Lumosa: Illuminating the world game through LED lighting

Lumosa are a British based technology company that provide comprehensive LED lighting to a vast variety of sporting codes on a global scale.

Specialising in sport stadium, field and ground lighting, the company prides itself upon providing a high quality series of products which are sustainable and durable.

Versatile within their line of business, they have built quite the portfolio across a vast number of sporting codes.

They have covered but not limited to golf, tennis, field hockey and football with the latter a primary focus of the business.

The objective of the company is to provide optimal visibility to sporting entities at an affordable level without the compromise of quality or the effectiveness of the products on offer.

Fundamentally the company are strict upon their sustainability mission. The products on offer, notwithstanding their size, use the lowest amount of CO2 emissions in comparison to rival lighting companies, giving Lumosa a competitive advantage within their niche field.

Footballers across all levels of the sport, from grassroots to seniors are training primarily under the floodlights of the night sky.

Although not a factor controllable by footballers themselves, they are at the forefront of how lighting can impact their performance.

Exceptional football lighting upon a pitch has been proven to give players an advantage. Movement is identified better by participants, given colours have become stronger all courtesy of high quality lights.

It allows them to make accurate passes, execute team movements, execute tactics, and anticipate movements of the opposition.

Furthermore, it enables coaches to execute training sessions thoroughly. The training of tactics, formations and team plays can all be adequately taught to players under the flood lights.

In addition, the improved visibility assists players in avoiding collisions with each other or with the ball in dispute throughout a match situation, the risk of injuries or collisions are ultimately lowered.

Also clear visibility can allow players to make better decisions regarding shooting, passing, tackling, defending positioning and attacking awareness, all leading to a more strategic, effective and decisive gameplay.

Lumosa’s optimal LED lighting products are designed upon the latest innovation within lighting. With LED lighting, it becomes the main choice in comparison to halogen and florescent choices due to its energy saving nature.

30% of energy consumption is saved within Lumosa’s products, understanding the game as a youth player and having had relatives on club boards, it is evident that lighting comes at a price.

A price in which junior clubs may not be able to afford.

There have been many instances where the lights at training go out, unreliable, yet expensive in operation costs due to their power consumption.

With adequate and weatherproof lighting, clubs are able to schedule matches and training sessions during night time sessions, this can lead to the expansion and development of their playing cohort.

Lumosa’s lighting products may be the way forward for the effective approach towards sustainable lighting for grassroots football clubs.

Although a subtle change, the possibilities of what more adequate lighting can provide to a club are endless.

The football industry in particular can benefit immensely from the implementation of Lumosa lighting around stadium and training ground facilities.

Improved spectator experience, combined with the improvement of player performance and youth development are all factors in which are hard to ignore.

With technology becoming more advanced on a broader scale, the details are now being refined in order to achieve the highest capacity possible out of every facet involved throughout the sport.

Although lighting may not be at the forefront of priorities required for the improvement of a football club’s development and operations, it is still a factor for which must be considered upon.

Looking ahead, Australian football clubs and stadiums who are in need of a sustainable yet durable lighting solution should look to Lumosa to implement the necessary changes provided by the lighting firm.

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Referees to improve consistency with new UEFA guidelines

In a meeting between Chief Refereeing Officers within UEFA and its 55 national associations, enhancing consistency and clarity underpinned the principle goals for the upcoming season.

Improving officiating

Referees – and particularly the usage of VAR – are often at the centre of post-match debates.

As the introduction of new technology into match officiating increases year-on-year, referees are in the spotlight more than ever before. The expectation was that more technology would decrease errors and controversy, but the opposite has proven to be the case.

Which is why the agreement and alignment between European nations marks a key step in the future of match officiating; the meeting between UEFA, its national associations and a representative of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) displays intention and commitment to ensuring future in-game decisions are clear, not controversial.

Meeting chair and UEFA Director for Refereeing, Roberto Rosetti, outlined why the agreement will have a vital impact on the future of European football, both domestically and internationally.

“The fact that all 55 national associations and UEFA have agreed on guidelines towards a more consistent approach to the application of the Laws of the Game marks a significant milestone,” Rosetti said.

“It will help improve the understanding of refereeing decisions among players, clubs and supporters and all stakeholders in the game.”

“For the popularity of football it is essential to remove all doubt from the game and ensure that the laws are applied with clarity.”

 

Limiting technology use

A widespread criticism of match officiating in recent years is the regularity with which VAR intervenes and interrupts match tempo.

The issue, however, is not that VAR can review decisions – in fact, this summer’s FIFA World Cup displayed an effective use of VAR during a case of mistaken identity, in which a player received a yellow card offence for a foul committed by an opposition player. In this regard, VAR was a vital part of ensuring a simulation offence did not go unpunished.

