Luke James Foster (born 8 September 1985) was an English professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who last played as a
defender for
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Divisio ...
Division One East club
Loughborough Dynamo
Loughborough Dynamo Football Club is a football club based in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Nanpantan Sports Ground.
History
The club was established in 1955 by pupils from Loughborou ...
.
Foster started his career as a trainee with
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
, signing a professional contract with the club at the age of 18. He joined
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
on work experience in September 2004, and was also
loaned out to
Conference North
The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Sy ...
club
Alfreton Town
Alfreton Town Football Club is a football club based in Alfreton, Derbyshire, England. The club are currently members of and play at North Street.
History
The club was formed in 1959 following the merger of Alfreton Miners Welfare and Alfr ...
in February 2005 until the end of the
2004–05 season. On returning to his parent club, Foster was released, and joined
Lincoln City in June 2005. He was loaned out to
York City
York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league sys ...
the following season on a two-month loan. In January 2007, Foster was released by Lincoln, and he joined
Stalybridge Celtic
Stalybridge Celtic Football Club is an English football club based in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester. They are currently members of the and play at Bower Fold. The team traditionally plays in a blue and white strip.
In 1921 Stalybridge Celtic ...
on a short-term contract. He left Stalybridge a month later, in order to join
Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and th ...
on an initial six-month deal. Foster went on to play over 100 times for Oxford in just under three years at the club, winning two end of season awards in the process.
In January 2010 Foster signed for
Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Stags', they ...
, where he spent just five months. He then joined
Stevenage
Stevenage ( ) is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevena ...
on a two-year contract in May 2010, helping the club earn
promotion
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
to
League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
in their first ever season in
the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
. After just one season at Stevenage, Foster joined Rotherham United in June 2011, spending an injury-hit season with the club before being released. He briefly spent time at
Matlock Town
Matlock Town Football Club is a association football, football club based in Matlock, Derbyshire, Matlock, Derbyshire, England. Nicknamed 'the Gladiators', they are currently members of the and play at Causeway Lane.
History
The club was esta ...
, before joining Preston North End in December 2012 for a six-month period. Foster returned to Lincoln City during the
2013–14 season, before spending two years as club captain at Conference Premier side
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England.
Southport lies on the Irish ...
. He left Southport in February 2016 and signed for
Harrogate Town
Harrogate Town A.F.C. is a professional association football club in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, which competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system.
The club is nicknamed the Sulphurites, due to the ...
for the remainder of the campaign. A brief stint as player-coach at
Ilkeston
Ilkeston is a town in the Borough of Erewash, Derbyshire, England, on the River Erewash, from which the borough takes its name, with a population at the 2011 census of 38,640. Its major industries, coal mining, iron working and lace making/texti ...
followed as Foster moved into part-time football, also playing for Northern Premier League clubs
Coalville Town,
Brighouse Town,
Goole
Goole is a port town and civil parish on the River Ouse in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The town's historic county is the West Riding of Yorkshire.
According to the 2011 UK census, Goole parish had a population of 19,518, an increa ...
,
Barwell
Barwell is a civil parish and large village in Leicestershire, England, with a population of 8,750 residents, Increasing to 9,022 at the 2011 census, the name literally translates as "Stream of the Boar" and is said to originate from a boar that ...
and Loughborough Dynamo respectively.
Early life
Foster grew up in
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield as well as the boroughs of Barnsley and Rotherham.
In N ...
and attended
Wombwell High School.
Club career
Early career
Foster began his career as a trainee in the
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
youth academy.
He joined
Conference National
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profes ...
club
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
on
work experience
Work may refer to:
* Work (human activity), intentional activity people perform to support themselves, others, or the community
** Manual labour, physical work done by humans
** House work, housework, or homemaking
** Working animal, an animal tr ...
in September 2004.
Foster made his debut for Scarborough in a 1–0 defeat to
Hereford United
Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'The ...
, coming on as a 76th minute
substitute.
He started the following match in the club's 2–1 loss at
Carlisle United
Carlisle United Football Club ( , ) is a professional association football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They have played their home games at Brunton Par ...
,
and went on to make 10 appearances during the loan agreement.
