October 2013 - 2nd Edition
www.asianexpress.co.uk
LINEUP: Toller FC play in the Bradford Sunday Alliance
Toller FC By Ashley Grint ashley@asianexpress.co.uk
In 2012, Bradford-resident Mohammed Khan took it upon himself to set up a local football team with nothing other than family support and a passion for the game. Fast forward just over one year and the 26-year-old is now manager of Toller FC 2013 Bradford Sunday Alliance Third Division runner-ups. A remarkable feat for a club whose changing room is a mile away from the ground and pitch remains a struggle to play on following council cuts. However, the father of two, football enthusiast is delighted with the way his club has evolved in such a short period of time and already has lofty ambitions for the future of the Bradford outfit. “Last year was fantastic as we got promoted into the second division of such a hard league at our first time of asking,” Mohammed explains. “We are currently fourth in Division Two and pushing for promotion already after five games which shows that the club is certainly on the right path.” He added: “I set up the club using money from my own pocket just wanting to help out some local young lads and get them off the streets. I had no investors and it is sometimes hard to fund things on my own, such as kits, nets and balls, but I just try and make the team as enjoyable and fun for the players as I possibly can.” The self-employed manager told how the side constantly has more than 25-30 players turn up to every training session with new players always welcomed to come down for trials. The family run club, which includes Mohammed’s brother, Waqas Khan, as club secretary, is already
One man’s passion for football MANAGER: Family man Mohammed Khan, founded the club last year
becoming an important part of the community, helping football 75 per cent of the squad is made up from Asian players whilst the remaining quarter is a split between black and white players. With such cultural diversity in the club, Mohammed explains how the side is an excellent example of a cohesive mixture of races. He said: “It is great to see so many young Asian lads progressing in the sport; we haven’t really had anything like it before. “Some of our players are different class. We have one, Irfan Khan, who has represented Pakistan before, playing for the side as well as a number of local lads. “We also actually had a pre-season friendly against a Pakistan XI and managed a 1-1 draw against them which again shows how far this club has already come in such a short space of time.” With such interest in the club from local footballers, there are also potential plans to hopefully start a girl’s side and a youth team in upcoming seasons.
However, for the time being, a second promotion in as many years would be the perfect gift for Mr Toller FC…Mohammed Khan.
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