Clapton FC v London Bari FC by Spotted Dog

VIRTUAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

CLAPTON v

LONDON BARI Essex Senior League Saturday 21st December 2013 Kick Off 3.00PM

CLAPTON FC – VIRTUALLY THE BEST TEAM IN LONDON

Clapton Football Club HONOURS LIST Formed as ‘Downs FC’ in 1877. Re-named Clapton Football Club in 1878. Founder members of the Southern League. Founder members of the Isthmian League (now Ryman League). The First English Club to play on the Continent. (1890) FA AMATEUR CUP WINNERS 1906/07, 1908/09, 1915/15, 1923/24. 1924/25 Runners Up 1904/05 ISTHMIAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 1910/11, 1922/23 Runners Up 1905/06, 1907/08. 1909/10, 1924/25 Division Two Champions 1982/83 ESSEX SENIOR CUP WINNERS 1890/91, 1924/25, 1925/26, 1954/55, 1983/8 LONDON SENIOR CUP WINNERS 1888/89. 1908/09, 1910/11 Runners Up 1988/89 ESSEX SENIOR TROPHY WINNERS 1988/89 ESSEX THAMESIDE TROPHY WINNERS 1982/83, 1983/84 A.F.A. INVITATION SENIOR CUP WINNERS 1965/66 Founded by W.R. Davies, at a meeting in his father’s house at 11 Queensdown Road, Clapton E5, August of 1877, Downs FC started playing on Hackney Downs. Three years later in 1880, and with a name change to Clapton Football Club, the Tons moved the short distance to North Mill Field, Leyton. Later that year the Tons were offered their first private enclosure at Elm Farm with a rental of £10 per year. They moved once more before settling at the Dog, to Pilgrims Farm, Walthamstow. It was the founding of the London FA that introduced Clapton FC to the Spotted Dog, The Tons played an LFA Cup match against City Albion who had a pitch in the field just north of the Dog. The tenants of the Dog were St Bartholemews Hospital who were about to vacate, so Clapton obtained a lease from the owner, Mrs Vause. It was a bold step, the rent was £35 a year, whilst the club’s annual income amounted to £40. The opening game at the Dog took place on the 29th September 1888 and the Clapton team beat a team from Old Carthusians by a goal to nil. The scorer was J.S. Sellars. The ground was a roped enclosure and the players changed in a barn in Upton Lane. Many games drew crowds of 4,000 or more, and several notable Ton’s players were recruited from those watching when numbers were short. In 1982 a Southern League game was the first league match ever to be played at the Dog. Before this, only friendly and cup matches had taken place. The brewers, Watneys took over the freehold of the ground and during the second world war the Dog became an anti-aircraft station. During these five years, Clapton played at Newbury Park, the home of Ilford FC. A crowd of 12,000 watched Clapton play Spurs in a cup tie in 1898 which resulted in a 1-1 draw. In more ‘recent’ times, a crowd of 2,000 witnessed an FA Amateur Cup match against Barnet in 1964. In 1992, the Clapton Trust managed to negotiate and finally secure, in 1995, a 99 year lease on the ground. This achievement should have secured the club’s future at the Old Spotted Dog, however, with Vince McBean ay the help, recent events and mismanagement have placed this security in jeopardy and these issues will need to be addressed to secure the club’s future once more.

JOIN THE FRIENDS OF CLAPTON FC Whilst the primary objectives of the Friends of Clapton FC was to help those who run, administer and play for the Tons, the entity that claims to be Clapton FC has neither acknowledged or accepted that the Friends group have a role to play in the future of the club and would prefer to continue in it’s present shambolic state. In the meantime, the Friends of Clapton remain vigilant as to any perceived problems, and of issues, such as tenure on the ground, that are not addressed by the ‘club’. For example, earlier this year, the lease on the ground was only weeks away from forfeiture, due to mal administration by the self proclaimed 'club owner’. (Not filing accounts) The continuance and well-being of the club, the security of tenure at the Old Spotted Dog Ground and promotion of Clapton FC's activities in an open and forthright manner would re-establish the club in the world of football as well as the local community. However, this is not currently on the ‘club’s agenda’. We believe that Clapton Football Club is deserving of support and whose survival is important, not only to the local area, but also to the sport of association football, the development of which, owes much to the Clapton players, officials and supporters of yesteryear. Please join us and bring about change at Clapton FC by clicking here Any questions or enquiries to secretary@friendsofclaptonfc.org

