Clapton F.C.

Clapton

Full name	Clapton Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Tons
Founded	1878
Ground	The Old Spotted Dog Ground, London
Chairman	Colin Walton
Manager	Wilfred Thomas
League	Essex Senior League
2010–11	Essex Senior League, 17th
Home colours Away colours

Clapton F.C. is an English association football club, who play in Forest Gate, in the London Borough of Newham, England.

Founded by W.R. Davis at a meeting in his father's house at 11 Queensdown Road, Clapton in August 0f 1877. Downs F.C. started playing on Hackney Downs. They changed their name a year later to Clapton FC and in 1880 were playing at North Mill Field, Leyton. They shortly afterwards had their first private enclosure at Elm Farm and finally moved to Pilgrims Farm, Walthamstow with an annual rental of 10 pounds a year.

In 1888 the moved to their present groung The Old Spotted Dog Ground, which, from at least 1893 until 1902, was the venue for the final of the West Ham Charity Cup.They were one of the founding members of the Southern League in 1893.

Clapton, nickamed 'The Tons' joined the Isthmian League upon its establishment in 1905. Champions twice in the early years, they spent many years in the lower reaches of the league since WWII. In the 2005/06 season they played in the Second Division, but lost their place with the 2006 re-structuring of the non-league set-up. They currently play in the Essex Senior League.

Clapton should not be confused with Clapton Orient, which was the former name of Leyton Orient, between 1888 and 1946. In April 1902 Clapton Orient won the West Ham Charity Cup by beating Clapton F.C. 1-0 at The Old Spotted Dog Ground.

History

• 1894-95 - Founder member of Southern League.
• 1901-02 - West Ham Charity Cup runner-up
• 1904-05 - FA Amateur Cup runner-up
• 1905-06 - Founder member of Isthmian League. Isthmian League runner-up
• 1906-07 - FA Amateur Cup Winners
• 1907-08 - Isthmian League runner-up (on goal average x2)
• 1908-09 - FA Amateur Cup Winners (2nd time)
• 1909-10 - Isthmian League runner-up (on goal average)
• 1910-11 - Isthmian League Champions
• 1914-15 - FA Amateur Cup Winners (3rd time)
• 1922-23 - Isthmian League Champions (2nd time)
• 1923-24 - FA Amateur Cup Winners (4th time)
• 1924-25 - FA Amateur Cup Winners (5th time); Isthmian League runner-up
• 1976 - Relegated to Division Two
• 1977-78 - Division Two renamed Division One
• 1982 - Relegated to Division Two
• 1982-83 - Isthmian League Division Two Champions; promoted to Division One
• 1985 - Relegated to Division Two North
• 1989-90 - One point deducted
• 1990-91 - Three points deducted
• 1991-92 - Placed in Division Three on re-organisation
• 2002-03 - Division Three effectively renamed Division Two on re-organisation

Honours

FA Amateur Cup

• Winners (5): 1907, 1909, 1915, 1924, 1925

Isthmian League

• Champions (2): 1911, 1923
• Runners up (4): 1906, 1908, 1910, 1925
• Second Division champions (1): 1983

West Ham Charity Cup

• Runners up (1): 1902

England players

In 1924-1925, three Clapton players were selected for the England national team.^[1]

• William Bryant
• Stan Earle (later played for West Ham United)
• Vivian Gibbins (selected twice)

Other International Players

In 2008-2009 season this player was selected for Antigua & Barbuda

• Craig Heskey (selected twice)

Antigua & Barbuda U-20

Country	Caps	Won	Drawn	Lost	Goals	R	Y
	2	0	0	2	0	0	0

Records

• Acknowledged by the Football Association as being the first English club to play on the continent when they beat a Belgian XI at Antwerp in 1892.
• Best post-War league position: 14th in Isthmian, League, Premier division (then level 6), 1978-79
• Best FA Cup performance: 3rd round, 1925-26
• Best FA Amateur Cup performance: Winners (five times) in 1906-07, 1908-09, 1914-15, 1923-24, and 1924-25.
• Best FA Trophy performance: 2nd qualifying round, 1980-81
• Best FA Vase performance: 2nd round, 2003-04

References

1. ^ Club Affiliations - Clapton

External links

• Independent website claptonfc.co.uk
• Unofficial website
• Clapton at the Football Club History Database