SPORTING BENGAL UNITED Essex Senior League 16.9.17 Waltham Forest Football Club Match Day Centres, Wadham Lodge, Kitchener Road, Walthamstow, London, E17 4JP

FORESTOFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME 2017/18

WALTHAM FOREST V SPORTING BENGAL UNITED Essex Senior League 16.9.17 Waltham Forest Football Club Match Day Centres, Wadham Lodge, Kitchener Road, Walthamstow, London, E17 4JP

Chairman: Turgut Esendagli Vice Chairman: Steve Howe Company Secretary: Vacant Treasurer & Hospitality Manager: Vacant Secretary: Andy Perkins Communications Manager: Andrzej Perkins ([email protected]) Club Historian: David Chapman Directors: Tony Brazier, June Brazier, Mustapha Cetinkaya, Turgut Esendagli, Kemal Soper

Life Members: A. Brazier M.B.E., J. Brazier, D. Chapman, D. Crabb, C.E. Gross, K.J. Harris, S. Howe, G. Larkbey, A McLean, A. P. Perkins, D. Salmon, C. Ward, D.E. Ward

Club Honours

Waltham Forest F.C. and Leyton Pennant F.C. Pennant F.C. and Walthamstow Pennant F.C. 1995 – Present 1965 – 1995 Essex Senior Cup Winners: 2005/6 London Senior Cup Runners-Up: 1990/1 Essex Senior Trophy Winners: 1995/6 London Junior Cup Winners: 1974/5 Eastern Flootlit Cup Winners: 1997/8, 1998/9 SW League Junior Cup Winners: 1968/9 Essex & Herts Champion’s Cup Winners: 1996/7 SW League Intermediate Cup Winners: 1969/70 Essex & Herts Border Comb Cup Winners: 1996/7 SW League Senior Cup Winners: 1970/71 London Intermediate Cup Runners-Up: 1996/7 SW League Premier League Winners: 1972/3 London Challenge Cup Runners-Up: 1995/6, 1996/7 London Metropolitan League Winners: 1974/5 Suburban League Division Winners: 2005/6 London Metropolitan League Runners-Up: 1978/9, Essex County FA Website of the Year: 2012 1979/80, 1981/2 London Metropolitan League Intermediate Cup Youth Teams Runners-Up: 1977/8, 1978/9 EJA Under 18s Trophy Winners: 2003/4 Spartan Reserve League Winners: 1980/1, 1990/1 EJA Under 15s Trophy Runners-Up: 2014/5 Spartan Reserve League Runners-Up: 1987/8 Conference Youth League: Winners: 2005/6 Spartan Reserve League Cup Winners: 1980/1, Pelly Cup Runners-Up: 2005/6 1988/9, 1990/1

2 THE EDITOR ANDRZEJ PERKINS

Good afternoon, and welcome to Wadham Today’s opponents, Sporting Bengal, have Lodge for this tie against Sporting Bengal enjoyed a good start to the season, and are United. comfortably mid-table (if there’s such a thing less than ten games in), so we’ll have to be at Though it is only early in the season, there’s our best again if we want to get anything from already a feeling of not wanting to get caught the game. up at the wrong end of the table. With a possibility of as many as four teams getting In honour of our visitors today, we’ve got two relegated come the end of April, wins like long reads on Bangladeshi football. On page Tuesday’s one against Woodford Town are all 20, there’s the forgotten story of Bangladesh’s the more important. football revolutionaries, and on 24 we’ve got a piece on why Bangladesh is in love with We started slowly, and there was only really Maradona. two shots in the entire first 40 minutes - both coming from Woodford Town - one hitting the Remember, you can sign-up to receive this bar, and the other going in. programme for free to your email inbox after every game. Sign up at walthamforest-fc.co.uk, But we soon found our feet, and the rain helped or give me a shout this afternoon. quicken up what was until then a rather slow pitch. By the time Town had a man sent off, Enjoy the game, it was one-way traffic, and they couldn’t deal with our attacking movement. In truth, they Andrzej were fortunate to get away with just conceding four. 3 THE TREE SURGEON CHARLIE WARD Today we take on Sporting Bengal, who sit In defence of the manager, most of the changes above us following a decent start to the season, he made we born out of necessity as players but, if we can win today we leapfrog them in were not available, but, I still feel he needs the table to get a settled side of players who will be regularly available and go from there. Since our last game here against Wadham Lodge, where we collected our first League I know he will not tolerate players with win of the season, we collected a draw at what he considers a bad attitude, but, I Clapton. After an excellent first half, where we also feel that he should perhaps have took a two goal advantage into half time, but spoken to those players and tried to allowed them to steal a point with a two-goal get them to understand his methods comeback. and reasons for doings and playing certain After that we entered September and it is fair formations - just to say, that apart from last Tuesday, we haven’t to discard enjoyd the best month so far. We have lost them is two League games and exited the FA Vase, possibly conceding nine goals and scoring none in the wasting processes. some talented Thankfully, we managed to get back on track players. with a good 4-1 win at Woodford Town. After conceding an early goal - we got level by half But, then, time and with a man advantage finally found I am not the our scoring boots to add three more, two of person who is charged which were superb individual efforts. with getting results from a virtually brand new squad. During our wretched run of ten days, I know thoughts turned to the position of the manager I am slightly perplexed with and whether we should replace him. players that think they know better, given the manager and Now I cannot class him as a friend, merely a coaches have a proven track football mate and I would say he has made record in coaching young mistakes and not sticking to a settled side and players. constantly changing formations are two of them (I am not saying anything in this column They have experience of that I have not already said to him). getting the best out of young talent and know what is We have used four goal keepers already and required, so why players that is too many - I personally think that he would not listen to what should have started with Mohammed Ahmed they are being told, I am not who never let us down last season and I sure. thought deserved the chance to be first choice, I understand that there has but, now he is injured so will have to wait his been an attitude of some turn. players who feel they should

