Clapton FC v Basildon United FC by Spotted Dog

VIRTUAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

CLAPTON v

BASILDON UNITED Tuesday

11th

Essex Senior league March 2014 Kick Off 7.45pm

CLAPTON FC – VIRTUALLY THE BEST TEAM IN LONDON

Clapton Football Club 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)

HONOURS LIST 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 Div 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 (left), 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 Bartholomew’s 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 1892 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 club continued to make strides and by the 1920s, Clapton were one of the foremost clubs in amateur football and won the FA Amateur Cup in five occasions. Over the years, numerous Clapton players have won international and county honours. The brewers, Watneys took over the freehold of the ground and during the second world war the Dog became an antiaircraft 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, the conduct of the lease holders (now with Vince McBean at the helm) has placed this security in jeopardy and is one of a number of issues that need to be addressed to secure the club’s future once more. In January 2013, when asked by the Friends of Clapton FC, the club chairman said that ‘membership’ of Clapton FC has been “closed for restructuring’. This situation remains today. If you wish to return Clapton FC to being a democratic members club, join the Friends of Clapton FC. See inside for more details.

So, who are Clapton Members Club ? - Founded 5th August 2000 Founder members: Mr Kass Harris, Mrs Shirley Doyle, Mr Rasford Angus, Miss Beveley Lindo, Mr Vincent McBean, Mr Steven Sam. The present membership of nine (9) are V McBean, S Doyle, K Harris, B Lindo, W Thomas, S Harte, J McBean-Willis, S Angus, E Syfox. None of the three life members of Clapton FC, nor the club chairman, Mr John Murray-Smith, are members of Clapton Members Club, whilst Mr McBean argues that CFC and CMC are one and the same. On 27th November 2013, Mr David Fookes of London Football Association confirmed as follows: “There is no membership of the London FA of Clapton Members Club. There is no reason why there should be, it is not a football club.”

CLAPTON v BASILDON UNITED Tuesday 11th March 2014 Old Spotted Dog Ground Essex Senior League action returns to the Old Spotted Dog this evening for the rearranged match against Basildon United. Our meeting earlier in the season resulted in a comfortable 2-0 win for the Bees, however, we have no doubt that they will be only too aware of the Ton’s progress this season and a good, competitive encounter will ensue. A warm welcome to all our visitors from Basildon and we wish wish them a safe journey home later this evening. Recently, with honours even in the last four games Clapton were becoming the draw specialists of the League. However, last Tuesday, we went down to the odd goal in three to high flying Great Wakering Rovers. It was another decent display from Chris Wood’s injury hit side and whist, on the balance of play, the result was correct, there was not doubt that the Rovers team had felt like they had been in a game. Of the four draws that preceeded the Wakering game, the Tons were unfortunate to let leading positions slip in the dying minutes on two occasions. So come on lads, play up for the whole 90 minutes (plus Fergie time) tonight, and we can hopefully bag all three points. Last Tuesday, our new loan signing Lewal Alhadi made his debut. Lewal plays for Redbrdge FC in the Ryman League but last year played for London Bari and was their top goalscorer. We are delighted to welcome him back to the Dog, particularly as he is now playing for the right team ! Incidentally, our congratulations must go to London Bari in achieving their first win of the season when they beat Newham neighbours, London Apsa, 3-1 at the Dog a couple of weeks ago. As regular supporters will know, Chris Wood’s squad have suffered a string of injuries, which makes the recent results all the more creditable. We will hopefully be able to welcome back Sam Naylor and Ben Lowes to the starting line up soon but a huge blow was to learn that Jerry Jarriette (Abs), is probably out of action for the rest of the season. We wish him all the best and look forward seeing him in a Clapton shirt as soon as he is fully recovered. Recently someone remarked why Clapton supporters are continuing to attend matches and pay entrance fees into the pockets of ‘the club’ when it appears to merely feed the problem. It’s a fair point. However, the entrance fee is merely short term gain for the present incumbent. There has been nothing to suggest, for over a year now, that membership of the club either exists, or will ever be opened. Mr McBean’s club, for all intents and purpose, is a proprietary organisation and not a members club. However, things can change, and the most important thing is to continue to support our team manager and his players who have done Clapton proud this season. They have shown great loyalty despite provocation and a club management best described as ‘farcical’. Let’s get behind the lads tonight ! Next Saturday we are again at home again when the other team from the Basildon area, Bowers and Pitsea, will be the visitors. Kick off is at 3.00pm. Finally, don’t forget that Clapton scarves and badges are available in the scaffold this evening or can be purchased online via our web site at www.friendsofclaptonfc.info. Enjoy the game !