CLAPTON v london bari Essex Senior League Saturday 21st December 2013

Last Tuesday’s postponement was a disappointment for all those hoping to see the Tons bounce back from last Saturday’s defeat at Takeley. At the time of writing, (Friday) the weather forecast is not good and there is every possibility that today’s game will fall foul of the weather as well. Our visitors today are our tenants/squatters London Bari FC. As we know, Bari are not having the most successful season’s on the park, but this is no reason for our lads to be complacent. They recently ran Tower Hamlets very close in a 2-3 defeat here at the Dog and also claimed the scalp of Fisher FC in the London Senior Cup. Furthermore, today’s match is is a ‘derby game’ and nothing would pleased our visitors more than to stick one across their ‘supposed’ landlords. Let us hope to see a keenly contest match in the best traditions of an East London derby game. The ‘flares’ issue erroneously raised by the Essex Senior League a a couple of weeks ago is well chronicled on our website at www.friendsofclaptonfc.info. We do carry a further commentary on the situation in this iProg but, if you are unaware of what has transpired, please follow the link above. This is our last game of 2013 and, it would be fair to say, that the climate at the Old Spotted Dog has changed somewhat during the year. Hugely increased attendances, good, positive media coverage (as regards the fans and the team) and a general awareness of what the situation is at the ‘club’ has meant that progress has been made in unravelling a nest of bluff and myth. However, there is much to be done. Eleven months ago, we were told by the ‘Chairman of Clapton FC’ that the membership was closed for re-structuring. This remains the case. However, we have not wasted time and we are now fully aware of the situation at ‘Clapton FC’, as to how those, who purport to ‘own’ the club, run the ‘club’ and who profit by the operation of the’clbs’ assets. It is now time, at the turn of a new year, for these issues to come, if necessary, before an appropriate tribunal whereby they can be determined in the best interests of the real Clapton Football Club, the entity formed as Downs FC in 1877. The latest news from the ‘club’ is a letter from the Secretary, Shirley Doyle, to Pitchero who host a website giving information on games, photos and videos etc. In that letter she claims that the Friends of Clapton FC are passing themselves off as the club and has asked for the removal of the club crest from the webpage. We use, and will continue to use the crest (above) unless directed by some body with authority to do so. We will respond and full transcripts of the correspondence will appear on our website www.friendsofclaptonfc.info shortly. However, let us return to the positives. Clapton are enjoying their best season for many years. If we win this afternoon our points tally will be 33. This has already surpassed last season’s hard fought total and is equal with the highest number of points achieved by a Clapton team since they were relegated to the Essex Senior League in 2006. Off the field our home games are being attended by the highest number of spectators hat have been seen at the Old Spotted Dog for many, many seasons. We even have a presence at away matches. However, this new impetus has been brought about by you, the Clapton supporter, followers or anyone interested in this famous old club of OURS and not, Mr McBean, the self appointed ‘Oligart’ of E7, and his patsies.

CLAPTON PROGRAMMES FROM THE PAST CORINTHIAN CASUALS v LEYTONSTONE ISTHMIAN LEAGUE TUESDAY 21ST APRIL 1953 In relatively recent years we have seen a numer of clubs using the Old Spotted Dog ground as their home turf. Eton Manor, Woodford Town (remember them?) London Apsa and currently London Bari have called the Dog their home in the past. Previously, the Isthmian League had members who did not have a permenant home. London Caledonians used Leyton and Tufnell Park among other grounds and Corninthaian Casuals, were nomads in that they shared Tooting and Mitcham’s Sandy Lane, Champion Hill at Dulwich and Molesey FC before acquiring their new home at Tolworth. It was Cor-Cas, as they were referred to in the results page of the Sunday papers in the 1970s, (often followed by ‘0’), that used the ‘Dog’ in 1953 when a fixture backlog , and the unavailability of their ‘home’ Kennington Oval the cricket ground, forced them to seek temporary accommodation. The Oval was available due to the start of the cricket season. The visitors on 21st April 1953 were our old neighbours Leytonstone FC who still hasd a remote chance of winning the Isthmian League championship.. However, the match finished 1-1 which virtually extinquished the East Londoners hopes of the title. A interesting member of the Casuals team that evening and, indeed, scorer of their goal from the penalty spot, was D.I. (Doug) Insole. Mr Insole was an England test cricketer and captain of Essex CC. He went on to become one of the test selectors and play for Corinthian Casuals in the 1956 FA Amateur Cup Final in 1956 where they lost to Bishop Auckland in a replay. On the Leytonstone team were Vic Groves, who went on to play for Leyton Orient and Arsenal. His nephew, is ex Arsenal striker Perry. It also included two players with the name ‘Clapton’ - Les and Danny. Danny went on to play for Arsenal (225 matches, 27 goals) and won a Full England cap against Wales in 1958.

