Senrab F.C.

History

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).

The club was founded in 1961 by then 15-year-old Jimmy Tindall (later a youth development officer for West Ham United), 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. The club had three 11-a-side teams to begin with, all playing in the Regent's Park Youth League. 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. In the early 1970s, so many Senrab players signed for Chelsea that former player Ray Lewington nicknamed Senrab "Chelsea Juniors". 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

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

A number of professional coaches have also started out at Senrab, most notably Dario Gradi, 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.

Former players

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

Players

• NGA Ade Akinbiyi
• ENG Adebayo Akinfenwa
• GHA Cliff Akurang
• ENG Lee Bowyer
• ENG Sol Campbell
• ENG Scott Canham
• ENG Gary Chivers
• ENG Alan Curbishley
• ENG Jermain Defoe
• ENG Ugo Ehiogu
• JAM Simon Ford
• ENG Jonathan Fortune
• ENG Leo Fortune-West
• ENG Fitz Hall
• ENG Vince Hilaire
• ENG Terry Hurlock
• ENG Kemal Izzet
• TUR Muzzy Izzet
• MLT Jodi Jones{{Cite news | archive-date = 27 August 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140827161008/http://www.daggers.co.uk/news/article/dagenham-and-redbridge-academy-team-2014-2015-1837046.aspx | url-status = dead
• ENG David Kerslake
• ENG Ledley King
• ENG Leon Knight
• ENG Paul Konchesky
• ENG Ezri Konsa
• ENG Tommy Langley
• ENG Ray Lewington
• ENG Teddy Maybank
• ENG Kevin Nicholls
• ENG Darren Purse
• TRI Jlloyd Samuel
• ENG Terry Skiverton
• ENG John Sparrow
• ENG John Terry
• ENG Jason Tindall
• ENG Sanchez Watt
• ENG Ray Wilkins
• ENG Bobby Zamora

Coaches

• ENG Tony Carr
• ENG Alan Curbishley
• ITA Dario Gradi
• ENG Ray Wilkins
• ENG Ray Lewington
• ENG Lee Bowyer
• ENG Sol Campbell

References

Sources

References

1. Holt, Sarah. (30 March 2004). "Lessons from Senrab's soccer school". British Broadcasting Corporation.
2. Alex. (4 August 2005). "All Aboard". Londonist.
3. McRae, Donald. (28 January 2021). "'You never give up': three generations of footballing Tindalls".
4. (28 January 2021). "'You never give up': three generations of footballing Tindalls". Guardian.
5. Nicoli, Luke. (August 2005). "The Famous Five". [[Haymarket Media Group.
6. Spall, Leo. (7 February 2002). "East End academy's crop of stars". ES London.
7. Hart, Michael. (17 May 2004). "Eriksson playing it safe". ES London.
8. (8 June 2010). "World Cup 2010: John Terry concerned by altitude". British Broadcasting Corporation.
9. "Line ups Senrab vs Waltham Forest, 8 May 1994".
10. (21 April 2011). "John Terry saves his former youth football club Senrab". British Broadcasting Corporation.
11. "Lee Bowyer's highs and lows | Sport | The Observer".
12. Dickinson, Matt. (29 April 2015). "Exclusive: Jermain Defoe wrangle more than child's play".
13. Staff, Agency. (21 April 2017). "Ugo Ehiogu tribute: How football has lost a man of true passion".
14. "Senrab Football Club - Pride of Sport Awards".
15. Rose, Andy. (8 January 2006). "Kid Knight was better than Defoe". Media Wales.
16. Wallace, Sam. (12 May 2010). "Hodgson holds out for Zamora as Fulham take one final step towards history". Independent Print.
17. Cawley, Richard. (23 February 2018). "South London Press exclusive interview with Ezri Konsa".
18. {{YouTube. CZqxYk0JGWA. The Blue Day Podcast- Episode 46- John Sparrow Interview
19. (23 September 2009). "Carling Cup star scouted in north London". Arsenal FC.
20. Winter, Henry. (18 April 2003). "On The Spot: Zamora dreams of joining his peers in the Premiership". Telegraph Media Group.