Clapton Community Football Club will soon get a new roof over its head thanks to the generosity of supporters who have chipped in £19,000 to repair the clubhouse at the club’s new home in Forest Gate.

The Old Spotted Dog ground is London’s oldest senior football venue and the new community-driven Clapton CFC became the new owners in July last year.

The club’s first task is to clean up and repair a leaking roof and carry out urgent work on old wiring and insulation of the dilapidated clubhouse to reverse what the club says is “two decades of neglect.”

An online appeal launched in December asking for donations towards replacing the clubhouse roof set a target of £15,000. Within two weeks the target was almost reached as fans rushed to give their support, so the target was raised to £19,000 allowing other urgent repairs to be made.

Even the new target was reached with ten days to spare thanks to the donations of almost 600 people, confirming the fan base for the club which aims to revamp the ground and facilities so that both the men’s and women’s teams can bring football back to the Old Spotted Dog ground next season.

As the club promises on its website “In addition to being passed as ready for matchdays, we aim for the clubhouse to become a warm and welcoming community hub for the people of Newham, with the emphasis on warm!”

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