Longhoughton Rangers U8's Football Club

20/09/2026

📣 LIONS BOW OUT OF THE CUP 📣

Our U13s faced Cramlington Town for the second week in a row, only this time in the cup.

We travelled to Cramlington with a depleted squad following injury and availability but Cramlington showed their class by lending us a couple of players.

We started the game in similar fashion to last week - on the front foot and pushing to take an early lead. We were almost rewarded from a sweetly struck long range effort from Jacob which skimmed over the bar. Another bright start which saw us play the offside line perfectly until Cramlington unleashed their striker who wasn’t available last week - his physicality and strength made him difficult to contain. He found himself one on one with our goalkeeper showed great bravery to thwart Cramlington’s efforts for much of the first half however, they eventually broke the deadlock before a quick succession of well taken goals took us to into the half time break.

We started the second half brightly, creating our own chances. We were unlucky not to grab a couple of goals ourselves but strayed into offside positions.
Similarly to last week, we created opportunities going forward, with some superb passes into the channels on the right. Both Owen and Sofia attacked those spaces brilliantly, delivering some beautiful crosses into the box. Sofia even hit the post with a well taken strike which summed up our day although we grabbed a goal midway through the second half following a bout of pressure inside Cramlington’s box.

Ultimately, Cramlington’s constant rotation of fresh legs, a physically imposing striker, and their clinical finishing in front of goal once again put the game beyond our reach and progress into the next round of the cup.

POM - Jacob

Jacob has moved positions recently, now playing RB. It seems to be a position which really suits him. he’s making some big tackles, and showing more discipline in his decision making with ball distribution. His long range effort on goal early into the first half was struck so well with power and accuracy. He was unlucky not to convert that - no keeper would have saved it had it been a bit lower! A positive start to the season so far.

Well done, Jacob. Keep it up 👏

OPOM - Marcus

Marcus often flies under the radar in his performances. He consistently plays well and gets the job done however, today he made some really
Important blocks, and tackles to prevent shots and goals. He also protects the goalkeeper well.
He picked up a Knock before the game and wasn’t sure if he’d be able to play however, typical Marcus, he cracked on, and got stronger as the game progressed!

Well done, Marcus! 👏

13/09/2026

📣 Another great performance 📣

Our U13s travelled to Cramlington today, in our first away match of the campaign hoping to build upon last week’s performance - only this time, in better weather conditions!

We were unfortunate not to go 1-0 up within seconds of kick-off today. An early attack from the right wing saw a great run from Archie at the back post tapping in to an empty net however, he was unlucky to be ruled offside.

We played on the front foot, dominating the midfield, winning every first and second ball. This led to another early attack when Hunter picked up the ball on the edge of the box, firing a long range effort which hit the underside of the crossbar and squeeze over the line however, it wasn’t given.

It was end to end, and another thrilling game for the spectator. Both teams fought to break the deadlock - there was no separating either side and a fantastic advert for football. We had plenty of chances we weren’t able to capitalise on, as did Cramlington but our defence once again were organised, and caught Cramlington offside, repeatedly until late into the first half when they managed to beat the trap, and find the bottom corner of the net.

A half time team talk, and a couple of changes saw us change our formation for the second half. We pushed and pushed for the equaliser having felt robbed of our previous efforts. Credit to our Lions, we worked hard, and gave everything we had but Cramlington were patient, soaked up our pressure before hitting us on the break with a couple more goals. We showed courage, and didn’t give up which saw us rewarded with a fine long range effort from Ollie lobbing the keeper, and into the top corner. We took the game to Cramlington for the remaining 10mins, and were close not to equalise. We kept the ball in the Cramlington box, peppering the keeper with shots, winning corners, and doing everything but scoring before they went on to put the game beyond our reach.

We ended the game feeling a little hard done to. Had our early goal been given, we felt we may have gone on to win the game but well done to Cramlington, they were a credit to themselves.

The main (positive) reflection on our performance today was all about fine margins. We experienced a challenging season last year rebuilding and developing the squad. We developed our own playing style which has become our trademark. Our performances so far this season have shown we have now secured our foundations. We are gaining momentum and building something special.

🚨 PLAYER OF THE MATCH — OLLIE

Ollie celebrated his first goal for the club today, and what a way to introduce himself- Outstanding!

Aside from the goal, Ollie works incredibly hard in midfield. He gets stuck in, is physical, can turn over possession quickly and has great vision. He also remains calm under pressure. A fantastic performance.

Well done, Ollie!

🚨 OPPOSITION PLAYER OF THE MATCH — CHARLIE

Charlie had another tremendous game between the sticks. He kept us in the game at times with some big, brave saves whilst showing great vision and decision making to turn defensive phases into counter attacking opportunities. He was absolutely immense.

Well done, Charlie (sponsored by Zach Brannigan Football Coaching)!

06/09/2026

🚨OPENING DAY THRILLER FOR OUR U13s🚨

Our U13s opened their 2026/27 campaign earlier today with what was, without doubt, their best-ever performance.

In a fantastically competitive and evenly matched game, the Lions were incredibly unlucky not to come away with a share of the spoils. We went toe-to-toe with the opposition today. There was very little between the two teams other than a couple of errors in treacherous conditions, and a counter attack.
The scoreline certainly didn’t reflect the quality of the performance, with both teams giving everything from start to finish

It was a brilliant game for the neutral, with plenty of passion, commitment, quality football and some fantastic moments from both sides

We have tested a new formation during pre season which worked brilliantly for us today.
Our defence was well organised, absolutely solid in the tackle, played their line perfectly whilst closing the ball down quickly, and working incredibly hard to recover when required.