4 not be playing at our level for a club that has Premier Division, so our players are getting limited resources and on the face of it is going noticed by senior non-league clubs. nowhere. Finally, as mentioned before, they are working I can come up with several good reasons under people who are good coaches and can for them to come to us as they forge a motivate and improve young players. career. My last point would be to those people who Firstly, we have a direct link with seriously thought of getting rid of the manager Crawley Town of the League 2 and if - wo would we get in to replace him? they impress, they could well be snapped up. Let us look at what we have to offer - a club in the Essex Senior league, with minute gates Secondly, they are and no budget for players - there is no way we playing for a would get an experience manager applying for club that has the job - when we had one last season, in Kem already Kemal, who’s record at our level and above seen three is impressive, could not get us near to the players top three after a strong start and left before sign on Christmas. contract for clubs So all we would be doing is swapping one in the inexperienced manager for another, we have Isthmian tried that a few times already and it got us a place in the bottom two.

Let’s face it, until the club can either find increased finance or can substantially reduce our costs, the club are treading water trying to keep afloat and I feel that we have a good a manager and the best man for the job in our current position and I believe he will get us playing well again.

All he has to do now, is to start getting the team playing like he did at the end of last season and if he can do that, then I am sure we will start to rise up the table.

5 The dismissal of one of their players before before players their of of one dismissal The to opportunity perfect us the gave the break second the unlike game and and win the go on barely we where Lodge, Wadham half against to ten men and with down a team troubled the ball, moving kept we keeper, a stand in and made all directions in players pulling their numbers pay. our superior with was impressed that I was thing The other toughened up after seeing the we the way bully us in the first half. home team trying to but, the ability, have that our players I feel in option the right take always some do not and their decision making and the final third a are but, they be better, could composure they I am sure mature, side and as they young on that aspect of their game. will improve team, a the a “leader” for I am still looking for players and give control will take who player or use his personality to up” “gee the necessary when needed. calm them down the team and looking to improve I am always but, in the fire, of irons couple another have of players a group have we feel I now generally, the who can attend most games and have us a fair chance nucleus of a side that will give of a win in most games. Sagaf back for Mo should also have We which will add to the quality of inclusion today, the side. and As pleased as I am with the performance to build on have we Town, at Woodford result on then the result lose today, that win - if we nothing. meant will have Tuesday where from can continue that we I hope today on improve or even left off in mid-week, we back wins of the our first back to it and get season. will have that then I think we can achieve If we up. on the way we to feel reason a real to say that, to say of weeks, I have I have of weeks, at times, I was was at times, I We have endured endured have We in coaster a roller frustrated beyond beyond frustrated form the last couple couple the last form belief. against Wadham against Wadham After gaining our first gaining our After win of the season Lodge and putting Lodge in a tremendous first in a tremendous half performance against half performance Clapton, only to undo all of Clapton, our good work in the second in the second our good work half, we then went through through then went we half, hell for the next three games, three the next hell for Tower losing at Sawbridgeworh, Hamlets (a night to forget all to forget night (a Hamlets round) and then exited the FA Vase at Vase the FA and then exited round)

Q’S CORNER Town. Framlingham back into the game and were level by half time. by level the game and were back into But, we refused to let our heads drop and got and got our heads drop to let refused But, we soft goal nightmare start where we conceded an early, an early, conceded we start where nightmare On Tuesday we improved greatly, after a greatly, improved we On Tuesday player unavailability and injury. unavailability player that most of them have been forced because of because been forced that most of them have five changes, but, the telling factor has been five each game, sometimes having to make four or four to make having each game, sometimes I know I have changed the starting line ups at changed the starting I have I know but, the net return has been nil. return but, the net I have tried different combinations and line ups, combinations different tried I have those statistics tell the story. none, whilst they created four and scored two - two and scored four created none, whilst they In the Vase match we created eight and scored and scored eight created match we In the Vase host of chances and missing them all. host of chances our lack of cutting edge up front, creating a creating our lack of cutting edge up front, improving as the games go on and it has been as the games go on improving our defence has not been too bad, certainly certainly been too bad, has not our defence where we looked like a team of strangers, like looked we where QAYUM SHAKOOR Hamlets the debacle against Tower Apart from FOREST ON STUFF THE ROAD Outside the quite splendid WHAT Bree Louise pub in Euston, on WE way home (the pretty way) from Framlingham. LIKED The happy faces do not reflect THIS the quality of the game or the WEEK result! WHO NEEDS TRAINING? Former Barking manager Glen Golby revealed this week that his side won the ESL last season without any training sessions during the season

FANCY PIES Manchester United have started doing limited edition pies! If this is the future, then we’re all for modern football.

REKINDLING FORMER FLAMES The power of social media never ceases to amaze. After tweeting news of a story about Sam Okunowo, who played for Barcelona before arriving at Forest, Leyton Pennant legend Billy Cove got in touch, suggesting Gerry Ikazoboh once got an international call-up! Sadly, this proved not to be the case, but it got us back in touch with players who last played for us some 20 years ago! Watch this space for some more features looking back at Leyton Pennant, mid-to-late 1990s vintage. 7 YOU CAN’T ALWAYS PICK YOUR HEROES THE NON-LEAGUE PAPER’S ADAM ELLIS TELLS US ABOUT ONE OF HIS FIRST FOOTBALLING HEROES, AND WHY ULTIMATELY, THEY’LL ALWAYS LET YOU DOWN

Growing up as a young football-going boy you get used to certain ways of life that you can only learn at football grounds.

