Finding and nurturing talent that goes on to sign professional contracts is a long and proud tradition of the Luton Town Academy.
So if you are a young, talented athlete seeking an academy to help hone your skills and bring out the best in you, then this article is for you!
About Luton Town FC
The English professional football team Luton Town FC is situated in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. It plays in the EFL Championship, which is the second division of English football.
Luton town FC is Known by the nickname, “the Hatters”, because of the town’s historical connection to the hat trade, they were founded in 1885 and have held their home games at Kenilworth Road since 1905. The club has seen multiple financial difficulties, a significant trophy win, promotions and relegations, and more throughout its existence. They played in the First Division from 1982 to 1992; in 1988, they took home the Football League Cup, their first significant trophy. Luton Town and the local team, Watford, have a long-standing rivalry.
On April 11, 1885, Luton Town Football Club was established. The most well-known clubs in the town prior to this were Luton Excelsior and Luton Wanderers. George Deacon, a Wanderers player, proposed the concept of a “Town” team made up of all of Luton’s top players. Herbert Spratley, the Wanderers secretary, took Deacon’s notion to heart and set up a covert meeting at the St. Matthews schoolrooms in High Town on January 13, 1885. The local populace did not approve of the Wanderers committee’s decision to rename the team Luton Town.
You can get more information about the football club here: https://www.lutontown.co.uk/
About Luton Town FC Academy
With the sole goal of reversing the imbalances caused by years of prior mismanagement that ultimately forced the club into three administrations and condemned it to non-league football, a group of ardent, born-local Luton Town supporters founded Luton Town Football Club 2020 Ltd. (LTFC 2020) in 2008.
2020, the year of the club’s rebirth, is what the company’s name implies. This gives it twelve years, from formation to positioning, to return the football club to what is arguably its rightful place in the English game’s hierarchy and pyramid.
With the help of knowledgeable and committed personnel, Luton Town FC Academy provides a state-of-the-art football development and education programme. The academy’s address is Luton Town FC Training Ground, Ely Way, Luton, LU4 9QN. The academy actively seeks out up-and-coming talent to join, but admits only a select group of students because of the fierce competition.
Since the club’s caretakers are all locals with a desire to promote social inclusion and cohesiveness, the professionalism, demeanour, output, and character of each employee and player, particularly the academy, determine the company’s culture. The youth academy has a responsibility to develop young, promising talent that can help the first team succeed, but it also has a responsibility to set an example of professionalism and success for all young boys, which in turn creates a successful community programme.
Why you should consider applying to Luton Town FC Academy:
Every year, the academy works hard to produce athletes that the community can be proud of. Players like Frankie Musonda, James Justin, and Jake Howells are examples of this legacy. One essential component that we require is that young men represent their local club on the playing field while exhibiting strong core values.
The club’s culture strives to produce first-team players who embody our statement of values—honest, industrious athletes. We expect all of our employees, regardless of discipline, to set an example in this area and to model this attitude for the athletes that our academy develops.
The Luton Town FC Academy Syllabus
Technical and tactical training, together with a dedicated goalkeeper module, comprise the Luton Town FC Academy’s training curriculum. The following are the syllabuses available at the academy:
- The Luton Town FC Academy’s phase of professional development
- At the Luton Town FC Academy, the youth development phase
- The Luton Town FC Academy’s foundational stage
- The Luton Town FC Academy’s youth/professional development phase
- The Luton Town FC Academy’s foundation development custodian phase
Luton Town FC Academy Training Programme
1. Under 9s – 14s
The U9s-14s Academy participates in the South East Category Three Academy Games programme on Sunday mornings, when they play against teams like Barnet, Southend, and Cambridge United. They train three times a week, part-time. Festivals, matches against Academies from Categories 1 and 2, and European competitions versus elite clubs from throughout Europe—in which we have had great success—complement our game schedule.
2. Under 15s – 16s
The U15s/16s train in the hybrid model (four times a week), which involves taking a day off school every week during term time to train twice at our brand-new training facility (The Brache), attend education sessions, work on strength and conditioning, and undergo video analysis. The team competes against teams from the South East and South West Regions in the South East Category Three programme, which at this age mirrors the U18s games programme. Festivals, games against Category 1 and Category 2 opponents, and European tournaments are also part of the programme.
3. Under 17s – 18s
With the club, the U17s and U18s work as full-time apprentices. The youngsters train at The Brache with the first team while pursuing a BTEC in Sports Science. This group awards first-year professional contracts.
4. Under 19s
The U19s Plus participate in a U21s/U23s programme and are integrated into the club’s first team system.
How To Get Scouted By Luton Town FC Academy
Potential players are given the opportunity to participate in a six-week trial with the Luton Town FC Academy. While many players are fortunate enough to be in the correct positions when scouts are watching games, Luton Town FC Academy is also aware that talented players can elude them and hence provides players with the opportunity to get in touch with the club directly based on their playing profile.
Due to the sheer number of applications, it is understandable that they are unable to reply to every applicant; however, this is a useful method of informing scouts about players who want to improve their football and have a trial at the Luton Town FC Academy.
Gather the following data to be considered for a trial at Luton Town FC Academy:
- Football CV Covering Letter
- Player Vital Statistics: Name, position, age, date of birth, height, weight, contact information (phone, email, and address), current and past clubs, information about trials previously completed
- Honours received as a representative of a school, district, or county, among other things
- Participants’ education
- A fixture list of your current team should be given to the scout, along with the location and kickoff time
After gathering the aforementioned data, send an email to adam.balletta@lutontown.co.uk at Luton Town FC Academy.
Alternatively, the Luton Town FC Academy will review your application and decide whether to send a scout to see the match.
The Management and Staff of Luton Town FC Academy
The following individuals are in charge of running and seeing to the affairs of Luton Town FC Academy:
Paul Benson
Academy Manager
Wayne Turner
Head of Academy Development
Adrian Forbes
U21 Lead Coach
Alan McCormack
U18 Lead Coach
Alex Lawless
Assistant PDP Coach
Dan Walder
U9-U16 Head of Coaching
Craig Alcock
Youth Development Phase Lead Coach/U15 & U16
Jack Cartwright
Youth Development Phase Lead Coach/U12-U14
Billy Carter
Foundation Phase Lead Coach/U9-U11
Michael Malone
Lead Academy Performance Analyst
Albert Bell
Academy Goalkeeper Coach
Connor Wright
Academy Lead Physiotherapist
Ollie Sharples
Academy Lead Sports Therapist
Paige Simms
Academy Sports Therapist
Dale Brunton
Academy Operations Manager
Emily Howes
Academy Administrator
Lee Cowley
Academy Head of Recruitment
Wayne Polson
Player Care Officer
Kobie Dee
Head of Education
Read more:
How to Apply to the Brighton FC Academy
How to join Aston Villa FC Academy
The Olympique de Marseille Academy
Everton Football Academy Trails
Real Sociedad Football Academy