Today’s Visitors BASILDON UNITED F.C. Nicknamed ‘The Bees’, Basildon United came into being in 1967, previously Armada Sports as a junior club, who were formed four years earlier. In 1967/68 the renamed club joined the Grays and Thurrock League moving into the Greater London League the following season. The first major step was in 1970 when the Essex County FA granted Basildon United Senior status and they became founder members of the Essex Senior League. It was not long before Basildon got amongst the honours and when they successfully applied for promotion to the Athenian League in 1980 they could look back on four consecutive Championships from 1977 until 1980 and this still stands as a League record. In addition they also finished runners-up in 1973 and 1975 and the League Cup was won in 1978 to complete that season’s double. The following season they carried off the Essex Senior Trophy. Basildon United’s membership of the Athenian League only lasted one season as they finished runners –up to Winsdor and Eton and earned promotion to the Isthmian League Division 2. Also in this season,1980/81,they progressed to the quarter finals of the FA Vase before Irthingborough Diamonds ended the bees run winning 6-4 in a sixth round replay. After three seasons in the Isthmian Division 2,Basildon United were promoted as Champions in 1984 pipping St Albans City by one point on the last day of the season. This season saw them reach the finals of both the Essex Senior Trophy and the Eastern Floodlight Competition. The bees found life a lot harder in Division 1 and eventually lost their struggle against relegation in 1989 back to Division 2[north], this the first time they had been relegated in their history. Two further seasons were spent in Division 2[north] before the decision to de-regionalise the Isthmian Second Division saw the club resign from the Isthmian League and rejoin the Essex Senior League in 1991/92.The club felt that an excess of travelling in an Isthmian Division 3 was not viable at that point. The club quickly regrouped both on and off the pitch and it wasn’t long before the Senior League successes of the late seventies were emulated. The bees finished in the top six in both 1991/92 and 1992/93 and made a League Cup Final appearance in 1992. A superb 1993/94 season saw Basildon United again win the Essex Senior League double,the championship being won for a record fifth time and the following season,1994/95, they battled through to the FA Vase Quarter Final for the second time in their history before losing out to Raunds Town. During 1997/98 Basildon United equalled Brentwood’s record of three League Cup wins by beating Burnham Ramblers 1-0 in the final and it was Basildon’s sixth appearance in the Essex Senior League Cup final which is also a record.The Bees also finished runners-up to Concord Rangers in the Essex Senior League.

Basildon United FC's Gardiner’s Close Ground boasts the biggest Spring Onion in non league Football

1999/2000 saw Basildon United finish 13th their worst ever season till the 2007/08 season and although a reasonable 8th position was achieved in 2000/01 two bottom half positions followed for the next two years. The club finished 7th in both 2003/04 and 2004/05 .John Higley was bees manager at the start of the 2007/08 season but was replaced by Jason Emery in October, the club struggled for form all season and used 72