It’s much better to smell onions than the cut them is something that can be learnt by watching the food bar manager wipe away the tears streaming down their cheeks.

Whether it’s the start of the season in August or conclusion of the season in May, always take a jacket – this is Britain after all.

You quickly learn which swear words are light- I am sure we would all like to look like Carlos hearted and which are blacklisted depending Valderrama rather than Zinedine Zidane, but on a spectator’s humour or vitriol at a match vanity in football wilts under ‘wow’ moments, incident. heart, and a player’s humility.

Now in to my mid-twenties, I’ve learnt Take a look at Barry Hayles now in the Hellenic something which never occurred to me as a Premier Division with Windsor, still going child despite it starring me plumb in the face: strong at 46 and at his seventh Non-League baldness. club this decade.

Look around at any football ground and you In my work on The NLP’s website any story will see many examples of a man’s will battling centered on Hayles is received with more against genetics and aging; I am currently at interest and admiration than most others, the stage where I have developed a surprisingly because of his commitment and the impression spherical penalty spot at towards the back of he makes. my head as if crafted by the ground staff at Wembley. Oxford City fans will remember striker Lee Steele, a poacher number 10 who would stick 8 the ball in the back of the net from no further people you have to learn the hard way yourself out than eight yards. and football provides one environment that defines right from wrong. I remember him as one of the heroes of Leyton Orient’s promotion season of 2005/06 Football is an environment which in the short who bagged a 90th-minute winner which term values the detriment of wrong over hero guaranteed the first promotion since I was 2. status, and there are consequences. You can’t exactly say the same for athletics or cycling. I also remember him for the reasons behind Steele has since been able to get back into him being sacked by City in 2012 when he football to work as a fitness coach where his posted a homophobic tweet on Twitter. hair has regrown and a stern lesson in conduct learned. An incident not in his nature as echoed by then-manager Mike Ford, but nonetheless an Mistakes are often as serious as the results inexcusable error made in poor taste that left they cause, that’s why I let someone else chop his employers with no other alternative. the onions.

Often, if you’re unable to learn from other 9 CLASSIC PROGRAMMES DAVID CHAPMAN Today we host Sporting Bengal United. As our recent history with them only dates back as far A team we used to meet regularly from their as our presence in the Essex Senior League I neck of the woods were Harwich & Parkeston thought we should look at a programme from on the Essex coast. further back in time. So this is a programme from 13th February Last week we visited Framlingham Town or 1932 in the fourth round of the Essex Senior Fram for short. It was a delightful small Suffolk Cup played on the Osborne Road ground. It town and apart from the result, we had a nice proved be unlucky thirteenth for Harwich as we day in the country. won by three goals to nil.

In the Leyton side were several old favourites in Jim Preston and Les Goldsmith, two of the finest backs to ever don a white shirt. Our half back line was Sonny Graves, the great George Armitage and Charlie Mercer.

No wonder we kept a clean sheet. George Armitage had picked up a full England cap with Charlton Athletic yet remained an amateur player throughout his career.

That season we did reach the semi-final of the county cup going down to Romford by the narrowest margin after a reply. It proved to be the first time that Leyton had not reached a major cup final since 1926/7. THE BEER HUNTER GRAHAM LARKBEY

A warm welcome to today’s visitors, Sporting a dark or mild ale on tap once the weather Bengal Utd, also to long-distance Forest turns colder - regular beers are Adnams Bitter, supporter Sean Perrott who is back up here for Woodforde’s Wherry and Oakham JHB, plus a few days from Cornwall. guests. Looks like the one to head for first!

After our Big Day Out to Framlingham last After that, we swop the country for the seaside Saturday, our next away fixture sees us making with a trip down river to Southend Manor. Here, another trip to another attractive country town, the Beer Hunter’s favourite stop-off near the this time Saffron Walden. This is an evening ground is Chester’s (formerly the TEAC Club), a game, but if you have the time to spare it’s couple of minutes walk away on the seafront well worth making an afternoon of it to have a road. wander round. This small, cosy club welcomes visitors and The town has an abundance of pubs, though usually has a choice of two real ales at a very according to CAMRA’s ever-excellent Whatpub reasonable price, which you can savour in quiet guide (www.whatpub. com) several of them surroundings while watching the ever-changing are predominantly restaurants, including the skyscape over the estuary. Eight Bells (Bridge Street) (pictured above), the Saffron Hotel and the Cross Keys (both Just along the road is the Falcon, a lively High Street). Also in High Street, the Duke of family-run pub offering Greene King and York is a more straightforward establishment Morlands. If you’re looking for a good pint in (Fuller’s London Pride, Sharp’s Doom Bar and central Southend, a reliable bet is the Last Woodforde’s Wherry), while the Temeraire is a Post in Weston Road near the station, a huge Wetherspoons with their usual offering of good Wetherspoons housed in a former Victorian beers and food at reasonable prices. post office building. The extensive beer range often includes local brews such as Wibblers and In Gold Street you’ll find the Old English George’s. Gentleman, a welcoming 18th century inn with log fires, Adnams Bitter and Woodforde’s Not far away, the Railway in Clifftown Road has Wherry, plus guest ales, an extensive bar a National Inventory-listed interior and offers food menu and displays of local artwork, but Adnams, Woodforde’s and Crouch Vale beers. the jewel in the crown is evidently the King’s At the other extreme sizewise, the Cornucopia Arms in Market Hill. Voted CAMRA Town Pub in Marine Parade usually has a Farmer’s Ales of the Year by the local branch, this venerable beer from Maldon on tap and is reputedly the wooden-beamed multi-roomed pub often has smallest bar in Essex. 11 MATCH REPORT WOODFORD TOWN 1 Wildman 17 WALTHAM FOREST 4 Belho 38, Sanusi 51, Masoud 63, Koita 77

ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE GOFF’S LANE | TUESDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER 2017

D Medina (Koita) Sanusi

Belho

Harris C Medina (Masoud)

Brija Agebane Tanimowo (Freeman)

Shephard Haywood Unused subs: Mbangu Kipeya Yellow cards: Kipeya, Freeman

Forest put in a dominating second half resulting corner by-passed everyone in the performance to take all three points on the road box leaving Leon Wildman to tap in at the back against Woodford Town 2017. post.

It was Forest’s first away win of the season, The turning point came with only five minutes and an excellent way to bounce back following of the half remaining. Woodford hit Forest on three consecutive defeats. the break, and Haywood saved a one-on-one opportunity well with his feet to deny the Town But early on in the game, it looked as if forward a near certain coal. Forest’s wait for an away win would have to continue. Sam Haywood in the Forest goal did This spurred Forest into action, and not long well to tip over a long-range effort, but the later Hafeez Sanusi turned his marker in the

12 box, but could only find the side netting. Town’s other former Stag, Denzel Williams then almost turned a cross into his own net, A deserved equalizer came through Vicente before Belho had an effort tipped onto the post, Belho who beat his man with a stepover before and Tanimowo had a huge shout for a penalty firing in low and hard into the bottom corner turned down. from the edge of the area. Forest were finding plenty of space behind the There was still time for the half to get worse home defence, and were soon two goals to the from the host, as they were reduced to ten men good after Sanusi latched onto Boris Kipeya’s following a foul on Abiola Tanimowo who broke nutmeg pass down the wing, squaring to Azhad through from half-way before being taken Masoud for the easiest of tap-ins. down on the edge of the home penalty area. The best was saved til last though, as Mo Forest came out all guns blazing in the second Koita’s goal put the icing on the cake for Forest. half, and if it wasn’t for former Stag Ali Standing by the touchline on half-way, Koita Shikheey clearing off the line, they could have was able to control a long ball out of defence been ahead within seconds. by flicking it between his legs some three feet off the ground, before running the length of the But Sanusi did indeed give Forest the half and curling a peachy right-foot effort past advantage just five minutes into the half, the stranded keeper. smashing home a loose ball after Tanimowo’s initial effort was saved. Forest were excellent value for the win, and now host Sporting Bengal United on Saturday.

13 ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE Latest Essex Senior League Table (13-9-17) P W D L GD Pts 1 Basildon United 6 6 0 0 9 18 2 Takeley 5 5 0 0 12 15 3 Great Wakering Rovers 7 4 1 2 8 13 4 West Essex 6 4 1 1 6 13 5 FC Romania 5 4 0 1 11 12 6 Ilford 7 4 0 3 7 12 7 Barkingside 6 4 0 2 3 12 8 Tower Hamlets 6 3 2 1 7 11 9 Sporting Bengal United 7 3 1 3 2 10 10 Redbridge 6 3 1 2 0 10 11 Hullbridge Sports 8 2 3 3 -4 9 12 Woodford Town (2017) 7 2 2 3 -5 8 13 Waltham Forest 8 2 2 4 -7 8 14 Sawbridgeworth Town 8 2 1 5 -4 7 15 Clapton 5 1 3 1 1 6 16 Stansted 6 2 0 4 -4 6 17 Southend Manor 4 1 1 2 -2 4 18 Hackney Wick 6 1 1 4 -6 4 19 Burnham Ramblers 8 1 1 6 -15 4 20 Enfield 1893 5 1 0 4 -7 3 21 Wadham Lodge 6 1 0 5 -12 3 LEAGUE TOP SCORERS Player Club Apps Goals 1 Michael Mignot West Essex FC 9 8 = James Peagram Ilford FC 7 8 3 Marcus Bowers Basildon United FC 11 7 = Stuart Anthony Zanone Takeley FC 8 7 5 Lewis Francis Sawbridgeworth Town FC 8 6 = Calvin Poku Redbridge 8 6

14 STATTO Starts Goals Sub on Sub off Red Yel Juelmo Agebane 10 0 0 0 3 0 Mohammed Ahmed 3 0 0 0 0 0 Terry Anim 1 0 0 1 0 0 Callum Bailey 0 0 2 0 0 0 Vicente Belho 3 1 0 0 0 0 Jetmir Brija 1 0 1 0 0 0 Wilson Chaby 0 0 2 0 0 0 Isaac Charles 1 0 0 0 0 0 Jake Connaris 1 0 1 1 0 0 James Curran 2 0 0 0 0 0 Cruz Danilo 0 0 3 0 0 0 Germaine Dua 4 1 0 0 0 0 Muhammadu Faal 1 0 0 1 0 0 Marco Faria 2 0 1 0 0 0 Terry Foxe 2 0 0 0 0 0 Enoch Freeman 1 0 1 1 1 0 Bradley Harris 10 1 0 0 0 0 Billy Hendy 1 0 0 0 0 0 Sam Heyward 2 0 0 0 1 0 Mahdi Khan 1 0 0 1 0 0 Boris Kipeya 7 0 0 0 1 0 Mohamed Koita 1 1 1 0 0 0 Arjanit Krasniqi 4 0 3 3 0 0 Olumide Lapite 2 0 1 2 0 0 Ohimai Long 8 1 0 2 0 0 Azhad Masoud 3 1 4 2 0 1 Ben Masuku 2 0 0 1 0 0 Chris Medina 1 0 2 4 0 0 Daniel Medina 1 1 0 2 0 0 David Myers 4 0 0 0 0 0 Nathan Okoye 6 1 0 1 1 0 Mohammed Sagaf 5 2 0 0 1 0 Hafeez Sanusi 1 1 2 0 0 0 Dominic Shephard 4 0 0 0 0 0 Zaid Sorr 1 0 1 1 0 0 Abiola Tanimowo 7 1 1 2 0 0 Glen Toonga 3 0 0 1 0 0 Harrison Tweddell 3 0 2 1 0 0 Joshua Wandera 3 1 0 0 0 0 Nathan Warren 2 0 0 0 0 0 Nana Yiadom 1 1 0 0 0 0 Kevin Zola 0 0 1 0 0 0

