Today’s club of the day are the community champions Hackney Wick FC.
Year founded: 2015
Nickname: The Wickers
Stadium: Spa Road
Capacity: 2500
Manager: Ernest Eghan
League: Eastern Counties League Division One South
Origins:
Hackney Wick FC, nicknamed “The Wickers,” are a unique club in the East London community.
Founded in 2015, the club goes beyond on pitch success.
The Wickers were founded with the aim of providing opportunities for young people in a historically deprived area.
The club’s origins go back to a former convict who believed in the power of football to create positive change.
Bobby Kasanga sought a space where youngsters could channel their energy into a positive outlet, stay away from trouble, and develop valuable life skills.
The club describe themselves as: “not your regular football club, as our ethos is based on community engagement, uniting the local diverse groups as well as battling peer pressure and tackling gang influences.”
The Wickers started their journey in the Middlesex County League.
In 2017, they merged with, London Bari, inheriting their place in the Essex Senior League.
The merged club currently competes in the Eastern Counties League Division One South.
Today, over 160 youngsters and some 70 adults turn to the club through either training, matches, or fitness sessions.
The club were even endorsed and sponsored by Netflix hit-show Top Boy.