MATCH PROGRAMME EASTERN COUNTIES DIVISION 1 SOUTH
NW LONDON VS CLAPTON CFC 15.00 | 28TH OCTOBER 2023 LONDON COLNEY FC
CLUB HONOURS MIDDLESEX COUNTY PREMIER DIVISION 2022 ANAGRAM RECORDS TROPHY 2022 MIDDLESEX INTERMEDIATE CUP 2022
CLUB OFFICIALS WASIM KHAN - MANAGER SAMIR NAJI - CHAIRMAN FARAAZ AMIN - PLAYER LIAISON YIANNIS FOTOPOLOUS - ACADEMY DIRECTOR
WE WELCOME ALL ATTENDEES INCLUDING SPECTATORS, OFFICIALS AND CLAPTON CFC FOR THIS LEAGUE ENCOUNTER BETWEEN NW LONDON FC AND CLAPTON CFC. IT’S OUR CURRENT HOME OF LONDON COLNEY FC, WHO WE GROUNDSHARE WITH FOR THE 2023-2024 SEASON & HOPE EVERYBODY ENJOYS THE FACILITIES.
NW LONDON VS CLAPTON CFC
match preview It’s NW London vs Clapton CFC, in a familiar fixture over the past few years, as we head into the middle part of the season for the Eastern Counties Division 1 South. The two clubs have met plenty of times previously, starting in the Middlesex County Division 1 (Step 8) & then the Middlesex Premier Division (Step 7) to now facing each other in the Eastern Counties League Division (Step 6). In terms of competitive League fixtures, the first two fixtures saw NW London take four points, with a 2-1 victory at home and a memorable 4-4 draw at Clapton. Clapton went on to win the Division 1 of the Middlesex County League & both subsequently being promoted to the Premier Division. After covid interruptions, the clubs did not meet again competitively until 2020-2021 when a similar pattern followed the previous two fixtures. Clapton won the home fixture and claimed a 3-3 draw away from home. However, NW London went on to win the League in a role reversal of what happened in Division 1. The teams again, for the third time are in the same division. The first meeting provided another memorable contest, with Clapton taking a 2-0 lead, but NW firing back to take a dominant 5-2 victory. Clapton CFC who are unbeaten since the loss, now currently sit fifth. In their last four games, they have recorded victories over Enfield Borough, Clapton, May & Baker and Hackney Wick. For NW, their last two home games have been 4-2 victories over Park View & Tower Hamlets. In between those two victories, a 1-0 injury time defeat, saw them lose away to Benfleet. Team news for NW London, Djal Augustin is likely to return to the squad after missing Tuesday’s game. Bright Marfo picked up an injury in midweek against Park View and is ruled out. Forward CJ Eseka is still out with a knee problem.
THE OPPOSITION
CLAPTON CFC CLUB HISTORY BASED IN FOREST GATE IN NEWHAM, EAST LONDON, CLAPTON COMMUNITY FC WAS FOUNDED IN 2018 WITH A FAN-OWNED, DEMOCRATIC MODEL. ALL OF THE CLUB’S 1500+ MEMBERS ARE ABLE TO VOTE ON IMPORTANT ISSUES AND GET INVOLVED IN THE RUNNING OF THE CLUB BY JOINING COMMITTEES - SUCH AS COMMUNITY AND OUTREACH, COMMS, OR GROUNDS. CLAPTON COMMUNITY FC PLAY HOME GAMES AT THE OLD SPOTTED DOG GROUND, LONDON’S OLDEST SENIOR FOOTBALL GROUND. IN AUTUMN 2019 THEY WERE HANDED THE LEASE AND A FEW MONTHS LATER, THE CLUB BOUGHT THE FREEHOLD. AFTER YEARS OF WORK BY PASSIONATE AND DETERMINED VOLUNTEERS, THE DILAPIDATED GROUND HAS BEEN REPAIRED AND REFURBISHED. BOTH THE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S FIRST TEAMS HAVE MOVED INTO THE GROUND PERMANENTLY DURING THE LAST SEASON. THE WOMEN’S FIRST TEAM PLAY IN THE SIXTH TIER, THE LONDON & SOUTH EAST REGIONAL WOMEN’S LEAGUE DIVISION 1 NORTH. THE CLUB ALSO HAS MEN’S AND WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT TEAMS, BEGINNERS, 5S, INCLUSIVE YOUTH TEAMS, OPEN TRAINING SESSIONS FOR WOMEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE, AND