Foster returned to his parent club, but failed to make any first-team appearances, and was subsequently loaned out to
Conference North
The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Sy ...
club
Alfreton Town
Alfreton Town Football Club is a football club based in Alfreton, Derbyshire, England. The club are currently members of and play at North Street.
History
The club was formed in 1959 following the merger of Alfreton Miners Welfare and Alfr ...
in February 2005 until the end of the season.
He made his Alfreton debut in the club's 3–0 victory against
Woking
Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in northwest Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'' and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement o ...
in the
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The compet ...
.
He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 defeat against
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England.
Southport lies on the Irish ...
.
Foster played his last game for the club in the final game of the
2004–05 season, a 3–1 loss at
Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts. Stafford Rangers' rivals include T ...
.
He played in 19 games for the club during the loan spell, scoring three goals.
On his return to Sheffield Wednesday in May 2005, Foster was released and later joined
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
club
Lincoln City on a one-year contract ahead of the
2005–06 season.
Foster made his debut for Lincoln in the club's first game of the season, a 2–1 defeat to
Notts County
Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League (division), National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 2 ...
.
He played sporadically throughout the campaign, and made 17 appearances, scoring once in a 5–0 win against
Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that in the 2022–23 season will compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system, following the victory in ...
on 25 March 2006.
Despite playing a peripheral role during the campaign, Foster signed a one-year contract extension at the end of the season.
However, Foster did not play again for Lincoln during the
2006–07 campaign and, after training with
York City
York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league sys ...
, he joined the
Conference National
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profes ...
club on a one-month emergency loan on 5 October 2006 due to injuries to defenders.
He made his debut for the club in a 1–0 win against
Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area i ...
.
This loan deal was extended for a second month on 3 November 2006,
but after Foster suffered an ankle injury during the last week of the loan, he returned to his parent club on 4 December 2006.
He made his last appearance for York in the club's 1–0 defeat to
League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
team
Bristol City
Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
in the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
first round
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
.
He made seven appearances for York during a two-month loan spell with the club.
Foster returned to Lincoln in December, and a month later was told by the club that he was free to find another club after being told he was not part of the club's first-team plans.
He subsequently mutually agreed to cancel his contract with Lincoln in January 2007, enabling him to join Conference North club
Stalybridge Celtic
Stalybridge Celtic Football Club is an English football club based in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester. They are currently members of the and play at Bower Fold. The team traditionally plays in a blue and white strip.
In 1921 Stalybridge Celtic ...
on a free transfer.
He made his debut for Stalybridge in the
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The compet ...
, starting in a 1–1 draw against Kettering Town, scoring an
own goal
An own goal, also called a self goal, is where a player performs actions that result in them or their team scoring a goal on themselves, often resulting in a point for the opposing team, such as when a football player kicks a ball into their own ...
just before half-time.
He scored his first goal for the club against one of his former employers, Alfreton, scoring the winning goal in a 2–1 victory.
He made six appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring once.
Oxford United
After just a month at Stalybridge, Foster returned to the highest tier in non-League football, joining Conference National club
Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and th ...
on 16 February 2007.
He made his Oxford debut two weeks after signing for the club, starting in a 1–0 home defeat to
Kidderminster Harriers
Kidderminster Harriers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England. The team compete in the National League North, at the sixth tier of the English football league system. Formed in ...
.
He played nine times during the club's 2006–07 campaign, scoring once in a 2–0 win over
St Albans City at
Clarence Park.
At the end of the season, he signed a new one-year contract with Oxford, keeping him contracted to the club throughout the
2007–08 season.
After playing just three times in the opening two months of the season,
Oxford manager
Jim Smith stated that Foster needed to "improve the way he leads his life" in order to "stand a chance" of getting back into the Oxford first-team.
After this, Foster played regularly until the end of the season, although he was given a one match suspension following his sending off against
Northwich Victoria
{{Infobox UK place
, static_image_name = Northwich - Town Bridge.jpg
, static_image_caption = Town Bridge, the River Weaver and the spire of Holy Trinity Church
, official_name = Northwich
, country ...
in March 2008.
At the end of the 2007–08 season, in which he made 39 appearances,
he won Oxford's Supporters Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year awards.
As a result of his form, he signed a new two-year contract with the club on 29 July 2008.
During the
2008–09 season, Foster continued to play regularly at
centre-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
for Oxford,.
