Lozells Strikers Football Club first became an entity in 1983 when a group of young people came together to form a football team.  The name was chosen on the basis that the players lived in and around the Lozells area, this has been a defining character with regards to the loyalty that it gained from the players.

In those days the economic and social climate was very different in terms of our position as a community, however Lozells Strikers provided an escape from all of that on sportsmanship.

Abdul Ahad, was the founding manager and captain rolled into one as he organised us all and was a role model for us, as he was one of the best players to hail at that period.  In those heady days we had some important games with Aston Rangers and other local teams, and we did considerably well against some of the more established teams.  This has been a feature to the present day, as we have always managed to punch above our weight. 

In 1986, the team’s players dispersed across the country to work in the many Bangladeshi Restaurants as a result of the economic pressure on their families.  Some of the more established teams survived and capitalised, whilst a number of our players where drafted in to play for Aston Rangers during this period.

By 1988 the climate changed once again as many of the players returned to work in neighbouring cities and towns.  There was an impetus to revive the team and this was taken forward by Khalique Miah, for a short period until the management was handed over to Aftab Rahman in 1989.

In those early days we continued with some of our old players and played a few friendly games with local teams with varying amounts of success.  The team came into its own when it managed to recruit a local 6-a-side team that was managed by Alfu Miah that had some of the best young players of their generation.  This prompted a relative amount of success and envy from local rivals.

We were a key driving force in organising and participating in 6-a-side football tournaments.  In 1992 we managed to raise £600 for Islamic Relief to support the flood victims in Bangladesh. Throughout the years we have won numerous national and local tournaments.

In 1992 there was a growing number of local teams that participated in local friendly games, however, non of these teams participated in Sunday League Football.  The reason for this was the level of racism, cost and the lack of recognition for our culture and religion.  A consensus was developing that we, as the Bangladeshi community should have our own league.  It was at that period that a committee was formed and developed what is widely known as the Shapla Football League.  Lozells Strikers played a crucial role in its development and continues to do so at present. 

Lozells Strikers were becoming a household name locally and nationally.  To celebrate it’s establishment and success the team organised European tours. For most of the players this was the first experience aboard, besides visiting Bangladesh, which broadened their horizons and provided the drive to travel to many other destinations.  The team’s next venture is to organise a trip to Bangladesh, were it will arrange friendly matches at Dhaka and Sylhet Stadiums and enable players to experience and to get acquainted with Bangladeshi culture and go back to their roots.

Lozells Strikers has enjoyed a lot of success over the years with being in the Shapla Football League Cup Final on three occasions, and winning it twice.  It has also been runner’s up in the league six times, missing out, by goal difference and just one point on one occasion. Alfu Miah, Abdul Ahad and most recently Monzur Alam  have won the prestigious Llayer of the Year award and have played in the Shapla Eka-Dosh team with honours.  However, Lozells Strikers does not place its success in mere trophies and titles; it places greater emphasis on its ethos.

Lozells Strikers has proved to be a support network and a catalyst for change for all those involved.  It has prided itself in taking some rough gems, and helped them to realise their full potential both as a player and a member of the community.  To this end, many players have supported each other and have acted as role models for each other.  Some of the players today excel in their chosen profession, as caterers and businessmen in that field.  The team also boast professionals that range from Teachers, Youth Workers, Civil Engineers, Public Servants, Dentists and we have recently congratulated Angur Miah for gaining a First Class honours degree in Science and Mathematics from Birmingham’s Aston University.

Lozells Strikers has proved to be a vehicle that has kept us together for our common love of football and as a result we have revelled in each other’s success, both on and off the pitch.

Lozells Strikers is run by a team of dedicated people that selflessly puts themselves forward for responsibility.