Loughborough Students FC Programme Issue 15 by Loughborough University

FOOTBALL LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS

ABBEY HEY FC

THE BUILDBASE FA VASE FIFTH ROUND PROPER SAT 12 FEB 2022 KO 15:00

ESTABLISHED 1919

WHERE HISTORY BEGINS ISSUE 15

£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 ABBEY HEY FC

RICHARD ALLEN

DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL Welcome to Loughborough University Stadium for this afternoons FA Vase 5th round match between Loughborough University Students FC and Abbey Hey FC. This is the furthest we have reached in this competition. Our penalty shoot out away win versus Saffron Walden was hard fought but deserved in front of around 800 spectators. Hopefully, we will see an even bigger crowd to see todays match. What ever the result we have done extremely well to reach this stage of the competition. A win today sees us in the quarterfinals and 2 games away from a Wembley Final. This is also my last game as Director of Football at the University before I move on to pastures new. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the players and staff who have supported me over the past 4 years. I would also like to thank all those spectators who come along and support us every week. I think we have made huge strides with the programme and I’m sure it will go from strength to strength. Abbey Hey currently play in Division One South of the North West Counties League where they currently sit in 4th place. They look to have a really good chance of being in the mix for promotion come the end of the season. Their run in the cup has seen them beat Bury AFC and AFC Liverpool in the past two rounds.

presenting our Men’s Futsal 1’s and 2’s with their BUCS League Trophies. Both have had brilliant seasons and from winning their respective leagues now go into the knockouts as firm favourites. Once again we would like to offer a warm, Loughborough University, welcome to the players, directors and supporters of Abbey Hey FC and hope that we see an exciting game of FA Vase football.

At half time today our Vice Chancellor, Professor Nick Jennings and Executive Director of Sport, John Steele will be

Richard Allen Director of Football

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC V ABBEY HEY FC

TODAYS TEAMS LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC BEN WHITING (GK)

SAM SMITH (GK)

TOBY LARSEN (GK)

MATTY BOWMAN

KIERAN SMITH

THEO SACKEY-MENSAH

DAMI AGBOOLA

ABBEY HEY FC 01

DAVE SMITH

JOSEPH NEILD

REFEREE: JAMIE O’CONNOR

DYLAN NORRIS

KIERAN NOLAN

AR SAM WESSON

AARON FLEMMING (C)

MATTHEW GRIMSHAW

AR ADAM BRIERLEY

JAKE DUNFORD

THOMAS MURRAY

FOURTH OFFICIAL THOMAS DICKENS

BEN HALFACRE

JORDAN LAZENBURY

FINN BRENNAN

OLLIE PARSONS

BEN LE ROUGETEL

CHARLIE ALEXIOU

DYLAN FITZGERALD

GEORGE WARD

RHYS CLOONEY

PAUL FIELD

LUKE HINKS

MAX SMALLCOMBE

CALLUM MCGLYNN

BILLY MYCROFT-EDWARDS

KYLE MCGONIGLE

SID KERR

DARYLL GRANT

ETHAN O’TOOLE

SIKIRULAHI HAMZAT

TOM IACIOFANO

JOE LLOYD

LUKE MARTIN

GEORGE WILSON

DYLAN EDWARDS

TOPE FADAHANSI

CAM MOORE

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC V ABBEY HEY FC

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING

7 points from a potential 9 in the last 3 games have given Lightning a much deserved momentum shift. We were very disappointed not to have continued this last Sunday with our game vs Stoke postponed. However, a strong week in training mean the group are more than ready to face West Brom this weekend. Our past performance against West Brom earlier in the season was below standard. We will be looking to rectify this this weekend. The shift in momentum, belief and strong performances mean we will be fighting for all 3 points this weekend, helping us to solidify safety in the table. As always, we would like to thank you for all our home support. The 12th player had a huge impact on the group vs Brighouse to get our 3 points 2 weeks ago, this Sunday will be no different. We would also like to wish the Lightning Development team good luck in their semi-final this weekend! by Issy Martin

H: MATC ’s NEXT ebruary v 3F 1 e y m a o Sund t Brom, H Wes .00 KO 14

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LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC V ABBEY HEY FC

