Non-League and Academy football writer

Jack Francis is a really fine goalkeeper, who is an integral part of the Clapton Community men’s first team side, with him also being the captain of that side. A goalkeeper with great reflexes, Jack Francis is from north east London, and he has some really good experience of playing non-League football. Having played Essex Senior League football with the likes of Barkingside and Clapton FC, in the past. Jack is now playing his part in what has so far turned out to be a great season for Clapton Community, in step 6 football (The Eastern Counties League Division One South), as they aim to be in the play-off spaces by the end of the season. I recently had the pleasure of speaking to Jack, about some of his footballing memories in the game, including his time at Clapton Community FC, so far. 

What are some of your earliest footballing memories?

Jack: Like most people starting off in football, I actually didn’t start off in goal, as I didn’t think that I was very good at football at the time. I used to go in goal at school, in the playground. And I was always getting picked last, and so I used to get picked to go in goal. I remember thinking one break time, that I was actually quite decent at it. I didn’t really start playing proper football matches until I was about 12. However, my earliest memories of playing football, would be diving around on the concrete in goal, at school.

Could you talk me through some of your earliest memories in non-League football? 

Jack: I first played for Chingford, when they were in the Ilford and District League, and we had a good team there. We won the Premier Division of that league for about three years in a row, and then me and some others from that team decided to head off, and try and better ourselves a little bit, and play as high up as possible. I had a couple of contacts at Barkingside, and so I was asked to trial out for them. After a couple of training sessions there, during that pre-season I ended up signing for them, in the Essex Senior League. I think that we lost by quite a big scoreline to Ilford in my first game, but I played quite well, and I actually managed to get player of the season that year. It was a huge jump in physicality, going up to the Essex Senior League, and also how much better the players were, with some players having dropped down from higher leagues. As a young goalkeeper it helped me a lot, as I was playing matches where I was under pressure, and as a keeper you thrive under that pressure, and it’s all about showing how good you can be.

Could you talk me through some of your standout memories of your time in non-League football, so far?

Jack: I feel as if the whole energy of playing football with my mates, and also that camaraderie has been a real highlight. I’ve been really lucky to have been in some really nice dressing rooms, where I’ve made some good friends. I think that the memories of preliminary FA Cup and also FA Vase games and wins in that competition, and having a drink in the clubhouse afterwards, are really good memories. I don’t have a whole lot of team awards from my time in non-League football, but the whole reason that we play football is to play with your mates, so I’ve got lots of good memories.

What has been the greatest moment of your footballing journey (so far)?

Jack: Winning the Middlesex Premier with Clapton Community, sticks in my mind as a great memory. That’s the most recent league that we won, but also winning the Alec Smith Cup with Clapton Community, is another great memory. As we were 2-0 down in that cup final, but we ended drawing level, and then winning it on penalties. That summed us up as a team, with how determined we are in matches. However, to share the memories of helping Clapton Community to get promoted to step 6 football, with us having a very similar squad of players to what we had in step 7, is what football is all about. And the Clapton Community supporters have been fantastic along the way.

Could you talk me through your memories so far, of playing for Clapton Community? And also, how did you come about joining the club as a player?

Jack: At the time the club were training at Wadham Lodge, which is very close to me, and I was training with Walthamstow at the time. I’d just got into a situation where I didn’t really like what Essex Senior League football was about, with the long ball game that was being played by teams. I knew about Clapton Community and what they represented, and it’s more aligned with my sort of beliefs, as well. So I initially went down there, and some of the coaches knew who I was, but they initially said that they didn’t need me. As they already had two other goalkeepers, and they thought that I would struggle to get in. So me being as stubborn as I am, I thought that I’ll show them! So that pre-season I came in to try and show my worth, and I eventually became number one, and we’re now about 124 games in, and I’m still here! I think that it’s important to join a club where you know that you’re going to get football, and also stay there for a good while. Rather than sitting on the bench for teams higher up the ladder, and not really enjoying your football. But, I’m very lucky to be at a club who I am very good for, but also, they are very good to me as well.

Could you talk me through some of Clapton Community’s season, so far? And also, what have you made of the current 2023/24 Eastern Counties League Division One South season? 

Jack: In terms of us, we don’t get paid to play and there’s no budget at the club. And so we were very much going through the motions, and we didn’t know what this league was going to be like this season. We knew that it was going to be a better quality league, but we were always going to play our brand of football. We weren’t going to change the way we play, and play a more direct style of football, because we’ve got a younger squad, and we want to play football that is going to entertain our fans. I think that they’d have appreciated us for playing good football but maybe not getting results on the pitch, but luckily we’ve managed to surprise quite a lot of people this season. Also, Dunmow Town have been promoted to step 6 football for this season, and they’ve been really good, but in terms of us, I think that our manager will tell you that we’ve drawn too many games this season. So it could be a case of what could’ve been, if we don’t make the play-off places. However, a lot of people would have expected us to go down this season. And also, I think that people and teams thought that they’d have a good day out when they play us, see a lot of fans and get three points. However, it’s turned out a bit differently.

Going from step 7 to step 6, it gets a bit more professional in the sort of set-up. It’s still very hard to find a training ground or things like that, and as a club we only train once a week. Our coaching staff is very good, and our manager – Geoff Ocran, is very experienced and he’s played at this level before. For some of us older players in the Clapton Community squad, it’s not the highest level that we’ve played at, but it is for a lot of the younger players. I think that we’ve done really well to adjust to that, and we’re learning every single game, and we’ve not lost many games at all this season. To be honest with you, the teams in this league are better in how they’re structured and set-up, but I feel like the talent level of the individual player is pretty much the same as it was for us in the league we were in last season. So I think that’s why a lot of the teams who have been promoted from step 7 have done so well this season, at step 6.

What is like to be the captain of the Clapton Community FC men’s team?

Jack: I feel enormous pride to be the first team captain. On the pitch a captain is just someone who talks to the referee, but being the captain of Clapton Community, I know that I am representing this club, and out there on the pitch I try to and be the best that I can be. I also showcase the good that this community club can do, and I like to think I have shown that over the last 100 or so games, and that the people are as proud as me, as I am of them.

What are your hopes and aims for the remainder of this season with Clapton Community?

Jack: I think that we obviously want to finish as high as possible in the league. To be honest with you, I don’t think that the club is ready for step 5 football, but we want to finish in the top half of the promotion spots this season. So that we get home games in the play-offs, in terms of the draw. I think that if we keep our form in the league going, then there’s no knowing what we could do, but we could probably do well in a one off game, or two games in the play-offs. We want our fans to have a good time and for us to do as well as we can be, but we also want to bring as much awareness to issues such as homelessness and the cost of living. The only reason that this club is where it is, is because of all of our volunteers. Nobody gets paid in the men’s team, nor do any of our volunteers. People like the ground-staff have done an outstanding job to make sure that all of our home games have gone ahead this season, and we just want to repay them by doing as well as we can on the pitch, as possible.