Notre Dame's PE and sport staff and students have two reasons to celebrate: not only does our Team ND football team now train and play at Bodington Football Hub, but we’ve scored a professional footballer – Luke Lyons – to coach them.
The Bodington Football Hub is a brand new, £8.4m sports facility close to the University of Leeds Bodington Playing Fields, which includes three full size LED floodlit 3G Football Turf Pitches.
As well as supporting partner clubs and leagues, the Hub “will also be an important home to the University’' sports programmes, as well as supporting the Leeds United Foundation and West Riding County FA to deliver a broad range of recreational programmes and activities for the wider community.”
In addition to this exciting news, we’ve also been fortunate enough to sign up Luke Lyons to coach our football team. Luke signed for the Leeds United Academy at age 11, and was captain from U13 to U21. He represented the Scotland National Youth Team U17/18, then played lower leagues in England before moving to Scotland to play professionally. After suffering what seemed to be a career ending injury when he collided with the post following a goal line clearance, he turned his attention to coaching.
Luke said, “I am very happy to be here at Notre Dame; the standards of the college are extremely high in all aspects. The teaching is outstanding, meaning students can study at a high level, as well as develop their ability playing football. We train at some of the best facilities in Leeds at Bodington Football Hub and the progress we have made in my first 6 months has been brilliant.
My guarantee to all students who play football for Notre Dame is that they will leave as a fitter and more complete football player, while receiving outstanding education. We are competing in a very competitive AOC league, along with the national cup. I am looking forward to progressing all students that join Team ND as football players and as people!”