Clapton CFC 4-0 Hounslow United Reserves, Saturday 26th October 2019

Clapton CFC 4-0 Hounslow United Reserves, Middlesex County Football League Premier Division, att. 329

Indeed.

Only a fortnight after our last visit to Clapton, we were back; Londontykes Dave, Maria, Loko and myself, along with Gunner Rod and junior, all of us still giddy from Non League Day, where we and 897 others turned out.  There weren’t that many this time, only 329 braving the incessant rain (though it was the players braving it, we were tucked under a roof behind the goal).  But it’s quality not quantity wot counts, and the ultras continued the 90 minute barrage of noise.  Well, more of a hum than a barrage, but still.  I doubt it’s something Hounslow United (reserves) hear every week.

Clapton Ultras.  Actually smiling at football.

We met up pre-match in the Forest Bar in downtown Hoe Street, which still reeked of paint, despite it having been open two weeks.  Craft ale, say no more.  Earlier, I’d planned on having brunch in the Goose, but they were showing the rugby (of course they were).  I walked in, heard someone say loudly ‘lavvly’ (I think they meant ‘lovely’), had a p*** and walked out.  I hate rugby.

Clapton's #1 fan barks the team on.

At least we’d learnt one lesson from last time – kick-off is 2:30 and not 3pm.  And we entered at exactly 2:30…via another pint at the Dog and Duck, round the corner from the ground.  Another decent boozer, both spacious and affording a range of beer, it’s also difficult…nay impossible….to not come in afterwards too.  Mind, with plans to return to the Old Spotted Dog ground in Forest Gate, you'd better get to Wadham Lodge while you can.

The Main Stand in the rain.

The match was another high scoring romp, this time 4-0 to CCFC.  They were at it right from the start, and coulda been three up in 5 minutes.  Although they weren’t, class (!) told in the end and Hounslow reserves were well beaten.  ‘You look exhausted, keeper’ was my favourite jibe, though a poignant chant of ‘No human is illegal’ followed the minute’s silence to commemorate the 39 Vietnamese found dead in the back of a truck this week.  How desperate must they have been?

Match action.

More cheerfully, we all ruminated on how, at circa 50 years of age and 15 stones light in some cases, our football careers should not be considered over, given the rotundness of a couple of away players.  You’re a long time retired.

The Damage:
£5 ent
£2 prog
= £7

The Tunes:
Slave to the Rhythm (Grace Jones)
Gold Mother (James)
Con Todo El Mundo (Khruangbin)
Orbital 2 (Orbital)

Walter Tull commemorated.

That old Cov City tracky top came in handy...

Anti-fascist action!

Who knew where you buy goalposts from...?

A corner about to be swung in.

Programme cover

Clapton CFC 5-2 Stonewall, Saturday 12th October 2019

Clapton CFC 5-2 Stonewall, Middlesex County Football League Premier Division, att. 909 

Welcome to ....

It’s ‘Non-League Day’ and a chance for those of us who face the misery of watching our own league teams every week to have fun.  And what better example of ‘fun’ than watching Clapton CFC, instead of Arsenal or Barnsley, as is usual in my group of friends.  Indeed, upon seeing pics from the game, another Gooner commented on how it looked nothing like the Emirates – people were SMILING.  I even chatted amiably with a Newcastle fan who’d brought his neighbour’s dog along, and a couple of Dirty Leeds in the pub afterwards.  WTF???

Not the dog I was on about.  Another dog.

I must admit, I hadn’t quite realised there’d be such numbers and it was packed behind the main goal (though even Clapton have a splinter ultra group at the other end - the splitters?)  I was looking forward to seeing the teams come out – my mates’ kids were mascots.  So I missed that, not realising it was a 2:30pm kick-off and spending far too long in a new brew-pub in Walthamstow with my posse.  Oh well.  (Apparently, the kids prefer Clapton to Arsenal, as they get to shake hands with the players at full-time.)

The splitters at the far end.

We arrived in time to see Stonewall go two up, the second being a stunning scissor-kick volley which I couldn’t see from the far end.  Grrrrrr.  However, in an amazing game befitting the incredible crowd, Clapton fought back to win 5-2.  A packed home end made for a buzzing atmosphere.  And where else do you get the away team serenaded at full-time…their players taking the applause as ‘Stonewall we love you’ rang out. 

Clapton celebrate a goal.

Since last season, CCFC have moved to another stadium within the Wadham Lodge sports complex, to Walthamstow Town’s abode, complete with seated (covered) main stand, and terracing and roofs at either end.  Coming to see Clapton CFC is something else.  Indeed, Maria, Barnsley born and bred, wants her man Dave, Barnsley season-ticket holder, to change allegiances.  One thing we all agreed: it was better than watching Barnsley.  And Arsenal.  And I was able to get horrifically drunk afterwards, fall asleep in Vauxhall Bus Station on the way home and at some point lose my bag, with camera.  I crawled in at 4am.  I wouldn’t have swapped it for anything.  

The Damage:

£3 ent

£2 prog

= £5

The Tunes:

Psychocandy (The Jesus and Mary Chain)

And The Waltz Goes On (Andre Richlieu)

The start of my day...the new brew pub.

The end of my day...waking up drunk in Vauxhall bus station.