players only to finish in 16th just one place off the bottom, the only consolation was winning the ‘Best Programme in the League’ award. A new management team of Colin Cook and Gary Morris was announced for the 2008/09 season and the club won its first six matches and reached the second round proper of the FA Vase, by December the management team had left the club and ex reserve coach Jody Prevwell was appointed Manager with the Bees finishing the season in 8th place. Jody left the club by mutual consent in April 2010 and was replaced by Sean Merchant as Caretaker Manager.The Bees suffered their heaviest defeat on April 24th when losing 10-0 at Witham Town with the club finishing the season in 12th place. In May 2010 John Doyle returned to the club as First Team Manager bringing in former Romford Manager Mark Reed as his Assistant and Paul Rogan as Coach. After a 12th place finish in the Essex Senior League John Doyle decided to step down at the end of the 2010/11 season and the club advertised for a new Manager, over 30 hopefuls applied and Paul Larke was appointed as the Bees First Team Manager in June 2011,after the clubs worse start to a season in their 42 year history Larke resigned following a 9-1 defeat at Witham Town. John Doyle returned to oversee the forthcoming FA Vase match against Ampthill Town and the following week Chris Wood was appointed permanent Manager. Unfortunately no immediate improvement was seen in the teams results and the Bees finished bottom of the ESL for the first time in their history. Former Ramsden Manager Bobby Barnes was appointed in May 2012 and at just 27 was one of the youngest Managers in Non League Football After Bobby decided to resign due to work commitments John Higley returned to the club and was assisted by Steve Brown Senior. This season has seen the appointment of Laurie Carter, a highly respected coach with many of his former players in the professional or semi professional game. Laurie was also manager of Canvey Island's highly successful Academy and FA Youth Cup sides, from which he has brought several young, talented players to The Cohart Stadium this season The Cohart Stadium in Gardiners Close, Basildon was opened by then West Ham players Geoff Hurst and Jimmy Greaves. The first match was played against West Ham in front of what remains the club's record crowd of 4,000.

Football Will Eat Itself by Robert O’Connor A new page was turned in the spirit-crunching story of football financial management last summer when the first heavyweight club from the game’s fatherland admitted, after a lengthy inevitability, that the game was up and went sheepishly to the wall. Rangers left behind them a patchwork of some of modern football’s greediest and most toxic elements, including speculative over-spending, undisguised self-interest and most frighteningly a warped and increasingly ubiquitous blueprint that sees football clubs as tools for the advancement of their owners’ interests, rather than vice versa. More directors should recall Kennedy when assessing their relationships with the respective clubs and ask not what these great institutions can do for them but what they might offer to the scores of fans that invest their trust in them as guardians. Until they do, however, and debt continues to weigh down on the game like an overweight child riding around on the back of an arthritic family dog, the spectre of Rangers will continue to haunt. Nagging reminders span the depth and breadth of the game as fans of Chester City in the non-League and Fiorentina on the continent will attest, so too those clubs who suddenly saw these proud names wiped from their fixture lists one summer. There are those who made it as far as the brink and found a way back - Leeds United for those who have long memories, pre-Abramovich Chelsea for those who have longer – but this triumvirate of the damned represents perfectly the scope of the risk presented by debts that grow and grow and grow and then crunch. To supporters of the professional, non-league and continental games they are a living memorial to the mess left behind when blind ambition woos petty jealousy, mates with small-minded incompetence and elopes in the arms of consummate avarice. The romantic heart bleeds for the fans that lose out as their clubs are wiped from the back pages but as we are reminded by that tired old truism the game is now more than just that; it is a business, vulnerable to the same temperamental forces that break and make fortunes. And those that fall along the way? Football, so much more important than life itself, goes on. Comparisons between football and the business world are tricky, and commentators who try and moralise about the former

