OUR HISTORY
Hatfield Youth Football Club was formed May 17th 1993.
The club was formed by Alan Lancaster, Julie Lancaster and Alan Hood on May 17th 1993. The reasoning for the formation of a new club was the result of another local club not seeming to value and support the younger age groups, not even showing any recognition at the end of season with medals for the kids.
A NEW VISION
The vision for the new club from day one was to provide football to everyone, any child, any ability, and this still remains. We have never strayed from that core principle and never will – we are a community club and not a collection of individual teams.
In the clubs first season, we had 5 teams, Under 8’s, Under 9’s, Under 10’s and then Under 10 girls and Under 13 girls. At the time, not many clubs had girls teams so to have two in the first season was unheard of. Hatfield Youth continued to lead the way with girls football and Julie Lancaster was instrumental in the forming of the Hertfordshire Girls Football League in 1996. This allowed a girls only league across Hertfordshire that was fair and competitive.
At its peak, Hatfield Youth FC had 13 teams, offering football on a weekly basis to just shy of 200 local children. Over the years, Hatfield Youth has seen in excess of 3000 faces come through the door and sign on to play football.
nurturing talent
From this we have had success in being involved in the development of players who went on to play at the highest level. Some of those players include Samir Carruthers who went on to play for Republic of Ireland as a youth international and Captained the Arsenal Under 16’s side. As a senior player he played for Aston Villa in the Premier League and a host of Championship and League One teams, including MK Dons and Sheffield United.
Hayley Kemp was part of one of Hatfield Youths many girls teams over the years and went on to play for England and Arsenal Ladies. Another notable player to be part of Hatfield Youth FC was Stacey Little who went on to Captain West Ham ladies under former Hammers centre back, Julian Dicks. In 2012, one of our players also went on to represent Great Britain in the Paralympics Games.
HATFIELD YOUTH OPEN
Hatfield Youth FC became famous over the years for the Hatfield Youth Open, usually a weekend football tournament aimed at multiple age groups. The first Hatfield Youth Open was in 1994 and included 199 teams across 15 pitches, all in one day. A Hatfield Youth FC team won the Under 12s tournament that day with a squad that was put together at the final hour, to cover one that dropped out! Hatfield Youth FC have had many successes at the Hatfield Youth Open over the years but in truth, the real success is having delivered football to over 2400 teams since it started.
OUR SUCCESS
Hatfield Youth FC have won many honours at various age groups over the years from the Under 9’s Secretary’s Shield in the clubs first season, to the Seniors winning the league unbeaten in 2021. Whilst winning is important and makes a big difference, offering football to so many children, playing our part in promoting girls football, at a time some ridiculed it and even league officials didn’t buy into it and this is up there with the clubs greatest achievements.
In 2003 Hatfield Youth FC Under 16’s completed the season but then didn’t have a league to go in to, so the decision was made for the club to enter them into the men’s Welwyn & Hatfield Sunday League. This was new ground for the club and the men’s team still plays today
As a club we are proud of our history but very excited for our future…….
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