Non-League and Academy football writer

Paul Mooney is the chairman of Essex Olympian Football League Division One side Canning Town FC, and he has been involved with the club for over 30 years, in different capacities. Founded in 1948, Canning Town’s senior team currently play their matches over at Rayleigh Town Sports & Social Club, in Essex. I recently had the pleasure of speaking to Paul, about Canning Town FC.

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

Paul: I’ve always played football, since I was a youngster. I played for the school team, and then after that I played for Fairbairn House when I was about 14/15. I would later play adult football for a local pub side called Ferndale United. My next team was Midland Bank my employer, whom I played for 11 years, in the Southern Amateur League. I played for Midland Bank until the age of about 32. I then joined Canning Town FC, which was a local team to me. And around 32/33 years later, I’m still involved with Canning Town FC. Over this term  I have played at 1st 2nd 3rd and 4th team level and played for the Vets. I have also managed 2nd 3rd and 4th teams and am currently managing the Veterans team. I have also held position of club secretary, and I am currently chairman of the club.

Could you talk me through some of the history of Canning Town FC, since the club was founded?

Paul: The club was formed in 1948, by Eric Keylock. As far as I know they started off in Silvertown with the aim of providing local football for local lads. The club’s most successful years were during the mid 1990s, when we won the London Intermediate Cup and Essex Intermediate Cup twice, I don’t think that there are many clubs who can say that they won the Essex and London Intermediate Cups in the same season. Up until the mid-1990s, we played in the Essex Business Houses League, before joining the Essex Olympian League, where we worked our way up to the Senior Division. We’ve been relegated from the Senior Division in the past, and have always managed to gain promotion back to the Senior Division. Unfortunately we were relegated last season (2023/24) to the First Division, and hopefully will do what we have managed in the past and get a quick promotion back to where we believe we belong.

In terms of where the club plays, our first team was playing at the West Ham United Foundation Ground in Beckton, due to a building development project currently being undertaken at Beckton we had to find a new ground for this season and are now playing at Rayleigh Town. We did have a really difficult time trying to find a new home ground, We managed to secure a pitch at Lakeside Sports and at Benfleet FC, but due to matters out of our control had to give up both Rayleigh FC really did come to our rescue offering us the opportunity to use their facilities. This  could prove to be a blessing in disguise and work out well for our first team. Over the years Canning Town FC have played at several different venues which include local parks, Terence McMillan Stadium and Clapton FC. As a committee we all want our club to still be going in another 75 years. Although in recent years we have seen the number of teams we field each Saturday reducing from 4 teams to 2 teams on a Saturday, and no longer having a youth team we still believe that we are in a strong position to keep the club going for many years to come. We still have a vets team that plays Sunday mornings  made up of past players who have been playing together for our club between 30 and 40 years.

What have been some of your standout memories of Canning Town, since you first joined the club?

Paul: Definitely winning the Essex and London Intermediate Cups, and winning promotion to the Premier Division of the Essex Olympian League on three different occasions. We’ve also entered the FA Vase in the past and have been successful in reaching the first round proper, where we played Biggleswade, with about 200 people and guests watching that game. A massive achievement for the team and Lee Wilson our manager. Lee is our current manager. Other big games include the final of the Cherry Red Cup losing narrowly 1-0 to Frenford FC who are currently playing in the Essex Senior League.

 Off the pitch, when we celebrated the club’s 50th and 60th and 70th anniversaries, we used to get around 200 people at those anniversaries, in East London, which were big events and milestones for the club and its history. We also marked our 75th anniversary by holding an event to recognise that landmark for the club which was attended by many past and present players and committee members. I am also very proud of our charity work. We hold an in house game every year for the Tubby Cup in Memory of our late Chairman Ron ( Tubby) Sheldon  to raise money for Haven Hospices who looked after one of our former players Shaun Maloney  before he sadly passed away. There are also other charities that we get involved with as a club.

As a club we self sufficient. We charge players signing on fees and have to raise money from local businesses who provide us with sponsorship.

What were some of your thoughts on last season (2023/24) for Canning Town, at step 7 of the Essex Olympian League? 

Paul: The biggest problem that we had was getting the same side out every week. We signed over 100 players to the club last season and on too many occasions struggled to field two full squads. So getting players commitment every week, that is probably the hardest challenge for management. In the end we dropped too many points before Christmas, and we just found ourselves with too much to do in the latter part of the season.

What are some of your early thoughts and hopes for Canning Town in the Essex Olympian Football League Division One, this season (2024/25)?

Paul: The aim is to get promoted back to the Senior Division. We started the season off fantastically, winning our first league match of the season 9-0.  We’ve had three draws, a win and a loss, so far this season. We’re probably lacking a recognised centre-forward at this moment in time. However, I still believe that after having already played some of the leagues stronger teams, that we are in contention for promotion this season. I firmly believe that along with probably four or five other teams we are in good shape for a promotion and a title winning season.

What are some of your hopes for Canning Town FC for the future?

Paul: I might not have the ambition that some other club chairman have, we don’t have our own ground and clubhouse, so I have to be a realist. I haven’t got the aspiration to move us up to step 6 for example. Obviously if someone came along with those ambitions with the best interests of the club, then I’d be all for it. Even at our level money is a factor. For example if we were to make it up to the Thurlow Nunn League, then we’d have to put a team out around twice a week, and  possibly have to pay players. That is something that we are just not ready for at this moment in time. My passion is grassroots football, our club was formed to provide local football for local lads and that is the mindset I want to continue. That’s not to say that If a multimillionaire came along and said for example that he used to play for Canning Town years ago, and that he wanted to get us into the Essex Senior League, then I’d be more than happy for them to take over the club and achieve a higher status in the FA’s National Leagues step system.