Hackney Marshes

Hackney Marshes is an open space of land by the River Lea in London’s East End, which also borders its manmade Hackney Cut and Olympic Park. In 1946 rubble from the blitz was used as part of the sub-surface as up to 120 full sized football pitches were created.

Hackney Marshes became known as the spiritual home of England's Sunday football, although in time Saturday games and other sports would be played there. In 2010 a new Centre building was commissioned with facilities for leisure and changing.

Controversy struck when some pitches were lost to the Olympic Games in 2012 as facilities for its infrastructure were required. It still left the Marshes with up to 80 football pitches as well as pitches for cricket, rugby and even Australian Rules.

My visits

Sunday 25^th April

As a former Sunday League football back home in Scarborough as well as playing some Veterans football in London it was a bit of a mystery as to why I’d never ventured to the Marshes on a Sunday morning.

I suppose being spoiled with having so many other things to do, apathy and a fair share of hangovers alongside work played their part. The lockdowns owing to the C-19 pandemic sharpened the mind, having gone a few months without spectator sport sharpened the mind.

Slowly recreational football was restarting. Some lower levels of the non-league game were running truncated competitions. Spectating was allowed as long as the venues were in public places rather than private grounds.

This decision had many attendees confused and outraged, but there was no way it was going to change for another five weeks. Alternatives needed finding. I decided to dip my toes into the waters of the amateur game.

Research pointed me in the direction of matches from Camden Sunday Football League and Hackney and Leyton Sunday Football League being played at Hackney Marshes. The FA Full-Time website gave me plenty of information regarding the fixtures. With time off work it was time to head east.

I took the tube to Leyton before a further than anticipated walk, rather than bus to the Marshes Centre where a couple of stewards were outside. Surely, I wasn’t going to be turned away? It transpired that they were sorting the parking.

A sure sign that I was in the right place was the sight of players rushing from their cars with kitbag in hand. We’ve all been in that situation! I walked past the café at the back of the building before locating what I needed.

I’d asked for advice on the excellent Non-League Matters Forum about how I could identify which games I was watching. Surely. There’d be some confusion with so many games taking place.

A kind gent sat at a desk taking in subs, pitch and referee fees as well as selling necessities. He let me take a photo of his sheet with the listing of fixtures, pitch numbers and referees. Some of the said refs were heading off to find their game.

The first thing I noticed was that the pitches were divided into North, South, East and West areas with additional numbering to limit confusion. Even then it wouldn’t be easy on this first occasion.

The first two pitches I came across had posts next to them showing their reference number. However, the rest had the initial and number painted behind the goal line in the back of the net. Of course, there was the option of distracting the goalies and asking them!

I’d taken my decent camera along so I could have some practise at trying to take action shots. The first game I came across was the one I watched most of. A cracking Division Two encounter between City East and Caledonian Park which would eventually end 2-2.

The game was good on a relatively small pitch, but my main reason for not drifting too far was that my pal Jeff Cards was on his way to join me after a canal walk. I wanted to give him a chance to find me. Aside from that he was bringing me a tea from the café!

We had a good wander about and really enjoyed the general spectacle, going around picking out our favourite kits and so forth. Some of the stick directed at the refs was a bit over the top, though they took no nonsense in return.

It was good to see The Wenlock in action in their top of Division Four clash as I played for the pub cricket team. We got to see some real skill, shocking play and great enthusiasm. Fantastic entertainment.

A couple of highlights involved goalkeepers and their petulance. The East London custodian had his name taken for his protestations and general attitude towards the ref. He won the “one liner of the day” by advising the man in bloke to caution an opponent for being a c**t.

He was probably outdone by the custodian of HOL Allstars who was close to human combustion with his tirade towards the manager. He was going crackers at the substitutions made, with his general gist being that they couldn’t win if they took the forwards off.

Amen to that, but did he carry on. He was still shouting well after full time. The game also saw a straight red for a handy right hook by one of his colleagues. It wasn’t dull. It was a slight surprise to find out the game ended 1-1. You’d have thought they’d taken a proper mauling.

It really was the proper heart and soul of the beautiful game. Ironically I had turned up in a similar condition to when I played many matches. A belly full of the previous night’s ale and bacon sarnies.

Delighted with what we saw, we headed back along the canal after mistakenly following the river! A pleasant walk took us to Howling Hops Brewery at Hackney Wick. It was still outdoor drinking only, but the ale compensated.

The whole area was vibrant and definitely worthy of further investigation at a later date. All in all, a top way to spend the first half of Sunday.

Sunday 2^nd May 2021

Seven days later I returned, this time alighting at Stratford and taking a walk through Olympic Park. My aim this time was to take a look at the pitches on the second field reached across a footbridge from the main area.

The waterside path took me straight to it. This had been the field I’d thought was the only area many years earlier, when I was underwhelmed as I walked the Lea navigation. Perhaps it was that experience that had sown seeds of doubts in my mind.

The previous week we’d struggled to work out where the East pitches were. Now all was revealed. They were all on this second field, which had some fantastic views of Olympic Park and the city. There was even a stepped terrace in the far corner.

Some familiar teams were in action, though I didn’t have a full fixture list on me. There was certainly enough to keep me entertained on the eleven pitches with action. Again, I enjoyed every minute wandering around taking snaps of the action.

Without wishing to imitate many former players who are now summarisers, I don't want to sound bitter and grizzled and go on about how it was in my day, but..

I wish I’d played in the modern days with the rule that goal kicks don’t have to leave the box. What fun I'd have had against those clogger defenders who thought they could play. Many would undoubtedly try to over elaborate on dodgy surfaces.

I thought back to all the times I wouldn’t have a long ball pumped in my general direction with the same hairy arsed defenders queuing up for a free hit at me. Much of that would disappear, but with over elaboration and stricter laws protecting players.

I’d have definitely have scored loads more and been far lesser bruised. I'd still be short of heading ability, pace and bravery but with lots more goals. I was told to get a shirt on this visit after showing my skills controlling a wayward shot and returning the ball. If only.....

At full time I returned along the same route. I was on night shift but had time for a couple of libations at Tap East, a favourite of mine on the edge of Westfield at Stratford, which I first discovered during the 2012 Games.

The beer was nice, but the service was colder than the weather as I listened to Yorkshire complete their win away to Sussex. I treated myself to the Javelin train back to King’s Cross to round off a job well done.