Non-League and Academy football writer

Steven Carvell is an outstanding footballer in non-League, who has played for non-League clubs such as VCD Athletic, Sporting Bengal United and Soul Tower Hamlets, which is Steven’s current club in non-League football. Now in his early 30s, Steven is also a key player for a very good Sunday league side, in East London Ballers, and both technically and all-round as a footballer, he is a very, very good player. I recently interviewed Steven, about some of his memories in football, so far.

Could you talk me through a bit about your background in football, prior to joining Soul Tower Hamlets?

Steven: I started out at Ilford FC as a youth player, when I was 15. Then after a year of playing there I got the opportunity to go on trial with Tottenham Hotspur, and with the link with Steve Perryman, I then went on trial with Exeter City. I went on trial for four to six weeks, and in the end I was successful, and I was offered a two year scholarship with Exeter. We had a really good first season which I really enjoyed, then in the second-preseason I got a bit homesick, and so I came back home to London to try and find a team closer to home.

I went on trial at the likes of Leyton Orient and Barnet, but for a number of reasons I didn’t get offered a contract, and that was when I went into non-League football. I’ve played for clubs such as Phoenix Sports, VCD Athletic, Romford, Sporting Bengal United and Soul Tower Hamlets, which is where I am now. 

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

Steven: When I was growing up, I was actually more a winger who would play off the left. I did look up to David Villa, but as a West Ham fan Paolo Di Canio was also a player who I looked up to. Then up until recently it’s been Steven Gerrard and Kevin De Bruyne, who have been the players who I have looked at, as well as Harry Kane. When I was on trial with Tottenham I trained with Harry Kane, as well as Tom Huddlestone, who had just come back from injury, and so he was training with the Under 18 side at the time.

I played a game for the Spurs Under 18 side with Harry Kane, against the Rwandan national team’s Under 17 side, as they were in England preparing for the Under 17 World Cup.

Could you talk me through some of your standout moments of playing both non-League and Sunday League football, so far?

Steven: In non-League football I would say that it was probably my first promotion with Sporting Bengal United, at step 6. They’d been relegated at the end of the previous season to the Thurlow Nunn League, and then we lost 7-0 to Stanway Pegasus on the opening day of the season. We had a player in goal who wasn’t a goalkeeper, and we also had two players who were sent off in that game. But, luckily at the end of that season we faced Stanway Pegasus in the play-off final, and we beat them in that final.

During the following season with Sporting Bengal, at step 5, again via the play-offs, we beat Romford in the play-off final 3-1, to gain promotion to step 4. Those two play-off finals wins are two of my standout moments in non-League football, along with last seasons play-off victory over SE Dons in the SCEFL First Division play-off final, with Soul Tower Hamlets. As for Sunday league football, winning the FA Sunday Cup final with Baiteze was obviously one, as that is the pinnacle of Sunday league football. But, although I didn’t play much in that final, I would say that our London Cup final win over SE Dons (at AFC Wimbledon), was a special way to sign out with Baiteze.

Could you talk me through a bit about the season so far (2025/26), with Soul Tower Hamlets?

Steven: We started the season really well, winning our first game 5-2 against White Ensign, which is where we set out our marker really early on. We had a good run in the FA Cup, winning three games before being unlucky to lose against Flackwell Heath in that competition. We’re unbeaten in the league and we’ve got a really good group of players, and behind the scenes Tarik (the chairman) and Shipon, and obviously joint managers Terry Spillane and John Field, are all doing a great job. 

We’re looking to maintain our unbeaten run in the league for as long as possible, with us taking it game by game. It will be a tough league to win this season, with the likes of Woodford Town, Barking and Great Wakering Rovers all contenders, but if we can finish above of those three teams then I think that we’ll be alright.

What has been your favourite goal that you have scored in non-League football, so far?

Steven: It would have to be for Sporting Bengal against Saffron Walden, at Mile End. I scored two free-kicks in that game, but it was the first free-kick which went right into the top corner of the goal, from distance.

What are some of your hopes and aims for the remainder of this season with Soul Tower Hamlets, as well as for your Sunday team, East London Ballers?

Steven: For Soul I would say that it would be promotion, because after a good start it would be silly not to aim for promotion now. After Christmas time I think that we’ve got to evaluate where we are, and just go from there. With the FA Vase we’re trying to go as far as possible, and obviously a couple of seasons ago the final was between two Essex Senior League sides, and I think that we have a chance of going far in that competition, if we take it game by game.

My personal targets for the remainder of this season are to get between 10 to 12 goals and around 20-25 assists. With East London Ballers, I joined them last season and obviously we won the treble in what was a great season. The management team at the club are great people, and I’ve made some great friendships with them. I would say that we’re definitely looking to retain the league as well as the league cup, and also win the London Cup and the FA Sunday Cup. With the team that we’ve got I think that we can aim for all of those competitions.