LUFC

Club in the Spotlight

An insight into how Luton United have developed and their vision for the future

The next club to feature in the Club in the Spotlight is Luton United. Please see below for an insight into club's development and their aspirations for the future. 

Name: Luton United
Key Stakeholder Name: Mujahid Zaman

Luton United Football Club (LUFC) is proud that it has been serving the local community for over 20 years. The club was formed in 1999 with the support of volunteers, parents and local organisations with the aim of providing a safe and inclusive environment for children to learn and play football.

LUFC is a not-for-profit organisation that places the best interests of its players and the local community at the heart of everything it does. The club welcomes people from all backgrounds and encourages them to get involved in a variety of roles, including coaching and supporting the teams.

LUFC is committed to providing a positive learning experience for its players. The club's coaches work hard to create a supportive and encouraging environment that helps players to develop their skills and confidence on and off the field.

We believe that football should be a fun and enjoyable experience for all children, regardless of their ability level. We are proud to be an inclusive club that welcomes players of all ages and abilities.

The club has made significant progress in recent years to get more girls involved in football. We believe that it’s important to provide girls with the same opportunities to learn and play football as boys. We have worked hard to create a supportive environment for girls and we are delighted to have seen an increase in the number of girls participating in our programmes.

Looking ahead to next season, LUFC has plans to expand its programmes for girls even further. We are committed to providing girls with the best possible opportunities to learn and play football and will be working hard over the summer to develop new programmes and initiatives to attract even more girls to the club.
In addition to providing high-quality football programmes, LUFC is committed to making a positive impact on the local community. The club has recently secured a lease on the clubhouse at Blundell Park and has plans to re-model it to make it a hub of sporting activities for the local community.

We are thrilled to have secured the lease on the clubhouse at Blundell Park. Our vision is to create a space where people of all ages and abilities can come together to participate in a range of sporting activities. We will be working closely with local organisations to develop new initiatives and programmes to promote healthy lifestyles and community engagement.

By working together, we can make a real difference in the lives of children and families in our community. We are proud to be a part of the local community and will continue to work hard to make a positive impact for many years to come.

We are always keen to hear from people who want to volunteer and make a positive impact on the lives of children in our community. People can get involved by getting in contact with us via email at admin@lutonunitedfc.co.uk or by calling us on 07568638382. Further information about Luton United Football Club can be found on our website lutonunitedfc.co.uk


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Name: Asfia Naureen
Role: Coach
Team: New Girls Team (U16/U14)
Time at Club: 10 Months

Why do you coach at this club/what makes this club great?
Luton United is a club that provides an opportunity for any child who wants to play football, regardless of ability. The club's ethos centres around growth and development and as a relative newcomer I see how this is embedded with the results of this in the U8's to U18's teams who have come up through the club. This ethos sits in line with my own personal views that providing football at grassroots level should be a holistic and child centred approach.

Luton United provides this opportunity in mainly the South Asian and other minority communities, which previously have been overlooked. Since being asked to join the club to grow girls’ football, the club has been super supportive in providing all the necessary training, facilities and resources needed. Not only that, there is a genuine commitment to providing football for girls and ensuring there is longevity.

At Luton United the coaches all work together to support each other and share their experience and skills. I have found this really helpful as an inexperienced female coach in a male-dominated environment.


What does your future in the game look like?
The dream is to have Luton United girls' teams playing across several age groups and we are steadily growing towards making this achievable in the next few years. On a personal level, I am happy to continue coaching and growing girls' football for now.

Something I am passionate about is the barriers and challenges to girls playing football, particularly from minority communities and in the future this is something I would like to raise awareness about. The club have recently been successful in their application to become a SQUAD programme to provide football for 12-14 year old girls, with delivery starting from May onwards.


Most memorable moment at the club?
I have 3 moments that are particularly memorable:

1) The Luton United Super Saturday event in September 2022 where the club and community came together for an event at Blundell Park. It was a great showcase of what the club is achieving.
2) The first girls team match that took place in January 2023. 
3) The first game featured a great win with lots of goals and drama, however what made it really special in what felt like a pivotal moment was the support of the families and Luton United coaches who came along to attend.

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Name: Adam Burgess

Role: U10
Club: Luton United
Time at Club: 24 Years

Why do you volunteer your time at this club/what makes this club great?
We work with players who need developing and provide opportunities for those who have left other teams, want to get into football or don’t currently have a team to play in. We give them a chance to play football and to develop as players and as people, which is is a fulfilling experience that keeps me coming back for more.

What does your future in the club look like? Future Projects?
The future aim is the same as it always has been: To keep developing as a coach and administrator and learning from setbacks along the way. As the club has got bigger, the job of coaching and club secretary has become more complex. So the future is looking at ways of making this work even more effectively and constantly looking to evolve the club.
We are currently looking at developing girls football and providing football for as many players as we can but getting coaches remains a big issue in achieving this expected growth.


Most memorable moment at the club?
There are too many to mention. I could mention our first ever match, first ever trophy win or the first time a team really clicked together. While the club has had plenty of success, those aren’t the moments that stick in the mind the most. My next most memorable moment will be watching the under 10s play this weekend and marvelling at how far they have progressed whilst also realising how far they have to go.

The Bedfordshire FA will celebrate the hard work behind the scenes from individuals and clubs through the Spotlight feature giving you the insight into Council Members, Referees and Clubs.