Senrab F.C. is a Sunday League football club, based at Wanstead Flats in the Forest Gate district of London, England.[1][2] It is noted for the high number of professional players who played for the club in their youth.[1]

Senrab F.C.
Full nameSenrab Football Club
Founded1961
GroundWanstead Flats, Forest Gate,
London
ChairmanDave Hyland
LeagueEcho Junior Football League
Websitehttps://www.senrab-fc-official-website.com/

History

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The club takes its name from Senrab Street in Stepney; the club's players trained at Marion Richardson School on Senrab Street (which is close to Barnes Street, and is 'Barnes' spelt backwards).[2]

The club was founded in 1961 by then 15-year-old Jimmy Tindall (later a youth development officer for West Ham United),[3] playing eight-a-side at first before progressing to 11-a-side within two years. Tindall's son, Jason was a 1990s product of Senrab, playing in midfield with Lee Bowyer before later moving to AFC Bournemouth.[3] The club had three 11-a-side teams to begin with, all playing in the Regent's Park Youth League.[4] Tindall's recruitment policy was to pick up only the best young players, stipulating that to play for Senrab, a player must have previously played for his district or county.[4] In the early 1970s, so many Senrab players signed for Chelsea that former player Ray Lewington nicknamed Senrab "Chelsea Juniors".[4] In 1980 Senrab's senior team won the title in the Division Two of the Hackney and Leyton Sunday Football League and earned promotion.

In 2014 Senrab were shortlisted for the Daily Mirror Pride of Sport Awards in the Local Team of the Year Category.

Operation

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Senrab operates 15 teams for age groups ranging from 5 to 17 years old.[2] The club has produced a great number of players who have gone on to have successful professional careers, including Sol Campbell,[5] Jermain Defoe, Ledley King, Bobby Zamora and John Terry.[1][6][7] Zamora, Jlloyd Samuel, Ledley King and Terry were teammates featuring in the 1993-94 Cup Final against Waltham Forest in the U-13 Echo Junior Football League.[8]

A number of professional coaches have also started out at Senrab, most notably Dario Gradi,[1] who, until June 2007, was the longest-serving football manager in the Football League. In April 2011, former Senrab player John Terry donated an undisclosed sum to the club to keep it running.[9]

Former players

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The following players and coaches have all gone on to play for or coach a professional football club after leaving Senrab FC.

Players

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Coaches

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Holt, Sarah (30 March 2004). "Lessons from Senrab's soccer school". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 15 July 2007.
  2. ^ a b c Alex (4 August 2005). "All Aboard". Londonist. Retrieved 15 July 2007.
  3. ^ a b c McRae, Donald (28 January 2021). "'You never give up': three generations of footballing Tindalls". Guardian. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Nicoli, Luke (August 2005). Sleight, Hugh (ed.). "The Famous Five". FourFourTwo (132). Teddington: Haymarket: 94–97. ISSN 1355-0276.
  5. ^ a b c Spall, Leo (7 February 2002). "East End academy's crop of stars". London Evening Standard. ES London. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  6. ^ Hart, Michael (17 May 2004). "Eriksson playing it safe". London Evening Standard. ES London. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  7. ^ "World Cup 2010: John Terry concerned by altitude". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 8 June 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2010.
  8. ^ "Line ups Senrab vs Waltham Forest, 8 May 1994". Twitter.
  9. ^ "John Terry saves his former youth football club Senrab". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 21 April 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  10. ^ a b c "Lee Bowyer's highs and lows | Sport | The Observer". www.theguardian.com.
  11. ^ Dickinson, Matt. "Exclusive: Jermain Defoe wrangle more than child's play" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  12. ^ Staff, Agency (21 April 2017). "Ugo Ehiogu tribute: How football has lost a man of true passion". ChronicleLive.
  13. ^ "Academy Squad". Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  14. ^ "Senrab Football Club - Pride of Sport Awards".
  15. ^ Rose, Andy (8 January 2006). "Kid Knight was better than Defoe". Wales on Sunday. Media Wales. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  16. ^ a b c Wallace, Sam (12 May 2010). "Hodgson holds out for Zamora as Fulham take one final step towards history". independent.co.uk. London: Independent Print. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  17. ^ Cawley, Richard. "South London Press exclusive interview with Ezri Konsa". South London Press.
  18. ^ The Blue Day Podcast- Episode 46- John Sparrow Interview on YouTube
  19. ^ "Carling Cup star scouted in north London". Arsenal.com. Arsenal FC. 23 September 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  20. ^ Winter, Henry (18 April 2003). "On The Spot: Zamora dreams of joining his peers in the Premiership". Telegraph.co.uk. London: Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 5 June 2017.

Sources

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