In Oxford's match against
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
on 21 August 2008, Foster was sent off after just 11 minutes for "denying Wrexham's
Shaun Whalley
Shaun James Whalley (born 7 August 1987) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for League Two club Accrington Stanley. Born in Prescot, Merseyside, Whalley played for Norwich City and Southport as a youth before making his ...
a clear goalscoring opportunity".
As a result, he missed the next two games, returning to the first-team against
Ebbsfleet United
Ebbsfleet United Football Club is a professional football club based in Northfleet, Kent, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the club competes in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football.
The club was formed in 1946 from ...
on 30 August 2008, but was once again sent off, this time for a foul on
Craig Stone.
Consequently, Foster did not play again in the first-team for a month.
He regained his place in Oxford's defence, and played regularly until the end of the season.
He scored his only goal of the season in a 2–1 victory over
Lewes
Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. It is the police and judicial centre for all of Sussex and is home to Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Lewes Crown Court and HMP Lewes. The civil parish is the centre of ...
in February 2009.
Foster made 44 appearances for the club during the season, scoring one goal, as Oxford narrowly missed out on a place in the
Conference Premier
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profess ...
play-offs.
The following campaign, Foster was again a regular under manager
Chris Wilder
Christopher John Wilder (born 23 September 1967) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played as a right-back. He was most recently the manager of club Middlesbrough ...
, appearing in all of Oxford's games up until December 2009.
He scored his first goal of the season in Oxford's 1–1 draw against Barrow on 3 October 2009.
Foster was sent off in a 1–1 draw against Barrow in the FA Cup on 28 November 2009, resulting in Barrow being awarded a
penalty kick
A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during untimed play. Depending on the sport, when a player commits certain types of penalties, the opposition is awarded a penalty shot or kick attempt. ...
and subsequently scoring.
In January 2010, Wilder stated that Oxford would not be extending Foster's contract in the summer, with Foster "wanting that option to pursue offers from other clubs".
Mansfield Town
He subsequently entered talks with
Cambridge United
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Cambridge, England. They compete in EFL League one , the 3rd tier of the English football league system. The club is based at the Abbey Stadium on N ...
in January 2010, although no transfer materialised.
Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Stags', they ...
also enquired about signing Foster, although they initially decided against making a transfer bid, citing Foster's "high wages as the main stumbling block".
However, a week later, Mansfield signed Foster on a one-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee and he was instantly appointed the club
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
.
He made his debut in Mansfield's 4–1 victory over
Forest Green Rovers
Forest Green Rovers Football Club are a professional football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England. The team compete in , the third tier of the English football league system, and have played their home games at The New Lawn since ...
on 30 January 2010.
Foster was sent off in a 1–0 defeat to York on 16 March 2010, which resulted in him receiving a two-match suspension.
He made 16 appearances for Mansfield during the second half of the 2009–10 season.
At the end of the season, Foster made a comment on his
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
page, calling the club a "shambles", but later apologised to both the club and its fans.
He was released in May 2010, with Mansfield boss
David Holdsworth
David Gary Holdsworth (born 8 November 1968) is an English former professional footballer turned manager.
As a player, he was a defender who played between 1986 and 2005 for Watford, Sheffield United, Birmingham City, Walsall, Bolton Wanderers ...
saying "it's a practical decision for both the club and Luke".
Stevenage
Foster joined newly promoted League Two club
Stevenage
Stevenage ( ) is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevena ...
on a two-year contract on 31 May 2010.
Foster made his Stevenage debut in the club's first
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
fixture, a 2–2 draw against
Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town Football Club was an English professional association football, football club based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, that was liquidation, wound-up after a High Court of Justice, High Court ruling on 16 September 2020.
Initially kno ...
, playing the whole game in the centre of defence.
After the Macclesfield game, Foster did not play in the first-team until late September 2010, coming on as a late substitute in Stevenage's 1–0 away win at
Lincoln City.
He then appeared as a 52nd-minute substitute in the club's victory over
Burton Albion
Burton Albion Football Club is a professional association football club in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club moved its home groun ...
, but was sent-off for a foul on
Shaun Harrad
Shaun Nicholas Harrad (born 11 December 1984) is an English footballer who plays as a forward.
