Non-League and Academy football writer

Junel Uddin is the founder and secretary of Vallance FC, a club who were founded in 1997, and whose first team will be playing in the Essex Alliance Football League Premier Division West (step 8), during the 2024/25 season. In the past Vallance had played in the Middlesex Football League (at step 7 and step 8) but now their new adventure in the Essex Alliance Football League, will start this Saturday when they face Stratford East, in their opening league fixture of the season. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Junel in east London, about some of the history of Vallance FC, as well as looking to the future for this ambitious club.

Could you talk me through a bit about your background in football?

Junel: Back in the day I used to play for a local club called Progressive Youth Organisation. Then after I’d done my studies at college, I went on to work as a youth worker. This was during the mid 1980s, and at the time the FA were looking for a coach through the youth club system, and so my youth worker put me on a course. After doing this course I helped to coach football at a youth club, but then in 2000 I got my FA Level 2 coaching badge. At that time there weren’t many Asian people with that qualification, and I actually got a call from the West Ham United Foundation, on the day that I got that qualification. At the time they were running a project called Asians in football, and they wanted to interview me for a part-time role, as a coordinator for that project. I ended up getting that role, and I was at West Ham for six years.

How did you come about joining Vallance FC?

Junel: During my time at West Ham I setup Vallance, for the local youngsters around Vallance Road, and we then went on to setup a football club which played in the local Sunday leagues. In 2006 we then setup the youth project at the club, getting youngsters involved with the football club. Then in 2009 we entered a senior team into the Middlesex County Football League, and we were fortunate enough to be entered into the Premier Division (step 7) of that league, and we played against very good teams, such as Interwood. After finishing bottom of the league that season, we went onto play in Division One of the Middlesex League. I can still remember teams like FC Romania, from those days in the Middlesex League, and now look where they are! And there was also West Essex, who are now a step 5 side. 

We were in the Middlesex League for five years, and then in 2016 we returned to Sunday league football. And in that time we’ve really grown the youth teams at the club, and only recently we made the decision to go back into Saturday football. With our manager (Aktar Hussain) being a former youth player for Vallance and someone who is looking to do his UEFA A license, he was a person who we thought that we should offer the role of first team manager to. Aktar’s ambition is to progress his coaching career, and now as you can see at the first team training today, that this is the result, after three months of hard work and of recruiting players.

I’m the manager of the Vallance Under 16s team, and what we want as a club is to see the progression of the players through youth football, and then into the senior team. With all due respect, in three or four years time we don’t want to have to recruit players, as we’ll hopefully have our own players who are ready to progress into the senior Saturday team. We’ve got a five year plan as a club, and I am ambitious to get into the Essex Senior League, within that time.

What are some of your thoughts ahead of the new (2024/25) Essex Alliance Football League Premier Division West season?

Junel: I’m very excited! I’ve done it before in the Middlesex County League, so I know that we’re going to be playing a good level of football, and I also know that the players are going to be looking forward to it as well. There’s no pressure on our manager, Aktar, for this season. We obviously want to do well, but there’s no expectations, such as winning the league for example.

What are some of your personal hopes and aims for Vallance FC, for this season (the club’s first ever season in the Essex Alliance Football League)?

Junel: Aktar was the manager of our team in the Summer League, and that is a good league. The only game that the champions of that league dropped points in, was against us. We’re hoping to do well in the Essex Alliance Football League, this season. Hopefully we can finish around the middle of the table, but anything better than that would definitely be a bonus.

What are some of your memories of Vallance’s Middlesex County Football League days?

Junel: This is not really me being big headed, but I went into that Middlesex League season hoping to do well. The team that I actually entered into the 2009/10 Premier Division season, was actually our Under 18 team. So I really pushed that team into senior football, and that’s what we did. I can remember after every game during that league season, although we didn’t do well in the league, every manager came up to me to shake my hand, and say that my team played really good football. That was a real compliment. After being relegated to the first division (for the following season) we finished within the top four during every season in that division.

Who were some of the standout teams (for their quality) that you faced during your time in the Middlesex County Football League?

Junel: I remember Interwood FC very well. They had a similar age group to our team, and they were a very good and well coached team. Former professional footballer Danny Bailey used to play in defensive-midfield for Interwood, and I can still remember that even when he was playing, he was still coaching the players. Interwood really competed well with Hayes Gate, who were another really good team.

What are some of your thoughts ahead of Saturday’s historic fixture for the club, against Stratford East?

Junel: It’s going to be a good game, and like I said the club has already played at this level before. But this is a new generation of players, and I’m no longer the manager of the senior team. So I’ll be like a chairman watching on, but I’ll be very happy if we can get a good result against Stratford East, and as you know it would build up some momentum. As if you win your first game, you then go into your second game of the season on a high, which is what I’m hoping for.

What are some of your hopes for Vallance FC, for the future?

Junel: I want Vallance to go as high as possible, to be honest with you. We look at Sporting Bengal United, who are at step 4, and then Soul Tower Hamlets, who are at step 6. And if they can do it, then why can’t we. Our club structure is all in place, and we’ve got a five year plan to go as high as possible. However, my biggest ambition for the senior team is to see them play in the FA Cup, so that is my biggest dream.