New football team Hackney Wick FC is winning fans left right and centre

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Golden goals: Bobby Kasanga of Hackney Wick FC running a women’s training session. Photograph: Tom Sparks

What do you get the borough that has it all? According to football mad Bobby Kasanga, the dream gift for Hackney would be a professional football team. And he thinks he’s the man to deliver it.

Whilst campaigning to get more recognition for non-league football, Kasanga came across many disgruntled players on Hackney Marshes who were tired of having to travel to other boroughs, and even out of London, to play football at a competitive level.

Kasanga decided to start a new club called Hackney Wick FC. Professional clubs do not spring up like pop-up restaurants, but Kasanga believes that with hard work his little grassroots club can “go all the way”.

‘The Wickers’, as they hope to be known, already have a bunch of 20 or so eager young players, a jam-packed committee of volunteers including a chairwoman, club secretary and treasurer and a ‘press team’ comprising a blogger and photographer.

Ex-Ireland international footballer and local publican Declan Perkins has come on board as the club’s vice-chairman, with his popular drinking den The Lauriston in Victoria Park village becoming the team’s
main sponsor.

Rana Brightman, Chairwoman of Hackney Wick FC says the Wickers hope to emulate the success of FC United of Manchester, the team started by disillusioned Manchester United fans, who defected after the controversial Glazer takeover in 2005.

Similarly to FC United, Hackney Wick FC fans will be able to have a say in how the club is run through a membership programme on a one-member-one-vote basis.

Finding the fans

However unlike these clubs, the Wickers do not have a ready-made fan base backing the team. Brightman is undeterred: “We have the task of trying to build a fan base so we are offering up our services to the community.”

In a bid to drum up support the players have been making themselves useful at Abney Park in Stoke Newington, volunteering at events such as the Run Hackney half marathon and holding free football training sessions for the Hackney Wick Women’s Institute (WI).

Members of the football club are also set to join the Victoria Park Singers community choir at the Big Gig at Victoria Park on 12 July, with choir members invited to join the footballers for a one-off training session on the morning of the gig.

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Hackney Wick WI join in the fun. Photograph: Tom Sparks

The Hackney Wick WI enjoyed training with the club so much that they are now sewing banners for the club, their one-off sessions morphing into fortnightly free training sessions for all women, with a women’s team already in the pipeline.

Grace Shotbolt from Women’s Institute (WI) said: “We had a great time with the Wickers, they were really enthusiastic about getting women involved in football, which is obviously a positive thing in our eyes!”

The fledgling Hackney Wick FC will no doubt be looking to Hackney’s most successful team Sporting Hackney for some tips.

Established in 1986, Sporting Hackney play in the Middlesex County Football League, the highest level of any club in the borough, and won the league and cup double at county level last season. They are looking to move up the league ladder, but as a predominantly self-funded club it is always a challenge.

Brightman, however, is optimistic Hackney Wick FC can go the distance: “We look to AFC Wimbledon and other non-league sides that are making headway and over 10 or 15 years are becoming semi-professional.

“We don’t see why in 10 years time we can’t be in league one or two.”

Hackney Wick FC are looking for your support for their first game which takes place this Saturday 11 July at 1pm on Mabley Green E9 5QB.

For more info visit: http://www.hackneywickfc.com/