Loughborough Students FC Programme Issue 11 by Loughborough University

FOOTBALL LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS

HEATHER ST.JOHN’S

UNITED COUNTIES FOOTBALL LEAGUE TUE 18 JAN 2022 KO 19:45

ESTABLISHED 1919

WHERE HISTORY BEGINS ISSUE 11

£2

CONTENTS 4

WELCOME FORM RICHARD ALLEN

TODAYS TEAMS

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING

TODAYS OPPOSITION

HOME FIXTURES

11 THE TEAM 12 SQUAD LIST 14 A BRIEF HISTORY 16 FIXTURES AND RESULTS 18 UPCOMING FIXTURES

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC V HEATHER ST.JOHN’S

RICHARD ALLEN

DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL Welcome to Loughborough University Stadium for this evening’s United Counties League fixture between Loughborough Students FC and Heather St John’s We have had a fantastic weekend after the team came from a goal behind to draw 1-1 with Saffron Walden and come out on top, winning 6-5 on penalties to progress through to the Fifth Round Proper of the Buildbase FA Vase. We look forward to finding out our next draw in the competition with ties to be played on Saturday 12th February. After what was an extremely tough game, I am delighted for the players, staff and all our volunteers who work extremely hard to support the team. Our Loughborough Lightning team also picked up a great result on Sunday as they beat Hull City 3-1 in an important fixture which sees them climb the table. They face Sheffield FC away this Sunday which is another significant fixture in helping them to progress in the league. Our Lightning Development side also face Sporting Khalsa in the League Plate competition and so we are hopefully they are able to continue their cup run! The only league game for our men’s performance team since Christmas was against Leicester Nirvana on Tuesday 4th January which resulted in a 1-0 defeat. This was a disappointing result for the team and now finds us sat 5th in the table on 33 points. Our opposition are currently sat 7th on 31 points and so we expect today’s fixture to be a close affair. We also face Skegness Town at home this coming Saturday 22nd January and so it would be great to see you there to support the team in the league.

Our BUCS teams are also training at the moment ready to return to league action next Wednesday 26th January. Our Women’s 1s have been chosen to host Northumbria on the stadium pitch for the ‘Big Match’ next Wednesday at 7pm and so it would be great to see as many supporters as possible to cheer on the side and hopefully continue their unbeaten run. Once again we would like to offer a warm welcome to the players, directors and supporters of Heather St John’s

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC V HEATHER ST.JOHN’S

TODAYS TEAMS LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC BEN WHITING (GK)

SAM SMITH (GK)

TOBY LARSEN (GK)

MATTY BOWMAN

KIERAN SMITH

THEO SACKEY-MENSAH

DAMI AGBOOLA

HEATHER ST.JOHN’S 01

AIDAN JEYNES (GK)

SAM KINSON(GK)

REFEREE: GARY LORD

AARON DICKENS

CAMERON COLLINS

AR MICHAEL CORNERS

CHRIS HAYDEN

DANIEL HANSON

AR JAMES ANDERSON

DJESON OLONGO

FINN BRENNAN

MAKE MCCLEARY

OLLIE PARSONS

JAMES SPRUCE

BEN LE ROUGETEL

JOE ONEILL JOHN MILLS

CHARLIE ALEXIOU

GEORGE WARD

JOSEPH MCNULTY

PAUL FIELD

MATTHEW GARBETT

MAX SMALLCOMBE

MITCHELL WOAKES

BILLY MYCROFT-EDWARDS

OLIVER JARRETT

SID KERR

PRITCHARD HARVEY

ETHAN O’TOOLE

SAM ELLIS

TOM IACIOFANO

SAM WALTON

JOE LLOYD

WILLIAM MANSIELD

YAHIYA TODD (C)

LUKE MARTIN

GEORGE WILSON

DYLAN EDWARDS

TOPE FADAHANSI

CAM MOORE

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC V SANDBACH UNITED FC

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING

H: MATC v’s NEXT January 3rd 2 y a Sund Sheffield .00 KO 14

There’s a new feel about the team coming into 2022. A great performance against top of the table Fylde first week back saw 2 Fylde penalties decide the game. Knowing the shift the girls felt confident going into this weekends Hull fixture. Despite awful playing conditions, and going a goal down early on, the team fought hard - three great team goals and all 16 players involved on the day to win 3-1. A sign of things to come in the national league. #Lightningstrikes by Issy Martin

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LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC V HEATHER ST.JOHN’S