EVEN A CRICKET TEAM. THE MEN’S FIRST TEAM WON PROMOTION TO THE MIDDLESEX COUNTIES FOOTBALL LEAGUE PREMIER FROM DIVISION ONE (CENTRAL & EAST) IN 2018/19, THEIR FIRST SEASON. ATTENDANCES WERE UNPRECEDENTED AT THE LEVEL, AVERAGING OVER 400 AND PEAKING WHEN 1,266 FANS WATCHED THE 3-0 WIN OVER FC ROAST TO CLINCH THE TITLE. IN THAT SEASON THE TEAM ALSO WON THE CLUB’S FIRST EVER CUP TROPHY: THE JIM ROGERS CUP - DEFEATING HILLTOP ON PENALTIES. IN 2021/22 THE TEAM FINISHED THIRD IN THE MCFL PREMIER LEAGUE, BUT AGAIN WON SILVERWARE IN THE ALEC SMITH CUP - AGAIN DRAMATICALLY, ON PENALTIES AFTER DRAGGING THE GAME BACK TO 2-2 FROM 2-0 DOWN. MEANWHILE THAT SEASON THE WOMEN'S FIRST TEAM MADE HISTORY BY BEING THE FIRST SEVENTH TIER TEAM TO REACH THE THIRD ROUND OF THE WOMEN'S FA CUP. THEY SET ANOTHER RECORD, BECOMING THE FIRST EVER TO BEAT A TEAM FROM FOUR DIVISIONS HIGHER. THE RUN SAW WINS AGAINST HIGHER DIVISION HARINGEY BOROUGH, BIGGLESWADE UNITED, BEDFORD TOWN AND HOUNSLOW, FINALLY ENDING AWAY AT PLYMOUTH ARGYLE. THE MEN’S FIRST TEAM WON PROMOTION FROM THE MCFL PREMIER LEAGUE TO THE THURLOW NUNN DIVISION ONE SOUTH IN 2022/23, WINNING THE TITLE BY EIGHT POINTS. THE PROMOTION WAS ACHIEVED ON THE PITCH IN FRONT OF 902 FANS AGAINST KENSINGTON DRAGONS, THOUGH IT WASN’T SEALED UNTIL A MONTH LATER WHEN THE GROUND PASSED ITS GROUND GRADING. AS THE NAME CLAPTON COMMUNITY SUGGESTS, HAVING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE LOCAL COMMUNITY BEYOND FOOTBALL IS KEY TO THE CLUB’S ACTIVITIES. THE CLUB’S CHARITY PARTNER IS THE MAGPIE PROJECT, SUPPORTING MUMS AND YOUNG CHILDREN IN NEWHAM. FANS COLLECT FOR FOODBANKS AND HAVE DONATED THOUSANDS TO GOOD CAUSES. THE CLUB GAINED A LOT OF MEDIA ATTENTION IN THE UK AND BEYOND DUE TO THE SUCCESS OF THEIR PURPLE, RED AND YELLOW AWAY KIT, A HOMAGE TO THE INTERNATIONAL BRIGADES WHO VOLUNTEERED TO FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY IN THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR. THIS WENT VIRAL AND OVER 16,000 SHIRTS WERE SOLD. A NEW HOME KIT FOR THE 2022/23 SEASON WAS CHOSEN BY A MEMBER POLL FROM A SELECTION OF KITS THAT CLUB MEMBERS DESIGNED AND SUBMITTED. IN 2021 CLAPTON COMMUNITY FC WON THE FOOTBALL SUPPORTERS ASSOCIATION LOCKDOWN HEROES AWARD IN RECOGNITION OF THE HARDSHIP FUND, CLAPTON AGAINST CORONAVIRUS. MEMBERS PAID IN WHAT THEY COULD AFFORD, AND THOSE IN NEED WERE ABLE TO TAKE OUT SMALL AMOUNTS TO HELP COVER KEY EXPENSES. SINCE MARCH 2020 OVER £15,000 HAS BEEN DONATED AND DISTRIBUTED. IN 2023 THE CLUB WON THE NON-LEAGUE PAPER’S COMMUNITY CLUB OF THE YEAR AWARD.
NW LONDON STATS 2023/2024 LAST 5 GAMES W L W W L
4-2 PARK VIEW (H) - LEAGUE 0-1 BENFLEET (A) - LEAGUE 4-2 TOWER HAMLETS (H) - LEAGUE 2-0 BRIDON ROPES (A) - CUP 3-4 HARLOW TOWN (H) - CUP
TOP GOALSCOERS ALEX KOZAK CJ ESEKA JUAN ARAQUE
10 5 4
SQUAD LISTS NW LONDON BRANDON BULLMAN VLAD LEVCHUK GABRIEL LINO IKECHUKWU EZEJI NICOLAS SANCHEZ DJAL AUGUSTIN JUAN ARAQUE VALENTIN BURCEA WITALO ANDRADE ALEX KOZAK HUGO JAVALOYES NOE NANGURA DEIVITY GOMES PHILLIX BUYUNGO LEONEL DOS SANTOS
CLAPTON CFC DANIEL ANFOSSY JACK FRANCIS ATAAIB KHAN ROBIN PHILPOTT ADIL ALI ALEX AKANBI DEAN BOUHO JUNIA CHARLTON SAMUEL COOK CHARLIE FAGAN JOSHUA GEORGE ALASDAIR GURNEY RICARDO JOSEPH SAMUEL MARCHI CARL PAUL BAILEY PRYCE ADAM SIDKY GUS STEELE CEMAL AGDELEN JULIAN AUSTIN JAMES BRIGGS SHAM DARR FIONN GLANCY JAMES GOLDRING CALLUM HOSIER GEOFF OCRAN PAUL OSHIN JAMES PAVELY JEFFREY TWUMASI NOAH ADEJOKUN JOEL AKUWUDIKE PATRICK BAIRD TAYLAN GUL MUHAMMAD MIKAEEL FELIX MURRAY LEWIS OWIREDU SHERWIN STANLEY FRED TAYLOR SULEYMAN ZAHMOUL