Foundation of Light U17s

A positive end to our pre-season campaign as we secured a 4-1 victory over Northumberland Premier League side Birtley Town.

Goals from Mawson, Davison, Crawley and Murray saw us finish our preparations on a high ahead of the new season.

Pre-season has provided plenty of valuable minutes, opportunities to build relationships within the squad and a chance to continue developing our style of play. While there is always more to improve, the players can be proud of the work they've put in throughout the summer.

👀 We've added another 5 new players to the squad ahead of the 2026/27 season, and we'll be revealing them over the next few days.

Attention now turns to the start of the RFYL Premier Division season, with our opening fixture against Shincliffe Juniors taking place this Saturday. 🔴⚪️

One last challenge before the season begins. 🔴⚪️

This Tuesday, we welcome Birtley Town, who compete in the Northumberland League, to Downhill Hub for our final pre-season fixture.

Pre-season has been full of learning, hard work and development, with new signings settling in and the squad continuing to grow together every week.

Now it's about putting the finishing touches in place before we kick off our RFYL Premier Division campaign against Shincliffe Juniors this Saturday.

Our penultimate pre-season fixture is almost here as we take on Washington Tigons this Saturday.

With just one week to go until the start of the 2026/27 season, preparations are stepping up as we continue to build fitness, sharpen our performance levels and make sure we're ready for the challenges ahead. 💪🔴⚪️

FOUNDATION OF LIGHT 1-3 WASHINGTON LIONS

A disappointing morning for the lads as we fell to a 3-1 defeat against a Washington Lions side who showed greater desire, worked harder and won the key battles across the pitch.

While pre-season results are not the priority, the standards and performances we set are important, and on this occasion we lacked the intensity and quality needed to break down a determined opposition.

Our brightest moment came in the second half following an excellent passage of play. Murphy drove forward down the wing before combining with Smith, who made a great overlapping run. Smith then found Mawson whose cut-back into the box was perfectly timed for Murray to finish calmly and pull a goal back.

Aside from that move, we enjoyed large spells of possession but struggled to create meaningful opportunities or find a way through an aggressive Washington side. Too often we ran out of ideas in the final third and failed to show the urgency required.

Pre-season is about preparing for the season ahead, and today's game highlighted areas that need improvement before our league campaign begins. The result itself isn't what matters most, but the way we play, compete and work for each other certainly does.

We go again, with plenty to work on and another opportunity to improve in our remaining pre-season fixtures. 🔴⚪️

⚽️ Murray
🅰️ Mawson

⚽️ PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY ⚽️

We're back in action this Saturday as we welcome Washington Lions to Downhill Hub for our latest pre-season test 🏟️🔴⚪️

There are just three pre-season fixtures remaining, and the focus remains on building momentum, raising standards and making sure we're ready for the start of the season 💪

🔴⚪️ THE COUNTDOWN IS ON... ⚪🔴

Pre-season has flown by, but there's still work to be done.

With two more pre-season friendlies remaining, the focus is on continuing to improve, building fitness and fine-tuning our preparations ahead of the 2026/27 RFYL Premier Division season.

🆚 Escomb FC
🆚 Washington AFC
✅ 3 Wins from 4 so far
⚽ 22 Goals Scored
🤝 6 New Signings Integrated
📈 Progress Being Made Every Week

The lads have worked hard throughout the summer, embraced the challenge and continued to grow as a team both on and off the pitch.

Now it's about finishing pre-season strongly and being ready for when the season gets underway on Saturday 5th September.

🔴⚪️ OUR PRE-SEASON SO FAR... ⚪🔴

A busy few weeks of hard work, learning and development as we continue to build towards the new season.

The results are encouraging, but the biggest positives have been the togetherness of the squad, the effort shown in training and the progress we're making week by week.

With six new signings already added to the group, competition for places is increasing and standards continue to rise as we prepare for the season ahead.

With a couple more pre-season fixtures still to come, there's plenty of work to do before the league kicks off on 5th September

🔴⚪️ SIX NEW SUMMER SIGNINGS 🔴⚪️
As preparations continue for the new season, we're delighted to welcome six new additions to the squad.

Each player brings their own qualities to the group, adding competition, talent and character as we continue to build together ahead of the new campaign.

We're excited to see how each player develops and contributes throughout the season.

Welcome to the squad, lads! 👏🔴⚪️

👀 Keep your eyes peeled... we may not be finished yet, with a couple more recruits set to join the squad before the season gets underway.

🔴 NEW SIGNING | JACOB CRAWLEY

We are pleased to announce the signing of Jacob Crawley.

A strong and reliable centre defender, Jacob adds quality and determination to the back line as we continue to strengthen the squad ahead of the new campaign.

Welcome aboard, Jacob! 🔴⚪