Frustration, however, grows when the use of VAR goes beyond checking “clear and obvious” errors. Lengthy replays, a multitude of angle-checking clips and the disruption of game flow all contribute to feelings of frustration among fans.

But recent amdendments aim to limit this in the upcoming season. VAR is an essential part of fair officiating, but responsibility must lie with the referee.

The new rules introduced by the IFAB are available here, with further initiatives to follow from UEFA in the coming weeks.

FIFA sparks widespread backlash with private investment proposal

In a shock announcement made on Tuesday this week, FIFA revealed plans to create a subsidiary known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to manage commercial and event operations for major competitions, including the World Cup. FIFA promises to reinvest all benefits back into the game, but the plan is receiving widespread criticism from governing bodies and governments around the world.

 

“Unleashing” football’s commercial power

Following the huge financial success of this summer’s FIFA World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino indicated plans to “unleash the commercial potential and opportunity” at FIFA’s disposal.

Indeed, it appears Infantino is wasting no time in capitalising on the tournament’s success, which generated AUD 21 billion (USD 15 billion) for FIFA.

An eye-watering number. A tournament record. And, apparently, still not enough.

Tuesday’s announcement made clear the intention to bring commercial rights under a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). This, according to FIFA, could generate AUD 6 billion (USD 4.2 billion) of initial capital with all net benefits going back into grassroots and infrastructure development for Member Associations (MA) through the FIFA Forward programme.

The money would be raised by selling minority stakes in FFE to private third-party investors, although FIFA has outlined that it will retain “sole control of FFE”.

The venture has a reported valuation of AUD 29 billion (USD 20 billion), prompting questions and backlash from around the world over who will actually benefit from the finances – and whether anyone should benefit at all.

 

What are critics saying?

On the surface, the principle of generating more money for MAs and investing into grassroots, coaching, women’s and youth football is a worthwhile ambition.

Currently, each MA receives AUD 11.5 million (USD 8 million) per year from FIFA Forward. FIFA affirms that, should the proposal go through, this funding would increase to AUD 29 million (USD 20 million) between 2027-2030.

However, several governing bodies, including UEFA, Concacaf and the English FA, are adamantly fighting the plans.

“This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross,” UEFA said via an official statement on social media.

“The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially,” UEFA continued.

“None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.”

Concacaf also expressed deep concern over the reports, citing a distinct lack of warning and due process from FIFA prior to the announcement.

“We share the disappointment of many within our region and the game that this level of detail has been designed and shared publicly before any discussion with the relevant governance bodies and stakeholders has taken place,” Concacaf said via official statement.

“As leaders within football, we are custodians of the game. Collectively, FIFA, the Confederations and every Member Association have a responsibility to always act in the best interests of the sport.”

Further concerns also centre around the company set to lead the proposed investor group – Thrive Eternal. Founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, Thrive Eternal’s role in the venture opens the door to potential conflicts of interests – and emboldens criticisms that Infantino’s relationship with the US President is compromising his leading role in football’s international governing body.

 

Football was never about the money

Investing into the game is vital to football’s sustained future, especially for nations without the financial power to fund it independent of football’s governing body.

Nobody will argue that supporting the entire football pyramid – from grassroots to professional, men’s and women’s, youth and para, playing and coaching – should benefit from the financial might of the sport’s elite.

And FIFA is promising such benefits for all – arriving in the form of tens of millions of dollars – and stemming from third-party investors intrigued by the commercial value of the beautiful game.

But this is exactly where the venture’s flaws start to appear.

Rhetoric about increasing football’s commercial power following the 2026 World Cup leads the governing body down a slippery slope to a sport which prioritises money over integrity, due process and the fans who uphold it week-in week-out.

Football – from its very first beginnings as a working class sport – was never about the money.

Although modern commercialisation has turned clubs into businesses and players into tradable assets, everyone within the pyramid is a custodian of the game.

The game is not a product to sell – especially by those entrusted to uphold its integrity.

 

What happens now?

FIFA stated its intentions to only proceed with the venture if it receives support from the majority of MAs. While many are already uniting in opposition to the proposal, there are national governing bodies who have vocalised their support, including the Czech FA.

UEFA, on the other hand, is set to hold an emergency meeting with its 55 members to discuss a potential boycott of future tournaments.

But with a deadline of September 19 for MAs to accept the proposal, and the promise of a payment worth AUD 57.5 million (USD 40 million) if they do, the next eight weeks will reveal the future of the game and the nature of its global governance.

FIFA’s plan, although laced with promises of investment, development and growth for all, has instead kicked off a contest to save the game’s soul – or change it forever.

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