried out improvement works at the old Manchester City ground on Hyde Road, and the Manchester United stadium at Old Trafford.

Archie Leitch retired in 1936, the practice being continued by his first son, Archibald Kent Leitch (Archie Junior), who was born in April 1891 and who had joined the firm before 1920, becoming a partner in 1927. He died at his home and was interred at East Sheen Cemetery alongside his daughters Jeannie (c.1896-c.1918) and Nancy (c.1904-1933).

Address
1896-1906    40 St Enoch Square Glasgow
1906-1909    34 Argyle Arcade/30, Buchanan Street, Glasgow
1909-1914    36 Dale Street, Liverpool
1914-1935    18, Victoria Street, Westminster, London

Residence
1890-1891    60, Granger Road, Langside, Glasgow
1891-189x    McLellan Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow,
189x-1909    Clincart Road, Mount Florida, Glasgow
1909-1914    Inverclyde, Blundellsands, Liverpool
1914-1922    Etruria House, Lonsdale Road, Barnes Lonsdale House, Barnes, London
1922-1935    The Bourne, Southgate, North London
1935-1939    113 Belmont Avenue, Cockfosters, London

Obituary        1939 Institution of Mechanical Engineers: Obituaries

Reference    Inglis, Simon Engineering Archie: Archibald Leitch - football ground designer.  London: English Heritage 2005
Reference    Dictionary of Scottish Architects
Reference    Dictionary of National Biography