Playing career Notts County
Harrad began his career at Notts County, making 29 appearances and scoring one goal. He spent loan spells out at Gresle ...
.
Foster scored his first goal for Stevenage on 3 January 2011, scoring the first goal of the game in Stevenage's 4–2 home win over
Barnet
Barnet may refer to:
People
*Barnet (surname)
* Barnet (given name)
Places United Kingdom
*Chipping Barnet or High Barnet, commonly known as Barnet, one of three focal towns of the borough below.
*East Barnet, a district of the borough below; an ...
.
Foster received his second red card of the 2010–11 season in a game against
Northampton Town
Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team plays in , the fourth tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1897, the club competed in the Midland ...
, for a foul on
Seth Nana Twumasi, a game that Stevenage went on to lose 2–0.
Stevenage appealed against the sending off, but the appeal was subsequently rejected.
This ultimately meant that Foster had played his last game of the 2010–11 season, serving a four-match suspension that ruled him out of Stevenage's end of season 3–3 draw with
Bury
Bury may refer to:
*The burial of human remains
*-bury, a suffix in English placenames
Places England
* Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village
* Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire
** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...
, as well as the club's subsequent play-off campaign.
Foster played 23 times for Stevenage in his only season with the club, scoring once, and the team went on to win promotion into League One via the play-offs.
Rotherham United
Foster signed for League Two club
Rotherham United
Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The club's colours were initially yellow and black, but changed to red and white around 1 ...
on 20 June 2011.
He signed a one-year contract with the club, with an option of a second year.
Foster made his debut for the club in a 3–0 home victory against
Gillingham on 27 August 2011, coming on as an 84th-minute substitute with Rotherham already holding a three-goal advantage.
After making no further first-team appearances the following month, Foster was made available for loan by manager
Andy Scott.
Scott stated Foster lacked both desire and fitness since signing for the club.
However, no loan transfer materialised, and Foster made his second appearance for Rotherham in a 3–3 away draw at
Morecambe
Morecambe ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district in Lancashire, England. It is in Morecambe Bay on the Irish Sea.
Name
The first use of the name was by John Whitaker in his ''History of Manchester'' (1771), w ...
on 25 October 2011.
He subsequently made his first start in a 2–0 home victory over
Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area i ...
on 5 November 2011,
Rotherham's first win in 10 matches.
In December 2011, Rotherham manager Andy Scott revealed that Foster would miss the rest of the 2011–12 season as a result of a cruciate ligament damage sustained in a match against
Hereford United
Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'The ...
on 10 December 2011.
[ ] He was released by Rotherham in May 2012,
having made six appearances for the club.
Matlock Town
Ahead of the
2012–13 season, Foster went on trial with League One club
Sheffield United
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history of cutlery production. The team have played home games at ...
.
He played in the club's opening pre-season fixture, coming on as a 62nd-minute substitute in a 1–1 draw with
Ilkeston
Ilkeston is a town in the Borough of Erewash, Derbyshire, England, on the River Erewash, from which the borough takes its name, with a population at the 2011 census of 38,640. Its major industries, coal mining, iron working and lace making/texti ...
.
No move materialised, and Foster signed non-contract terms with
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Divisio ...
Premier Division team
Matlock Town
Matlock Town Football Club is a association football, football club based in Matlock, Derbyshire, Matlock, Derbyshire, England. Nicknamed 'the Gladiators', they are currently members of the and play at Causeway Lane.
History
The club was esta ...
to build match fitness ahead of a return to the professional game.
He made his Matlock debut just a day after signing, on 18 August 2012, playing the whole match as Matlock opened the season with a 5–0 home defeat to
Nantwich Town
Nantwich Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. The club was founded in 1884 and is nicknamed ''The Dabbers'', a reference to the town's tanning industry. They currently compete in and play ...
.
Foster made ten appearances in all competitions for the club, leaving in October 2012.
Preston North End
After a month without a club, Foster went on trial at League One club
Preston North End
Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional football club in Preston, Lancashire, England, who currently play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league syste ...
in November 2012, managed by former Stevenage manager
Graham Westley
Graham Neil Westley (born 4 March 1968) is an English former professional footballer and manager who was most recently manager of League Two club Stevenage.