Published in the MORNING STAR this week. Rhys Hartley finds refuge from the egomaniac owners of the Premier League by following Clapton FC Cardiff City supporters have been riled again this week as the club’s owner Vincent Tan again publicly undermined the manager. Stating that Malky Mackay would not “be given a single penny,” Tan is asserting his authority over the manager. This is a man who has already changed the colour of the kit from blue to red, replaced the bluebird — the focal point of the badge — with a dragon and sacked the widely respected head of recruitment with a young family friend. The growth of the wealthy, arrogant owner is seen across the beautiful game, notably at Hull City where their owner is attempting to change the name to be more “brandable.” It is no surprise, therefore, that we are witnessing a backlash among fans against the modern game. I’ve been fortunate to stumble across the phenomenon of Clapton FC since moving to London a few months ago. While doing a bit of ground-hopping in the Essex Senior League I was surprised to see a decent crowd, let alone the chanting and banners that were to be found. With anti-fascist flags draped across the front of the stand and a range of chants from Desmond Dekker’s music to that of the Pussy Cat Dolls, I knew I had found my new footballing home. What really stood out for me, however, was the Welsh flag that was in the middle of the lot. I received a great welcome from everyone and became the newest recruit of the fans’ “Welsh Division.” Clapton play at the oldest senior ground in London, the beautifully named Old Spotted Dog Ground. With just one stand and one terrace, it is perfect for a football purist like myself. The terrace is build out of scaffolding that the fans have embraced by calling themselves the “Scaffold Brigada.” Trying to replicate the ultras movement that is seen across the continent, the noise is constant and there is some use of pyrotechnics, despite the Essex League’s protestations. The players and management love it, and come over and join in the chanting at the end of games. Can you imagine the same happening at Chelsea or even Leyton Orient? Of course, the standard of football isn’t great. But football is so much more than that. The noise I witnessed upon walking to my first game was reminiscent of that outside Ninian Park in the good days watching Cardiff and I’ve really been swept off my feet with the club, not having missed a game since my first. Three seasons ago, Clapton’s average attendance was only 25. By now, there are at least 50 regulars with crowds often topping the 100 mark. This is surely a sign of dissatisfaction with professional football as a whole. Football without fans is nothing. Wrexham fans have succeeded in taking over their club, Swansea had to suffer at the hands of a greedy owner before being able to reach where they are today. Even Barry Town in the Welsh First Division have suffered. It is time to retaliate. Clapton is a model to do so and the Welsh framework is already in place. Thanks to Ryan for penning this excellent article

No Pyro – No Party BY DANIEL PEACOCK · DECEMBER 3, 2013

We couldn’t afford Sky Sports when I was growing up so I spent my younger teen life watching Channel 4 and Football Italia where the likes of AC Milan, Sampdoria, Internazionale and Paul Gascoigne’s Lazio amongst others were on the box each week. What I remember about those huge stadiums on my 14 inch Toshiba colour box (with battery cover missing remote) were the flags, the fans with banners, folk standing on walls risking life and chanting with scarves around their face, the masses of toilet roll thrown on the pitch, ticker tape and flares in smoke filled stadiums that oozed atmosphere unknown to how we would watch a game in the UK.

No Pyro No Party

I loved it, loved the culture and loved the way they did things. Even back then football in England (post Hillsborough) was far too safe for my liking. I used to stand at the very front of the Trent End as a twelve or thirteen year old bracing myself for the crush of 5,000 drunk swearing blokes racing forward arms aloft when a goal went in… I did my apprenticeship. But the standing section went with inflatable bananas and English grounds became safer places and rightly so, the all seater stadium is a much better design and one that minimalises risk of injury, you can also get to a game at five to three on a Saturday afternoon and not have to worry about finding a good viewing point, so I’m all for that. But whilst I’m all for a safer place to go and watch our favourite teams play, I’m also more than up for a bit of atmosphere and a little less Hitler culture when it comes to the policing of fans. I don’t have kids but if my kids can’t watch a game with a plastic carton of capri-sun with a lid on then what message are we sending out to people? It’s bad enough that you can’t drink a pint or smoke a fag outdoors nowadays but when I read Wembley’s rules and regulations it makes me sad to think that football was once a sport enjoyed by many who enjoyed to bring with them their own piece to the party. I quote “Flags more than 250cm in size at their widest or longest section will not be allowed and flagpoles greater than 1m in length will not allowed” But they allow a manufactured shit band to carry on playing an awful racket to drum up a false (largely unwanted) atmosphere every time the national team plays, and what’s worse is they get paid to f*cking do it!

Of course the culture nowadays is clearly changing. I suppose it’s a society issue and racism, homophobia, foul language and provocative gestures are every bit as unwanted to UK stadiums as “knives, fireworks, explosives, smoke canisters, aerosols, air-horns, noisemakers, flares, weapons, dangerous or hazardous items, illegal substances, laser devices, bottles, glass vessels, cans, poles, or any article that may be used as a weapon and/or compromise public safety or which may pose a hazard or nuisance to any other person, or any article to be used for a commercial or a charitable purpose” (Thanks for the info Wembley)… Because people, who come to watch football, generally are coming to do what they say on the tin… Watch football. But my worry is before you know it and if we’re not (or perhaps even too) careful, Anfield’s famous Kop with flags and flares will be long dead and we’ll all be sitting down watching our favourite team in ambient theatre like surroundings in neutral corporate filled arenas with no hatred, hostility or animosity for our deepest rivals or opponents on the day because the world will be a much more loving, caring and likeable place that doesn’t involve excitement, passion, expression, creativity, joviality and unfortunately for some… pyrotechnics. With CCTV pointing the finger at EVERY one that misbehaves at a UK football ground nowadays… I just ask (when we do go down the same route as those well behaved people in stadiums in North Korea that all our Health & Safety gurus expect us to aspire to be like)… “Can I please have the bottle top included when I pay £4.50 for a soft drink?” ---------------------------------- 0000 ---------------------------------Danny Peacock writes a very interesting football blog at http://www.danielpeacock.net Find him on twitter at @dannypea

