Non-League and Academy football writer

The Somali British Champions League is a competition in which is going from strength to strength. In what is still quite a new tournament, the SBCL has attracted big crowds, and it features some excellent teams, and some of these teams play their football in England’s FA pyramid. I’m hoping to cover the final of the 2024/25 edition of this tournament in Bristol, next month – between FC Olympia and Hilltop. However, below I have written a piece on four teams who have both competed in the SBCL, and who have also played their football in the FA pyramid. All of these four teams play/played their home matches within the London area.

Hilltop FC: A very established football club, who have been on an incredible journey through the Middlesex County Football League, and subsequently the Combined Counties Football League, Hilltop were founded in 2005. With roots in North West London’s Somali community, Hilltop’s successful journey throughout the Middlesex League is so impressive, as is their rise to step 5 of the Combined Counties Football League. Their first team play some great football, and it is always great to cover their games.

After winning over two legs against OIR, in the semi-finals of the current edition of the SBCL, Hilltop made history, by becoming the first side to reach the final of the tournament on three occasions.

Tower United FC: Founded in 2005, Tower United played their home matches at Mabley Green, in Hackney, in recent years. And the club who also competed in the Islington Midweek League, would progress to step 7 of the FA pyramid, when they were competing in the Essex Alliance Football League. Competing against teams such as FC Baresi and Lymore Gardens, in the Senior Division of the Essex Alliance Football League, Tower United’s men’s first team sadly folded a couple of seasons ago. Tower United also competed in the SBCL.

OIR FC: A club that has roots in Enfield in north London, OIR FC’s Saturday team started out in the Middlesex County Football League, where they reached the Premier Division. However, the club which was founded by current OIR player Abdullaahi Khalif, would move across to the Herts Senior County League (step 7) for the 2024/25 season. They would retain their step 7 status for the 2025/26 season, showing some real promise during last season. OIR have a really talented squad of players, and they won the 2023/24 edition of the SBCL, at Coles Park (Haringey Borough FC).

Wood Lane FC: Former London FA Junior Cup winners, Wood Lane FC are a club who have a really promising future in non-League football. In their first full season in the Middlesex County Football (step 8) in 2024/25 they won the Division One North & West of the Middlesex League, and they deservedly won that title. They competed in the SBCL as Wood Lane FC in the 2023/24 season. I truly believe that Wood Lane can go far within non-League football, in the future. To learn more about Wood Lane FC you can read my interview with Wood Lane youth coach Hamza: https://nonleagueandacademyfootballwriter.co.uk/2024/12/01/my-interview-with-wood-lane-fc-youth-coach-hamza-about-some-of-his-memories-of-middlesex-county-football-league-side-wood-lane-fc/