Non-League and Academy football writer

Eny Okoro is the manager of step 7 side Walthamstow Reserves. The reserve team of step 4 side Walthamstow FC, play their football in the very competitive Essex Alliance League Senior Division. This is Eny’s first season as a manager in senior football, and as well as guiding Walthamstow Reserves to a ninth place finish in the Essex Alliance League Senior Division. Eny has also helped to guide his side to the league’s cup final – the Essex Alliance League Senior Division Cup, where they will face league champions FC Baresi, at the end of this month. Eny’s first season as a manager in senior football is one that he should be proud of, and I recently had the pleasure of speaking to Eny about Walthamstow Reserves’ 2023/24 season, up until their big cup final match. 

Could you talk me through a bit of your background in football, prior to joining Walthamstow’s Reserve team as their head-coach?

Eny: Prior to joining Walthamstow, I had been coaching at Ryan FC, as their youth set-up has a link with Walthamstow FC. And I originally started with a coach called Paul Flowers (he coached the reserves last season), who is still part of the coaching set-up there. Ryan FC are the biggest youth club in Waltham Forest, and so I started there with Paul Flowers, and we just worked our way up. So we coached the various youth groups, before I moved up to become the Walthamstow Under 18’s manager, with Paul managing the reserve side. But this year Paul has taken a role, which sees him work between the development teams and the reserves, and so I stepped up and took charge of the reserves, which is my first season in men’s football. So there was a pathway from Ryan FC, to where I am now, as the manager of Walthamstow Reserves.

Have you had any big influences on your coaching career, so far?

Eny: Richard Williams, who runs Ryan FC, and also Paul Flowers are the two guys who have helped me the most, so far. Both of those guys are brilliant football people. I call Paul my football dad, as he’s helped me out a lot, and he’s also a former professional footballer. Paul has helped to give me that confidence to believe in myself, and especially this season as well, where he’s given me advice that I’ve really needed. Stepping up to senior football is big, and he’s been there to give me advice and to help me. There’s a lot of people who’ve helped me, especially this season. Walthamstow is a big team effort, and so I can’t say that the reserves are where they are just because of me, as there’s so many people helping me in the background, and helping me with things like ideas, and so it’s not just about me, as the manager. Also, David Escuin, my assistant managers is the footballing brain and operations of the Walthamstow Reserves team. And Herbie (Walthamstow legend), Lucelta and Kelly, the are all names that I’d like to mention, as well.

What have you made of the current 2023/24 season, for Walthamstow Reserves?

Eny: Last season was tough for the reserves, as it was their first season in the Essex Alliance League. A lot of the players who played for the Walthamstow Reserves, last season, were from the Under 18 side. So they didn’t have any previous experience of playing men’s football. But this season has been a bit different, as the players who were here this season had that experience of playing senior football last season, and so they have gelled. Also, our recruitment at the club has been really good this season, and we have Issa Sidibe, who is the top scorer in the division this season, and then there’s Ezra Agyiri, who has played for the Walthamstow first team this season, and also Matthew McDowell, who has 19 goals for the season. So there’s been a lot of good recruitment from the club, which has made the reserve side more established in their league. So we’ve sort of found our place in the league this season, and just before Christmas we went on a really good run in the league, but the cup run was a bonus. We did think/say that we could get far in the cup this season, but to make the final is fantastic.

We beat Rapid Chingford, who are a really good side, before then beating a really established side in Woodford East, 8-0. So to turn up and to win 8-0 against them, that made it a really good game/performance. Then we had a really difficult game against Aveley Under 23’s, in the semi-finals, and they’d previously beaten us at our ground, but it’s cup football and we turned up on the day, and we’ve made it to the final with FC Baresi.

What have been some of the standout memories (so far) of your time as Walthamstow Reserves head-coach?

