MATCH DAY E-PROGRAMME - ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE CLAPTON FC V TAKELEY FC - Clapton Football Club

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      MATCH DAY E-PROGRAMME

    ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE
      CLAPTON FC V TAKELEY FC

      WEDNESDAY 4 AUGUST 2021
             TERENCE MCMILLAN STADIUM,
      281 PRINCE REGENT LANE, PLAISTOW, E13 8SD

WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL

    CLAPTON FOOTBALL CLUB
              OFFICIAL HOME OF THE “TONS”

    Good evening and welcome to the Terence McMillan Stadium for our first home
    game of the season against Takeley. We welcome their players, officials and fans
    - we hope you enjoy your evening in East London (but not too much!)

    Our season started with a 2-0 defeat away at Enfield on Friday evening. It’s
    always nice to get the season off with some points and we were unlucky not to
    get something out of the game.

    From where I was sitting it looked like a cast iron penalty which would have put us
    one up. Instead, we were a goal down at half time and being forced to chase
    them in the second half. We did our best and the response of the players at full
    time demonstrated how close we were in all departments.

    But we move on tonight and will be looking for 3 points to settle us down (or at
    least the Chairman!!)

    Next week we are in action in the FA Cup away at Hoddesdon Town FC. This
    match has been rearranged for Sunday 8th August with a 3.00pm kick off at
    Hertford Town FC’s ground.

    For clubs like us, the FA Cup gives us an opportunity to claw back some funds
    through prize money to offset our seasonal running costs. I'll probably be
    watching the match with my calculator in my hand.

    Safe journey home to everyone and enjoy your evening.
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    Chris Ottaway
    Chairman
    Clapton Football Club

           CLAPTON FOOTBALL CLUB IS AN UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATION.
                  AFFILIATED TO THE ESSEX SENIOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE
                        AND LONDON FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION.

ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE FIXTURES
           2021-22

This season marks the 150th anniversary of the FA Cup and Clapton Football Club’s 126th
appearance, having first taken part 6 years after Wanders FC won the first ever title way back in
1872.

The Tons kick off the 2021-22 challenge with an away game against fellow Essex Senior League
team, Hoddesdon Town FC on Sunday 8 August 2021 at 3.00pm, with a switch of venue to
Hertford Town FC.

TAKELEY FC
HISTORY
The Club's roots lie in the car industry which has long been a staple of
 the economy in this corner of East London and Essex, and give us several
'sister' clubs both locally and nationally. Previously know as Ford United
F.C. which dated from a 1958 or '59 merger between two older clubs, Ford
Sports F.C. (Dagenham) and Briggs Sports F.C., both of which were founded
in 1934. Up until WW2, the latter actually began life as Briggs Motor Bodies
F.C. and entered a team in the London League under that name between
1935
and '51.

The Ford United Club was in serious problems at the start of 1995/6 season,
however, as sponsorship was lost and disbanding seemed a real danger, until
Vice-Chairman George Adams enlisted Sky Sports as sponsors, rescuing the
Club.

Nicknamed 'The Motormen', they play in Blue Shirts and White Shorts. The
name of Ford United was to end forever when the club was changed at the
start of the 2004/05 season to Redbridge Football Club in a bid to gain more
local support and become firmly established as the highest placed football
club in the London Borough of Redbridge.

The 2015/16 season was one of disappointment as the club struggled on the
pitch winning just 8 league matches all season seeing them finish in bottom
position suffering relegation back to the Essex Senior League for the first time
in 19 years. Jimmy Chapman stepped down as Chairman handing over to
Ricky Eaton who combined the role alongside being joint 1st team manager
with newly appointed Joey May. He wasted no time in making much needed
improvements around the ground such as changing rooms/refreshment bar
and the club house.

In Jan 2019 Ricky Eaton stepped down from his role as manager to solely
concentrate on his chairman duties and wasted no time in bringing across
May & Baker manager Micky Wetherall well known to the football club and
bringing in an entirely new side he managed to lead the team to a 12th place
finish.

The following season Redbridge were sitting in 8th position when the season
was declared null and void due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2020/21
season started in September however Micky decided to step down due to
personal reasons and was soon replaced by ex-Aveley Reserves manager
George Christou.