by referencing common practice in the latter rarely make a coherent case. We’ve all heard it – managers given a hasty chop are told that the business world wouldn’t tolerate a year of missed targets for its most executive operators (see the vacant manager’s seat at Manchester City for a case in point), whilst some rally round and pine that corporate strategy would never promote such a rapid turn–over of management staff (stroll a mile or two and Alex Ferguson’s exit parade bears reliable witness). But it’s a circular argument, and one that doesn’t really clear up whether or not impatient investors are right or wrong when pulling the chain on bosses who struggle to hit targets. We all – fans, directors, investors – want to see our club succeed, but by what measure do we define success and at what cost are we to pursue it? I’ll wager a thought: football is both business and it is sport, and by extension it is neither. Before you reach for Spinoza or slip helplessly through the fabric of your metaphysical self, I’ll deconstruct. The game has only been able to become the financial behemoth that consumes millions of man hours across the media, catering, transport, construction, service, digital and manufacturing industries because it meets the criteria laid down by classic supply and demand economics. There is a product that people are ready and willing to consume in a hundred different ways, pouring in money to encourage that product to reach deeper and deeper into public life. That product is football – a base and primitive spectacle turned into a must have fashion accessory by a ruthlessly aggressive branding campaign carried out over a period of two decades by the Premier League and BskyB. It has been able to exercise cultural dominance over large parts of continents because of the way it looks, the way it feels, the subtle associations it has made between itself and the very concepts of success and of plenty. This is football the brand, where success is derived from how many are watching, buying and subscribing. But before this there was something else - before the brand there was that base and primitive spectacle and within it there still is. There is organic football. The competitive spirit and tribal factionalism that make all sport attractive to us is still alive and still tears into us, scything through the parts of us that are rational and thoughtful, reducing the thinking man to the most cellular levels of hopelessness and rapture. Before these epitaphs were ever printed on the side of a coke can there was love, there was hate and there was sport, and, if you scratch beneath the surface of that clip-art lion wearing its mustard yellow crown like something out of a Baltic Christmas cracker, it’s still there. And so football, inevitably, is more than business, just like the purists say, but it is so uniquely. The shiny corporate shell is thick and conspicuous but there is the Corinthian spirit of competitive tribalism rolling around inside like dice, and its impact is chaotic and difficult to predict. For the clearest picture of the way the football bug churns at the workings of corporate planning like heartburn we can look at once to Glasgow, to Chester and to Florence. Three clubs that went bust, three businesses that became insolvent and ceased to trade. And yet at the end of the 2012/13 season all three names could be found on the league tables of senior, professional organisations. All three still compete and trade at more or less the level they were at when the receivers waved the white flag, called time or pulled the plug on operations at various points over the last decade. Football clubs, it seems, are more than just stubborn. They are indestructible. What other species of institution can sit so nerve-janglingly close to the precipice, fall, and live to tell the tale? Fiorentina lived hopelessly beyond their means in the early 00’s in a bid to build on a high profile Champions League campaign but within three years the holding company had ceased to trade, saddled with unbearable debts as the team failed to become a major name in Europe. Rangers buckled and collapsed when HMRC demanded the owners pay up on bills racked up under suspect contractual arrangements, and Chester City were wound up in 2010 when the Football Conference kicked them out over an outstanding wage bill. In May the clubs recorded finishes of 4th, 1st and 1st respectively in professional leagues, the latter two achieving significant promotions and the Florence outfit missing out agonisingly on the glamour and riches of the Champions League. So how is it that three businesses that were dissolved and written off are able to continue competing and achieving? When a football club collapses it leaves behind a number of permanent assets. It leaves players, it often leaves a stadium, it leaves management expertise bound up in high ranking executives (assuming they’ve been allowed to by the authorities to continue working in the game). Most importantly of all it leaves the fans – it leaves a market share to which no competitor can stake a claim. Which is why when Chester were allowed to start all over again at the eighth level of the pyramid they bulldozed their way through three divisions in less time than it takes to sign a winding up order, following in the footsteps of AFC Fiorentina who shot back to Serie A following the original club’s liquidation. Rangers have wasted no time in beginning their ascent from the basement of Scottish football and their dominance of the lower divisions represents a familiar story. When corporations collapse it tends to be because they are no longer the consumer’s first choice to satisfy demand or because that demand has ceased – but Rangers fans will always be Rangers fans and they will always crave Rangers. As consumers they won’t suddenly begin to invest their disposable income in Parkhead, nor will their interest in the game wane because their team have been forced to play in the lower leagues for a season or two. And so the club’s legacy sustains it and ultimately raises it back to its former glory. The football snake eats its own tail.

ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE TABLE Up to and including 4th March 2014 P

Pts

Great Wakering Rovers

+39

Tower Hamlets

+18

Enfield 1893

+25

Takeley

Sawbridgeworth Town

+16

FC Romania

Basildon United

+24

Clapton

Haringey Borough

+17

London APSA

-10

Barking

Ilford

-14

Hullbridge Sports

-1

Sporting Bengal United

-16

Eton Manor

-22

Bowers & Pitsea

-7

Southend Manor

-12

Stansted

-16

Greenhouse London

-28

London Bari

-37

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MATCH REPORT Rovers consolidate pole position Great Wakering Rovers 2-1 Clapton Brian Jeeves reporting from Burroughs Park.