OUR VISITORS - LONDON BARI FC London Bari were formed in 1995 by the now Redbridge FC chairman, Imran Merchant. They played in the South Essex Sunday League for three years but took a three year break thereafter due to unforeseen circumstances. In 1999 they re-grouped and fielded two teams in divisions one and two of the Asian League. Playing on Wanstead Flat in Cape Road, Forest Gate, the club quickly progressed and in 2011/12 won the Essex Corinthian Sunday Football League. Having then, secured a ground share agreement to use the Old Spotted Dog ground, they successfully applied to join the Essex senior League. In their first season, under the management of Ricky Eaton, great things were expected of Bari due to their recruitment of some very useful players at higher level than the Essex Senior League. In matches against Clapton FC last season, Bari won Clapton’s ‘home’ match 3-0 whilst the game when Bari were deemed to the hosts was drawn 1-1. In the close season, Mr Merchant took up a position as chairman of Redbridge FC and with him went Team manager, Ricky Eaton. The new chairman of London Bari is Mr Tony Ray and we wish him well. Mr Ray has taken no time in looking to the future by establishing a London Bari Football Charity which looks to help, develop and support the lives or careers of young men of African, Caribbean and Mixed origin. Meanwhile on the park, London Bari’s performances have been disappointing. The upheaval of the summer left those remaining at the club with a huge task and this has been reflected by their results. At present they are winless and prop up the league table with only two points. However, this is the ‘Dog Derby’ and one should not underestimate our visitors’ will to put one over on their ‘supposed’ landlords this afternoon. Earlier in the season the Tons won the ‘Bari home game’ here at the Dog by two goals to nil with Jerome Martelli and a ‘worldie’ from John Hughes separating the teams. We wish Bari well for the rest of season.

Why Supporters Trusts Are The Future Of English Football by Richard Foster

Sick of fake sheikhs and oligarchs out to make a quick buck? Here's why English clubs should follow the example of the Bundesliga and promote supporters trusts.

Fed up with your pesky chairman? Are your odious owners driving your club to financial hell in a handcart? Do you want to break free from the shackles of the latest sheikh using and abusing your team as his latest plaything? Well suffer no more there is a solution. Stand up to the evil vultures currently hovering over the carcass of your once proud club and take control of your own destiny. So far so good but surely this is too actually good to be true and the practicalities of wresting ownership away from the unsavoury collection of toads and weasels who have infested the club’s boardroom is just pie in the sky. It is certainly not straightforward with a great deal of wailing and gnashing of teeth to come, as well as copious outpourings of blood, sweat and tears but it is possible. Follow the likes of Pompey, AFC Wimbledon and the dozens of clubs which, over the last decade, have all set up their own supporters’ trusts and now enjoy a significant say in the running of their football clubs and, in some cases, have complete control. The ideal of a group of fans who not only care passionately but also are justifiably concerned enough to take up the reins of their beloved club owes a huge debt of gratitude to a city that is not exactly a hotbed of football. St. James Park is an evocative name but we are not talking about the stadium that briefly and shamefully became the Sports Direct arena under Mike Ashley. Whereas Ashley claims to represent the fans his reign at Newcastle is more to do with self-aggrandisement and promoting his “stack ‘em high, sell it cheap” retail empire. According to the brutally frank and disarming words of Andy Bratt, one of the Supporters Trust officials, this St. James Park ”is no spring chicken. Our away end is one of the worst in the country and embarrasses us when fans have to stand there in the rain.” As ramshackle and run down a ground it would be hard to find in the Football League but this shack is host to Exeter City. Over the last ten years or so the Grecians have developed a template for successful fan ownership, which is the envy of much larger clubs and is not only one of the originals but probably still best in class. It is worth looking briefly at the story behind Exeter’s remarkable transformation from virtual basket case to being top of the pile. Back in the early 2000s the club looked as though it could end up as the first casualty of the new millennium with financial problems mounting the club’s