15 FIXTURES, RESULTS & STATS

F-A Cmp 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Sub 1 Sub 2 Sub 3 Unused Jul Sat 29 A Hullbridge Sports 2-2 ESL Warren Agebane Harris Curran Kipeya Sagaf 1 Krasniqi * Faal * Connaris * Toonga Yiadom 1 Tweddell (7) Bailey (4) Cruz (11) Gayle Aug Tue 1 A Takeley 1-4 ESL Warren Agebane Harris Longe * Curran Foxe Lapite * Toonga Tweddell * Sagaf 1 Dua Krasniqi (7) Medina (4) Bailey (9) Sat 5 A FC Romania 2-2 FAC Ahmed Harris Agebane Okoye Kipeya Toonga * Longe 1 Krasniqi * Khan * Sagaf Tanimowo 1 Masood (8) Tweddell (9) Cruz (6) Masuku/Foxe Sat 12 H West Essex 0-2 ESL Myers Masuku Freeman * Longe * Okoye Foxe Faria Agebane Tanimowo Sagaf Anim * Medina (4) Cruz (3) Masoud (11) Harris/Krasniqi Tue 15 H FC Romania 1-2 FAC Ahmed Masuku * Harris Longe * Okoye Agebane Masoud * Medina * Tanimowo Sagaf Dua 1 Krasniqi (2) Lapite (7) Connaris (8) Foxe/Brija/Wandera Sat 26 H Wadham Lodge 3-1 ESL Ahmed Kipeya Harris Agebane * Okoye 1 Charles Koita * Longe Tanimowo Dua Wandera * Freeman (7) Hendy (4) Tweddell (11) Chaby/Shephard Tue 29 A Clapton 2-2 ESL Myers Masoud Harris Hendy * Kipeya Agebane Wandera * Longe Tanimowo Dua Tweddell * Krasniqi (4) Sorr (7) Sanusi (11) Freeman/Shephard Sep Sat 2 A Sawbridgeworth Town 0-2 ESL Haywood Kipeya Harris Lapite * Okoye * Shephard Faria Longe Sorr * Dua Belho Freeman (5) Masoud (4) Chaby (9) Brija Sat 9 A Framlingham Town 0-2 FAV Myers Kipeya Harris Belho Shephard Agebane Tweddell Krasniqi * D Medina C Medina * Masoud * Brija (8) Tanimowo (10) Sanusi (11) Kennedy/Koita Tue 12 A Woodford Town 2017 4-1 ESL Haywood Kipeya Harris Agebane Shephard Brija Tanimowo * C Medina * Sanusi 1 Belho 1 D Medina * Koita (11) 1 Masoud (8) 1 Freeman (7) Mbangu Sat 16 H Sporting Bengal United ESL Wed 20 H Hackney Wick ESL Sat 30 A Southend Manor ESL Oct Wed 4 H Burnham Ramblers ESL Sat 7 H Great Wakering Rovers ESL Tue 10 A Woodford Town 2017 ESLC Sat 14 A Stansted ESL Mon 16 A Enfield 1893 ESL Sat 21 H Basildon United ESL Nov Sat 4 A Ilford ESL Sat 11 H Woodford Town 2017 ESL Sat 18 A Barkingside ESL Wed 22 H Hullbridge Sports ESL Sat 25 H Takeley ESL Dec Sat 2 H Tower Hamlets ESL Wed 6 H Barkingside ESL Sat 9 H Sawbridgeworth Town ESL Sat 16 H Southend Manor ESL Sat 23 A Hackney Wick ESL Jan Sat 1 H Clapton ESL Sat 13 A FC Romania ESL Sat 20 A Sporting Bengal United ESL Sat 27 H Redbridge ESL Feb Sat 3 A Burnham Ramblers ESL Sat 10 H FC Romania ESL Sat 24 H Enfield 1893 ESL Mar Sat 3 A Basildon United ESL Sat 3 A Wadham Lodge ESL Sat 10 A Great Wakering Rovers ESL Sat 24 A West Essex ESL Apr Sat 7 A Redbridge ESL Sat 21 H Stansted ESL Sat 28 H Ilford ESL

16 FIXTURES, RESULTS & STATS

17 TODAY’S OPONENTS SPORTING BENGAL UNITED

“THE BENGAL TIGERS”

1996 HIGHEST ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE FINISH 2010–11 - 10th

BEST FA CUP RUN 2017-17 - 1st MILE END STADIUM Qualifying Round BEST FA VASE RUN 2011-12 - 3rd round

