Our game on Saturday has crucial ramifications for both sides this weekend and will have a massive say on what the end of the season looks like for everyone involved.

For Hoddesdon, it's a chance to win one of those many games in hand and give themselves a leg up in the hunt for that play off spot. For Hackney Wick, it's about dethroning Harlow from the top of the league and potentially going on to lift the trophy. A draw is no use to anybody and so this really will be an absolute cracker between two teams with so much to play for.

It represents an enormous turnaround for our hosts, who finished 8th in the table for the previous campaign, after an indifferent season. However, new signings and new impetus during the summer has seen Hackney Wick improve dramtically and go toe to toe with powerhouse Harlow Town for the league title.

Formerly known as Bari Football Club, it was established in 1995 and played in the South Essex Football League until 1998. After leaving, the club joined Division One of the Asian League. In 2011–12 the club won the Essex Corinthian Sunday Football League. They then successfully applied to join the Essex Senior League, adopting the name London Bari. In the club's first season in the league, they finished tenth. The following season saw them finish bottom of the league. In 2017 the club merged with Middlesex County League club Hackney Wick, which had been founded in 2015 and played at Mabley Green in Hackney. The merged club took the Hackney Wick name and London Bari's place in the Essex Senior League. In 2017–18 they finished bottom of the Essex Senior League and were relegated to the new Division One South of the Eastern Counties League, where they play now.

The driving force behind the club is Bobby Kasanga.

Bobby spent eight years in prison for gang-related crime but is now the driving force behind a football club that has become the heart of the community. Bobby became a game-changer in his community when, in January 2015, he established Hackney Wick FC following his release from prison. He’s had a passion for football since he was a kid, but it was while he was inside that he saw the real power of the beautiful game.

“Whenever there was a football session, people behaved themselves throughout the day because they wanted to go to football,” he says. “I realised I could use my passion for football as a catalyst to change people’s behaviours. The more people play, the less time they’ve got to be involved in gangs.”

Inspired, Bobby decided he wanted to start a football club with a purpose, one that has made a real impact in his community – but it was far from easy. Facing start-up costs of around £6,000 and having just got out of prison, Bobby took to the streets with a charity bucket and “got £100 here, £2 there and 50p there”.

And thanks to his tireless enthusiasm, energy and skill, Hackney Wick FC have enjoyed an extraordinary rise.

With 17 teams and a string of awards, this season the club turned semi-pro and played in the FA Cup for the first time. There is a strong women’s team and an academy with 250 junior members. But Bobby’s vision for his club is aiming far higher than simply climbing up the league. Setting it up under the banner “Our Borough, Our Club”, his aim was to create a club which inspires social change and helps people to integrate and connect with their community. By reaching out, Bobby believes, he can unify the community and send a clear message at a grass-roots level that there is an alternative to a life of crime.

“Football is a unifier,” he says. “You can be the biggest, baddest gangster in the world, but as soon as you see a football it makes you feel like a child again and you want to have a touch of the ball.”

The club regularly sends its players to local schools to educate kids on the dangers of gang crime, offers elderly members of the community free tickets and travel to matches, and sets up games against prison teams. Bobby helps to rehabilitate other ex-offenders by encouraging them to turn their lives around when they’re released. Three former prisoners now play for Hackney Wick FC’s first team. He says: “When it comes to being anti-crime, one thing I can do is point out I’ve been there."

“I know what I’m talking about.”

The club has also helped team members get their first step on the employment ladder. “Through playing with the football club, the members can learn leadership skills, how to negotiate, how to command authority and how to work with others,” adds Bobby. “Importantly, it keeps them away from trouble and enables them to support their families.”

The football this season has been excellent. They currently sit 2nd in the table and have tussled with favourites Harlow all season.

The league record reads P31 W23 D4 L4 GD+44 with 73 points amassed. They are just three points behind Harlow with a game in hand, after Harlow's shock midweek defeat to May & Baker. The Wickers will be smelling blood after that result and will surely go for the jugular on Saturday, although a win wouldn't be enough to remove Harlow from top spot, unless the Lilywhites have a nightmare and concede 14 goals. They are also a wounded animal, having lost 3-1 at home last Saturday to their title rivals, two stoppage time goals stealing all three points and potentially, Wick's title dreams. You can watch all the action from that game HERE. However, with the afore mentioned defeat to May & Baker, Harlow have left the door ajar.