Great Wakering Rovers put daylight between themselves and the chasing pack, moving six points clear at the top of the Essex Senior League after this hard fought victory over a spirited Clapton outfit. Rovers went into the game off the back of an important win over Haringey Borough while Clapton had to be content with a point last time out after Ilford grabbed a late equaliser in their clash at Cricklefields Stadium. Determined to show intent, it was the home side started the brighter. Player-manager Dan Trenkel centred for Joe Skeels, but his low drive was brilliantly saved by Clapton keeper Pepe Diagne, then Peter Moore hacked clear after John Bradley had asked questions down the left. Clapton responded when Jamie Lyndon’s free-kick found James Briggs who in turn fired into the side netting. Nevertheless, it was Rovers who were making early inroads. Radley was proving to be a particular problem for the Tons rear-guard with his trickery, but when the breakthrough eventually came, it was through a familiar source. Dave Collins corner arrived at the feet of Trenkel, who fired high past Diagne for his sixteenth goal of the campaign. The home side were in control, but they survived a scare when Adam Seal did well to turn aside Tom Jeffes snap shot following a mighty launch forward from Diagne. But soon after, it was Clapton’s Senegalese International keeper earning his corn again, this time, denying Trenkel with a super reaction save and then tipping over a John Bradley header following Dave Collins pinpoint free kick. Despite the home sides’ dominance, Clapton were proving to be a danger on the break, and the visitors seemed to have restored parity when Billy Wise lashed past Seal only to be denied by an assistant’s flag, while Ben Lowes couldn’t get enough on the ball to turn in James Briggs’ flag kick. As the half drew to a close, Craig Greenwood brilliantly headed off the Clapton goal line after Antonio Mehmeti had lifted over Diagne. The second half took a similar pattern with Rovers asking the majority of the questions. Trenkel’s shot across the goal was scrambled away, but it wasn’t long before the home side doubled their advantage. Joe Skeels troublesome corner was met at the far post by Lewis Sparrow, giving Diagne and the entourage on the line no chance. With the comfort of a second goal Rovers pushed on confidently. Radley drew yet another save out of Man of the Match Diagne, following a surging run from deep, then once again, the big Clapton keeper rescued his team, using his feet to thwart Mehmeti. Clapton rallied. Jeffes shot straight at Diagne and Lewal Alhadi’s effort was charged down. At the other end, Radley sent a thundering effort just over the bar. But Clapton sensed a chance, and they were handed a lifeline when the busy Jeffes capped a decent performance by nipping behind the Rovers back line and lifting over Seal to half the deficit. In the final minutes the teams exchanged opportunities. Wise zipped an effort past an upright for the visitor’s, while Diagne turned aside Radley’s header. Rovers evening improve further when news filtered through that championship rivals Enfield 1893 lost 4-0 at Barking. Great Wakering Rovers: Seal, Pugsley, Kent, Collins, Sparrow, Hepburn, Radley, Skeels, Trenkel, Bradley, Mehmeti. Great Wakering Rovers subs: Fletcher, Read, Nash, Johnson, Smith. Clapton: Diagne, Lyndon, Moore, Lowes, Greenwood, Briggs, Duyille, Kanjor, Jeffes, Alhadi, Wise. Clapton subs: Bouho, Billy, Olmojola, Nurse.