Our midfield worked incredibly hard throughout, getting back to support the defence while also creating opportunities for themselves and our forwards. Oliver, our new signing was a tremendous presence in the middle of the park and slotted into the formation perfectly.

Our forwards, once they had got a feel for the game and the conditions, put so much pressure on the opposition defence. They gambled, chased loose balls and drove into space to create opportunities. The opposition couldn’t handle the pace of our forwards who had it not been for their keeper, would have been punished.

On another day, that scoreline could quite easily have been reversed.

Our Lions were exciting to watch today. They showed great composure when put under pressure, winning tackles and second balls in key areas of the pitch. These are areas we have worked hard to improve since last season, and today’s performance showed just how much progress has been made..

Huge well done to every single player today. A tremendous start.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Rory

Rory deserves a special mention for his physicality and composure today. He made some really important tackles, didn’t panic under pressure and was unlucky not to score a couple of goals whilst sneaking in at the back post to see his headers inching past the post. So unlucky.

A fantastic performance — well done, Rory!

OPPOSITION PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Archie

Archie deserves a special mention for his communication, work rate and desire to create opportunities. He is one of our hardest workers on the pitch. He runs all game, constantly creating space going forward whilst working hard to support the defence. Unselfish, positive, and just a great player to have around the team - well done, Archie!

🦁

03/09/2026

14/06/2026

Our U12s enjoyed their annual visit to the Alnwick Town FC Juniors Tournament today, taking on some excellent opposition including Berwick Rangers, Ellington Juniors Football Club, North Sunderland, and eventual finalists, Alnwick Town FC.

Across eight closely contested matches, our Lions certainly saved the best until last, producing some of their strongest performances of the season. They played some superb football throughout the day, with defeats coming only by the finest of margins and from well-taken goals against quality opposition.

The progress this group has made over the course of the season was clear for all to see. Their teamwork, confidence, and determination were outstanding, and the future looks bright as they prepare to take the next step into U13 football.

Thank you to our opposition teams for playing all games in such a friendly, and competitive manner. All players, and coaches were a credit to their clubs 👏

A huge thank you, as always, to our fantastic hosts, Alnwick Town FC, for organising another excellent tournament. 👏

Our Lions will now take a well earned break before we return to pre-season training in July.

🦁

02/06/2026

🦁U13s PLAYER RECRUITMENT 2026/‘27 🦁

Our U13s are on the lookout for a couple of outfield players to complete their squad for the 2026/27 Season.

Open sessions start tonight. Scan the QR code to book a place, or message the page, direct!

⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

31/05/2026

Our U12s stepped out in style at their Annual Awards Ceremony earlier today.

Here they can be seen having collected their medals and awards, capturing their final day as an U12 team before making the exciting move up to U13s next season.

As another season comes to a close, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our 2025/26 sponsors, who have so generously supported the team through the provision of kits, trophies, match balls, and pitch hire. Without your support, none of this would be possible.

A huge thank you to:

• DME Systems Ltd
• D.P. Builders Ltd
• Katy Rose Creations
• ITfanblue
• Origin Smart Controls Ltd
• Maverick2011
• The Co-op
• The Ironing Fairy

Congratulations to our award winners:

🏆 Most Improved Player – Sofia
🏆 Players’ Player – Henry
🏆 Managers’ Player – Archie
🏆 Outstanding Contribution – Charlie

While these players have received individual recognition, we have been incredibly proud to watch every member of the squad grow and develop throughout the 2025/26 season. The progress, commitment, and teamwork shown by every player has been outstanding, and we cannot wait to see what 2026/27 has in store.

Season 2025/26 - Completed. Bring on U13s!

🦁🦁

12/05/2026

🎉 PLAYER OF THE MONTH 🎉

Last week, we announced our Trainer of the Month. This week, we were delighted to present Lucas with his Player of the Month award, for April.
Lucas has worked hard this season to develop his overall game and build his confidence on the pitch. Since the Christmas break, he has shown real consistency in his performances, even picking up several Player of the Match nominations along the way.
With continued hard work and consistency in training, Lucas will be a real threat to any opposition team next season. Well done, Lucas!

Lucas is pictured receiving his trophy below, which is kindly sponsored by The Ironing Fairy.

06/05/2026

🎉 TRAINER OF THE MONTH 🎉

Following our Easter break, we caught up with our April Trainer of the Month, Jacob who has shown a consistently positive attitude towards listening and developing his performance in recent months. He consistently demonstrates strong commitment through his attendance, rarely missing any sessions. Throughout the season, he has often been asked to play as a utility player, which has understandably brought some frustration. However, he has embraced this challenge and come to recognise it as a reflection of his versatility and value to the team. Well done, Jacob!

Jacob is pictured receiving his trophy below, which is kindly sponsored by The Ironing Fairy.

12/04/2026

🎉PLAYER & TRAINER OF THE MONTH AWARDS🎉

We caught up with our March Player, and Trainer of the Month winners today, during our last home game of the season where we were delighted to present awards to two players who have really pushed themselves in recent weeks during both training, and matches to keep developing.

Our March Player of the Month is awarded to Sofia who can be seen below with her trophy, kindly sponsored by The Ironing Fairy.

Our March Trainer of the Month award is awarded to Owen who is also pictured below with his trophy, also kindly sponsored by The Ironing Fairy.

Sofia is new to competitive, league football this season yet has made great strides in finding her feet in a short space of time. She has brought with her, rapid pace, and a real determination to improve. She will be a player to look out for next season. Well done, Sofia!

Whilst Owen has been involved in grassroots football for many years, he made a huge step in playing up a year for our U12s this season which hasn’t always been plain sailing for him yet he has shown great resilience, and maturity to step up to any challenge set. One of our hardest workers in training. well done, Owen!