Clapton F.C.

Did You Know?

• In 1890, Clapton became the first club from Great Britain to play in continental Europe, defeating a Belgian XI 7–0 in Antwerp.
• The club's record attendance of 12,000 was set against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup in 1898–99.
• Three Clapton players were selected for the England national team in the same season (1924–25).

History

The club was established in 1877 as Downs Football Club, based at Hackney Downs in Lower Clapton, and originally wore dark blue shirts and white shorts with a white Maltese cross on the left breast. It adopted its current name the following year. Clapton first entered the FA Cup in 1888–89, and in 1890 became the first British club to play in continental Europe, defeating a Belgian XI 7–0 in Antwerp. In 1894 they were founder members of the Southern League, placed in Division One; after finishing eighth they avoided relegation by beating Sheppey United 5–1 in a test match.

The next season they again finished eighth and won the test match against the 1st Scots Guards, but the club resigned from the league as several other clubs turned professional. Clapton reached the FA Amateur Cup final for the first time in 1904–05, losing 3–2 to West Hartlepool. The following season they became founder members of the Isthmian League and finished runners-up in its inaugural year. They won the FA Amateur Cup in 1906–07, beating Stockton 2–1, and again in 1908–09 with a 6–0 win over Eston United.

The 1910–11 season brought their first Isthmian League title, and in 1914–15 they won a third Amateur Cup, defeating Bishop Auckland 1–0. Another Isthmian League title came in 1922–23, followed by a fourth Amateur Cup win over Erith & Belvedere 3–0. They retained the Amateur Cup the next season, beating Southall FC 2–1 at the Old Den, and in the same season three Clapton players were selected for England. In 1925–26 the club reached the third round of the FA Cup after wins against Norwich City and Ilford, losing 3–2 at the Boleyn Ground to Swindon Town before a crowd of 27,000.

They later reached the first round in 1926–27, 1927–28 and 1957–58, losing to Brentford, Luton Town and Queens Park Rangers respectively.

Ground

Clapton F.C. began on Hackney Downs before shifting to North Millfield in Lower Clapton in 1880. Short stays at Elm Farm and Pilgrims Road followed, and in 1887 the club settled at the Old Spotted Dog Ground in Forest Gate, which St Bartholomew's Hospital had left. The first game there, on 29 September 1888, ended in a 1–1 draw with Old Carthusians, watched by 700 people. During the 2001–02 Isthmian League season, Clapton played all its matches away from the Old Spotted Dog because it had not made the ground improvements the league required.

Most home fixtures took place at Aveley's Mill Field, with additional groundshares at Purfleet, Barking & East Ham United, Wembley, and Hertford Town. The club returned to the Old Spotted Dog in 2003. At the start of the 2019–20 season, Clapton and fellow tenants Hackney Wick had to leave the Old Spotted Dog after the leaseholders, Newham Community Leisure Trust Limited, failed to pay rent. During this exile, the team used Redbridge's Oakside Stadium and Aveley's new Parkside ground.

On 17 September 2019, it became clear that Clapton had lost the lease, with breakaway club Clapton Community winning the bid. For the rest of the season, Clapton shared Southend Manor's Southchurch Park. From July 2020, the club played at the Terence McMillan Stadium in Plaistow for the 2020–21 campaign.

Supporters

During the late 19th century, Clapton averaged a regular home crowd of 4,000 and were nicknamed the Doggies after moving to Forest Gate. In 2012 a supporters group called the Clapton Ultras formed, following European ultras tradition and attracting local fans disengaged from modern professional football, migrants to east London, and those opposed to discrimination and far-right politics. Home attendances rose from an average of 20 in 2011–12 to 335 by 2015–16.

Two clubs, Southend Manor and Metropolitan Police, refused to admit Clapton fans for matches. In July 2017, supporters won a high court injunction against chief executive Vincent McBean, who had attempted to liquidate Newham Community Leisure Limited, the charity holding the Old Spotted Dog lease. After Clapton discontinued reserve and youth teams in 2016, supporters founded Downs Football Club in homage to the original 1878 club. In 2018 some supporters formed a breakaway fan-owned club, Clapton Community, which joined the Middlesex County League and later the Eastern Counties League; the two clubs played each other for the first time in October 2023.