very existence was under threat. The board had turned into a refuge for an extraordinary collection of celebrities including illusionist/ magician Uri Geller who as co-chairman, attracted fellow magician David Blaine and to top it all, Michael Jackson, to an event in June 2002 at the dilapidated St James Park. Jackson addressed the 10,000 who gathered and proceeded to ask them to hold hands in a display of ‘love and unity’. The uniting factors between this motley crew were a disinterest in football and even in the county town of Devon. Julian Tagg, a leading light in the birth of the trust and a current director summed up the feeling of alienation when interviewed by BBC South West, ”I was listening to the radio and someone said that with Uri Geller and co involved, all we needed was Coco the Clown to complete the set.” Faced with this ludicrous star-struck galaxy of weirdos that populated the boardroom, the fans grasped the nettle and in 2000 set up the Exeter City Supporters Trust. The main aim of the trust was to give the long-suffering fans a voice in the running of the club. Within a few years this noble intention had led to full ownership of the club and since 2003 the ECST has been ruling the roost, and generally for the better. Not only do Exeter boast the longest serving manager in the Football League in Paul Tidsdale they also have shown themselves to be the bastions of fan owned clubs by introducing stability and continuity where there was once chaos and confusion. The team are also doing pretty well riding high in League Two having bounced back up from The Blue Square Premier in 2008 after a play-off Final win at Wembley. Whilst Exeter are the trailblazers in the UK, the idea of fans holding the whip hand is well established in Europe, with Barcelona being the ultimate example, having around 120,000 members or ‘socis’ with the club being run by the members and for the members. Alongside bitter rivals Real Madrid and lesser lights such as Athletic Bilbao and Osasuna, Barca are officially an association whose members are the owners. It is difficult to understand how this works as it is almost anathema to all British clubs. Maybe it is the unique Catalan issue that differentiates Barcelona from English clubs but it is hard to imagine one of the larger English clubs ever being owned by the fans. Mes que un Club is not a motto that would comfortably transfer to Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford or The Emirates. But the true cradle of the concept of fan ownership is Germany, where it has been established for fifty years and is considered one of the contributory factors in the continuing success at both club and international levels. Unlike the vast majority of British clubs that have fallen into the laps of supporters because they were pretty much the last resort, in the top two German divisions fan ownership is enshrined in the DFL’s constitution. The so-called ’50 + 1’ rule ensures that all clubs have a majority shareholding held by club members (there are two exceptions Bayer Leverkusen and VFL Wolfsburg which are both subsidiaries of industrial groups, Bayer and VW) and is the platform for the consistent high performance achieved by the likes of German club sides in European competition and, of course, the national side, which re-invented itself after failing in Euro 2000. Richard Foster spent (too) many years working in sales & marketing in media, including a 13 year stint at the Financial Times. In 2006 he experienced an epiphany and coupled with a full-blown mid-life crisis, he became a journalist and writer. Since then he has been a regular contributor to Harpers, the wine magazine and has also written for the Guardian and a variety of websites & fanzines. In June 2013 Richard was invited as one of just a few select writers, alongside Jonathan Wilson and Phil Shaw, to contribute articles for the Football League's 125th Anniversary. He has just finished his first book, “Up, Up and Away”, the very first book to tell the captivating story of the English Football League Play-Offs and the birth of the biggest money game in world sport. His support of Crystal Palace is unwavering, the rock on which his life is based, poor bugger. He is also co-host and writer of Seventh Heaven, ‘the best quiz in Europe’. His longer ramblings can be found at http://fosterfire.blogspot.com, his more pithy, twittery stuff @rcfoster

http://sabotagetimes.com/author/richard-foster

Clapton Supporters Much has been made in recent days of a letter received by the club from the Essex Senior League concerning supporter behaviour at the ground. They specifically asked the club to bring this to the supporters attention and the club complied by publishing extracts of the letter. Extracts from the letter were reproduced on the ‘official’ website, and made a specific allegation that flares have been discharged at Clapton matches and that this was a criminal offence. The League went to the lengths of actually quoting the legislation that they believed covered these alleged incidents. However, the supporters group, Friends of Clapton FC, pointed out that no flares had been discharged as alleged and, in any case the legislation quoted did not apply to Clapton FC, the Essex Senior League or any matches in which Clapton FC had played this season. In a subsequent email the League chose to rely on website photos that had been “noted by authorities” as being justification for the warning. They further revised their description of the ‘offending actions’ as being flares/smoke emission. Mr McBean has since issued the following update on the club website

Flares Update Following our recent notice about the letting off of flares, we would like to make it clear that no individual or body was being accused of this. Therefore, statements or references that state "Ultras given flare warning" is not only misleading but inaccurate. To reiterate, we received a letter from the Essex Senior League Chairman which we posted on our website. It is the Club's responsibility to ensure that the rules relating to Clapton FC are followed. For clarification, when any individual comes into any football ground, they are automatically deemed to accept the rules of that Ground. Our rules come via EUFA, the FA and the Essex Senior League. Under the Rules the following items are prohibited: Knives, fireworks, explosives, smoke canisters, aerosols, air-horns, noisemakers, flares, weapons, dangerous or hazardous items, illegal substances, laser devices, bottles, glass vessels, cans, poles, or any article that may be used as a weapon and/or compromise public safety or which may pose a hazard or nuisance to any other person, or any article to be used for a commercial or a charitable purpose. Any person in possession of such items will be refused entry to or ejected from the Ground. Clapton FC welcomes the growing number of spectators and supporters to the Spotted Dog - it makes such a difference on match day. However, as a Club, we are now in the spotlight, which can potentially lead to us having to use match day stewards. As we strive to improve the club and progress into higher leagues, the rules become more and more stringent and the penalties for failing to adhere to these rules become greater. So let's continue to enjoy the football at The Dog safely and within the rules. Vincent McBean Chief Executive

