Ashby Ivanhoe U11 Titans

09/09/2026

Final training session tonight ahead of our first game of the season this weekend.

The boys have worked really hard throughout pre-season and played against 3 division 1 sides and are raring to go!

Go on boys, go and write your 2026/27 season story!

08/09/2026

As part of Ashby Ivanhoe FC continued development as a club, we now have access to sports therapy and rehabilitation support through Rio at Football Fit Rehab.

Rio specialises in sports injuries and will be offering services to Ashby Ivanhoe players, coaches, staff and the wider Ashby community.

For more information or to book, please see the link below:

https://footballfit-rehab.co.uk/

06/09/2026

Really encouraging performance from the Titans yesterday against a very strong Stretton Eagles Green side.

For the first 40 minutes we were right in the game and almost held them, but the extra 20 minutes caught up with us and the result got away.

Well done to Charlie for Parents’ Player and George for Moment of the Match. Lots to learn, but even more to be proud of. We keep improving and go again.

04/09/2026

03/09/2026

⚽ “The free player is often created before he receives the ball. One movement attracts the opponent, another movement exploits the space he leaves behind.” — Xabi Alonso

A free player is not always free because he found an empty space. Very often, his teammates created that space for him.

This is one of the most important ideas in positional football: movement should not only move players — it should move opponents.

Imagine a midfielder dropping toward the centre-back to receive. An opposition midfielder follows him. The first player may not even receive the ball, but his movement has already achieved something important: he has pulled an opponent out of position.

Now another teammate can attack the space that has just been created.

This gives us a simple tactical sequence:

Move → Attract → Create space → Exploit → Progress

The key is understanding that the first movement and the final action are connected. One player may move for another player to become free.

This is why coaches should not evaluate off-the-ball movement only by asking:

“Did he receive the ball?”

Sometimes the better question is:

“What did his movement create for the team?”

A player can influence an attack without touching the ball. He can drag a defender away, open a passing lane, create a third-man opportunity or give a teammate more time and space to receive.

At higher levels, football becomes increasingly about these relationships.

The ball moves the opponent.
Movement manipulates the opponent.
And manipulating the opponent creates the free player.

💬 COACHES: Do your players understand how to create space for a teammate — or do they move mainly to receive the ball themselves?



The wording on the graphic is an editorial formulation inspired by tactical principles associated with Xabi Alonso, rather than a verified verbatim quote.

01/09/2026

⚽️💙 KO SPORTS & ASHBY IVANHOE FC – FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 💛⚽️

We’re excited to be working together with KO Sports to provide fantastic opportunities for young players to develop, learn and enjoy football in a safe, fun and inclusive environment! 🙌

Whether your child is just starting out or looking to develop their skills further, there’s something for everyone:

⚽️ Development Sessions – Ages 7–13
🐾 Wildcats Girls’ Football – Ages 7–10
⚽️ U5 Pre-Team – Ages 4–5
👥 U6 Teams – Age 6
🎯 1-2-1 Football Sessions – Individual player development

⭐ UEFA Qualified Coaches
⭐ Player Development Focused
⭐ Safe, Fun & Inclusive
⭐ Build Confidence & Make Friends

🎉 FREE TASTER SESSIONS AVAILABLE!
Places are limited, so don’t miss out!

📍 Ashby Ivanhoe FC, The Element Ground, Lower Packington Road, Ashby, LE65 1TS

📞 07378 369121
🌐 kosportsfc.co.uk

👉 Get in touch today and give your child the opportunity to PLAY • LEARN • GROW!

31/08/2026

Absolutely unreal that this is in kids football. The most disturbing part of this story is not the 72 red cards, it is that children as young as five are being taught, by the very adults meant to guide them, that aggression and winning matter more than respect and enjoyment.

Grassroots football does not have a children’s behaviour problem; it has an adult example problem. If we want young players to show respect, self-control and sportsmanship, they must first see those qualities on the touchline.

Seven days into the new season, one Scottish youth league had shown 72 red cards, abandoned several matches, watched a team official headbutt another at a festival for five- and six-year-olds, and called the police. Its secretary told managers that behaviour had hit "a new all-time low". It is a Scottish story, but it is not a Scottish problem — and there are things every junior club in the UK should take from it ⤵

https://www.juniorgrassrootshub.com/news/72-red-cards-one-week-scotland-youth-football-warning

30/08/2026

Talent helps.

But turning up matters more than people think.

The cold nights. The bad games. The sessions where nothing clicks.

The players who keep coming back, keep listening and keep trying give themselves a chance to improve.

Not every child will be the best in the team.

But consistency can take them a long way.

30/08/2026

⚽ Alvaston Development v Ashby Ivanhoe Titans ⚽

A tough test against a very well-drilled Alvaston side yesterday, but the boys competed brilliantly and were ahead after 50 minutes before tiredness began to show.

Despite the defeat, there were plenty of positives as we brought pre-season to a close.

Well done to Cam and Oscar, who shared the Parents’ Player of the Match award, and to Rafe for his brilliant top-corner goal

28/08/2026

⚽ NEXT UP FOR THE TITANS ⚽

This weekend, we’re back on the road as we visit Alvaston Development for our next pre-season friendly.

Alvaston play in the division above us, so it’ll be another good test for the boys as we continue preparing for the new season.

🔵⚪ Come on, Titans! ⚪🔵