CSM London - West Ham United Foundation

CSM London FC

West Ham United Foundation (3G)

60A Albatross Close

Beckton

London

E6 5NX

Official Website

Essex Alliance League Page

Twitter

Ground Number: 1258

Saturday 20th January 2024
CSM London 3-2 Aveley U23
Essex Alliance Senior Division

CSM LONDON - A BRIEF HISTORY

CSM London FC is an FA Charter Standard football club and non-profit organisation that seeks to bring people together through football. We do this by focussing on marginalised groups and encouraging physical activity whilst promoting social integration in a welcoming environment for all ethnic backgrounds in East London. They were established in 2018. They started in the Essex Alliance Division 2 which sits at step 9 of the non-league pyramid. In their first season, they were promoted as runners-up behind Chingford Athletic Development. It was a good debut season with them beating Rainham Working Mans Club in the Division 2 Cup Final. They were placed in the Senior Division for the following season and were 4th when the season was cut short. The following season was also shortened with them in 10th. They were relegated in 2022 after finishing second-bottom. The club won the Premier Division West last season and also beat Fairlop Rovers in the Premier Division Cup Final. This season they have returned to the Senior Division and are clear of the relegation battle as things stand.

MY VISIT

As usual, this game was decided in the week before the game. Several options were drawn up and it boiled down to two choices - either Fleetdown United or Norwich CBS. It was a tough choice as the latter went towards a league I was close to completing. However, with the weather forecast being fairly mild and dry, I opted for Fleetdown United. There was also less faffing around with advance tickets, I'd get back in time to get the bus home and make a day of it in London. My other choice had lights and a 3G pitch so was far more versatile. The only shame was that I'd already done the Dartford Wetherspoons and it wasn't a great town for pubs. However, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Dartford Working Man's Club had a decent selection of cider and cheap food. I inquired about whether I had to be a member and received the following helpful reply. Technically, yes. However, our doorkeeper is not on duty until 6.30 pm. We are currently taking on new members and you might wish to consider asking for a membership form at the bar. That sealed my decision, as the situation might change. I'd always been intrigued by Working Mens Clubs and Labour Clubs and the like, possibly inspired by the brilliant sitcom 'Phoenix Nights' by Peter Kay so it would be a good opportunity to visit one.

The only downer was that the ground was very basic. However, they had club signs and a functioning Twitter site so that was good enough for me. I wanted to complete the Kent County League in any case. My early research told me there was less than a mile between the grounds of the hosts and their opponents Kent United. I had visited them in their previous guise of Kent Football United back in 2018, the same day Wycombe sealed League 2 promotion at Chesterfield. This just pointed to my ever-evolving taste in grounds. It started with the 92 and local non-league, expanded to step 4 and then step 6. Then any ground with a stand, then anything with a railed pitch. Now, with Futbology going down to step 7 I want to visit everything there as well as any club with a story to tell. Thursday was a quieter one at work, but once I was home. I made a Google My Map with all my unvisited Wetherspoons on. This took longer than expected, a few hours. Whilst doing this, I discovered a couple of pubs I'd not put on my list and this meant that I'd inadvertently visited my 300th Spoons a fortnight ago in Swansea. It was a pretty decent one but I wish I'd known it was a landmark at the time. I also changed my arrangements for the North West Hop so that I could take Colin with me. Sadly due to running out of holiday at work, I had to head home from Blackpool on Saturday night which was a real kick in the teeth, especially with how vile Sundays are at work. Friday was very busy once more and I was there until 4.30. For that, amongst many other reasons, I decided to scratch my revisit to Harpenden Town for a youth league game. It's one I'd like to go to for a blog update. But I'd tagged the clubs with no response, neither had publicised the game, so I assumed they weren't fussed about having fans. It also added the complication of having to get petrol early and not having time to catch up with things.

Instead, I stayed in and had a few drinks. It was a pretty early night, around 10 and so I awoke at my usual work time of 5 am. I lazed in bed before getting up at 8. After breakfast I was out at 8.50, getting the 9.05 bus to Amersham station. After a stop at Tesco for crisps, I was at the station by 9.30. Fellow hopper Colin was also there, still undecided where he was going today. It was annoying that the train was full and even more annoying that my laptop battery was flat as I thought I'd charged it last night. I hooked it up to my power bank and hoped for the best. It was changes at Marylebone and Charring Cross for Dartford. Lots of games were falling to the weather after pitch inspections and I was starting to get a little less optimistic that my original choice was going ahead. A pitch inspection was scheduled for around 11. The bad news was confirmed at 11.30 and an alternative was sought with me at Bexleyheath. Futbology was a great help and gave me a few choices. It was going to have to be 3G and I settled for CSM London v Aveley U23 because they were the closest team publicising their game. Alternative pre-match plans were sought and the logical new Spoons tick appeared to be The Ledger Building. I got off at Woolwich Arsenal expecting to get the DLR but the station was closed. Due to errors by myself and Google Maps giving me duff information, there was no pre-match pub. I had to settle for a couple of cans of Strongbow from an off licence near Upton Park station. It looked like a cracking place for food with lots of Asian places but my dallying meant that I had to get the bus to my game. I was at the ground at 1.50 and it was a lot better than the similar venue Noak Hill. It did require signing in but the staff were friendly and helpful. 

CSM London were in 11th whilst Aveley U23 were in 12th. The hosts were unbeaten in five games and had won all of their games in 2023 beating Bakers 693 3-0 and winning 6-2 at Rapid Chingford. The visitors were in mixed form having beaten Kit Out London 3-1 but losing to Frenford Development by the same scoreline so far this year. CSM took the lead on 8 minutes, a good through ball finding Jaydon Charles who finished with a low shot. On 16 minutes it was 2-0, a wide ball from the right found Charles who chested the ball down and finished at the back post. Charles completed his hat trick on 65 minutes, another close-range finish following a knockback from the right. Aveley improved in the second half and they reduced the arrears on 81 minutes with a great finish from wide on the right. CSM London was a nice friendly club to visit especially the secretary Amees who gave me a free badge. It was just a shame there were only 16 there as the league and club deserve more fans.

It hadn't been the day I planned and had I known what would happen, I'd have gone to Norwich CBS but I enjoyed myself nonetheless. Post-match was going to be better than pre-match and I decided to head to Mile End Wetherspoons and plan from there. The 104 got me back to West Ham station and then it was a District Line to Mile End. I should have paid more attention as the pub was right next to Stepney Green station and I could have saved time. No bag in box cider but Stowford Press at £2.06 a pint was a bargain. I fancied a Pixel Smartwatch 2 and hoped to get a good deal. However, the eBay app was not working. My various apps pointed me in the direction of The Harp in Trafalgar Square. It was pricey going on previous experience but worth the money as far as I was concerned. My laptop was as dead as a dodo so the blog would have to wait. I got to my intended destination and had a pint of Duckchicken Maisonette Blend which was excellent. It was then a walk to Charring Cross station, the Bakerloo to Baker Street and the Metropolitan to Harrow On The Hill. The Moon On the Hill was a cracking Spoons where I got steak, wings, chips and a pint of Black Dragon for £12. Another pint saw me leave happy and get the 8.09 Chiltern to Amersham. I was back at Amersham for 8.30 and it was under 10 minutes until my bus. Fr5om there, I got home fine and after a quick drink pretty much went straight to bed.

THE GROUND

WEST HAM FOUNDATION is a basic but decent 3G pitch. The pitch itself has a decent-sized viewing area but no cover. There is no food or drink at the ground and it's in a bit of an isolated area. The nearest train station is Upton Park and regular buses run from here. Otherwise, there's a decent amount of parking.