Report courtesy of the Yellow Advertiser

PROGRAMMES FROM THE PAST

WALTHAMSTOW AVENUE v CLAPTON 20TH February 1970 – Isthmian League Senior Section – Price 6d Green Pond Road stadium was situated just off Higham Hill Road and was home to Walthamstow Avenue FC. The stadium was a typical amateur ground of it’s day with a large ‘Cairns’ designed stand (West Ham supporters will know of the Cairns family) and covered standing area opposite and behind one of the goals. The pitch, as the name of the ground, had a reputation as being something of a quagmire in wet conditions. The Avenue, or the ‘A’s as they were nicknamed, were one of four traditional East London clubs in the old Isthmian League in 1970, the others being Ilford and Leytonstone. In 1970, the Tons travelled the four or so miles for an Isthmian League fixture. It had not been a good season for either club. The Avenue were just two of the bottom spot whilst Clapton were just three places above them. That season, the Isthmian League was won convincingly by Wycombe Wanderers. The teams had met twice previously during the season. Clapton had won the League match at the Dog by two goals to one and in the Essex Thames-Side Trophy the Avenue reversed the fortunes with a 2-0 victory at Green Pond Road. A quick glance through the list of people involved with the club, one sees that Sir Max Aitken, who was a decorated World War 2 Group Captain pilot (DSO and DFC), was a Vice President of the club. Max Aitken was also a Cambridge Soccer blue. Elsewhere, Mr N.R. (Norman) Moss is listed as Press Secretary. Norman went on to be chairman of the club and a life member of the Isthmian League. The teams, that are set out in the tradtional ‘centrefold’ feature some well known names in non league football of the day. For the Tons, captain Colin Watson was a perennial fixture in the side. Forward John Bull was a regular goal scorer whilst goalkeeper Terry Moore went on to become one of the best custodians outside the Football League, and won a winners medal with Bishops Stortford in the last ever FA Amateur Cup Final in 1974. In the Avenue side were loyal servants John Knapman and John Roseman, centre forward Johnny Brooks, who went on to play for Enfield and Andy McDermid who lined up for Ilford against Terry Moore in the aforementioned Wembley final. The Avenue, of course would have donned their famous light blue and dark blue hoops, the Tons in their red and white stripes. The demise of the Avenue, Ilford and Leytonstone is very sad and has left a chasm in non league football in east London. We Clapton fans, supporters and players must remain mindful of this, as it is the Tons who, alone, carry the banner of traditional nonleague/amateur football in East London. We must not allow our club to be sold from under our feet.

JOIN THE FRIENDS OF CLAPTON FC Clapton FC are one of the most famous amateur clubs in English football history. They not only won the FA Amateur Cup on five occasions but are recognised by the Football Association as being the first English club to play on the continent and thus instrumental in the growth of the game. In addition, Clapton players have represented England at full International level and numerous others have progressed to the professional ranks and performed with distinction. However, as amateur football became semi-professional and beyond, Clapton's tenure as a prominent club declined. However, they continued to compete in the Isthmian League, a competition that Clapton members were instrumental in founding in 1905. A hundred years later, Clapton were sadly demoted to the Essex Senior League, a competition in which they compete today. Throughout this time Clapton have played at The Old Spotted Dog Ground in Forest Gate, London. This small enclosure, buried amongst residential housing, had hosted both cricket and football before Clapton became tenants in 1888. Clapton are synonymous with the 'Old Spotted Dog' and it remains one of the last traditional bastions of football in the East End of London, an area that has lost great football clubs such as Walthamstow Avenue, Leytonstone and Leyton in recent years. The Clapton players of today represent the club in the great tradition of their predecessors of the yesteryear. Unfortunately, today, the club does not function as a members club where a committee and officers are elected by the membership. Furthermore, it is claimed by Mr Vincent McBean that he owns the club. We have documents that tend to show this to be incorrect along with others that disprove his apparent claims to ownership of the ground, lease, and adjoining warehouse (the ‘delightful’ tyre shop). We are also aware, and have court documents that show that McBean has, in fact, previously undertook to sell the leasehold interest, in his role as a director of a charitable trust. 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 its 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 maladministration by the selfproclaimed 'club owner’. (Not filing accounts at Companies House) 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 agenda of those currently running the ‘club’. We believe that the real 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

If you are interested in bringing about a democratic Clapton FC where there is a voting membership, an elected committee and officers? If so, join the Friends of Clapton FC. www.friendsofclaptonfc.info/join/1.htm

CLAPTON FC FIXTURES Season 2013/2014 Date

Comp

Opponent

H/A

Thu 10/07/13 Sat 13/07/13 Sat 20/07/13 Mon 22/07/13 Sat 27/07/13 Tue 30/07/13 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 Tue 10/09/13 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 Sat 24/10/13 Sat 16/11/13 Sat 23 /11/13 Wed 27/11/13 Sat 30/11/13 Tue 03/12/13 Sat 07/12/13 Tue 10/12/13 Sat 14/12/13 Tue 04/02/14 Sat 22/02/14 Sat 01/03/14 Tue 04/03/14 Sat 08/03/14 Tue 11/03/14 Sat 15/03/14 Tue 18/03/14 Sat 22/03/14 Sat 29/03/14 Sat 05/04/14 Sat 12/04/14 Sat 26/04/13 TBA