TODAYS OPPOSITION

HEATHER ST JOHN

Heather St Johns FC was formed in 1949 and named after the village Church. We joined Coalville and District League, remaining there until 1972 before joining the Leicester and District League. Winning Division Two in 1955/56 and Champions of Division One the following seasons—1965/66, 1969/70 and 1971/72. Competition for the Bloor Challenge Cup covered six years, starting in 1966/67 reaching the final every year and winning on three occasions. We also won the Knock-Out cup in 1967/68 and 1970/71 with other victories in the Evergreen Cup. Since joining the Leicester and District League we have been in the Three Sons Final—1986/87 and in season 1997/98 our first team won the Saturday Shield in the County Cup and the second team won the Saturday Vase in the County Cup. At the end of the 1980s we attempted to influence change at the Swepstone Road ground to improve

facilities, but this proved to be very difficult, being council owned, and after a couple of years, we decided to go it alone. In September 1993 we purchased a field off Ravenstone Road, Heather and after several upgrades we have St John’s Park as it stands today. We purchased a further 3 acres of land which enabled us to have three full sized football pitches, all floodlit. The floodlights were installed in February 1997 in time for a game against Leicester City to commemorate the occasion. In seasons 2001/02 and 2002/03 our first team gained runner up position in the Premier Division of the Leicester and District League and in season 2002/03 our first and second teams gained runner up positions in the League Cup before moving in 2003 to the Midland Combination League. After winning the Midland Combination first division in 2010/11, we moved up to the Midland Alliance. This league merged with the

Midland Combination in 2014, becoming the Midland League. We were placed in the first division (Second tier.) and quickly found our feet, winning the division in 2018/19 and gaining promotion to the Midland League Premier Division

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC V HEATHER ST.JOHN’S

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC 2021/2022 SEASON

HOME FIXTURES

DATE

TIME

OPPONENTS

RESULTS

TUE 03/08/2021

KO 19:45

MELTON TOWN

2-1 LOSS

SAT 14/08/2021

KO 15:00

NEWARK

7-0 WIN

SAT 21/08/2021

KO 15:00

NEWARK

3-2 WIN

FRI 10/09/2021

KO 19:45

SLEAFORD TOWN

2-0 WIN

SAT 02/10/2021

KO 15:00

GRESLEY ROVERS

1-1 DRAW

SAT 06/11/2021

KO 15:00

DEEPING RANGERS

5-1 WIN

TUE 16/11/2021

KO 19:45

SELSTON

3-0 WIN

SAT 20/11/2021

KO 15:00

GRESLEY ROVERS

2-0 WIN

SAT 04/12/2021

KO 15:00

LONG EATON UNITED

0-3 LOSS

SAT 11/12/2021

KO 15:00

SANDBACH UNITED

4-0 WIN

TUE 04/01/2022

KO 19:45

LEICESTER NIRVANA

1-0 LOSS

TUE 18/01/2022

KO 19:45

HEATHER ST. JOHN’S

SAT 22/01/2022

KO 15:00

SKEGNESS TOWN A.F.C.

SAT 29/01/2022

KO 15:00

HEANOR TOWN

SAT 05/02/2022

KO 15:00

QUORN

SAT 12/02/2022

KO 15:00

HOLBEACH UNITED

SAT26/02/2022

KO 15:00

EASTWOOD

SAT 05/03/2022

KO 15:00

ANSTEY NOMADS

SAT 26/03/2022

KO 15:00

BOSTON TOWN

SAT 02/04/2022

KO 15:00

PINCHBECK UNITED

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC V HEATHER ST.JOHN’S

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC

THE TEAM

RICHARD ALLEN Director of Football

JAMIE CLAPHAM Head Coach

MARGARET FOLWELL Secretary

HARRIET SIMES

Programme Manager Media & Press enquiries h.h.simes@lboro.ac.uk

SPORT SCIENCE

CALLUM FOSTER MEDICAL TEAM

ELLA HUDSON PERFORMANCE ANALYST

OLIVER FAIRS VICE PRESIDENTS

ALAN GOODLEY GRAHAM HERRING GORDON WATSON PETE SIMMONS SHIRLEY HORNER ALEX ACKERLEY MATT STOCK LAURA DALES

TARA PHETHEAN

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC V HEATHER ST.JOHN’S

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC

SQUAD LIST GOALKEEPERS

TOBY LARSEN

BEN WHITING

SAM SMITH

DEFENDERS

DAMI AGBOOLA

CHARLIE ALEXIOU

PAUL FIELD

MATTY BOWMAN

BEN LE ROUGETEL

FINN BRENNAN

OLLIE PARSONS

DEFENDERS

THEO SACKEYMENSAH

KIERAN SMITH

GEORGE WARD

MIDFIELDERS

TOM IACIOFANO

SID KERR

LUKE MARTIN

JOE LLOYD

BILLY MYCROFTEDWARDS

ETHAN O’TOOLE

MAX SMALLCOMBE

GEORGE WILSON

FORWARDS

DYLAN EDWARDS

TOPE FADAHANSI

CAM MOORE

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC

A BRIEF HISTORY 1919-20 Earliest records of Loughborough Men’s football date-back to 191920 side, under the name of Loughborough Technical Institute and guidance of Principal Herbert Schofield. In 1920 it became a college of Technology, with the football side winning its first silverware on record in the Northern Junior Cup in 1922.

