Council contractors Kenson Highways will at last start work on Monday (October 28) to create a cycle path along the alley next to Clapton CFC’s home, the Old Spotted Dog Ground.

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.

The first stage is some groundwork to level off the area next to the clubhouse and removing the fence separating it from the warehouse yard. Then this area and inside the Disraeli Road entrance is tarmaced. The final stage is the new fence and a new turnstile booth.

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!) It’s possible the alleyway will be closed on some matchdays during those five weeks.

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.

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