Clapton Community F.C.

Clapton Community Football Club is a football club based in Forest Gate, London, England. Their men's team are currently members of the Middlesex County League Premier Division and temporarily play at Wadham Lodge in Walthamstow, groundsharing with West Essex F.C. and Walthamstow F.C. Their women's team compete in the London and South East Women's Regional Football League Division One North and play at The Old Spotted Dog in Forest Gate.

Clapton Community
Full nameClapton Community Football Club
Founded27 January 2018 (27 January 2018)
GroundWadham Lodge, Walthamstow (Men) The Old Spotted Dog Ground, Forest Gate (Women)
Capacity3,500 & 2,000 (100 seated)
OwnerFan Owned
ManagerWomen's Team: Claudio Gomes Men's Team: Geoff Ocran
LeagueMiddlesex County League Premier Division
2021–22Middlesex County League Premier Division, 3rd of 14
WebsiteClub website
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History

Clapton Community was formed on 27 January 2018 by disillusioned supporters of Clapton F.C. after what they deemed as mismanagement of the club by chairman Vince McBean.[1] During the club's debut season, Clapton Community sold 11,500 away shirts, with 5,500 to Spain, after the kit was based on the International Brigades and the Flag of the Second Spanish Republic.[2][3]

On 11 May 2019, Clapton Community won the Middlesex County League Division One (Central and East), gaining promotion to the Premier Division, after a 3–0 win against FC Roast.[4] Clapton Community entered the FA Vase for the first time in 2019–20.[5]

In June 2019, the club announced the formation of a women's team with the former AFC Stoke Newington first team coming under the Clapton Community banner.[6] The women's team competed in Division One of the Greater London Women's Football League in the 2019–20 season but were promoted to the London and South East Women's Regional Football League Division One North in the 2021–22 season. In Women FA Cup, they realised the biggest achievement in the history of the club, by eliminating Hounslow WFC (3rd division).[7]

While the October 2020 Polish protests were taking place, the women's team expressed solidarity with the protesters by posing next to a banner dedicated to the women's rights protest, which has been noticed by Polish media.[8][9]

On 12 March 2021, Clapton Community FC won the Football Supporter Association's 'Lockdown Heroes' award for their Community Fund initiative, 'Clapton against Corona', fundraising and providing financial assistance to local people who's livelihood was affected by coronavirus.[10]

Ground
The sign in front of the Old Spotted Dog Ground

The men's team currently groundshare with Walthamstow at Wadham Lodge, after spending their first season at an adjacent ground, nicknamed by fans as the 'Stray Dog' after The Old Spotted Dog.[11] The women's team now play at The Old Spotted Dog in Forest Gate.

On 17 September 2019, it was confirmed that Clapton Community had been awarded the lease at The Old Spotted Dog, following Clapton FC's eviction.[12] On 24 July 2020, Clapton Community announced that they had purchased the freehold for the Old Spotted Dog and become the new owners.[13]

The women's first team play at The Old Spotted Dog, using changing rooms at the nearby Stratford School. The men's first team plan to return soon on the completion of on site changing rooms. Clapton Community youth teams train at the ground.

The men's development team play at Hackney Marshes. The women's development team play at Tooting Common. Women's open access teams usually play at Jack Carter Centre, Gants Hill.

Clapton five-a-side teams, Clapton CFC Belters and Clapton CFC Massive play at Mabley Green in Hackney.

Supporters

Supporters of the club are known to be left-wing and are self-proclaimed anti-fascist.[14] The club have a number of ultras groups such as the Clapton Punks,[15] the Gravy Ultras,[16] Brigata Ultra Clapton and the UmarellOldtras.

Honours and awards
  • Middlesex County League
    • Division One (Central and East) champions 2018–19
  • Hackney & Leyton Sunday Football League (Men's Development Team)
    • Division 3 champions 2021-22
  • Jim Rogers President's Cup
    • Winners 2018–19
  • Alec Smith Premier Division Cup
    • Winners 2021-22
  • John Greenacre Memorial Trophy
    • Winners 2021-22
  • Anagram Records Trophy
    • Runners-up 2018–19
  • Brian Lomax SD Cup
    • Runners-up 2018–19
  • Capitol Women's Cup
    • Runners-up 2021-22
  • Super 5 League (Women's 5s Team)
    • Winners 2020–21
  • Super 5s Beginners League (Women's 5s Team)
    • Winners 2021
  • Super 5s Legacy Tournament (Women's 5s Team)
    • Winners 2022
  • Super 5s Beginners League (Women's 5s Team)
    • Winners 2022
  • Amsterdam friendly tournament (Women's 5s Team)
    • Winners 2022
  • Super 5 League Intermediate B (Women's 5s Team)
    • Runners-up 2022
  • FSA Award Lockdown Heroes (Non-League)
    • Winners 2020–21

Records
  • Best FA Women's Cup performance: Third round, 2021–22
  • Best FA Vase performance: First qualifying round, 2019–20
  • Record attendance: 1,266 vs FC Roast, 11 May 2019

References
  1. "Clapton Community FC reach 1,000 members". The Non-League Paper. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  2. Martin Belam (31 August 2018). "'No pasarán': Spain laps up Clapton CFC's anti-fascist football kit". Guardian.
  3. "Clapton CFC online shirt sales have now CLOSED after a crazy few months". Clapton Community F.C. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  4. "FC Roast 0 Clapton CFC 3: Adejokun fires Tons to title glory". Clapton Community F.C. 13 May 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  5. "The Buildbase FA Vase First Round Qualifying" (.ashx). The Football Association. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  6. "Introducing the Clapton CFC women's first team". Clapton Community F.C. 24 June 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  7. "The Wonderful Cup Run of Clapton CFC Women's". Dialectik Football. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  8. Krzysztof Kaczmarczyk (3 November 2020). "Wulgarny transparent strajku kobiet dotals do Anglii". Sportowe Fakty (in Polish).
  9. DS. "Angielski klub piłkarski wspiera Strajk Kobiet. "Solidarność z Polkami!"". Sport.pl (in Polish).
  10. Brunskill, Michael (12 March 2021). "FSA Awards in association with BeGambleAware". Football Supporters' Association. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  11. "Pre-season grounds clear-up sessions are back – get involved". Clapton Community F.C. 13 July 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  12. "'It's coming home': Clapton CFC wins lease bid for Forest Gate's Old Spotted Dog ground". Newham Recorder. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  13. "A truly historic day: Clapton Community FC are now the proud owners of the Old Spotted Dog!". Twitter. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  14. "On the sidelines with football's favourite anti-fascists". Huck Mag. 12 September 2018.
  15. "Clapton Punks is on Instagram • 258 posts on their profile". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  16. "Gravy Ultras". Twitter. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.

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