18 It all began with a football tour to Bangladesh tour – Sporting Bengal lost 3-2 in 1996 by a group of the best Bangladeshi 2001: BFA hosts Dhaka Abhani Limited UK tour players in London. There was a realisation that - Sporting Bengal won 2-1 talent was being wasted with the divisions that 2001: Sporting Bengal players represent existed and a solution was required to tackle Bangladesh in UK Inner City World Cup & these divisions. become Champions 2001: UK Bangladeshi Football Champions Sporting Bengal United FC was therefore 2002: UK Asian Football Champions - held at established in 1996 to challenge the under- Ibrox Stadium representation of Asians in football and to offer 2002-03: Toured Bangladesh, losing 2-1 to Bangladeshi and other young Asian people a National Team chance to play football at a higher level. In eight 2003: UK Asian Football Champions - held at years the team rose from amateur Sunday Celtic Park league football to semi-professional football. 2003: Granted senior status by the London Football Association Today, the club offers local young people 2003: Elected to the Semi-professional Kent of all backgrounds the opportunity to play Senior League semi-professional football in the Essex Senior 2004: Accepted into the FA Vase competition & Football League. It broke down many barriers FA Cup competition and was one of the first Asian teams to play in 2005: Sporting Bengal, one of two Asian teams the famous FA Cup. that plays in the FA Cup 2009: UK Asian Football Champions 1996-98: Asian League Champions three years 2011: Enters the Essex Senior Football League & Asian League Cup Winners two years in (Finished 10th in League and 3rd round of FA succession Vase Cup) 1997: League Bangla set up 2013-14: Essex Senior League Cup Runners Up 1998: Appeared in Nike Advert in Hackney 2015-16: Ex Dagenham & Redbridge FC Marshes footballer, Anwar Uddin, appointed Manager 1998: Toured Bangladesh, playing under 16 and 2016-17: Sporting Academy coach, Imrul Gazi, 19 National sides was appointed Manager of the Senior Team 1999: Entered the London Intermediate League 2016-17: Club made history by winning two 2000: BFA hosts Dhaka Mohammedan SC UK rounds in the FA Cup for the first time ever 19 A PLAY FOR INDEPENDENCE: THE FORGOTTEN STORY OF BANGLADESH’S FOOTBALL REVOLUTIONARIES In July 1971, at a dusty little stadium in India, a side representing the unrecognised nation of Bangladesh struck a meaningful blow for independence from Pakistan. This is their story, told by Shirsho Dasgupta, for vice.com.

“It is the most memorable moment of my life administrators departed the Indian being the first person to hoist the Bangladesh subcontinent. Behind them they left the new flag outside the country.” republic of India and the Islamic republic of Pakistan, the latter divided into East and West On 25 July 1971, at a small stadium in India regions and flanking the Indian peninsula packed to its brim, a team from what was then on both sides. Though long sought after, East Pakistan played a side representing the independence came at a high price. With the Nadia district of West Bengal. Just before kick- subcontinent split into two separate nations, off, the East Pakistan captain unfurled a green the years before and after independence bore flag with a map of modern day Bangladesh witness to a mass exodus of refugees travelling at its centre. To the sound of applause and from one country to another, depending on cheering from the 10,000-strong crowd, the their religion. As a result, pogroms, rioting and flag was paraded around the perimeter of massacres erupted in the provinces of Bengal the pitch, then hoisted alongside the national and the Punjab. colours of India. East Pakistan had a prickly relationship with In this dusty stadium in an inconspicuous its counterpart in the West. The enormous corner of the world, the East Pakistan players peninsula of India dividing the two regions had made history. This was the first time that spatially meant that, barring religion, the two the flag of Bangladesh – a country still not regions had very little in common. The people officially recognised – had been unfurled on of East Pakistan shared cultural and linguistic foreign soil. As ambassadors of the war for similarities with the bordering Indian states liberation that was raging in East Pakistan, of West Bengal and Assam, rather than the the Bangladesh XI – the country’s first Punjabi and Pashtun cultures of West Pakistan. international football team – were rebels first and footballers second. This cultural divide was further exacerbated by the fact that although East Pakistan had a In 1947, the last British forces and colonial larger population, it possessed little political influence in the capital city of Islamabad, located some 2,000 miles away in West A provisional government was formed in Pakistan. The West also enjoyed the bulk of Bangladesh, which later shifted its seat the common budget and deemed the Bengalis to Calcutta (now “Kolkata”) in India as a of the East to be inferior and not “martially government in exile. Covertly financed and inclined”. trained in guerrilla warfare by the Indian armed forces and intelligence services in camps By the nineteen-seventies, a popular Bengali across the border, their military wing, the Mukti nationalist movement seeking greater Bahini (“Liberation Army”), declared war on the autonomy had sprung up in East Pakistan, occupying armed forces of Pakistan. much to the dismay of General Yahya Khan, who had become the nation’s president a year The provisional government entrusted earlier. In March, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Shamsul Haq to form a sports association, the the leader of the Awami League, delivered Bangladesh Krira Samity (“Bangladesh Sports an address that closed with the words: “Our Committee”). With the help of the committee’s struggle is for our freedom. Our struggle is for first secretary Lutfor Rahman, former footballer our independence.” and coach Ali Imam, and former East End Club footballer Saidur Rahman Patel, Haq decided On 25 March 1971, Islamabad ordered the to form a football team who would act as commencement of Operation Searchlight, ambassadors of the revolution and spread the aimed at eliminating all opposition in East word of independence. Pakistan, be it political, social or military. Over the next few months, this military action would Both All India Radio and the Shadhin Bangla lead to a systematic genocide of three million Betaar Kendro broadcast a call to Bangladeshi civilians, while around 10 million refugees fled footballers living in the refugee camps to neighbouring India. scattered across India to attend trials for the team. Coach Nani Bashak finally selected 25 Patel, Ali Imam, Govinda Kundu, Amalesh Sen players to meet for a special training camp and Sheikh Ashraf Ali, they would go on to before the squad began touring India, playing forge their place in Bangladesh’s sporting and fundraising matches to support the Mukti political history. Juddho (“Liberation War”). In late July, the team made its debut at the A few others linked up with the squad after Krishnanagar Stadium in West Bengal, India. the camp. Kazi Salahuddin, one of the most With the small stadium packed to capacity, talented footballers Bangladesh has ever people climbed trees and walls, or watched produced, had initially joined a guerrilla training from the terraces of neighbouring houses. camp to fight the war. It was there that a The hard-fought match, which ended in a 2-2 photojournalist from Calcutta told him about draw, was attended by representatives of the the football team. Already a star of Dhaka Bangladeshi government in exile, including club Mohammedan Sporting, then the leading Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed. It was in side in East Pakistan, Salahuddin immediately this game that the team unfurled the flag travelled to Calcutta in an Indian Air Force plane representing an independent Bangladesh. to join the team. “I still remember that day. It is the most Thus was born the Shadhin Bangla Football Dol memorable moment of my life being the first (“Free Bengal Football Team”). Zakaria Pintoo person to hoist the Bangladesh flag outside was appointed captain and Protap Shankar the country. It was also a historic moment for Hazra was made his deputy. Along with figures Bangladeshi football,” Zakaria Pintoo recalled like Kazi Salahuddin, Nurunnabi, Saidur Rahman more than 40 years later in an interview with

