Clapton FC will play their home games at Southend Manor’s Southchurch Arena, it has been announced.
The club lost the lease on the Old Spotted Dog Ground in the summer due to non-payment of rent.
They had since played two home league games at Aveley’s Parkside and had wanted to groundshare there alongside Aveley, Grays Athletic and May & Bakers.
However, the footballing authorities put a stop to a long-term four-way groundshare, and the club then asked for permission to move to Southend instead.
The FA needed to give special dispensation for the move, given the 40 mile distance from its traditional East London home, and they have now given the green light.
Before the news broke, we contact the Essex Senior League, who confirmed: “The FA have been advised of the proposals under consideration for a couple of weeks; the FA and others have discounted some of those and there is currently a groundshare agreement proposal that has been submitted to the FA which is currently being reviewed involving Southend Manor FC.”
The two teams met last week, with Southend Manor triumphing 1-0 in front of a crowd 12.
Ironically in 2016/7, Manor banned Clapton fans from attending games there after discussions with then chief executive Vince McBean, citing perceived concern about possible use of pyro.
However, being in a public park that proved tricky to enforce and the games saw dozens of Clapton supporters watch anyway without incident (see pic above).
A lot has happened in the years since, with Clapton losing not only its ground but also its life members and fan groups due to concerns over Mr McBean’s mismanagement.
He has since been banned from all footballing activity.
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