Eny: My standout memories would include the 8-0 cup quarter-final win against Woodford East, which was one, but the whole cup run and journey has been really good. We’ve had to face really difficult teams on the way to the final, so it hasn’t been an easy cup run. Winning 4-1 against Lymore Gardens in the league was a highlight as well, and as was us drawing 3-3 with FC Baresi at their ground, in what was a really tough game. This season has seen us get some really good results against some of the top sides in the league. But that whole cup run has probably been the standout memory, so far.

What have you made of the current 2023/24 Essex Alliance League Senior Division, as a whole?

Eny: It’s been a very strong league season, and I think that people underestimate how strong this league is. I was thinking to myself just the other day, as to who could be challenging for the league title next season. There’s a lot of teams, from top to bottom, who could challenge for the league title next season. Obviously FC Baresi have won the league this season, and they’re a really good team, but then you’ve got teams such as Lymore Gardens and Chadwell Heath Spartans, and also Haringey Borough Under 23’s, who have a really good team, and they’ve got a similar set-up to us. But there’s newer teams, like CSM London, who play really good football, and they’re a really good team. As are Frenford Development, who finished towards the top end of the table. This season has been really good in the league, and I know that FC Baresi have sort of run away with the league, but from third place to 12th place, the points between those sides aren’t a lot. And the level of the league this season has been really good, and you just can’t rest on your laurels in this league.

In your opinion, who has been the toughest/most difficult side that you have faced as head-coach of Walthamstow Reserves, this season?

Eny: There’s been a couple of teams. FC Baresi have some really experienced players, such as Marvin Hamilton and Murat Karagul, and they are a very intelligent and difficult team to play. Haringey Borough Under 23’s are also a really difficult team to play, and they are a young team, like Walthamstow Reserves, and they’ve got no fear on the pitch. FC Petrocub are another team who are very good, and who have really experienced players, and Chadwell Heath Spartans and Lymore Gardens are also very good and well known teams in this league. We’ve got to be on our A game against those sides. But if I had to pick just two teams from that list, I would say FC Baresi and Haringey Borough Under 23’s, as they are two very difficult teams to play against.

What are some of your thoughts ahead of the big Essex Alliance League Senior Division Cup, between Walthamstow Reserves and FC Baresi, later this month?

Eny: It’s so good to be in the final, and we all want to win, but just out of respect for us being involved with it, that is really good. I think that us and FC Baresi are two of the highest scorers in the league, and so it’s going to be a really entertaining game. We’ve beaten FC Baresi once (3-2) in the last couple of seasons, and so it is going to be a tough game. But the players are excited, and it is a young team, which means that we do lack a bit of experience at times. But we’re also a fearless team, and the lads have a no fear attitude, which is good. The cup final will be a good occasion, and I’m just hoping that it doesn’t go to penalties! We’ve just got to play our football, and I do think that we’ll be alright, as we are more than capable of matching FC Baresi on our day, as we showed against them earlier in the season, when we drew 3-3 with them.

For those who haven’t seen Walthamstow Reserves play, could you describe to me what style of football your Walthamstow Reserves side like to play?

Eny: I would day that we’re an attacking team, who like to play possession based football, but with an intent to go forward. From the back with our defence in Marwan Hassan our goalkeeper, Louis Malladan, Chamario Hemley, Charlie Hunt, Finlsh Sims, Rashid Kabia and Boško Trivunovic, we tend to build our way from the back. We’ve got very quick wide players in Ezra Agyiri, Callum Malcolm, Bilel Benyoucef, Mekhi Charles Armstrong and Dylan Flynn who are always very direct. I also give the lads the freedom to play football, which has showed this season. Boys in midfield like Zidane Bolessa, Ikenna Okoro, Arty Benjamin, George Hellen, Kemar Bello and Makhi Johnson-Reid help keep the team ticking and us in possession. With me I am very much a coach who when the team are going forward, that they need to create chances and breakthrough the defence for boys like Issa Sidibe and Matt McDowell to finish off. Of course the results are really important, but as a reserve side so is the development of the players, as well, and I think that’s been evident this season. So we just want to give these players a platform to develop as footballers.