Non-League and Academy football writer

In my second piece on some of the coaches of non-League and grassroots football, I’ll be writing a piece on Eny Okoro. Eny is a young manager/coach who last season (2023/24) would lead Walthamstow Reserves to a ninth place finish in the Essex Alliance Football League Senior Division. However, Eny’s young side would win the Senior Division Cup, during the same season, which was a tremendous achievement (they won 2-1 against the league champions FC Baresi in the final). Having represented some non-League clubs at youth level in the past, the Londoner would start his coaching journey quite early on, with Ryan FC, a club who have a link with Walthamstow FC. However, in recent years Eny has managed the Walthamstow Under 18s side, before serving as an assistant manager to the vastly experienced Paul Flowers of the Walthamstow Reserves side, during the 2022/23 season.

Last season (2023/24) was in fact Eny’s first as a manager in senior football. Walthamstow Reserves recorded some really big results in the Senior Division last season, with their excellent cup run in the Senior Division Cup, really highlighting just some of the great work that Eny, his players and coaching staff really helped to achieve last season. Beating AS Rapid Londra, Waltham Forest Borough, Aveley Under 23s and of course FC Baresi, to win that competition. The Walthamstow Reserves won all of those games in style, including in the cup final match at the home ground of Leyton Orient, when they put in an outstanding performance against a very good FC Baresi side. That cup final was a brilliant occasion and a great showcase of the talent and strength of the Essex Alliance Football League.

Above everything else though, the Walthamstow Reserves side really helps to develop those talented players who are a part of their squad. Under Eny and his coaching staff, the reserves side play some superb, fast passing football, and their movement off the ball is just as good as their quality on it. From having watched the Walthamstow Reserves on a good number of occasions, they are more than capable, despite being a reserve team, of beating any team at step 7 of the non-League system, on their day. With a squad of very talented players in their team, players such as the very talented Bilel Benyoucef, who has been almost ever present for Walthamstow Reserves during Eny’s tenure so far, there are also other players who have since progressed higher up in non-League. Players such as Ezra Agyiri, Matt McDowell, and Enos Duah, who have all played for Walthamstow Reserves, under Eny Okoro’s tutelage.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Eny on my blog last season, and he is a fantastic guy, who I have a lot of respect for. I’ve also seen (when reporting on some of the Walthamstow Reserves’ games) just how much respect all of the players have for Eny as a manager, as recently as last Saturday, when I covered their Fenton Cup tie with Redbridge Community. In the league (Senior Division) so far this season, Walthamstow Reserves are in 11th place after 11 league matches played. However, their team is young and also, a number of players from last season have since moved on. And as I mentioned earlier the player’s individual development as footballers will be just as important to Eny and his coaching staff, as their final league position will be.

I certainly believe that Walthamstow Reserves will go on another impressive run again, like they did during the midpoint of last season in the league, as they look to better last season’s ninth place Senior Division finish. The reserve team are also in three cup competitions this season, as well. And they’ll be looking to do their utmost to go as far as possible in all of those cup competitions, as well as looking to retain the Senior Division Cup. I wish Eny Okoro and Walthamstow Reserves all the very best for the remainder of this 2024/25 season, and I look forward to covering some more of their matches during this season.