Our hosts play their home games at Witham's Simarco Stadium and they have turned it into a bit of a fortress, P17 W14 D1 L2 F47 A19 amassing 43 points. Whitham announced this week that the ground share deal has been extended for next season too. Only Coggeshall and Harlow have won there with FC Baresi grabbing the only draw. They also boast a very good home support, with 369 being present for the Harlow defeat. At this level of football, that is a superb turnout and The Wickers do boast a very enthusiastic fan base who sing their hearts out for 90 minutes, win, lose or draw.

In terms of personnel, Issa Sidibe is the standout player with 17 goals in 18 appearances. That puts him 5th in the hunt for the golden boot, just one goal behind our very own Connor Bolton.

In the reverse fixture, Wick walked away from Lowfield with all three points after a tight affair ended in a 2-1 home defeat for Simon Riddle's men.

In an action-packed weekend at Lowfield, the stage was set for Hoddesdon Town FC to face off against league leaders Hackney Wick in what promised to be a thrilling encounter. With a 3pm kickoff on Saturday, the atmosphere was electric as fans gathered, eager to see if the Lilywhites could maintain their recent resurgence and challenge the high-flying visitors.

Fresh off an impressive 3-0 win over Barkingside, Simon Riddle’s young side were brimming with confidence, looking to cement their place in the playoff race. However, they knew they faced a stern test against a Hackney Wick side that had demonstrated their title credentials with back-to-back wins, including a 6-4 goal fest against Basildon Town.

The game began with Hackney Wick showcasing why they are top of the table. Despite Hoddesdon’s early pressure, it was the visitors who struck first. After a brief stoppage for an injury to Bolton, Hackney Wick’s Christian Munganga capitalised on a defensive lapse to beat Ethan Gannon, giving the league leaders a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute. Gannon was called into action again soon after, making a crucial save from Sadili to keep the deficit at one.

As the first half drew to a close, Hoddesdon pushed for an equaliser. A close-range header from Bennett was deflected just wide, and another effort from Munganga forced a brilliant save from Gannon, ensuring the score remained 1-0 at halftime.

The second half saw a determined Hoddesdon side emerge from the dressing room. For nearly 20 minutes, they dominated possession and created several chances. Their persistence paid off in the 64th minute when substitute Jason Brown, who had been on the pitch for just seven minutes, converted Bolton’s cross from the left, leaving the Hackney keeper floundering and levelling the score at 1-1.

The home crowd’s jubilation however, was short-lived. In the 83rd minute, Hackney Wick won a corner, and amidst the scramble in the box, their captain Piotr Mustowski poked the ball home to regain the lead at 2-1.

Hoddesdon threw everything forward in the final minutes, desperately seeking a deserved point. Controversy struck when they appealed for a handball in the box and had a goal disallowed for offside after Bennison thought he had squared the match. Despite their best efforts, the referee’s decisions went against them, and Hackney Wick held on for a hard-fought victory.

Despite the loss, Hoddesdon took heart from their spirited performance and showed they can compete with the best in the league. The Lilywhites’ defence, marshalled by skipper Gibbs, was resilient, and George Hamill’s non-stop industry earned him the Man of the Match accolade.

In this fixture last season, Hoddesdon took a 6-1 battering at Witham Town's ground, largely due to an early injury to stopper Nugent, who tried to carry on valiantly but couldn't stem the tide. Let's hope there isn't a repeat.

Manager Simon Riddle gave us a team update midweek, and reported a clean bill of health for the squad, including Reece Hackney, so he will have a full quota to choose from. Forward Ben Clarke has this week transferred to local rivals St Margaretsbury and we wish him well for the future. A midweek friendly behind closed doors helped players get some more minutes under their belt and so the team are well set for the weekend.

Kick off at The Simarco Stadium is 3pm and entry is £6 Adults / £4 Concessions / U18s £2. All travelling support is welcome.

Enjoy the game.

COYL!