Unfortunately by continuing to refer to them in the title, Mr McBean has failed to grasp the fact that no flares have been let off. Furthermore it transpires that the League were relying upon, what they thought were, photographs incidents in which they assumed involved flares and referred to legislation that carries custodial sentences. Unless one has the IQ of a pot plant, that’s a warning and, given the referral to photographs, it was intended to warn a specific section of supporters in a specific part of the ground. To now deny that was the case, is quite incredulous. The rules section quoted by Mr McBean is a cut and paste from those of Wembley Stadium. Are we to assume that Mr McBean, or his ‘stewards’, are going to search the holdalls of groundhoppers to confiscate their cans of Vimto upon entry to the Old Spotted Dog? Such ‘rules’ are the exact reason why many people, including those groundhoppers, have turned away from the ‘pro’ game and the corporate, sanitised atmosphere of English professional football grounds. As far as the Old Spotted Dog Ground is concerned, the rules are a matter for Newham Community Leisure Ltd. Whilst Mr McBean is a director of that company, this company are, and have been, prevented from conducting any business for a number of years. Mr McBean’s ‘Clapton Football Club’ otherwise known as ‘Clapton Members Club’, does not function as a club, and having seen the rules of the former, makes no mention of any affiliation to the Football Association. It is not the ‘safety advice’ of the League that is in question, but the heavy handed and illinformed approach in their doing so.

Play it to me one more time. Southend United 0-1 Bristol Rovers League Two - Saturday 20th December 2003 At first glance, it would seem quite odd to followers of both the Shrimpers or Gas Heads how this docile affair could possible register as my most memorable match. Neither club were setting the world alight or there anything too out of the ordinary about Southend frustratingly losing at home. Nevertheless, the events of that fateful afternoon one Saturday before Christmas will be etched in my mind eternally. To that point, Southend United had endured a dire season. The club were second from bottom in the Football League, and had shown little sign’s of any upward movement. I was joined at the match by customary sidekick Ed and my dad. The old man had been under the weather of late, the hospital were about to carry out some tests. However unappealing a meeting of two lowly League 2 clubs might sound, he was looking forward to getting out of the house and briefly taking his mind off it all. We parked the car at Prittlewell railway station and took the short walk to Roots Hall Stadium. It was clear that dad was struggling a little but he was in good form. “Can you walk alongside me?” he asked Ed. “Are you struggling Tony?” Ed asked inquisitively, “No, I just don’t want the passing cars to splash me” he responded. Dad went on to tell us about the procedure the hospital was to undertake upon him, in the way only an old man could. “They’re gonna put a camera inside me” he told us. “Ain’t you worried?” Ed asked curiously, “I’m not worried about the camera, but concerned about the camera crew” he jovially responded. After a quick pint, we took out seats in the East Stand, just behind the visitors’ dugout. Already something was peculiar about the encounter. Both teams were playing in “away” kits. Rovers a black and yellow number, while Southend bizarrely sported a “post-box red” shirt. Dad took a bag of Humbugs out of his coat pocket. We looked at him expectantly as he unwrapped one of the sweets and popped it in his mouth. “I would give you one, but I’ve only got sixteen left,” He said, and returning the bag to his pocket, we could see the tight-fisted old git meant it too! Southend started brightly, but after a couple of early chances had gone begging, Bristol Rovers midfielder Dave Savage beat Shrimpers goalkeeper Daryl Flahaven following good work from Wayne Carlisle and Lewis Haldane to fired the visitors ahead, bloody typical! Southend huffed and puffed, but continued to dominate without making too much headway. After 24 minutes, they were presented with a glorious opportunity. Goal scorer Savage fouled Tes Bramble and whistler Keith Hill had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot. Up stepped Mark Gower, unfortunately his truly awful spot kick was easily rebuffed by Rovers keeper Kevin Miller, prompting an exclamation of “Your mother could have hit that harder” from the old man. The half time cuppa went down well on what was a cold blustery day. As we supped on the steaming brew, the old man waxed lyrical about the past. I can’t remember what anecdote’s the old boy selected for our interval entertainment, but I’m sure it started with “Have I ever told you about” and ended with “I saw him play at West Ham” and I’ve no doubt he’d told us it at least 100 times! Southend continued to dominate during the second period. As the game ebbed, but hardly flowed, I found myself nervously fiddling with my mobile phone. Despite our “nothing gets in the way of football” rule, I had met this girl from the West Midlands a couple of weeks previous. I was “head over heels” and desperate to hear her voice, as I had not seen her for several days. Much to Ed’s dismay, I called her as the match proceeded in front of us. The old man was inquisitive as to who it was “Just a girl I know” I answered sketchily. I should have been more informative about the recipient of my call. After standing by me through several disastrous relationships, and indeed been my “rock” through a divorce, it will always pain me that I did not explain in more detail how special she was and more so that he would never get to meet her. As the game approached its conclusion, Southend were awarded another penalty. Rovers’ defender Christian

