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Who We Are

Founded in October 2013, Lillington Juniors Football Club (LJFC) was created by Ryan Cranton, UEFA B Coach, and his wife, Jodi Cranton, along with Ryan's father, Bob Cranton.

 

Having been involved in football since he was a young boy, as a player he went on to play at several professional clubs and a number of semi-professional clubs following injury, and then having his own family, Ryan discovered that there were few football clubs in the local area with the genuine ethos of allowing all children to play football regardless of their ability, and instead he heard that a number of other clubs put children through a "trial" before joining, with some young children being told they "weren't good enough" and turned away.

To join LJFC, all you need is a passion for football and a good attitude, and in return we will give you an opportunity to play, learn and develop in a fun and safe environment.

Starting with just 6 teams in 2013, LJFC have grown to 30 teams (over 400 children) now playing each week in the 2021/22 season, making LJFC the fastest growing club in the Midlands.

We have boys and girls teams from U7s to U18s. We are also looking to re-start a men's senior side and create a ladies senior side for the 2022/23 season.

Our youngest players in our teams are in Year 2, however we also offer weekly coaching sessions for children in Reception and Year 1 as a pathway to joining one of our teams when they reach Year 2 - see the Little Magpies page for more details - these sessions are very popular for children wanting to start their footballing journey!

We also run weekly girls-only Wildcats coaching sessions for 5-11 year olds, which are specifically for girls who are starting their footballing journey or do not want to join a team yet - see the Wildcats page for more details.

LJFC has been awarded the FA's highest Charter Standard award becoming an FA Community Club; giving you peace of mind that ALL our coaches have a valid DBS check, have attended an FA safeguarding workshop and are either qualified to at least FA Level 1 or, as new coaches, are currently working towards the qualification.

We are also extremely proud to be partnered with Birmingham City Academy, which gives our players the opportunity to make the step into a professional academy. Our partnership also gives our coaches direct access to attending academy sessions and matches to further their knowledge to help them develop their teams.

 

We are also one of only 250 clubs across England to be a Nike Partner Club.

LJFC are based at North Leamington School, where weekly coaching sessions and matches take place.

"We believe it's important that boys and girls have opportunities to play football in a fun and safe environment."

Jodi Cranton, LJFC Director

Our Mission

To provide a place where children of all abilities can play football in a fun and safe environment, while helping to develop their football skills, as well as their social skills.

Our Mission

Our Vision

To continue our year-on-year growth and increase the number of children playing football in the local area.

Talk To Us About Sponsoring A Team Today!

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