CLAPTON FOOTBALL CLUB
The history of Clapton is very much that of a club which has a history and reputation unparalleled in
nonleague football. Founded in 1878 as Downs FC in Downs Rd Hackney, the club moved to its
present site in 1888 and changed its name to Clapton Football Club in the same year.

Clapton in 1894 became founder members of the Southern League (Dr Martins) along with Luton
Town, Milwall, Reading, Southampton, and Swindon. Arsenal were prime movers but left to join the
football league whilst Tottenham Hotspurs application was rejected!! The club was one of the original
founder members of the Isthmian League in 1905 which was then and up until the early 70s one of the
most important semi-professional leagues in the county.

Clapton’s reputation and history are tied to the early days of this league and the prestigious FA
Amateur Cup and were twice winners of the league and five times winners of the Cup.

In 1956 Clapton played in the first floodlit game for an amateur side against Barking at Upton Park in
front of 5,000 people. Their best ever FA Cup run was during this time with a 1-1 draw against QPR in
1957 before losing the reply away
1-3 in front of 14,000.

With the introduction of the Premier Division, Clapton had a brief change of fortune and won the
Division Two title in 1982-83 as well as the Essex Senior Cup in 1983-84 beating Southend Utd. The
Essex Thameside Trophy was won in 1983-84 and retained the following year. Relegation to the newly
formed Division 2 North followed in 1984-85. Still the club rallied to win the Essex Senior Trophy in
1988 and lost in the final of the London Senior Cup the same year 0-1 to then conference
side Fisher Athletic.

However, a 7th place finish in 1988-1989 saw a mass exodus of players at the end of the season and
two seasons later Clapton were in Division 3 (now Div 2) upon reorganisation of the league. The club
now plays in the Essex Senior League.

Today with Chief Executive Vince McBean at the helm, the club is continuing to develop the
foundations for the future based on a long-term structure. Since 2012, through the continued drive of
management and the development team, the club again starting to make strides again up the league
table. Clapton finished in 7th place in 2015-16 and were winners of the Gordon Braested Memorial
Trophy in the same year. The 2016-17 season saw the Tons maintain a strong position in the
standings of the Essex Senior League, eventually finishing in 2nd place overall.

After a short spell ground sharing with Southend Manor FC in 2019, the Tons have made a new home
at the Terence McMillan Stadium in Plaistow, E13 8SD, for the 2020-21 season.

CLAPTON FOOTBALL CLUB
 KIT COLORS

 Home Kit: Red & white shirts, red shorts, red socks
 Away Kit: Blue & yellow shirts, blue & yellow shorts,
 blue & yellow socks
 Goal Keeper: Royal Blue / Light Grey
                                                         OFFICIALS
                                                          Luke Scottow
 FOOTBALL MANAGEMENT TEAM                                  John Caunt
                                                         Simon Crowley
 Head of Football: Qayum Shakoor
 Manager: Mustafa Bashkal
 Head coach: Leslie Thompson
 Assistant coaches: Jetmir Brija and Marc Nicklin
 Physio: Devon Ming

BIG SHOUT OUT TO
        AZ SPORTS IMAGES
 The work of this young talented photographer
can be seen on our website, social media account
  and throughout our match day programmes.
 He has a great eye and expertise, capturing the
          #TONS in action every time.

LEN CORDELL MEMORIAL CUP
                               FIXTURES

                    PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS

   SPONSORSHP OPPORTUNITIES
    With football back on the agenda, we are looking forward to hosting matches
               throughout 2021 (subject to any imposed restrictions).

We have a number of advertising and sponsorship options to promote your business
            and at the same time provide valuable support to the club.

For further details or to discuss one of our packages, visit the commercial page at
            www.claptonfc.com or call Chris Ottaway on 07973307549

WITH EVERY DAY THERE ARE MORE
   RESTRICTIONS COMING INTO FORCE.
HELP US TO KEEP FOOTBALL BEING PLAYED.

         PLEASE WEAR MASKS

        PLEASE USE SANITISERS

        STAY 1-2 METRES APART

           ENJOY THE MATCH

              STAY SAFE

Clapton Football Club
      Established 1878

WWW.CLAPTONFC.COM