Flanagan's Football Files

I first became involved with the Essex Senior League in 2008 when I joined my club, Barkingside. During that time, there have been many clubs promoted and relegated, including my own. However, several clubs that once competed in senior football are no longer with us. In this article, I thought I would mention some of those sides that once graced our league.

The one exception is East Ham United, which I have included for personal reasons, as I spent more than 19 years growing up in East Ham.

BEAUMONT ATHLETIC

Beaumont Athletic FC was established in the summer of 1993 by a group of former pupils from Stepney Green School, with the support of their Head of Year. Based around Stepney Green, the team initially spent its first year playing in local tournaments and friendly matches. Between 2003 and 2006, Beaumont competed in the Essex Business League.

When Tower Hamlets Council’s leisure department opened applications for Mile End Stadium, Beaumont’s bid was successful ahead of ten other applicants. This success enabled the club to apply to join the Essex Senior League. Their initial application was rejected as they were not part of the National League System. However, following consultation and correspondence with both the League and the FA, Beaumont were granted senior status in June 2006.

The club competed at senior level from 2006 to 2008, collecting over 25 points in their final season. In 2007, they also participated in the FA Vase. At the time, Beaumont were only the second club from the borough to play at this level and the fourth Asian team in the country competing in senior football.

ETON MANOR

Eton Manor was founded in 1901 as a sports club for young people in the East End of London as part of the Eton Mission. The club was based at Riseholme Street in Hackney Wick. After competing in local leagues, they joined Division One of the London League in 1933 and won the division at the first attempt, earning promotion to the Premier Division.

In the 1937–38 season, they won the Premier Division title and reached the final of the Essex Senior Cup, drawing 0–0 with Romford before losing the replay 3–1.

Following the Second World War, the London League resumed in 1945, with Eton Manor placed in the Eastern Division before becoming members of the Premier Division for the 1946–47 season. They were runners-up in 1948–49 and won back-to-back Premier Division titles in 1952–53 and 1953–54. A fourth title followed in 1955–56, and they were runners-up again in 1957–58.

In 1971, the Greater London League merged with the Metropolitan League to form the Metropolitan–London League, with Eton Manor placed in Division One. In 1975, they joined the Essex Senior League, where they remained for many years. In the 2007–08 season, they won the Essex Senior League Cup, defeating Concord Rangers 3–2 in the final.

Eton Manor withdrew from the Essex Senior League at the end of the 2016–17 season. Although initially placed in Division One South of the Eastern Counties League for the 2017–18 season, they later withdrew and were replaced by Brightlingsea Regent Reserves.

I couldn’t write about Eton Manor without mentioning Reg Curtis, who represented the club for well over 50 years. Reg absolutely loved the club and was a genuine football man. I spent many enjoyable hours in his company whenever our clubs met.

EAST HAM UNITED

The club was founded in 1933 as Storey Athletic, named after Storey Street School in North Woolwich. In 1955, they were renamed East Ham United. After playing in the London League, they joined the Aetolian League in 1962. Two seasons later, the league merged into the Greater London League.

Initially placed in the A Section, East Ham finished sixth in the league’s first season and were placed in the Premier Division for 1965–66. In 1969–70, when the league merged into a single division, East Ham won the title.

In 1971, following another merger that created the Metropolitan–London League, the club joined Division One. In 1975, the league merged with the Spartan League to form the London Spartan League, with East Ham again placed in Division One. After finishing third in 1976–77, a season in which they also reached the quarter-finals of the FA Vase, they were promoted to the Premier Division.

After one season at that level, the club transferred to the Essex Senior League in 1978. Despite two promising seasons, they struggled in the league thereafter, finishing in the top ten only three times over the next 21 seasons.

In 2001, East Ham United merged with Barking to form Barking & East Ham United. The merged club folded in 2006. While Barking reformed, East Ham United sadly remained defunct.

LEYTON ATHLETIC

Following the departure of Waltham Forest from Wadham Lodge in 2008, Wadham Lodge F.C. was founded by former assistant manager Martin Fitch. They took over at the ground and joined the Essex Business Houses Football League, finishing third in their first season.

The club then moved to the Essex Olympian League, winning Division Three and Division Two in consecutive seasons. After finishing fourth in Division One in 2011–12, a second-place finish in 2012–13 secured another promotion. A fourth-place finish in the Premier Division in 2014–15 led to a successful application to join the Essex Senior League for the 2015–16 season.

In 2018, the club was renamed Leyton Athletic. They were relegated at the end of the 2018–19 season after finishing bottom of the Essex Senior League. On 4 September 2019, it was announced that the club would withdraw from the league after failing to secure a suitable home ground for the 2019–20 season. The club subsequently folded.

LONDON APSA

The club was formed in 1993 alongside the creation of the first Asian Football League. Originally known as Ahle Sunnah, the team was established by a group of friends from East Ham College in Newham, who joined forces with a local youth team, Young Muslims, whose players were no longer eligible for under-16 football. London APSA were crowned the first-ever Asian League champions.

The club competed in Asian-run competitions before deciding to join the London Intermediate League in 2000. However, they resigned before the season began and instead joined the Essex Business Houses League Senior Intermediate Division, where they competed for three seasons.

They joined the Essex Senior League at the start of the 2003–04 season and remained there until 2016.

In 2014, the club was renamed Newham Football Club. At the end of the 2015–16 season, after finishing bottom of the table, they resigned from the Essex Senior League and dropped into the Essex Olympian League. The club later reverted to the name London APSA.

Jimmy Flanagan