In one of the highlights of our pre-season schedule, we welcome FC St. Pauli’s women’s team to the Old Spotted Dog Ground on Tuesday, June 20.

The much anticipated friendly is the first leg of the Football Has No Gender tour, with their men’s team visiting the Kingdom of Fife to take on Dunfermline Athletic FC on Friday, June 23.

This will be the first international opposition for our women’s team and another chance to test themselves against some high level opposition. St Pauli will also be the first overseas visitors to the Old Spotted Dog of the new era.

And it will be our final farewell to head coach Claudio Gomes, who is sadly leaving the club after this game after a brilliant three years. Some of our fan favourite players will also be moving on. 🙁

Friendly friendly

Links between the two clubs run deep, with a lot of affection towards the Hamburg club within the CCFC fanbase. Our supporters have been made very welcome at different editions of FCSP’s Antira tournament. On 20 June we hope to return the favour, welcoming not just the team, but a number of St. Pauli fan groups expected to be represented in East London.

Inga Schlegel, supervisory board member at FC St. Pauli, said: “International exchange is always important and instructive in order to make further progress, so it’s all the better that we can exchange thoughts and ideas at a discussion event.”

Bernd von Geldern, business management at FC St. Pauli, added: “As a club, we are happy to visit the many FCSP fans on site and to be able to bring a piece of St.Pauli to the island. Being able to do this with our two first teams together makes the whole thing extraordinary”.

About the FC St. Pauli women’s team

The history of FC St. Pauli Frauen goes back to 1990, when a group of season ticket holders decided to put together their own team. Since then, they have become a formal part of the club, competing in local and then regional leagues.

FCSP Frauen play in the Women’s Northern Regional League, the third tier of German football, having gained promotion by winning the Hamburg League in 2016. This season they finished 10th out of 14th, one spot above the relegation zone.

They are coming off the back of a jubilant end to the 2022/23 season. On 29 May they won the Hamburg Cup, beating FC Union Tornesch 6-1 in the final. This match at the Hoheluft Stadium had a competition record attendance of 3,882. The victory also qualifies FCSP for next season’s DFB-Pokal, the German equivalent of the FA Cup.

As you can see from the below highlights, the atmosphere was sensational!

Match information

Clapton Community FC vs FC St. Pauli Frauen takes place at the Old Spotted Dog Ground at 7:30pm on Tuesday, June 20 2023.

Spectator entry will be via the Disraeli Road turnstile and gates from 6pm. Cash and cards are accepted everywhere.

If you have any further questions on the day, look for anyone wearing a pink hi-viz vest who will be happy to answer.

Tickets

The game is advanced tickets only so we know how many people are attending.

At the moment tickets are all sold out but any returns will be added to the tickets page as they come in. So if you’ve booked a ticket but can’t make it, or you have any spares, please please please email us so we can relist them.

You can donate what you like for the ticket, from nothing to £5, but we suggest £3 for waged adults. Please add 50p if possible to cover PayPal fees.

If you didn’t donate when you booked your tickets, there will be an opportunity to do so at the entrance should you so wish.

There are no physical tickets. Your name will be on a list at the entrance. Tell the volunteers your order number and the name the ticket/s were booked under.

Volunteers working on the game do not need tickets. Those people who have signed up to volunteers, please arrive at 6pm or as soon as you can afterwards.

Food and drink

The Clubhouse bar will open at 6pm. We will have an outdoor bar serving Pretty Decent and 40ft Brewery pints as well as the Clubhouse to reduce queuing. The bars will close at 10.30pm.

As well as a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks on sale, we also have coffee, tea, hot chocolate, Bovril, squash and water in the Clubhouse which are free, help yourself, donations welcome.

Fusion Foods will be selling hot and cold food – meat, veggie and vegan options. 

Merch

We will have a matchday programme available, pick one up for free, donations welcome.

Our home and away shirts are back in stock in limited quantities. We should have stickers and scarves on sale too. Yes, scarves in June…

Love Football Hate Racism

The charity Love Football Hate Racism has a stall at the game. It engages fans with a positive message that there is more in football that unites supporters rather than divides them. It seeks to encourage fans to be positive about promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion with fellow fans at football matches as well online and through social media. Visit the LFHR stand or www.lfhr.org.uk to find out more

Accessibility

There is an accessible toilet with baby-changing facilities next to the Clubhouse. The Clubhouse entrance is also step-free.

Children welcome

This is our first game after planting new grass seeds, so we are having to be especially careful. Therefore we all need to keep off the pitch as much as possible, including children at half-time and full-time.

However, any children who would like to be mascots and lead out the teams are welcome to do so. Please report to the corner flag at 7.20pm and a youth training coach will pair up mascots with players.

Prams and pushchairs are always very welcome in the OSD, but please avoid blocking walkways.

Dogs welcome

Spectators are welcome, in fact encouraged, to bring dogs to the OSD, but please keep on leads.

Bikes welcome

There’s space to leave your bikes inside the OSD, near to the outdoor toilets.

Directions

The Old Spotted Dog Ground is at 212 Upton Lane in Forest Gate, London E7 9NP.

Forest Gate station (Elizabeth Line) and Wanstead Park (Overground) are 15 minutes’ walk away, Plaistow (District / Hammersmith & City) is 20 minutes’ walk, and Stratford (National Rail/Overground/Elizabeth/Jubilee/Central/DLR) is 25 minutes’ walk.

If you’ve not been to the OSD yet, here are some even more detailed directions.

Parking around the ground should be free from 6:30pm. Always check local signage for any changes. And if possible come by public transport, bike or walk.

Map of the Old Spotted Dog Ground