22 Daily Star, Bangladesh’s leading English- Sports Week XI in Bombay. Khalid Ansari, language daily. the editor of Sports Week, was instrumental in organising the match. Dashing cricketer Hoisting the flag was a political act, and an Mansour Ali Khan Pataudi captained the Indian extremely controversial one, being as India side and even managed to score a goal. was still yet to recognise Bangladesh as an independent nation. The Indian officials had The Bangladeshi team won the game 3-1, even sought to persuade the team not to go after which Pataudi, along with the Governor through with the gesture, but finally relented of Bombay and Bollywood star Dilip Kumar, just before the match. The government was contributed huge amounts to the Bangladesh unhappy, however, and came down heavily on Relief Fund. Around £1,800 was collected from the District Magistrate of Nadia for fielding the the sale of tickets alone, and this too went to official district team, suspending him from duty. the fund. Nadia also lost its place in the Indian Football Association for a year as punishment for The team played its last match against a hosting the Bangladeshi side. Balurghat XI in West Bengal. It was a highly emotional occasion as a guerrilla training camp Their next match was against the mighty was located in Balurghat and members of the Mohun Bagan of Calcutta, then one of Asia’s team met liberation fighters in person before best football sides. However, the controversy their game. in the previous match meant that Bagan would play under the banner of Gostha Pal On 3 December 1971, Pakistan Air Force XI, in honour of a club legend and a giant of launched a pre-emptive strike on 11 airfields Indian football. Although the match was an across northern India. That evening, Indian easy 4-2 victory for Bagan, captain Chuni Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared war Goswami expressed great appreciation for the against Pakistan. Within two weeks the Bangladeshi side. Pakistani forces fell; they officially surrendered on the afternoon of 16 December 1971. “The day I took over as the captain of Mohun Bagan, I desired to do something for the The Bangladesh XI was about to depart for freedom movement...With all our support Delhi to play another fundraising exhibition for the game, we stood next to them in the match when they finally received the news freedom struggle,” he said after the match. they had been waiting for: Bangladesh was an independent nation. The team played a total of On 14 August, Pakistan’s independence day, 16 matches in India – winning 12, losing three the team beat a Calcutta XI 4-2. Prior to kick- and drawing one – and also managed to collect off, in an act meant to humiliate Islamabad, funds amounting to 500,000 Bangladeshi taka, the Bangladeshi footballers trampled on the a significant amount in those days. Pakistani flag, set it ablaze and threw it into the stands – much to the dismay of the Indian Back home, they were greeted as ambassadors government. of the revolution. Most went on to play at domestic and international level, while many of But, according to Kausik Bandopadhyay, them won awards and have been recognised by historian and author of Bangladesh Playing: the Bangladeshi government for their service Sport, Culture and Nation, the match that to the cause of liberation. Outside Bangladesh, attracted the most attention was against however, very few know of their story.

23 WHY BANGLADESH IS IN LOVE WITH MARADONA QUAZI ZULQUARNAIN ON THE BIRTH OF AN IDOL It is the wee hours of the morning of June 23rd after all and the young boy sitting in 1986 and a young boy sits crouched around Bangladesh would not have missed it for the a tiny television watching intently the actions world. Presently his older brother tiptoes into that transpire on the grainy black and white the room and whispers in his ear that he has screen in front of him. Sometimes he gestures to go to school tomorrow and that it is already wildly, yet inaudibly, clearly irritated or let down far too late. The second half must be forsaken. by the actions of the men in the picture. The The younger sibling pleads. Just a little bit more room in which he sits is dark and the only light he says and the older one already knows that is the one that emanates from the TV screen. it is a lost cause. He sits down alongside his It lights up his face and the furrowed lines of younger brother, a resigned look on his bearded nervous tension that accompany all life-long face, convinced that there is no fighting or sports fanatics are already visible. stopping this labour of love.

