Despite extremely limited resources, small East London clubs are thriving thanks to the passion of their fans, writes David O’Driscoll
The famous Old Spotted Dog football ground in Forest Gate is one of London’s oldest organised grounds.
Long out of action, in 2020 it was brought back to life by the Clapton Community Football Club (CCFC), a vibrant football community catering to all those who want to play the ‘beautiful game’.
The community at Clapton want a return to the roots of the sport, to what they call the “people’s game”, away from the relentless commercialisation of the sport.
The Old Spotted Dog is certainly not the easiest to find, being tucked away behind the back of a derelict pub across the road from a Costcutter.
Clapton’s first team regularly plays here to crowds of over 1,000 and to a backdrop of the ‘ultras’ singing anti-fascist songs and odes while drinking Polish beer.
Clapton has recently expanded its football portfolio, starting several boys’ and girls’ teams, as well as a newly formed men’s veterans team for those over 35.
The Coppermill Swifts, a community-based club in Walthamstow with a similar set of values, operates a successful veterans team and 14 children’s teams.
Times are tough for community clubs. A recent meeting, organised by Stella Creasy MP at Douglas Eyre Sports Centre, heard concerns from various clubs about the lamentable state of sport facilities in Waltham Forest.
A particular case in point is Low Hall in Walthamstow, where the Swifts play their home games. During the past football season both the showers and toilets were not working, despite the team paying full fees for access to the sports ground.
This episode highlights the broader problem of the lack of facilities in grassroots football, but also how little money trickles down from the professional game.
And yet amid the financial hurdles that community clubs are having, they are showing remarkable resilience; the Swifts recently finished runners-up in a prestigious veterans tournament in Portugal.
Due to their limited resources, fans often are forced to take things in their own hands, a challenge they take on without further questions.
After the Old Spotted Dog was closed for a period due to a dispute with the site’s then owner, Clapton fans responded by establishing a charity trust to bring the neglected pitch back to the community.
Need another reason why we should save community clubs? They play some cracking football.
On a recent balmy evening at the Old Spotted Dog, the Coppermill Swifts played Clapton and came back from 2-0 down to dominate the second half.
But despite Swifts’ attacker Chris Sloan scoring an incredible hattrick, Clapton held out for a 5–4 victory.
One of the Clapton Ultras next to me said: “That was probably the best game of the season.”
To support the Coppermill Swifts, visit their website
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