Edwards handled, and to add insult to injury was sent off for his second booking of the afternoon. Regrettably, but as a Southend supporter perhaps not surprisingly, lightening was about to strike twice. Drew Broughton’s penalty troubled the ball boys more so than Rovers custodian Miller and another chance had gone West, although thinking back, perhaps it was more North-East! Rovers held firm to secure the points. The final whistle drew the usual chorus of booing from the disgruntled home crowd; however, today this was coupled with a quite extraordinary incident. As we got up from our seats, one of the Bristol Rovers entourage, who we believed to be the physiotherapist, began to make obscene gestures in our general direction. Now Ed does not need a second invitation to have a pop back. Already somewhat pissed off that Southend had managed to annihilate another opportunity to pull themselves away from the foot of the league, he suggested in no uncertain terms that both the physio, and for that matter anyone out there from West of Reading, should “go forth and multiply” preferably in the general direction of Wales. Unfortunately, local “Bobby” PC Dickie Spooner oversaw this. I recall Dad asking me “Where’s Ed” as I pointed at him being frogmarched along the cinder track and out of the ground. This was something of an achievement, even by Ed’s standards, as I had never seen someone thrown out of a football match after it had already finished! We met up with a dishevelled Ed outside the stadium and walked back to the car, trying to piece together what had gone wrong, and as ever failing to come up with any conclusive answers. Southend’s next match was on Boxing Day away at Cambridge United. A goal from Leon Constantine would secure three precious points and spearhead a scramble away from the foot of the football league. I had a ticket for that festive fixture but never made it to the Abbey Stadium. At around 10pm on Christmas Day, Dad’s heart called time and our lives changed forever. Southend United eased clear of the relegation zone. They would also reach the LDV Van’s Final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, although there would be no fairytale finish as the Shrimpers first major cup final ended in a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Blackpool. Things did improve for the club though, and indeed me. Two successive promotions and memorable cup-tie’s with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. Meanwhile, remember that phone call. Well, I married Victoria, 10-years on we now have three beautiful children Alfie, Stanley and Oliver who attend football with me every week. However, throughout those highs and more recently, once again low’s, something or should I say someone is missing. How the kids would have loved his stories about playing for Clapton, Ernie Gregory and sitting on the railway bridge watching Leytonstone. We heard them all that afternoon as we did every time Dad accompanied us to a match. Bristol Rovers victory on 20th December 2003 was unremarkable to the vast majority of the 3,771 crowd at Roots Hall, but how I would love to relive that day, just one more time! Southend United: Flahaven, McSweeney (Husbands), Wilson, Hunt (Warren), Cort, Maher, Smith, Gower, Knightly (Broughton), Constantine, Bramble. Subs not used: Emberson, Jenkins. Bristol Rovers: Miller, Anderson, Boxall, Edwards, Barrett, Hyde, Savage, Williams (Gilroy), Carlisle, Agogo, Haldane (Quinn). Subs not used: Clarke, Parker, Austin. Attendance: 3,771

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CLAPTON FC FIXTURES Season 2013/2014 Date Thu 10/07/13

Comp FR

Opponent

Sat 13/07/13

AYM Higher

5-2 Read 3,

Sat 20/07/13 Mon 22/07/13 Sat 27/07/13

FR FR FR

Harwich & Parkeston Fisher FC Crockenhill

A A A

D L W

0-0 1-4 Rungay 2-1

Tue 30/07/13

Halstead Town

1-6

Sat 03/08/13 Sat 10/08/13 Tue 13/08/13 Sat 17/08/13 Wed 21/08/13 Tue 27/08/13 Sat 31/08/13 Tue 03/09/13 Sat 07/09/13

FR ESL ESL FAC FAC ESL FAC ESL ESL

White Ensign FC Bowers and Pitsea Tower Hamlets Stanway Rovers Stanway Rovers London Bari Mildenhall Town Haringey Borough Hullbridge Sports

A A H H A A H H A

L D L D W W L D D

2-3 0-0 2-3 0-0 1-0 2-0 0-2 1-1 0-0

Tue 10/09/13

LCC

Great Wakering Rovers

1-1 Duyille (AET)

Tue 19/09/13 Sat 21/09/13 Sat 28/09/13 Tue 01/10/13 Sat 05/10/13 Tue 8/10/13 Sat 12/10/13 Tue 15/10/13 Sat 19/10/13

ESL FAV ESL ESL ESL GBT ESL ESL FAV

Takeley Wotton Blue Cross Basildon United Ilford Stansted Tower Hamlets Sawbridgeworth Town Eton Manor Barking

H A A H A A H H H

W W L W W W L W L

2-0 1-0 0-2 4-0 2-1 3-0 0-3 2-1 0-1

Sat 24/10/13

ESL

Southend Manor

1-2 Jarriette

Sat 16/11/13

ESL

Southend Manor

2-0 Halloway, Duyille

Sat 23 /11/13

ESL

Enfield 1893

0-4

Wed 27/11/13

ESL

Sat 30/11/13 Tue 03/12/13 Sat 07/12/13

ESL ESL ESL

Tue 10/12/13

ESL

Sat 14/12/13

ESL ESL

A A H H H A H

L L W W W L

Tue 17/12/13

Sporting Bengal United FC Romania London APSA Barking Great Wakering Rovers Takeley Greenhouse London

