Clapton Community FC Men’s First Team have been promoted for the third time in six completed seasons!

Last Saturday’s play-off final win in extra-time against Rayleigh Town in front of a crowd of 2375 sees CCFC elevated to the ninth tier of English football (also known as Step 5 of non-league pyramid).

You can read our match report, the Outside Left match report, the Southend Echo match report. Non-League and Academy football writer match report, and the Weekly Worker match report (scroll down).

Or watch our match highlights, a video with Korean/English subtitles by Nodi and a collection of video clips on Instagram.

There’s also our post-match interview with Geoff Ocran, Cameron Gordon, Sam Cook, Adam Sidky, Will Miller, James Goldring and Robin Philpott.

And there’s a big photo gallery on our Flickr page as well as on Andy the Photographer’s Flickr page plus on Nicky Hayes’ website.

CCFC will now be allocated by the FA into the most appropriate geographical division at Step 5. That is most likely the Essex Senior League, alongside near neighbours like Ilford, West Essex, Soul Tower Hamlets, Barking, Woodford Town, Romford, Sporting Bengal United and Athletic Newham.

But boundaries are always subject to change depending on who goes up and down, and it’s possible we’ll be in the Spartan South Midlands, where you’d find the likes of Cockfosters and Harlow Town. We’ve also been played south of the river in the Southern Counties East Football League before, of course, and they have a Step 5 division…

We are due to find out what division we will be placed in by the FA around the middle of May.

Geoff Ocran’s team will also enter the Men’s FA Cup for the first time, hoping to match some of our Women’s First Team’s heroics in the Women’s FA Cup.

Unlike our promotion from Step 7 to 6, the ground grading for Step 5 needs to be attained by the end of March 2027, rather than before the season starts.

See you next season!