Non-League and Academy football writer

Tower Hamlets FC play their games at the Mile End Stadium, in East London, a stadium in which they ground-share with Essex Senior League side Sporting Bengal United. I am a fan of the stadium, which has one main stand for supporters to watch the game in (around an athletics track), and you get a good view of the match from up in the stand. However, Tower Hamlets FC, who were established over 23 years ago as Bethnal Green United, have progressed a lot in those 23 years. From playing in the Canary Wharf Summer League, to progressing up from the Middlesex County League, all the way up to the ninth tier of English football – The Essex Senior League, a league which they did well in, around 13 years ago, Tower Hamlets have been on a real journey so far as a club. As of the current season (2023/24) they are currently playing in the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League First Division South, which is in the tenth tier of English football. They are currently sitting in 16th place in the league, with 19 points from 19 league games played so far this season. A former professional footballer and East Londoner, who played in some top footballing academies, such as at Spurs’ and their North London rivals Arsenal, 32 year old Kiernan Hughes-Mason was in charge of Tower Hamlets towards the end of the previous 2022/23 season, before being named as their new manager this summer, ahead of the current season.

Kiernan Hughes-Mason was part of the same Arsenal Academy side as the likes of Jack Wilshere and Emmanuel Frimpong, and during his later time in the Spurs Academy set-up, I believe that he would have played with top players such as Andros Townsend, who is the same age as Kiernan. As a player (he is still registered as a player, and has featured for Tower Hamlets as a player this season), Kiernan Hughes-Mason is a player with real technique and an eye for goal. His professional career saw him play for the first team at Millwall on a couple of occasions, to playing for the likes of Grimsby Town, and non-League sides such as Welling United and Leatherhead, Kiernan has invaluable experience of playing the game. There is a very interesting and insightful YouTube documentary series called Non-League – No Budget (I have watched the first two episodes of the series) by UrFreshTVSport, I would recommend watching it for those of you who are interested in non-League football. This documentary series follows Tower Hamlets’ current season, with Kiernan Hughes-Mason, assisted by experienced player-coach Connor French, Sian Fitzpatrick, Tunde Ogunbadero, and Lucia Abbate, the documentary is following the first team’s progress during the current season. Watching the first two episodes has been really insightful, as a big fan of non-League football myself, and it gives you a real insight into football in the tenth tier, and also about competing with clubs who have good budgets in the league.

Tower Hamlets’ season so far, under the tutelage of Kiernan and his coaching staff, has been one which has so far seen them eventfully lose to Cannons Wood, in an eventful game of football earlier on in the season, to recording good wins against the likes of Hutton and Southend Manor, as well as drawing with high flying Clapton Community FC, in their most recent fixture. It has certainly been an eventful start to what is a long league season for Tower Hamlets, however, everyone is clearly very ambitious at the East London club, in what is a very competitive league. Tower Hamlets have a talented side with a good balance of youth and experience. The likes of experienced centre-forward Connor French, who has great experience of playing non-League football at a good level, to the young Solomon Asomah, who has been in outstanding form this season in front goal, there is that good balance to the side, to name just two of their players. I was in attendance at the Mile End Stadium on Wednesday evening, when Tower Hamlets hosted fellow East London side Clapton Community FC, a team in great form in the league. It was a game which finished 2-2. Tower Hamlets’ goals were both taken really well from inside the Clapton Community box, with the second goal by David Igbuya, being scored superbly on the volley, after he had met a set-piece delivery.

Tower Hamlets worked really hard as a team, I thought, to frustrate Clapton Community FC for long spells in the game. However, they managed the game well, and were very good out of possession as a team, deserving to get a point from the game. The game on Wednesday was played in front of a loud crowd, which was generated by the Clapton Community supporters, who never stopped singing throughout the game. I look forward to following Tower Hamlets’ progress closely during the remainder of the season, one in which I am sure that they will continue to improve in, as the season goes on. Tower Hamlets’ next league fixture is away to St Margaretsbury, on Saturday afternoon. However, I plan on going to watch their next home league fixture, against a very good Dunmow Town side later this month. I will be writing another piece on Tower Hamlets FC at a later stage of the season. However, I wish Kiernan, his coaching staff and the players and club as a whole, all the very best for the remainder of the 2023/24 season.