FR FR FR FR FR FR FR ESL ESL FAC FAC ESL FAC ESL ESL LCC ESL FAV ESL ESL ESL GBT ESL ESL FAV ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL ESL

Meridian AYM Higher Harwich & Parkeston Fisher FC Crockenhill Halstead Town White Ensign FC Bowers and Pitsea Tower Hamlets Stanway Rovers Stanway Rovers London Bari Mildenhall Town Haringey Borough Hullbridge Sports Great Wakering Rovers Takeley Wotton Blue Cross Basildon United Ilford Stansted Tower Hamlets Sawbridgeworth Town Eton Manor Barking Southend Manor Southend Manor Enfield 1893 Sporting Bengal United FC Romania London APSA Barking Great Wakering Rovers Takeley Greenhouse London Enfield 1893 Ilford Great Wakering Rovers Tower Hamlets Basildon United Bowers & Pitsea Sawbridgeworth Town London APSA Sporting Bengal Utd Barking Haringey Borough FC Romania Greenhouse London

A A A A A A A A H H A A H H A H H A A H A A H H H A H A A A H H H A H H A A A H H A A H A A H A

Res Score L W D L W L L D L D W W L D D D W W L W W W L W L L W L L L W W W L D D D L

0-1 5-2 0-0 1-4 2-1 1-6 2-3 0-0 2-3 0-0 1-0 2-0 0-2 1-1 0-0 1-1 2-0 1-0 0-2 4-0 2-1 3-0 0-3 2-1 0-1 1-2 2-0 0-4 2-3 2-4 5-0 1-0 1-0 1-2 2-2 1-1 1-1 1-2

Scorers Read 3, Rungay

Alleyne (p), Tacey Jarriette, Alleyne Matthews Martelli, Hughes Coulson (pen) Duyille (AET) GWR won on pens Duyille, Parker Tacey. (AET) Martelli 2, Jeffes, Jarriette Duyille, Martelli

Duyille, Lowes Jarriette Halloway, Duyille Lowes, Martelli Jones, Martelli Martelli 2, Briggs, Jones, Jeffes Jarriette Jarriette Martelli Jeffes, Briggs Omojola Tacey Jeffes

Home games Kick off at 3.00pm on Saturdays - 7.45pm Midweek

ESL = Essex Senior League FR = Friendly

FAC - FA Cup

FAV = FAV Vase LCC = League Cup

THE LINE UPS CLAPTON FC Red Shirts, White Shorts, Red Socks Manager ; Chris Wood

BASILDON UTD Gold Shirts, Black Shorts Manager : Coaches –

Virtual Coach – Neil Day “THE TONS” PEPE DIAGNE JAMIE LINDON PETER MOORE CRAIG GREENWOOD BEN LOWES JAMES BRIGGS JASON MAYNARD LUKE KANJOR LEWAL ALHADI TOM JEFFES RAFAEL DUYILLE DEAN BOUHO BILLY WISE KOFI BILLY SAM OMOJOLA MARC NURSE SAM NAYLOR

Player Sponsored by Gavin Clarke

G.V.O. Andrew Barr Ian & Peter Simpson

Mark Barlow

STEVE BROWN PAUL PRESTON LLOYD ANTHONY (capt) TERRY MARTIN LEON SMITH JOHN SINNOTT BEN SARTAIN GEORGE COCKLIN GREG AKPELE TOMMY COCKLIN TYLER HAYES LOUIS BAUCUTT AARON KERNER VINNY MURPHY

MATCH OFFICIALS : REFEREE –; LINOS – Laurie Mallyon, Martin Quinn SATURDAY 15

NEXT UP AT THE OLD SPOTTED DOG MARCH 2014

SATURDAY 29TH MARCH 2014

CLAPTON v BOWERS & PITSEA

CLAPTON v SPORTING BENGAL UTD

ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE Kick off 3.00PM

“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

LOCAL BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY WEBSITES Contact Us and we’ll include your site in our next virtual issue.

E7 Now and Then A Community Website giving the latest news from London E7 as well as a look back on the history and people of E7 http://www.e7-nowandthen.org

The Woodgrange Web Local community website covering news of events and what’s on in Forest Gate www.woodgrange.org.uk

THANK YOU FOR READING OUR iMATCH PROGRAMME. WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

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