2-3 2-4 5-0 1-0 1-0 1-2 P-P

Sat 21/12/13

ESL

London Bari

Sat 04/01/14

ESL

Greenhouse London

Tue 07/01/14

GBT

Eton Manor

Sat 11/01/14

ESL

Stansted

Sat 18/11/14

ESL

Great Wakering Rovers

Sat 25/01/14

ESL

Basildon United

KEY

Meridian

H/A Res A L

ESL = Essex Senior League FR = Friendly

Score 0-1

Scorers

Alleyne (p), Tacey Jarriette, Alleyne Matthews Martelli, Hughes Coulson (pen) GWR won on pens

Duyille, Parker Tacey. (AET) Martelli 2, Jeffes, Jarriette Duyille, Martelli

Duyille, Lowes

Lowes, Martelli Jones, Martelli Martelli 2, Briggs, Jones, Jeffes Jarriette Jarriette Martelli

FAC - FA Cup

FAV = FAV Vase LCC = League Cup

DE-FLEA THE DOG Capital One are running a competition on Facebook to provide a makeover for a football ground. Please nominate the Old Spotted Dog Ground For More details http://www.claptonfc.info/osd/pics/2.htm

THE OLIVER TRIGG EXPERIENCE

Mike Bayly’s (Non League Day) Latest Project

100 BRITISH FOOTBALL GROUNDS TO VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE

BRIAN JEEVES’ LATEST BOOK OUT SOON NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE ORDER

Mike says “I need your feedback for the new book I am writing, 100 British Football Grounds To Visit Before You Die. Vote for your favourite five British football grounds by emailing 100groundsproject@gmail.com

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

http://on.fb.me/1b9BPrg

ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE TABLE – 16/12/13

PTS

Great Wakering Rovers FC Enfield 1893 FC Takeley FC FC Romania Tower Hamlets FC Basildon United FC Haringey Borough FC Clapton FC Sawbridgeworth Town FC Ilford FC Hullbridge Sports FC Barking FC Bowers & Pitsea FC Southend Manor FC Sporting Bengal United FC Eton Manor FC London APSA FC Greenhouse London FC Stansted FC London Bari FC

17 16 18 19 14 16 15 18 17 19 15 15 17 17 18 17 17 17 17 17

13 12 12 10 11 9 8 8 8 6 6 6 5 6 6 6 4 3 2 0

1 2 2 5 1 1 3 3 2 4 3 2 5 2 2 1 6 3 4 2

3 2 4 4 2 6 4 7 7 9 6 7 7 9 10 10 7 11 11 15

29 23 11 11 9 21 12 5 5 -11 -2 2 -1 -7 -13 -15 -6 -21 -16 -36

40 38 38 35 34 28 27 27 26 22 21 20 20 20 20 19 18 12 10 2

THE LINE UPS CLAPTON FC

LONDON BARI FC

Red Shirts, White Shorts, Red Socks Manager ; Chris Wood Assistant : Neil Day

THE TONS PEPE DIAGNE SAM NAYLOR PETER MOORE JAMIE LINDEN BILLY RUNGAY CRAIG GREENWOOD JAMES BRIGGS BEN LOWES BILLY WISE NICK READ LEWIS JONES TOM JEFFES JUSTIN MAYNARD JEROME MARTELLI RAFAEL DUYILLE JERRY JARRIETTE

Yellow Manager : Benroy Spring Coach : David Mourinho (no relation)

Player Sponsored by Gavin Clarke

G.V.O.

Andrew Barr

Ian & Peter Simpson

Mark Barlow

MATCH OFFICIALS: REFEREE – Craig Pullen

OUR NEXT HOME MATCH

MAXWELL AMOAKO IKEM ANADI SOLOMON APPIAH TERRY BOBIE SEBASTIAN BOLANOS JUSTIN HOUNKPATIN JUNIOR DIAD ADRIAN EDWARD ELLRICK GOLEMAN KERFALLA KOUROUMA KADEEM BARNES GAGNAN M’BOUMBA LEVI MATHURINE STEFAN LAWRENCE

LINOS :- Cliff Everett, Florin Rentea

THEN

SATURDAY 11TH JANUARY 2014

SATURDAY 20TH DECEMBER 2013

CLAPTON v STANSTED

CLAPTON v LONDON BARI

ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE KICK OFF 7.45PM KICK OFF 3.00pm* AT THE DOG AT THE DOG *Check Kick Off times in case floodight debacle continues. www.claptonfc.info

“LET ‘EM COME, LET ’EM ALL COME DOWN TO THE DOG” Save the Spotted Dog A group formed to preserve the famous old Tudor pub that adjoins the Clapton football ground. Save the Dog ! www.savethespotteddog.org

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CLAPTON FC – VIRTUALLY THE BEST TEAM IN LONDON VIRTUAL MATCHDAY TICKET HOLDERS – Mark Barlow, Michael Fogg, Andrew Barr, Ian Simpson, Peter Simpson, Gavin Clarke, Paul Maybin, Michael Cogan, Lew Listz, Ken Harris, Martin McShea, David Barr, Dermot Donovan, Janis Boyce