The Old Spotted Dog Ground


The Old Spotted Dog Ground in Forest Gate is the oldest senior football ground in London. Clapton Community were named tenants of the ground in September 2019, pending negotiation with the freeholder. The previous tenant lost the lease of the ground following non-payment of rent.

History

The grounds were originally part of the Old Spotted Dog Hunting Lodge, once used by Henry VIII. In the mid 19th century the lodge became a public house, the Spotted Dog, still featuring parts of its original facade, is now a Grade II listed building . The lands behind the pub became a sports ground, used primarily for county cricket matches before switching its usage to football.
Clapton FC moved to the ground in 1888 after learning that St Bartholomew's Hospital had given up their tenancy. The former Hackney club played the first match at the ground on 29 September 1888 against Old Carthusians, winning 1–0 in front of over 4,000 spectators. The highest attendance at the ground for a Clapton match was recorded as 12,000 for an FA Cup game against Tottenham Hotspur during the 1898–99 season.
Clapton's former status as one of English football's leading amateur clubs saw The Old Spotted Dog host a number of high-profile matches, including contests with, West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax of Amsterdam. Neighbours, West Ham, also used the ground as home to their youth and 'A' teams during the 1960s and brought their World Cup winning stars to feature in The Dog's first match under floodlights in 1966.
During World War II the ground was used as an anti-aircraft station.

Tenancy dispute

At the start of the 2019–20 season, Clapton lost the lease for the ground, marking the end of their 140-year playing history at the site. On 17 September 2019, it was announced that Clapton Community, a fan owned club established in 2018, had been awarded the lease to the ground, allowing the new fan operated club to play there.