1930-1970 Loughborough Men won their first University Championship in the 1938/39 season and the Leicestershire Senior League in 1940, after the war they returned to winning ways in the University competition (UAU) from 1947 – 1953, 1955, 1957 and 1959-1963, 1965, 1966 and 1969. In 1966 Loughborough became a University and also competed in the Leicestershire Senior League Division Two until 1972. The 1970s was an extremely important decade for the Club. Three more University titles followed and former student and then lecturer, Mike Holliday, took up the reigns of Head Coach, a role he would continue into the mid-90s. Early signs of

Mike’s rein included an away victory over a Manchester United XI.

THE 35 YEAR WAIT The side waited 35 years for a return to non-league football, entering the Midland Combination for the first time in 2007-08. After silverware in their first season in the shape of the Midlands League Cup, in 2009 Loughborough won promotion as champions to the Midland Football Alliance. 2011/12 Stuart McLaren’s first term ended with a 5th place finish in the Midland Football Alliance and victory in the League Cup, the club’s highest ever honour so far. The League Cup was retained in 2012/13 as the side equalled their highest ever league finishing position in the MFA of 4th. In May 2012 the Loughborough University Stadium was opened with a showcase game against a Spurs Academy team. Many Loughborough Football graduates and staff also started to carve extremely successful Coaching roles in the Professional Game – a trend that continues to this day.

Former players include Bob Wilson (former Scotland & Arsenal), Bradley Pritchard (Former Charlton & Leyton Orient), Robbie Simpson (Cheltenham City former Coventry City, Exeter City, MK Dons), Leon McSweeney (Former Northampton Town & Leyton Orient), George Williams (Mk Dons & Former Barnsley). Other former players and staff are littered throughout the Premiership and EFL, in a coaching and support staff capacity including Kieran McKenna & Eric Ramsay (Manchester United), Sam Erith (England & Manchester City), Nathan Gardiner (formerly Spurs, Fulham), Matthew Prestridge (formerly Sheffield United), Matt Reeves (Leicester City). In 2014 Loughborough University joined the Midland Football League in its inaugural year. The 2016/17 saw the Scholars have one of their most positive starts to the MFL season in a number of years. However, a disappointing run in from December saw the 16/17 season fall away with the club finishing in 18th out of 22. The 17/18 season also saw the appointment of Richard Allen as Director of Football,

LOOKING FORWARD

in January 2018. Richard joined from the FA where he was head of Talent ID. He has extensive knowledge of academy football with previous roles as Head of Academy at QPR and Head of Recruitment at Tottenham.

PROGRESSING Progressing onto the 2018/19 season Alex Ackerley was appointed Head Coach continuing to work alongside Jamie Hawthorne, who has since moved in 2019/20 to work as an Academy Coach at Southampton FC. 2018/19 season ended in a County Cup Final appearance against Coalville Town, with the Ravens, who play at Step 3, winning the game 4 – 1 at Holmes Park. The 2019/20 season saw the Scholars celebrate their Centenary as well as a new

challenge having been moved laterally during the off season into the Uhlsport United Counties Football League. The scholars were sitting in 4th place in mid March when the 19/20 season was deemed null and void due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Yet again the 2020/21 season was affected by the Covid19 virus and Alex Ackerley and his student coaches, Joel Bonner, Callum Crockard and Ben Day saw the season curtailed in January 2021, whilst sitting at the top of the league. Joel moved to Liverpool’s academy during December 2020 to work with the U16s and Ben to Burton Albion shortly after at the turn of the year. Callum will start 2021/22 on his course placement at Southampton, where he will be working in their academy.

The 2021/22 season sees the club return to using the Loughborough Students name across all the teams, both in the leagues and BUCS competitions, with the addition of a reserve team playing in the Leicester Senior League, the U21s will continue in MFL U21s East. This is a new chapter for the Scholars, with experienced, former professional player and pro-licence coach, Jamie Clapham arriving in the preseason as the new University Men’s Head Coach, together with the appointment of a new University Football Programme Manager, Harriet Simes, joining from Birmingham City Women, following the departure of Mat Stock to Wolverhampton Wanderers Academy and Alex Ackerley to pastures new. As always with Loughborough Students FC, you will see some new faces, not necessarily new students, but players who have worked their way through the programme from U21s to earn their place in the performance squad. Everyone is looking forward to the new season, continuing to build on the foundations that Mat and Alex have put in place.

7-0 WIN

SAT 21/08/2021