Information on Loughborough
News Index
2012
Feb 2012Jan 2012
2011
Dec 2011Nov 2011
Oct 2011
Sep 2011
Aug 2011
Jul 2011
Jun 2011
May 2011
Apr 2011
Mar 2011
Feb 2011
Jan 2011
2010
Dec 2010Nov 2010
Oct 2010
Sep 2010
Aug 2010
Jul 2010
Jun 2010
May 2010
Apr 2010
Mar 2010
Feb 2010
Jan 2010
2009
Dec 2009Nov 2009
Oct 2009
Sep 2009
Aug 2009
Jul 2009
Jun 2009
May 2009
Apr 2009
Mar 2009
Feb 2009
Jan 2009
2008
Dec 2008Nov 2008
Oct 2008
Sep 2008
Aug 2008
Jul 2008
Jun 2008
May 2008
Apr 2008
Mar 2008
Feb 2008
Jan 2008
2007
Dec 2007Nov 2007
Oct 2007
Sep 2007
Aug 2007
Jul 2007
Jun 2007
May 2007
Loughborough for FA Cup?
Posted on 03/07/2007
Loughborough Newsdesk
Loughborough University has embarked on an ambitious long-term plan for its football club to enter the worlds oldest knockout trophy, the FA Cup.
"We see this as a really positive step for us in terms of player development, said the Universitys director of football James Ellis.
"Unfortunately we will not be able to enter the FA Cup proper until at least 2008-09, but from next year we will be able to enter the FA Vase competition.
"This step up in competition for our players will not only help the Universitys football programme but also the individual players, who will be better equipped to make the step up into higher levels of competition once they have finished studying.
The student football club, which plays in only the British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) competition, is able to enter the Football Association competitions because it has entered the premier division of the Midlands Football Combination " step six of the FAs pyramid.
"A lot of our students are only playing the 14 or so BUSA matches a year and by entering the pyramid we are expecting they will now play at least 30 games a year, against a higher standard of opponents, said Loughboroughs head coach Tom Curtis, who had a 15-year professional career after graduating from the University with a degree in Geography and Sports Science.
"That need to increase their match fitness and the experience of playing against bigger and physically stronger teams will allow our players to improve themselves and that will undoubtedly help them continue to a higher level when they graduate.
Students who are already playing at a higher level would not be expected to play for the University side in the league said Ellis.
"That would be counter productive " we want our students to be playing at the highest possible level and we would certainly not stand in their way if they are playing at a level higher than what we can offer them, Ellis added.
The club will ground share with Loughborough Dynamo on Nanpantan Road, while it investigates upgrading a pitch on the University campus to league requirements.