Council contractors Kenson Highways finally started work at the end of October to create a cycle path along the alley next to Clapton CFC’s home, the Old Spotted Dog Ground.

The work will involve tarmacing the Disraeli Road entrance, flattening the grass bank next to the clubhouse and removing the old, hazardous fence by our warehouse yard. In the final stages we will also get a new turnstile.

At the moment, this means that the Disraeli Road entrance to the ground and the alleyway that runs between both entrances are both out of bounds.

Entrance to our upcoming home games will be via the Upton Lane entrance, next to the Spotted Dog pub, only. And with the alleyway closed, make sure you head straight to Upton Lane or it’s a long way round from Disraeli Road.

The work is due to take five weeks and for some of this period will require the closure of the alley (although not, as the contractors’ signs suggest, until March 2025!)

There had been a delay to allow Newham Council to grant planning permission for a new fence, as it is next to a Grade II listed building, the Old Spotted Dog pub.

If you have questions, a working group for this project is organised by the Old Spotted Dog Ground Trust and is available via trust@oldspotteddog.org

This summer, contractors did some preparatory work including clearing the warehouse yard.

This ground improvement was agreed at CCFC’s last AGM and Newham Council is meeting all the costs.

Once finished, the Dog will no longer be hidden away but clearly visible to passers-by. We hope the days of local people saying “I never knew there was a football ground there!” are finally over.