His floppy hair falls over his eyes at times, Fifteen minutes later, both sit there awestruck; but he ruffles it away distractedly, almost clinging on to each other in the desperate uncaringly. It is eerily quiet; there is hardly hope of finding some tangible yet inaudible any noise as the analog volume bar in the connection to explain the events that they have rickety Singer TV set is cranked almost close just witnessed. Their father still snores on the to mute. John Helm, (or is it Martin Tyler?) is bed next to them, the room is still dark and often drowned out by the audible snores of his the stale stench of cigarette smoke still hangs father who sleeps on a mahogany bed not five heavy in the air. It is as if nothing has changed, foot away. If he wakes up, it could be curtains but they both know that is not the case. and this means that the boy has to sit close to Everything has changed. Gil-Scott Heron had the screen; so close that sometimes the faster lied. The revolution had cuts in the sequence leave him squinting and just been televised. rubbing his eyes. Later there were But this is a price he is willing to pay to fireworks, watch the actions that unfold on and then a sweltering Azteca pitch half there were a world away. This is Diego Maradona versus the English celebrations, plenty of them. Young men took strong back in the 1980’s. His was a generation to the streets, liberated it seemed by the of youths who had grown up hearing tales actions of another young man a few thousand of suppression from their fathers and miles away. There was dancing, young men grandfathers and to see the English beaten making a feeble attempt to replicate the sway in the grandest stage of them all, set loose a of the hips that had left Gary Stevens tackling wave of Schadenfreude that carried Maradona air and Terry Fenwick on the floor. There was on a crest of wave from the banks of the also innovative flag waving, blue and white Ganges to a hallowed seat in Olympus. striped plastic bags substituting for the lack of an Argentina flag. There was no alcohol and yet There are others who argue that it was there was exuberance; exuberance that saw a politics that brought about this sense of futile attempt to carve out a particularly painful identification. Bangladesh and Bengal in tango in the name of their new heroes, or to general had traditionally always been a hotbed put it frankly, hero. of revolutionary and leftist politics. It was a trait that set them apart from way back in the Bangladesh was a young nation, barely sixteen British rule and this is a school of thought that on that lovely June night. They did not have argues that Maradona’s well-documented many heroes, least of all sporting ones, but affinity for Che Guevara, Fidel Castro and the even as the sun rose to signal the start of Venezuelan Hugo Chávez have made him another day they had found one: a stocky, almost as much of a leftist icon as a revered curly-haire little magician with a divine left footballer. foot and a cheating right hand which had just done for the English. Maradona’s position in the And then there are those who argue that pantheon of Bangladeshi sporting heroes was Maradona came about at just the right time. complete. It is a pedestal he holds to this day. Before the 1980’s, television was almost unheard of for most people in Bangladesh. In To explain the implications of that second a country of rampant poverty, most forms of Maradona goal at the Azteca on the psyche of a communication were almost non-existent. generation of young men in a poverty-stricken But by 1986, little black and white television country thousands of miles away, would be sets had found their way into the heart of akin to writing a course paper in globalization, the nation. There was also the odd colour TV, psychology and sociology. But yet we try and a relative novelty and just as the World Cup if we were to query wiser men than me, many kicked-off, TV had just about become the new of them would invoke history to national pastime. The time difference meant explain the events. it was a late night group activity, during Maradona’s elevation to cult which our very first international fan clubs hero-status, they argue, were born. Maradona’s achievements comes not from his abilities just added more fuel to fire this new as a footballer but from the sense of liberation and hence, circumstances that saw him many argue, he came to almost single-handedly vanquish symbolize this freedom. the colonial masters. The English had ruled Bengal for the best part of two centuries and resentment about their rule was still

26 So, which is it really? Why do people in Bangladesh adore Maradona so? Why do they revere him even as he grows old disgracefully? Why do they support him even when he is down? The questions are endless and to understand this, we perhaps also have to hear from people like me; people who believe that aiming to rationalize and idealize football fanaticism is a futile exercise at the best of times, but then still go ahead and do it.

And if you ask people like me, I would probably say that both football and love for the game are elemental situations. It is a love born out of absolute, pure, unadulterated, emotion and in most cases it is irrational to the extreme and impossible to explain. And that, I feel, is as good a reason as any as to why a generation of Bangladeshis are in bed with Maradona.

Zulquar is a football writer based in Dhaka, and can be found on Twitter @nondeplume.

27 TODAY’S TEAMS RECENT FORM Forest D-L-L-L-W

Sporing Bengal United W-W-W-L-L

NUMBER Juelmo Agebane Louis Adjei TODAY’S FIXTURES Friday Vicente Belho Sadiq Ahmed Barkingside v Redbridge, Tower Hamlets v Wadham Lodge Jetmir Brija Jahed Ahmed Enoch Freeman Codey Cameron Saturday Basildon United v Enfield 1893, Bradley Harris Ismael Carter Clapton v Burnham Ramblers, Great Wakering Rovers v Ilford, Sam Hayward Ismael Chand Southend Manor v West Essex, Boris Kipeya Rokib Choudhury Stansted v Woodford Town (2017), Takeley v Hackney Wick, Mohamed Koita Rokun Choudhury Waltham Forest v Sporting Bengal United Azhad Masood Thomas Cowan Elie Mbangu Raul De Silva TODAY’S OFFICIALS Christian Medina Moris Gelashvili Gary Baker Daniel Medina Joswar Gonzalez Martin Quinn Charlie Roberts Mohamed Sagaf Denzel Kobia Hafeez Sanusi Jack Lamb-Wilson Dominic Shephard Oscar Mendes Abiola Tanimowo Shiblu Miah

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