On Monday, Lowestoft Town U18s welcomed Dereham Town U18s to Crown Meadow for a valuable test against one of the region’s strongest youth programmes. It proved to be a strange first half. Lowestoft produced much of the better play and created several excellent chances, but a number of unfortunate mistakes at the back left the Young Blues trailing 3–0 at the break. The response after half-time was extremely encouraging. The group dominated proceedings throughout the second half, scored two excellent goals and were unfortunate not to find an equaliser as Dereham held on for a 3–2 victory. We would like to thank Tom, Lee and everyone at Dereham Town for bringing their group to Crown Meadow. We wish them all the very best for the upcoming campaign.

US Sports Scholarships Visit Crown Meadow

On Thursday, we welcomed US Sports Scholarships to Crown Meadow. Before the fixture, company director Liam Barrett delivered a presentation to our players about the opportunities available through the US scholarship pathway. It was a valuable opportunity for the group to learn more about another potential route available to them through football and education. The fixture was played across three 35-minute periods, with different Lowestoft teams featuring during each third. The opening period finished 1–1 before the Young Blues produced an excellent display to win the second period 4–0. US Sports Scholarships responded to take an entertaining final period 3–2. It provided another strong test of the players’ fitness and offered plenty of learning—particularly around maintaining standards, managing the game effectively and continuing to perform after establishing a lead. We would like to thank Liam and the entire US Sports Scholarships team for their visit as we continue to build an excellent partnership with the company.

The group returned to training on Friday morning before reviewing both fixtures from the week and completing a recovery session.

Pre-Season Complete

That concludes pre-season for our young players, with six fixtures completed alongside five weeks of valuable training and development. The programme has exposed the players to a variety of opponents, challenges and learning experiences, helping prepare them for the demands of the competitive campaign. Attention now turns to the beginning of the 2026/27 season.

FA Youth Cup Begins on Wednesday

First up is one of the biggest occasions in youth football—the FA Youth Cup. On Wednesday 2 September, the Young Blues welcome Downham Town U18s to Crown Meadow for a crucial Preliminary Round fixture. Kick-off is at 7:45pm. The players will return to their full-time programme on Tuesday, when they will train and begin previewing the opposition ahead of Wednesday evening’s contest. It promises to be a thrilling encounter, and the players, staff and club will need to be together as we look to progress into the next round. Your support at Crown Meadow would be greatly appreciated and could make a real difference to the boys.

Sponsor the Game

Wednesday’s FA Youth Cup fixture remains available to sponsor for £75. The package includes pre-match hospitality and the opportunity to meet the players, while your company will be promoted across our social media channels. You will also be invited to present the Player of the Match award following the final whistle. Anyone interested in sponsoring the fixture should email scholars@lowestofttownfc.co.uk.

Two More Scholars Announced

Away from the pitch, we were delighted to add two more players to our brand-new Scholarship Programme for the 2026/27 season. Goalkeeper Jack Trowbridge and defender Callum Lake have both agreed their scholarships for the upcoming campaign. We look forward to supporting both players throughout the season and helping them continue their development on and off the pitch. Pre-season is complete. The preparation is done. Now the competitive campaign begins.