Non-League and Academy football writer

33 year old Clapton Community FC goalkeeper Jack Francis is a key member of tenth tier Clapton Community’s inform side, as well as to their huge rise as a club in recent years, and just yesterday in a league fixture with Tower Hamlets, he made his 110th appearance for the East London club. Jack is an experienced goalkeeper who used to play for Redbridge, Barkingside, Chingford FC and Clapton FC, prior to joining Clapton Community FC in the summer of 2019, for the 2019/20 season. A leader and club captain for Clapton Community FC, Francis has been a big part of Clapton Community’s journey so far. Formed in 2018, Clapton Community FC have risen up through a number of leagues, and are currently doing really well in their debut season in the tenth tier of English football (The Thurlow Nunn League – Eastern Counties League Division One South), a league which they sit in second place in. I’ve seen Jack Francis play on a good number of occasions over the last year, and every time that I have seen him play, he has consistently impressed. A goalkeeper with good handling and superb reflexes, Jack Francis has made some stunning saves in games that I have seen him play in, both this season and during last season.

Having a tremendous impact on the Clapton Community side that impressively won promotion to the tenth tier of English football last season, Francis is very agile and quick off his line. However, he is a very reliable goalkeeper, and during his time so far for Clapton Community FC, he has always commanded his penalty area really well. I have attended the last two Clapton Community FC league fixtures, both ending in 2-2 draws against Wormley Rovers and Tower Hamlets, respectively. In the game against a fine Wormley Rovers side, Jack made an outstanding reflex save to tip an effort from a Wormley Rovers player who was inside his penalty area, superbly onto his left post, with less than seconds to react. It was an excellent save, and he also made another impressive and important stop from a one on one chance (also inside his penalty area), during the same game. And during the game with Tower Hamlets on Wednesday evening, Francis made another fine stop, this time adjusting his feet well to push behind a difficult deflected effort on goal, from the edge of the Clapton Community box. A real leader on the pitch, from the games that I have seen him in, Francis has also impressed me with his distribution, and calmness with the ball at his feet.

Clapton Community FC are on a great 13 match unbeaten run at the time of writing this piece. Could they win promotion once again this season, this time to the Essex Senior League? Well, in my opinion Clapton Community FC have a great side, and they play really well as a team. There is great team spirit in their side, and Jack Francis helps to lead that team really well on the pitch. He is a goalkeeper who makes stunning saves on a very regular basis and who also makes consistently good decisions. In my opinion Jack is up there with the very best goalkeepers that I have seen in the ninth and tenth tiers of English football, and I wish him all the very best of luck for the remainder of this season with Clapton Community FC, as they continue to look to progress as a club. Hopefully the 33 year old goalkeeper will continue to be a big part of Clapton Community’s journey, for many years to come. The goalkeeper who is also the Leyton Orient goalkeeper coach for their women’s first team, is one of my favourite goalkeepers to watch in non-League.