 | |||
| Full name | Clapton Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Tons | ||
| Founded | 1877 | ||
| 2023–24 | Eastern Counties League Division One South, 18th of 22 | ||
| Website | claptonfc.com | ||
Clapton Football Club is afootball club in eastLondon. One of the most successful clubs innon-League football during the first quarter of the twentieth century, they won the FA Amateur Cup five times between 1907 and 1925 and had several players selected by theEngland national team. In 2019 they were evicted from their long-time home,the Old Spotted Dog Ground inForest Gate. After playing at other grounds for several seasons, they withdrew from the non-League pyramid at the end of the 2023–24 season.
Established in 1877 under the name Downs Football Club and initially based atHackney Downs in Lower Clapton, the club originally played in dark blue shirts and white shorts, with a distinctive whiteMaltese cross on the left breast.[1] The following year the club adopted its current name.[1] Clapton began competing in theFA Cup in1888–89,[2] and in 1890 became the first club fromGreat Britain to play in continental Europe, defeating a Belgian XI 7–0 inAntwerp.[3]
In 1894 Clapton became founder members of theSouthern League, alongsideSouthampton,Luton Town,Millwall andReading,[4] and were placed in Division One.Finishing eighth in a nine-club league they were forced to play a test match to avoid relegation to Division Two, defeatingSheppey United 5–1. Thefollowing season saw them finish eighth again, but despite winning the test match against the1st Scots Guards, the club resigned from the league as several of the other clubs turned professional.[1]
The 1904–05 season saw Clapton reach the final of theFA Amateur Cup for the first time, losing 3–2 toWest Hartlepool. The following season they became founder members of theIsthmian League, finishing as runners-up in itsinaugural season. They won the FA Amateur Cup in 1906–07, defeatingStockton 2–1 in the final. In 1908–09, they won the Amateur Cup again with a 6–0 win againstEston United. The1910–11 season saw them win their first Isthmian League title, and in 1914–15 the club won a third Amateur Cup with a 1–0 victory overBishop Auckland in the final.[2]
Clapton won another Isthmian League title in1922–23. The following season saw them win their fourth Amateur Cup, defeatingErith & Belvedere 3–0 in the final. They went on to retain their title as Amateur Cup holders the following season, beatingSouthall FC 2–1 atthe Old Den. In the same season, three Clapton players were selected for theEngland national team.[5] In1925–26 the club reached the third round of theFA Cup after wins againstNorwich City andIlford in the first and second round. They were eventually knocked out, losing 3–2 at 'home' toSwindon Town, a match that was played atWest Ham United'sBoleyn Ground and drew a crowd of 27,000.[6] The club would go on to reach the first round of the FA Cup again in1926–27,1927–28 and1957–58, losing toBrentford,Luton Town andQueens Park Rangers respectively.[2]
In1975–76 Clapton finished bottom of Division One of the Isthmian League, dropping down to Division Two, which was renamed Division One in 1977. At the end of the1981–82 season they were relegated to Division Two, but bounced back at the first time of asking as champions. The club won theEssex Senior Cup for a third time in 1984, but were relegated again at the end of the1984–85 season, dropping into Division Two North. In 1991 the club was placed in Division Three after league reorganisation, which later became Division Two due to further reorganisation. In2005–06 Clapton finished in bottom of the league for the second consecutive season,[2] and subsequently joined the Essex Senior League after Division Two was disbanded.
In2015–16 Clapton won the Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy, beatingStansted 4–0 in the final.[7] After finishing second-from-bottom of the Essex Senior League in2022–23, the club were relegated to Division One South of theEastern Counties League. They were due to be transferred to Division One of theSouthern Counties East League for the2024–25 season, but withdrew from the league on 18 June.[8]
Clapton originally played on pitches at Hackney Downs, before moving to North Millfield in Lower Clapton in 1880. The club then briefly played at Elm Farm and Pilgrims Road and then relocated tothe Old Spotted Dog Ground inForest Gate in 1887 after it was vacated by St Bartholomew's Hospital. The first match at the new ground was played on 29 September 1888, a 1–1 draw withOld Carthusians in front of a crowd of 700.[9]
During the2001–02 Isthmian League season, Clapton spent the entire season playing away from the Old Spotted Dog due to the club's failure to undertake the Isthmian League's required ground improvements. Clapton played the majority of their home fixtures atAveley's Mill Field ground, as well as groundsharing withPurfleet,Barking & East Ham United,Wembley andHertford Town.[10] Clapton eventually returned to the Old Spotted Dog in 2003.[11]
In the opening weeks of the2019–20 season, Clapton, and fellow tenantsHackney Wick, were forced to vacate the Old Spotted Dog due to non-payment of rent by the leaseholders, Newham Community Leisure Trust Limited, a charity in which Clapton FC 'Chief Executive' was a Trustee/Director. During Clapton's exile, they played atRedbridge's Oakside Stadium and Aveley's new Parkside ground.[12] On 17 September 2019 it was confirmed that Clapton had not been awarded a lease to remain at the Old Spotted Dog, with breakaway clubClapton Community winning the lease bid.[13] On 12 November 2019, it was announced Clapton would groundshare withSouthend Manor atSouthchurch Park for the remainder of the season.[14] In July 2020 it was confirmed that Clapton would play at theTerence McMillan Stadium inPlaistow for theforthcoming season.[15]
During Clapton's peak in the late 19th century, the club averaged a regular home crowd of 4,000 spectators. During this period, the club were nicknamed the Doggies after their relocation to Forest Gate.[16]
In 2012 a supporters group named the Clapton Ultras was started. The group followed the Europeanultras tradition and developed around local fans disengaged with modern professional football, migrants toeast London and those with an opposition to discrimination andfar-right politics.[17][18] Following the creation of the Ultras, the club's home attendances rose from an average of 20 in2011–12 to 335 by the2015–16 season.[19][20] Two clubs have refused to admit Clapton fans for their matches:Southend Manor andMetropolitan Police.[21] In July 2017, supporters won a high court injunction against Clapton chief executive Vincent McBean, who had attempted to liquidate Newham Community Leisure Limited, the charity that held the lease on the Old Spotted Dog ground.[22]
After Clapton discontinued their reserve and youth teams, in 2016 Clapton supporters founded Downs Football Club with the club name, badge and kit all in homage to the original Downs Football Club of 1878.[23] In 2018 some supporters formed a breakaway fan-owned club under the name ofClapton Community, joining theMiddlesex County League for the 2018–19 season, playing atWadham Lodge.[24][25] After Clapton Community were promoted to the Eastern Counties League in 2023, the two clubs played each other for the first time in October 2023.
51°31′11″N0°02′12″E / 51.519818°N 0.036656276°E /51.519818; 0.036656276
