Under 5s & Under 6s
Bumblebees
A fun first taste of football — games, movement and making friends. Saturday mornings 8–9am, moving to the Leisure Centre from November to February.
Youth
Join HTFC
Community football for every young player
Football should be fun first. We run boys' and girls' teams from 5 to 18, and we want every child at Harborough Town FC to enjoy the game, build confidence and grow at their own pace, from their first kicks to the older youth teams.
100% of our coaches are DBS checked and hold the relevant FA qualifications
Fully aligned with The FA's FutureFit programme
Find your child's team
Which age group are they in?
Find your team
Select an age group above to see your child's team details
- Training schedule & locationDays, times and where each group trains.
- Match format & squad sizeFrom small-sided games up to 11v11 under FA FutureFit.
- Teams & pathwaysMixed and girls' teams, and how players progress.
Tap U5–U18, or enter your child's date of birth and we'll work out their age group for you.
Age groups follow the football season, using your child's age on 31 August. Not sure? Send us an enquiry and Maz will point you to the right team.
The FA's FutureFit programme
Youth football that fits every child
From the 2026/27 season, youth football across England is changing to put children's enjoyment and development first. Harborough Town FC has fully adopted The FA's FutureFit programme.
That means smaller teams for longer so every child gets more touches, 3v3 as the first step at Under 7s, 11v11 from Under 14s, and game restarts that keep the ball in play.
Formats this season
- 3v3Under 7s
- 5v5Under 8s – 9s
- 7v7Under 10s – 11s
- 9v9Under 12s – 13s
- 11v11Under 14s and up
How the youth section works
Every child, at their own pace
We understand that children develop at different rates. From Under 7s, players are placed in groups by ability, assessed by our coaches and reviewed every year, so every child is playing at the right level. Up to Under 11s, football is not results-orientated: our leagues come under the Football Development Youth Review, where no results are collected.
Under 7s and up
Development groups
Weekly training and Sunday games, with players grouped by ability so everyone plays at the right level and keeps progressing.
All ages
Girls' football
Girls are welcome in every team, with dedicated Wildcats and Lionesses groups from Under 10s — from first kicks to regular matches.
Every young player
HTFC Inclusive Foxes
Inclusive football so every young player can take part.
From Under 12s
Emerging Talent
A clear route for players who show the potential and want to go further.
Looking for the Emerging Talent Programme? Click hereFor everyone
Safe and welcoming
Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do, with trained welfare officers and DBS-checked coaches.
Safeguarding & welfareThe pathway
From first kicks to the first team
Every player at the club is part of the same story. Here's where it can lead.
- 01
Bumblebees
Under 5s & 6s
- 02
Development groups
Under 7s and up
- 03
- 04
Under 21s
The step up
- 05
First team
The Bees
Get involved
Join the
Bees
Tell us a little about your child and a member of the youth team will be in touch.
Prefer email? Contact Maz Hayton, Head of Youth Football maz.hayton@harboroughtownfc.org