LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC A BRIEF HISTORY

Earliest records of Loughborough Men’s football date-back to 1919-20 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.

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 19591963, 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 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 Loughborough began to establish themselves in the MFA finishing 13th in 2009/10 and 4th in 2019/11. Head Coach Tom Curtis left to take over as National Team Coach of Antigua & Barbuda towards the end of that season.

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, 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 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.

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, 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 Sunderland Academy. 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.

The 21/22 season was a very successful season for Loughborough Students FC with the first team finishing 4th in the United Counties League as well as a record-breaking cup run in the Buildbase FA Vase, reaching the semi-final, before exiting the competition away from home after defeat to Littlehampton Town FC away from home.

The 22/23 season resulted in Loughborough Student’s FC’s highest ever finish with a 3rd-placed finish in the United Counties League narrowly missing out on the playoffs. The team exited the FA Cup in the First Qualifying Round with a narrow defeat to Gainsborough Trinity and in the FA Vase, the team progressed to the Second Round losing to Stourport Swifts. Overall the season was a successful one with great strides made to improve the team resulting in the team’s best-ever finish at Step 5.

Now we are all looking forward to the upcoming season and building on last season’s success, with ambitions of a finish in the playoff places and possible promotion. Competing on all fronts possible is something prioritised here at Loughborough so we look forward to a potential cup run and continued league success.

We have also added our Development Team to the Leicestershire Senior League for this year. We are looking forward to seeing their progress from Step 9 up the non-league pyramid which will keep competition for places fierce throughout the squad.

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