Sporting Bengal United FC
Ground: Mile End Stadium
Capacity: 2,000
Club Founded: 1996
League: Essex Senior League - Step 5/Tier 9 (current level)
Founded in 1996, Sporting Bengal United FC became one of the first Asian clubs to compete in the FA Cup, trailblazing for British Bangladeshi football in East London.
A Potted Club History
Formative Years
The non-league football club based in Mile End, East London, was formed in 1996 to encourage Asian football in the capital. Run by the Bangladesh Football Association (UK), the team was initially selected from Sunday league clubs affiliated to that organisation.
They began in the London Intermediate League before joining the Kent League in 2003. In 2010, the Bangladesh Football Federation selected United players Sadiq Sarwar and Shahed Ahmed to represent their country at the 2010 South Asian Games.
Senior Football
The club moved to the Essex Senior League for the 2011-12 season after reaching the third round of the FA Vase. Administration errors in 2014-15 saw the team finish bottom of the table. Manager Anwar Uddin oversaw improvements before former coach Steve Clark replaced him in December 2021.
His side was relegated to Division One of the Eastern Counties League, but fought back twelve months later after defeating Wormley Rovers and then Stanway Pegasus on penalties in the playoffs. Back in the Essex Senior League, Sporting reached the playoffs in 2023-24.
Woodford Town and Romford were defeated, with goals from Jay Knight, Joe Gregory, and Rian Patel taking the club to Step 4 football for the first time. Their spell lasted just one season before Freddy Tandon, then James Wakeling, led the side.
My visit
Sporting Bengal United 1 Sleaford Town 3 - after extra time
FA Vase Round Two - Saturday 21st November 2015
👨👨👧👧 31 🎟️ £6
It was the day after my fiftieth birthday, and it's fair to say that I had days when I felt considerably better. I'd spent the day in great company at Ascot Races and then in Camden Town, but I was really feeling the effects. My brother Nick was heading down by train as we were heading to Germany the next day to meet up with Paul, our other sibling.
I headed across to St Pancras to meet him and to find somewhere warm. It was a bitter day, with a strong wind. We headed to the Pavilion End, a Fuller’s pub we’d looked up near St Paul's. Table-topping Hull City were live on Sky TV at Bristol City in the lunchtime kick-off. The problem was finding a pub showing it, as BT showed Watford against Manchester United.
The staff put our game on in the corner of the quiet pub as I struggled with a couple of drinks. Nick was great company and kept me going. City should have won on the way the game panned out, but it ended 1-1. At full time, we went to Mansion House only to find engineering works on the District line.
We had to change trains at Monument to Bank, which was like a maze under the city streets. Eventually, we found the correct Central line platform for a train to Mile End. A bus was stuck at the traffic lights at the crossroads as we left the station on Burdett Road. We jumped on for a couple of stops to Eric Street as we had our luggage.
Despite all the hold-ups, we walked across the park as the teams were lining up for a minute's silence in tribute to the victims of the Paris terrorist attacks. We entered through the leisure centre building, and it cost £6. The programme was a further £1.50.
We sat on the concrete in the stand to avoid the wind. The stadium hadn’t changed since my previous visit to a Bethnal Green United game, before they became Soul Tower Hamlets, a few years previously.
The visitors from Lincolnshire had a few vocal supporters. United had invited lots of young kids as mascots who screamed out encouragement. Sleaford seemed suited to the conditions and the pitch's condition, which Tower Hamlets used the previous evening. They were a stronger build and started with real purpose.
Ryan Oliver put the United Counties League side ahead after just six minutes, finishing a cross. Sporting Bengal gradually got into the game and created one or two chances as the game opened up. Under the circumstances, it was OK.
Just before half-time, we went to the small cold shed and bought a coffee each. Food was restricted to crisps and chocolate bars. It was better than nothing. The scores from elsewhere kept us entertained over the break.
After the interval, it became apparent that the wind was playing a part in the game. Although Sleaford still looked more than capable of scoring, the home side also created chances. Tunde Adewunmi scored when a corner landed at his feet.
Despite home fans and officials shouting that the game was going to extra time, we were not the only ones calling it a day. We were just too cold and tired. Instead of hanging about, we crossed Rhodeswell Road to catch the bus to Bethnal Green and the tube back to Bank to return to The Pavilion End.
The pub was far busier as they were showing both Manchester City v Liverpool and Real Madrid v Barcelona. We enjoyed a lovely meal while watching two hilarious home defeats. Meanwhile, I found out on Twitter that Sleaford had won at Mile End Stadium thanks to further goals from Oliver and Bradley Hockin.
Nick and I headed to Blackfriars station for a train down to Gatwick, where we enjoyed a couple of drinks before a good night's sleep at the Premier Inn to prepare for our morning flight to Berlin.
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