We’ve had false alarms before, but Saturday’s home game could be our last at the Wadham Lodge Stadium in Walthamstow. 

The men’s first team are currently nomadic ahead of the move to our own Old Spotted Dog Ground in Forest Gate and the stadium pitch may not be free again. 

Either way, it’s a rare day in a stadium again after some 3G cage games, so let’s make it special.

In previous meetings, CCFC have held the upper hand, winning four and drawing one.

However, Larkspur’s squad contains 10 new players so they will be an unknown quantity. One of those signings, tall striker Craig Mathieson, has netted three in the first two games.

Both of these teams have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the season and were among the chasing pack last season so will hope to be up there again.

Last season Larkspur looked a good bet to win the title, but lost five of their last seven games to drift down to seventh, although only still six points behind CCFC in third.

Rovers were formed in 1950, joined the MCFL in 2013/4, and have enjoyed three rapid promotions since.

They now offer football for boys, girls, men and women from four-year-olds to vets based at their newly-built £1million complex at Lord Halsbury Memorial Playing Fields.

Brighton & Hove Albion and England under 21 player Tariq Lamptey started out at Larkspur in their youth team, before signing for Chelsea and then the Seagulls.

Match information

Clapton CFC vs Larkspur Rovers is on Saturday, September 3 2022 at 3pm at Wadham Lodge Stadium, Kitchener Road, Walthamstow.

Advanced tickets are not needed, you can just turn up. Entry as usual is free but with donations welcome, with a suggested £3 for waged adults.

We will have a mini programme available at the entrance, pick one up for free, donations welcome.

The Matchday Centres bar will be open. Fusion Foods will be selling hot and cold food – meat, veggie and vegan options – and accept cards or cash.

Food bank collection

We’re holding a foodbank collection for Eat or Heat at the stadium entrance.

The Walthamstow-based foodbank has never had more users and lower resources so let’s help them out.

At the moment, they are particularly in need of the red items in the graphic below, but they also accept the green items:

You can drop off donations to Eat or Heat at any time at these places across E17: http://eatorheat.org/dropoff/

Directions

The Liverpool Street to Walthamstow Central train service is running as normal, so too the Victoria line.

A replacement bus service is in operation on the Overground line to Walthamstow Queens Road, coming from either Hackney Downs direction or Chingford.

• Wadham Lodge is about 20 minutes walk from Walthamstow Central station. Turn onto Hoe Street and follow the road all the way along (past the junction with The Bell pub) until Chingford Lane. Continue past Sir George Monoux 6th Form College and take the first right onto Brookscroft Road then left onto Kitchener Road.
• You can catch a bus along that route too. The 357, 34, 97, 215 will all take you to the top of Brookscroft Road from Walthamstow Central. It will take about 12 minutes.
• There’s also car parking space available at the ground but it may be better to park on a street nearby.

An important note

Matchday Centres have asked us to ensure that there is no more use of pyro, flares, smoke etc on their property.

This has caused damage to their facilities and complaints from staff, officials and neighbours.

They have also banned glass bottles after a serious incident during a game not involving Clapton.

We have a good working relationship with MDC, who have played an invaluable role in helping us establish the club.

They have said that a failure to observe these rules will lead to sanctions that would be damaging for the club, including but not limited to requiring us to play behind closed doors.

We ask all our fans to respect MDC’s requests in solidarity with our teams and everyone who works hard to run the club.