Westley's playing career, spent mostly as a striker in non-League football, was curta ...
.
The trial proved successful, and he signed on non-contract terms with the club on 18 December 2012.
He made his debut on the same day in a 3–3 draw against
Bury
Bury may refer to:
*The burial of human remains
*-bury, a suffix in English placenames
Places England
* Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village
* Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire
** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...
in the
Football League Trophy
The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL Leag ...
, with Preston progressing following a
penalty shoot-out
The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pen ...
.
After impressing Westley in his first four matches for the club,
Foster signed a permanent contract, keeping him at Preston for the remainder of the 2012–13 season.
In the club's next match, on 10 January 2013, a televised 3–2 defeat to
Coventry City
Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, Championship, the second tier of the English footbal ...
at the
Ricoh Arena
The Coventry Building Society Arena (often shortened to the CBS Arena or just simply Coventry Arena, and formerly known as the Ricoh Arena) is a complex in Coventry, England. It includes a 32,609-seater stadium which is currently home to footb ...
in the Football League Trophy, Foster scored his only goal for Preston, briefly restoring parity in the match as Coventry scored two injury-time goals to win the match.
Foster made eight appearances in all competitions during his time with the club,
and at the end of the season, new Preston manager
Simon Grayson
Simon Nicholas Grayson (born 16 December 1969) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of Indian Super League club Bengaluru.
As a player, he was a right back, but he was also utilised in m ...
told him that his contract would not be renewed when it expired in June 2013.
Return to Non-League
Foster rejoined Conference Premier club Lincoln City on 1 August 2013, signing a one-year deal with the club he had previously played for from 2005 to 2007.
He made his second debut for the club ten days after signing, on the opening day of the
2013–14 season, playing the whole match in central defence as Lincoln drew 0–0 away at
Woking
Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in northwest Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'' and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement o ...
.
Both of Foster's goals for the season came in away fixtures at
Braintree Town
Braintree Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Braintree, Essex, England. They are currently members of and play at Cressing Road.
History
The club was formed on 24 September 1898 as Manor Works, the works team o ...
.
The first was scored in an
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The compet ...
match on 14 December 2013, netting in the 91st minute to give Lincoln the lead in an eventual 3–1 win.
His second came in the same fixture, but in the league, three months later; courtesy of a header from a Sean Newton corner in a 2–0 away victory on 18 March 2014.
He played regularly throughout the campaign, making 37 appearances in a season where Lincoln struggled for consistency and finished 14th in Conference Premier.
Foster left Lincoln when his contract expired at the end of the season.
Shortly after becoming a free agent, Foster signed for another Conference Premier team in the form of Southport on 18 June 2014.
He was made club captain ahead of the
2014–15 season.
Foster made his debut for Southport in a 1–0 home defeat to
Forest Green Rovers
Forest Green Rovers Football Club are a professional football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England. The team compete in , the third tier of the English football league system, and have played their home games at The New Lawn since ...
on the first day of the season.
He scored his first goal for the club in his fourth appearance; his stoppage-time header gave Southport their first win of the season in a 2–1 victory over
Altrincham
Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester city centre, southwest of Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2011 Census, it had a population o ...
at
Haig Avenue
Haig Avenue is a football stadium in Blowick, Southport, Merseyside, England, that holds 6,008 people (1,660 seated, 4,164 standing) Since its opening in 1905 it has been the home ground of Southport F.C. Everton Reserves also use the stadium fo ...
on 23 August 2014.
Foster made 41 appearances during the campaign in all competitions and scored four times.
He was named the club's Player of the Year for the season.
He remained at Southport for the
2015–16 campaign and was ever-present during the first half of the campaign.
However, Foster started to struggle with the commute to Southport from his home in
Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
each day
and subsequently joined local
National League North
The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Sy ...
club
Harrogate Town
Harrogate Town A.F.C. is a professional association football club in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, which competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system.
The club is nicknamed the Sulphurites, due to the ...
on 24 February 2016, on a contract until the remainder of the season. He made just four appearances during his time at Harrogate, spending the majority of his time there as an unused substitute, and left when his contract expired in April 2016.
