Non-League and Academy football writer

Tanvir Ahmed is a player for step 4 Isthmian League North Division side Sporting Bengal United. Sporting Bengal United’s journey over the last couple of seasons has been an incredible one, in which has included back to back promotions, with the club now (this season) playing their football at step 4 of the non-League system for the first time in their history. Tanvir Ahmed has more than played his part in Sporting Bengal’s incredible recent journey as a club, with the wing-back who loves to get forward, having a really good balance to his game. I recently spoke to Tanvir about some of his footballing journey, so far.

What are some of your earliest footballing memories?

Tanvir: Playing football during lunchtime when I was at school, they would be my first memories of playing football. I actually started playing football quite late on, as I used to play cricket at quite a decent level, when I was younger. I used to just play football at school, and I used to also watch Tottenham play (I’m a Spurs fan), but I never actually went to play football for a team, until I was in year ten.

Could you talk me through a bit about your background in football, prior to joining Sporting Bengal United?

Tanvir: At the age of 15, when I was still in year 11 at school, one of my teachers was actually at West Essex FC. He’d seen me play football at school, and so he asked me if I’d like to train with West Essex. So I trained with West Essex when they were at step 6, but I had to wait four more months until I could play for the first team, until I turned 16. I used to go and train with West Essex, travelling from Enfield to train with them, and that was when I really started to fall in love with the whole structure of Saturday football. And I really enjoyed being in that environment.

After playing for West Essex, we won promotion to step 5 during my first season with the club, but my current club (Sporting Bengal United) were already playing in the Essex Senior League at the time. I was actually playing for West Essex in an Essex Senior League match against Sporting Bengal, and that was how they found out about me. A priority for Sporting Bengal is for them to promote the local Bengali and Asian players into their team, even though there are not many Asian players who are playing for their first team at the moment. I’m actually the nephew of one of the board members at Sporting Bengal, and so it was through him that they approached me. And so they asked me as a young Bengali footballer, to play for Sporting Bengal. 

When I first joined Sporting Bengal, Imrul Gazi was the manager. And he spoke to me about joining the club, but I didn’t leave West Essex straight away, because I was enjoying my time with them. In 2018 I suffered quite a bad ankle ligament injury, and then after I had come back from injury for West Essex, Imrul asked me again to join Sporting Bengal and to this time just join the club on loan, and to just see how things go. So I went on loan there, and I had a really good season, and at that time we finished in eighth place in the league, which was Sporting’s highest ever league finish at the time.

Have there been any footballers that you have looked up to, to try and model your game on/around?

Tanvir: I’ve always been a massive Spurs fan. When I was younger I used to play as a winger, but I always admired Luka Modric, who was one of our best players at the time. I always tried to copy his game, in terms of how he played, as he did everything on the pitch. I still to this day look up to him, and I like to try and model my game around his.

Could you talk me through some of your memories of playing for Sporting Bengal United (so far)?

Tanvir: So the first season that I was at the club, Imrul Gazi was the manager. We were doing really well during that season, but unfortunately during the following two seasons we weren’t really progressing as a team as much as we all would’ve liked, but funnily enough our progression as a team started after we had been relegated to step 6. That was when Steve Clark took over, towards the end of that season, and Steve has really helped to change the club. That following season at step 6, we were very good. And then last season (2023/24) were probably my best memories in football so far, with what he achieved. Everyone had written us off at the beginning, and the Essex Senior League experts were predicting for us to get relegated back to step 6, which to be fair you couldn’t really fault them for thinking that.

I think that the board at Sporting Bengal deserves massive credit and Steve Clark, for really helping to change the club. Everyone has bought into what Steve has been trying to do since day one. But last season we had a really good start to the season, and then during the December to January time of the season, we did fall off a bit with our form. And then after that we really did kickstart again, and then going into the last 14 league matches of the season we had to win about 12 of those matches to get into the play-offs. That ending to that season was just incredible, and to be able to contribute how I did was just amazing.

What was it like to be a player for Sporting Bengal United last season (2023/24), during the club’s historic promotion winning season to step 4? And could you talk me through a bit about last season?

Tanvir: I came into the team about November time of last season, because of work commitments. And the club were doing really well at the time when Steve Clark called me to get back involved with the team, and he is someone who gave absolutely everything to the team last season. So as a team we stuck together, and we also brought some new players into the team, such as Freddy Tandon (he had previously been with the club), Jay Knight and Daniel Okah, who are all quality players, and they really pushed us to achieve promotion. After a difficult January we put in some unbelievable performances, especially as we had to play our final eight league games away from home.

I remember the league game away to Halstead Town, towards the end of last season. We went into that game on the back of a couple of losses, and that was a game that we had to win to really keep ourselves in the play-off race. We won that game 4-1, and after that game we went onto keep about eight clean-sheets in a row, winning every single league game up until we got to Clacton, which we got a draw from. But we beat great teams like Woodford Town and West Essex, and then the very last game of the season, which got us into the play-offs, that was against White Ensign. It was an incredible game, which we won 5-3, despite going 2-0 down early on in that game.

We had to overcome two giants at this level, in Woodford Town and Romford in the play-offs, to get ourselves to step 4. I don’t know what we expected from that game with Romford, because of the quality and the depth of their squad, and because of the fact that they were already in the FA Vase final. But we had nothing to lose from that game. But we knew that if we kept doing what we were doing and stayed compact and solid, and stayed in the game until half-time, then we thought that we could give ourselves a good chance. Romford had some great chances, but we managed to convert the only chance that we really had in the first half, when Jay Knight had headed home Steven Carvell’s cross into the box. We started the second half really well, and we got those two more important goals, and I had no doubt from then on that we’d win that play-off final.

To win back to back promotions from step 6 to step 4, without the biggest budget, if any, involved a lot of hard work and togetherness from everyone at the club. The whole community came down to support the club against Romford in the play-off final, and to be an Asian footballer and represent my local team – Sporting Bengal, that is something that is really special for me.

What are some of your standout memories from your footballing journey, so far?

Tanvir: I’ve played in some great stadiums and venues, to be fair. So I’ve played at the Wales training ground, which was a great experience. But for me nothing will ever beat that experience of last season, and of winning promotion to step 4 in the play-off final. Also, winning against AFC Wimbledon in the London Senior Cup, was another special memory. I was defending against Justin Clarke in that game, who is a super talented player who is now at Everton. Also, the personal contribution that I made last season and the goals that I scored, that is something that is really incredible for me, as someone who plays in the wing-back position.

Who has been the most difficult team that you faced (for their quality) during your time at Sporting Bengal United, so far?

Tanvir: Every team in step 4 is quality, but going back to Essex Senior League, and I think that Romford has always been a quality team. However, for me Woodford Town is probably the most difficult team that I have played against. They play lovely football under Shane Baptiste, who has really changed the club.

For those who haven’t seen you play, could you describe to me what type of player you are?

Tanvir: I’m five foot six, but I am a very feisty player who gives my all. I’m also technically very gifted, and I rely on my fast touches of the ball, and I am a very nippy player over the first 20 yards. But one of my big strengths as a wing-back, is my crossing ability.

What are some of your hopes and aims for the remainder of this season (2024/25) with Sporting Bengal United?

Tanvir: The biggest hope for me and also for the club as a whole, is to stay in the Isthmian League North Division, first and foremost. We want to get to know the league and see what it’s about, and it is a big step from step 5, into this league. Every team in this league has got ex-academy footballers playing for them, and they are just well organised teams. But the main thing for us, is to survive this season. We want to use the Mile End Stadium to our advantage this season, and if we do survive this season, then during the following season we hope to try and see if we can achieve something special again.