ALAN ZHENG-PHOON LAU

Founder & Chair

"Like many children, my dream as a kid was to play football for England! There was always a barrier in Traditional Chinese and Asian culture where academic excellence was encouraged more. Times have changed with the second and third generation immigrants in the UK and I feel that we should be creating the space and perception that football, and others sports, is not only a viable vocation but also helps with health and well-being, as well as helping culturally and integration in society."

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Alan has been a keen footballer all his life, playing in amateur leagues in the UK and abroad and has an FA Level 1 Coaching Badge. He also holds roles as an FA EDI Community of Practice Ambassador (Grassroots), working with grassroots clubs, under-represented communities, pro-Clubs and County FAs to make sure Equality, Diversity and Inclusion sits across the footballing eco-system. He is also the Chair of the Hertfordshire FA's IAG (Inclusion Advisory Group) and in the FA County IAG Chair's steering group.

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He has also won the Watford FC Community Sports & Education Trust; Equality Champion 2023 and set up ESEA Hornets, a East and South East Asian Watford supporters group to encourage more people to engage in football fandom. He works at Watford FC CSE Trust as a casual staff member, working on Man On! - a mental health provision for men, as well as other community outreach programs and supporting the Trusts EDI initiatives. 

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Alan currently sits on the National Council of the Football Supporters Association. 

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