Foster subsequently signed for
Ilkeston
Ilkeston is a town in the Borough of Erewash, Derbyshire, England, on the River Erewash, from which the borough takes its name, with a population at the 2011 census of 38,640. Its major industries, coal mining, iron working and lace making/texti ...
in May 2016, joining the club as a player-coach; the first coaching role of his career.
He featured frequently during the opening months of the season, but suffered an injury in an FA Trophy defeat to
Barwell
Barwell is a civil parish and large village in Leicestershire, England, with a population of 8,750 residents, Increasing to 9,022 at the 2011 census, the name literally translates as "Stream of the Boar" and is said to originate from a boar that ...
in October 2016.
It proved to be Foster's last appearance for the club as he left Ilkeston by mutual consent and signed for
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Divisio ...
club
Coalville Town on 30 November 2016.
He spent five months at Coalville, leaving the club in April 2017 after being appointed as
Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system.
The history of Oldham Athletic ...
's new commercial manager on 28 March 2017.
Foster returned to playing when he joined National League North club
North Ferriby United
North Ferriby United Association Football Club was a semi-professional football club in North Ferriby, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. At the time of their demise they were members of the Northern Premier League and played at Grange Lane.
F ...
in August 2017.
After making no appearances for North Ferriby during the opening month of the season, he signed for
Brighouse Town of the Northern Premier League Division One North in September 2017, making one appearance.
He then joined divisional rivals
Goole
Goole is a port town and civil parish on the River Ouse in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The town's historic county is the West Riding of Yorkshire.
According to the 2011 UK census, Goole parish had a population of 19,518, an increa ...
later that month.
He made his debut for Goole in a 2–1 loss at
Trafford
Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England, with an estimated population of 235,493 in 2017. It covers Retrieved on 13 December 2007. and includes the area of Old Trafford and the towns of Altrincham, Stretford, Ur ...
on 16 September 2017,
and went on to make five appearances in all competitions during a one-month spell for the club.
He moved up a division, signing for Northern Premier League club Barwell in November 2017.
He played twice for Barwell, before briefly re-joining North Ferriby United in December 2017.
Having initially been linked with a move to
Loughborough Dynamo
Loughborough Dynamo Football Club is a football club based in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Nanpantan Sports Ground.
History
The club was established in 1955 by pupils from Loughborou ...
in February 2018,
Foster eventually signed for the Northern Premier League Division One East club on 14 July 2018.
International career
Foster was named on standby for the
England C
The England national football C team (previously known as the England National Game XI and the England Semi-Pro national team) is the football team that represents England at non-league level.
Formed in 1979 as the England Non-League team, it fe ...
team in November 2007 for a match against
Finland C,
but did not receive a call-up.
He was called up again to represent England C against
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
in September 2008.
Foster played the whole match as England C lost 6–2 to Bosnia, assisting Luke Moore's goal.
This was his only appearance for England C.
Personal life
Foster has described himself as a "family man",
but admits to making bad lifestyle choices in his "younger years".
He was in a relationship for six years with
Rebekah Nicholson, who later married
Jamie Vardy
Jamie Richard Vardy (''né'' Gill; born 11 January 1987) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Leicester City. Regarded as one of the best strikers in the world, Vardy is known for his prolific goalscoring aided ...
.
They have one son, born in January 2010.
Career statistics
Honours
Stevenage
*
League Two play-offs:
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
Individual
*
Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and th ...
Player of the Year:
2007–08
*
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England.
Southport lies on the Irish ...
Player of the Year:
2014–15
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Luke
1985 births
Living people
People from Mexborough
Footballers from South Yorkshire
English footballers
England semi-pro international footballers
Association football defenders
Sheffield Wednesday F.C. players
Scarborough F.C. players
Alfreton Town F.C. players
Lincoln City F.C. players
York City F.C. players
Stalybridge Celtic F.C. players
Oxford United F.C. players
Mansfield Town F.C. players
Stevenage F.C. players
Rotherham United F.C. players
Matlock Town F.C. players
Preston North End F.C. players
Southport F.C. players
Harrogate Town A.F.C. players
Ilkeston F.C. players
Coalville Town F.C. players
North Ferriby United A.F.C. players
Brighouse Town F.C. players
Goole A.F.C. players
Barwell F.C. players
Loughborough Dynamo F.C. players
National League (English football) players
English Football League players
Northern Premier League players