A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH

"Luther" as football fans know him is an icon of the game.  Overcoming prejudice to become the winner of two Golden Boots and multiple awards  for football, diversity and community. 

Captaining the team behind "The Former Players Club cic  Luther  is Honorary Life President of Watford FC and is their all time record goal scorer and appearance maker as well as their first full England International.   Something which earned him a bullet in the post...

Luther was the first black footballer to score wearing the three Lions

 (a hat-trick!).   His proudest moment was to serve his country on the playing field. 

Luther continues to inspire off the pitch.

He was named Watford's Favourite Son by former Club Chairman Sir Elton John, due to his tremendous popularity not just his success as a striker. The people's player, who from the age of 16 was influenced by the tremendous mentoring of the great Graham Taylor.

Luther  went on to play for AC Milan, AFC Bournemouth before eventually joining Graham Taylor's  Coaching team and  becoming Watford's first team coach. 

Luther also coached strikers for Harry Redknapp : "Luther was of those players that changes the attitude of a football club. He was a great trainer he’d been to Italy, he had played for England –  he had a different work ethic to the rest.  He taught the players about eating right, and coming  in with the proper attitude."

Since fully retiring from the professional game Luther has continued to use his personality and lived experiences to become an influential global figure.   He is a popular motivational speaker and strong  campaigner for causes such as mental well being, prostate cancer, dementia.  

Setting up the Former Players Club cic to uphold the values of Graham Taylor OBE he established Forces United Veterans Together .  To support the Armed Forces and Veterans, building on the historic connection between football and those who served as well ass a personal understanding of what it meaans to lose your team and as a result, your own identity. 

Luther uses football to connect the Armed Forces in a positive way, through Veterans FC, to rediscover  the camaraderie that is experienced experienced on the playing field and battlefield. 

Luther is President of a Royal British Legion branch and as a Deputy Lieutenant  he sits on the Hertfordshire Miliary Panel an Covenant Board.

"We founded  the Former Players Club cic to make sure the values Graham taught us as players could still be championed in the community.  And  above all so that we as players were still in each others' corner.   It was immediately obvious that we shared so much with those in the Armed Forces  and had a  very strong empathy towards the loss of our team spirt and structure when leaving our Club

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When you lose your team (through retirement or inury)  you also lose yourself.  Your identity is suddenly gone .  Talking with veterans, many of whom are football fans it is a shared loss.  Perhaps that is why being a football supporter unites us, a shared passion and kinship. 

But must we never forget one thing. Especially when you consider the money and celebrity that football now attracts.  Real heroes do not wear football boots. 

Graham once said " it is fantastic to see the nation’s game playing its part in helping our servicemen and women return to civilian life."

Being able to help those from our Armed Forces is a huge honour .  As a former England players I know the passion and inspiration that lining up to do your duty for your country evokes.   Whilst I can never claim to know the trauma that serving in combat creates I and my fellow ex pros know all to well the challenges of trying to fit in with normal life  and navigate what you need as just a member of the public  in isolation after you leave your team. 

  THe more Veterans we talk with, I realise how much the  Former Players Club is a platform for shared experience and positivity.  Between us we look to understand ways to deal with mental challenges, to maintain fitness and wellbeing and to regain that vital cameraderie and team spirit . 

 Forces United Veterans Together is a  mission for us and one of which I believe Graham would have thoroughly approved.  

We are greatly  honoured that 

The Lord-Lieutenant 

Robert Voss CBE CStJ 

accepted the position of Patron of Forces United Veterans Together.   

Robert  gives invaluable support to our work and what we stand for across Hertfordshire.  In 2024 he opened our 

Forces United Lounge at 

Vicarage Road , home of Watford Football Club.  

The Lord-Lieutenant has attended many of our events supporting Veterans in the community.  The D Day 80  fish and chip lunch, with the D Day Darlings and our "Watford Remembers Launch" .  As well as leading our Remembrance parade  after inspecting our cadet forces and greeting Veterans from the area. 

We are also proud to be one of the community serving (not for profit) projects located at the Lord Lieutenant's charity hub based at Warner Studios. 

Veteran, novelist, screenwiter.  

Dougie served for  18 years with the Royal Air Force, with tours including both the Falklands and the first Gulf War .  

This ex-Sergeant engineer's literary career began in 1996 when he co-wrote a book exploring the culture of football hooliganism entitled, Everywhere We Go: Behind the Matchday Madness. 

 In 2005  his first full-length feature film , the Hollywood funded award winning cult football movie Geen Street starring Elijah Wood was released.   Dougie has established Creative Forces UK a project designed to foster creativity within the Armed Forces and create a genuine employment pathway into film & TV.  Currently he is developing The Lion Of London Bridge (a biopic based on the true life story of Roy Larner,  the hero of the 2017 Borough Market terror attacks),  Millwall fans take note! 

One of the first projects for us has been the adaptation of the play Battle Cry into a documentary short and full length version.  This powerful piece forms part of our training to create a better understanding  of the cause and effects of PTSD in a Veteran.

Brought up in an Armed Force family Bill is the man when it comes to how veterans gain a better undertanding of how to navigate the Civic system

 His experience as a Councillor in the local community means he can guide us through protocols and help us work in partnership with Local Authorities and Officers productively.  

Bill is also Vice Chair of the Royal British Legion in Watord,  a standard bearer and someone who devotes a good deal of his time volunteering to support the community. 

Bill says that "Banter is my language" 

If lived experience is the thing that counts there is plenty on offer from our co founder!   

A journalist,  comms manager, brand strategist for starters.  Combined with work as a recruitment specialist, PR for Umbro ,  Comms and PR for the Torch Relay,  London 2012 -  Holland Heineken House.  Events  and conference  specialist as well as consultant for a 

leading addiction centre. 

Add to that  a family background that is all about community and Armed Forces.  

My grandfather "Mr Bushey"  was elected Chairman of a local Council for 17 terms and a member of the Home Guard .  My other grandpa and two of my uncles were Veterans (Army and RAF) and my dad too a very proud RAF Veteran  (National Service) and the reason why my heart and soul go into this.  

Being brought up with that background you learned all about respect, duty and manners.  Along with a good deal of that old fashioned "can do " attitude and community spirit which mum and dad inspired.