 | |||
| Full name | Clapton Community Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 27 January 2018; 7 years ago (27 January 2018) | ||
| Ground | The Old Spotted Dog Ground,Forest Gate | ||
| Capacity | 2,000 (100 seated) | ||
| Owner | Fan Owned | ||
| Manager | Alice Sharpe (women's team) Geoff Ocran (men's team) | ||
| League | Eastern Counties League Division One South | ||
| 2024–25 | Southern Counties East League Division One, 7th of 18 (transferred) | ||
| Website | https://www.claptoncfc.co.uk/ | ||
Clapton Community Football Club is a supporters fan owned members football club based inForest Gate,London, England. Their men's team are currently members of theEastern Counties League Division One South. Their women's team compete in theLondon and South East Women's Regional Football League Division One North. Both teams play atThe Old Spotted Dog inForest Gate.
Clapton Community was formed on 27 January 2018 by disillusioned supporters ofClapton F.C. after what they deemed as mismanagement of the club by chairman Vince McBean.[1] During the club'sdebut season, they sold 11,500 away shirts, with 5,500 to Spain, after the kit was based on theInternational Brigades and theFlag of the Second Spanish Republic.[2][3]
In April 2019,CE Júpiter hosted Clapton in a friendly match which celebrated the Spanish Republican spirit, with Clapton wearing kits inspired by theSecond Spanish Republic andInternational Brigades. The match was touted as symbolising both clubs' commitment toanti-fascism andworking class identity.[4]
On 11 May 2019, Clapton won theMiddlesex County League Division One (Central and East), gaining promotion to the Premier Division, after a 3–0 win against FC Roast.[5] The club entered theFA Vase for the first time in2019–20.[6]
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.[7] The women's team competed in Division One of theGreater London Women's Football League in the2019–20 season but were promoted to theLondon and South East Women's Regional Football League Division One North in the2021–22 season.
While theOctober 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, the club won theFootball Supporter Association's 'Lockdown Heroes' award for their Community Fund initiative, 'Clapton against Corona', fundraising and providing financial assistance to local people whose livelihood was affected by coronavirus.[10] Theoriginal club withdrew from competition in advance of the 2024–25 season, leaving Clapton CFC as the district's primary football club.[11] In May 2025, they defeatedForest Hill Park in the final of the SCEFL Division One Cup.[12] Having been unsuccessful in their appeal the previous year, the club were successfully transferred back to the Eastern Counties League ahead of the2025–26 season.[13]
Both the women's and men's first teams play atThe Old Spotted Dog inForest Gate.
On 17 September 2019, it was confirmed that Clapton Community had been awarded the lease atThe Old Spotted Dog, following Clapton FC's eviction.[14] On 24 July 2020, Clapton Community announced that they had purchased the freehold for The Old Spotted Dog and become the new owners.[15]
From 2022 the women's first team play atThe Old Spotted Dog, using changing rooms at the nearbyStratford School. After completion of the purchase of adjacent warehouse and renovation of the old changing rooms, the men's first team were able to join the women's first team in using The Old Spotted Dog as their home ground. Clapton Community youth teams train at the ground.
The men's development team, the women's development team and the women's open access team all usually play atHackney Marshes. Claptonfive-a-side teams,Clapton CFC Belters and Clapton CFC Massive play atMabley Green inHackney.
Supporters of the club are known to beleft-wing and are self-proclaimedanti-fascist.[16] The club have a number of ultras groups such as the Clapton Punks,[17] the Gravy Ultras,[18] and the UmarellOldtras.
London Womens Saturday League Division 2 winners 2023/24
51°35′51″N0°00′32″W / 51.5974°N 0.008996°W /51.5974; -0.008996