TODAYS OPPOSITION

ABBEY HEY FC

Abbey Hey FC was formed in 1902 in the Abbey Hey district of Gorton, some three miles away from the centre of Manchester. Starting in the Church Sunday Leagues, they progressed through the Manchester Amateur Leagues during the intervening years. In 1978 the club began playing in the 2nd Division of the Manchester League, achieving promotion in their first season. Reaching this position meant that the club had to move to Chorlton at Werburghs Road. The ground was owned by a car dealership (Lookers). It was agreed that if Abbey Hey FC carried out some improvements they could rent the ground. After two years, Lookers reneged on the deal and the club was forced out, this time to a ground nearer home at Godfreys. The next eighteen years were fairly successful with the club winning the Gilchrist Cup under Managers Jim Whittaker and Dave Denby and a League title but this ended when Abbey Hey FC were told that as from the start of the new season they would not be allowed to use Godfreys. A temporary home, at the old English Steel ground, was arranged but after only two years, the ground was sold to a local builder. During these two years, negotiations with Crossley Motors Ltd had been taking place to buy a disused ground they owned in Goredale Avenue, Gorton which eventually came off in 1984. Jim Clark was to join during these turbulent times as manager, a position he was to occupy for the next 18 years. The club went on to gain success winning the Premier Division Championship on five occasions during this period. In 1997, after finishing 2nd in the Manchester Premier Division, the club applied for membership of The North West Counties League. The club was accepted into the 2nd Division for the 1998 season. Abbey Hey’s first season in the North West Counties League couldn’t have been more exciting. On the last Saturday of the season an Abbey Hey 3-2 win at Darwen clinched promotion to Division One in their first season. Abbey Hey had a tremendous start, topping the table at one point early in the season, but a drop in form saw them finish mid table. 2000/01 again saw Abbey finish in a comfortable mid table position, proving that the season before had been no fluke, but the following season was turbulent with some heavy defeats. Despite avoiding relegation, manager Jim Clark decided to resign. Jim’s replacement for 2002/03 was Tony Hancock, previously Woodley Sports Reserve Team manager. It was his first attempt at management at this level of football and Abbey Hey’s final position of 13th. At the end of the season, Tony left the club to return to Woodley Sports as manager of the first team. There was some celebration as Abbey Hey reached their 100th birthday and also reached the 3rd round proper (last 64) of the FA Vase. The club has played in the FA Cup reaching the First Qualifying Round for the only time.

Jim Vince took over for 2003/04 but after a good start to the season, things went wrong. Despite only losing five out of their last ten games, the club ended second from bottom, only avoiding relegation due to the changes made to the non league structure. Jim Vince opted to resign and Chris Bailey took over knowing that a major team rebuilding job was required. In 2004 ten members of the committee were given long service awards for their 25 years of service in Grass Roots Football by The Manchester FA. The 2005/2006 season improved their best league finish by two places, but both the team and the club then started to struggle. A lack of both financial backing and foresight saw the club slowly drop down the league table in the following seasons until 2009/10 saw them eventually hit rock bottom. In 2009/10 Abbey Hey was half way through the season with only 4 points to their name after 25 games. However, following the appointments of Barrie Walker as Manager, Abbey Hey made several new signings, signalling a turn in fortune for the club however it wasn’t enough and they were relegated from the North West Counties Premier Division. The form in the second of the season saw Abbey Hey going all the way to the final of the Vodkat League Challenge Cup beating the likes of Ashton Athletic FC and Bootle FC along the way. Abbey Hey beat Winsford Utd 3-0 in the final and lifted the trophy. Walker and Harris made the decision to blood young local talent, realising that this would serve the club well in the future but that it would take time to reap its rewards. For the 2011/12 season, Walker’s youth policy started to pay quick dividends as the team has made an excellent start to the league season, remaining in the top four of Division One from day one. Despite finishing in 3rd place, the season had been an undoubted success as Walker had built a promotion challenging team in just two seasons. The 2012/13 campaign started better than anyone at the club could have imagined as the team went unbeaten for the first 3 months. The first team success was also matched by the newly introduced youth team set up. Both Under 17s and 18s topped their respective Youth Alliance Divisions during the year and impressed many with their style of play and application. As the months progressed a few of the older youth players started to appear in the first team, boding well for the future. Come April and a win at Northwich Villa eventually sealed promotion back into the top flight of the NWCFL ladder.

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC V ABBEY HEY FC

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

5-0 WIN

SAT 22/01/2022

KO 15:00

SKEGNESS TOWN A.F.C.

2-1 WIN

SAT 29/01/2022

KO 15:00

HEANOR TOWN

4-1 WIN

SAT 05/02/2022

KO 15:00

QUORN

4-2 WIN

SAT 12/02/2022

KO 15:00

ABBEY HEY

SAT26/02/2022

KO 15:00

EASTWOOD

TUE 01/03/2022

KO 19:45

HOLBEACH

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 ABBEY HEY FC

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 ABBEY HEY FC

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.

LONG EATON UNITED

2-2 DRAW

FRI 10/09/2021