Match Information
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SE Dons 2-3 Hatcham
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When: Sunday 19th May 2024
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Kick-off: 12.30pm
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Where: Harris Academy Merton, Wide Way, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 1BP
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Competition: SFL - London Play-Off Eliminator
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Attendance: 34
I enjoy watching Sunday League action as it represents true grassroots football. The landscape in my area has been changed completely with the formation two years ago of the SFL - London.
It is a so called ‘London Super League’ and was instigated by teams who have become internationally renowned due to the huge impact of filming and broadcasting their matches online.
When it was launched, SFL - London secretary Drew Patterson told me: “The clubs came together to build a competition that is more suitable for their requirements.
“Most of the elite Sunday League sides possess players who appear on a Saturday at various levels. So they wanted a standard of Sunday football which is ultra-competitive but offering fewer games.
“Our teams combined have approaching one million followers and subscribers over the various online platforms. In effect, the SFL - London is a project to see how much we can help the Sunday League scene grow through the power of social media.
“We’ve produced a path for attracting additional businesses and organisations to partner and sponsor the league and our teams. There are a number of ideas in place to enable massive opportunities for the right companies to join forces with us to maximise our commercial potential.”
The most famous team in the SFL - London are SE Dons. They have a massive 238,000 YouTube channel subscribers and some match videos are viewed 400,000-plus times online.
Those figures totally eclipse what many Premier League clubs can manage despite featuring heavily in football odds and sports betting. I’ve been to see the Dons play at an assortment of venues and am always impressed by their unique family spirit.
The Dons’ co-founder and joint manager is established rap/grime artist Don Strapzy. He said: “Our online reach means we have supporters in multiple different countries. Every time I go on holiday, I am approached by SE Dons followers.
“We have fans in places like Brazil, Mexico and America. Although I’m not surprised. I believe we provide an authentic insight into Sunday League. It is a much-loved community yet forgotten amongst those higher up in the game.
“We originally started off using just one camera. But now we have several staff members forming our media team. We have two to three main cameras accompanying a drone and two GoPro cameras set up behind the goals. Therefore up to six camera angles at once.
“We have built up strong relationships involving brands such as Puma alongside other companies who we know personally. We have also sold thousands of SE Dons replica shirts.
“Going forward, I believe our club will continue to be globally recognised while being decorated in Sunday League circles at the forefront of the growth in grassroots football.”
Ground Description
A 3G artificial pitch caged off on an elevated plateau inside the Harris Academy Merton grounds. Car parking provision is adjacent.
SE Dons play here occasionally including their home national FA Sunday Cup tie against Grand Athletic FC back in October.
Programme Details
Teamsheet downloaded from the FA Full-Time web site.
Furthermore, I printed off the vibrant matchday graphics SE Dons tweeted before the game to add to my collection of groundhopping memorabilia.
The Match
The SFL - London operates an unusual system. Participating teams only played eight times in 2023/24 but then there were Play-Offs to decide who actually won the overall title.
This fixture was third versus fourth in the final rankings and YouTube highlights amassed nearly 66,000 views with a very distinctive commentary added to complete their exciting package.
For the record, Hatcham edged a pulsating encounter thanks to goals via Antwon Mckenzie (22 minutes), Dieko Falade (62 mins) and Bethel Gboda (87 mins).
Meanwhile, Nathan Palmer netted twice for the Dons – from the penalty spot (45+1 minutes) followed by a glorious dipping 30 yard effort into the roof of the net (86 mins).
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Tony Incenzo*
