Non-League and Academy football writer

The London Borough of Hackney may not have a football ground/stadium as such, however, there are a number of teams with Hackney in their name, who have/continue to represent the Borough both in grassroots and non-League football. Hackney is also the home of the world famous Hackney Marshes, one of the most famous and well known places associated with grassroots football.

Hackney in grassroots/amateur football: The Hackney & Leyton Sunday Football League is such a historic and well established Sunday football league in both London, and in the country. The league is still going strong, some 79 years after its formation in 1946. With a good number of divisions, the league’s Premier Division for the 2025/26 season is made up of eight teams. Teams such as Hackney Borough, Baddoo and Clapton Community Development play in its Premier Division. The league’s matches are played on a Sunday morning across the many pitches of Hackney Marshes. This is my first season of covering some of the league’s matches on my blog, and it certainly won’t be the last that you hear about the league on my blog. 

On most Saturday’s in the SAL (Southern Amateur Football League), a team with roots in Scotland play their football on Hackney Marshes, in London’s premier amateur football league. They are called Chattan FC, and they have made a fantastic start to their league season, in their respective division of the SAL.

Hackney in non-League/pyramid football: A number of clubs from the Hackney area are currently playing in non-League pyramid football/have done in the past. Hackney Wick FC are Hackney’s most successful non-League football club of the 21st century. They currently play their football at Witham Town FC, and they play in the Essex Senior League (step 5 of the non-League pyramid). A club that has been on a great footballing journey so far, they have a very good and talented young squad, and they have started the Essex Senior League season well, after winning promotion from step 6 at the end of last season. Hackney Wick Reserves play their football in the Middlesex County Football League (step 8), and they play their home games at Hackney Marshes.

Sporting Hackney are also a well known football club from Hackney. Former champions of the Middlesex County Football League Premier Division, they are currently at step 8 of the non-League pyramid, playing in the Essex Alliance Football League. Sporting Hackney have been going for a long time now, having been founded during the latter 20th century, and despite having previously been at Hackney Marshes and Wadham Lodge (on the intermediate pitch), they currently play their home matches at the Douglas Eyre Sports Centre, in Walthamstow.

Priory Park Rangers, also of the Essex Alliance Football League, are another team who used to play their home matches at Hackney Marshes. Also, current Middlesex County League Premier Division side Camden & Islington United, play their home matches on the show pitch at Hackney Marshes. A former Hackney football club, Crookz United, were founded by Kenneth Boateng, and they had some fantastic plans for the future. Whilst a member of the Essex Alliance Football League, Crookz United sadly folded several years ago.

Hackney’s most recent non-League pyramid team: Hackney Wanderers are Hackney’s most recent football club, having been founded earlier this year. Currently members of the Essex Alliance Football League (step 9 of the non-League pyramid) Hackney Wanderers, formed by a group of friends from the Hackney area, are an ambitious club, who have the potential to grow a lot further during the coming years. Hackney Wanderers have made a good start to their Division One season. Their home ground for this season is the Peter May Sports Centre, in Walthamstow. It would be great to see them go up the leagues in the next couple of years.

A recent interview with Hackney Wanderers’ club chairman and co-founder, Kieran Bennett: https://nonleagueandacademyfootballwriter.co.uk/2025/09/12/my-interview-with-hackney-wanderers-fcs-chairman-and-co-founder-kieran-bennett/