Clapton F.C.
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| Full name | Clapton Football Club |
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| Nickname(s) | The Tons |
| Founded | 1878 |
| Ground | The Old Spotted Dog Ground, London |
| Capacity | 2,000 (100 seated) |
| Chairman | John Murray-Smith |
| Manager | Jon Fowell |
| League | Essex Senior League |
| 2015–16 | Essex Senior League, 7th |
| Website | Club home page |
Clapton Football Club is a football club based in Forest Gate, East London. The club are currently members of the Essex Senior League and play at The Old Spotted Dog Ground.
Established in 1878 as Downs Football Club and initially based at Hackney Downs in Lower Clapton, the club initially played in dark blue shirts and white shorts, with a distinctive white Maltese cross on the left breast. The following year the club adopted its current name. Clapton began competing in the FA Cup in 1888–89, and in 1890 became the first club from Great Britain to play in continental Europe, defeating a Belgian XI in Antwerp. They returned to Belgium three years later, recording another emphatic victory as they beat Antwerp 7–0.
In 1894 Clapton became founder members of the Southern League, alongside Luton Town, Millwall and Reading, and were placed in Division One. Finishing eighth in a nine-club league they were forced to play a test match to avoid relegation, defeating Sheppey United 5–1. The following season saw them finish eighth again, but despite winning the test match against the 1st Scots Guards, the club left the league at the end of the season as several of the other clubs turned professional. In 1904–05 the club reached the final of the FA Amateur Cup for the first time, losing 3–2 to West Hartlepool. In 1905 they became founder members of the Isthmian League, finishing as runners-up in its inaugural season. The following season saw the club win their first Amateur Cup, defeating 2–1. In 1908–09, they won the Amateur Cup again, thrashing Eston United 6–0 in the final. The 1910–11 season saw them win their first Isthmian League title, and in 1914–15 the club won a third Amateur Cup with a 1–0 victory over Bishop Auckland in the final.
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