Club History
It all began with a football tour to Bangladesh in 1996 by a group of the best Bangladeshi players in London. There was a realisation that talent was being wasted with the divisions that existed and a solution was required to tackle these divisions. Sporting Bengal United FC was therefore established in 1996 to challenge the under-representation of Asians in football and to offer Bangladeshi and other young Asian people a chance to play football at a higher level.
Having brought together the best local Bangladeshi players, Sporting Bengal went on to win multiple UK Asian Championship titles and dominated the local leagues. It was time to explore the next level.
In only eight years, the team rose from amateur Sunday league football to semi-professional football. Having reached this level, the club broke down many barriers and was one of the first Asian teams to play in the famous FA Cup. Today, the club offers local young people of all backgrounds the opportunity to play semi-professional football.
Having initially competed in the Kent Senior League when securing semi-professional status from 2003, Sporting Bengal moved to the Essex Senior Football League in the 2011-12 season finishing 11th in the league and reaching the FA Vase Third Round Proper in the first season. The club finished runners up in the Essex Senior League Cup in 2013-14.
Ex-Dagenham and Redbridge FC footballer, Anwar Uddin, was the most high-profile manager of the club and managed during the 2015-16 season. In 2016-17, the club reached the First Round Qualifying stage of the FA Cup for the first time after Imrul Gazi was appointed the manager. The 2018-19 season saw the team finish 8th in the Essex Senior League. After a couple Covid hit seasons, the club suffered massively and was relegated in the 2021-22 season.
However, under the management of Steve Clark, Sporting Bengal won promotion back to the Essex Senior League from the Thurlow Nunn League First Division South at the first attempt after winning a dramatic penalty shootout in the Playoff Final. The team also matched the club record run of reaching the FA Vase Third Round Proper.
After Playoff success in 2022-23 season, Sporting Bengal did the unthinkable again and reached the Playoff Final of the Essex Senior League Premier Division in the 2023-24 season after finishing in 5th position in the league with a club record 70 points. Sporting Bengal beat non-league giants Romford FC 3-1 in the Final to secure promotion to Step 4 football and the Isthmian Football League for the first time in the club’s history.
HONOURS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
1996-98 | Asian League Champions three years & Asian League Cup Winners two years in succession |
1997 | League Bangla set up now known as the BFA Summer League |
1998 | Appeared in the famous Nike advert at Hackney Marshes |
1998 | Toured Bangladesh, playing against the under 16 and 19 National sides |
1999 | Entered the London Intermediate League |
2000 | Hosted Bangladesh professional club, Dhaka Mohammedan SC on their UK tour – Sporting Bengal lost 3-2 |
2001 | Hosted Bangladesh professional club, Dhaka Abohani Limited on their UK tour – Sporting Bengal won 2-1 |
2001 | Sporting Bengal represent Bangladesh in UK Inner City World Cup and become Champions |
2001 | UK Bangladeshi Football Champions |
2002 | UK Asian Football Champions – held at Ibrox Stadium |
2002-03 | Toured Bangladesh, losing 2-1 to National Team |
2003 | UK Asian Football Champions – held at Celtic Park |
2003 | Granted senior status by the London Football Association |
2003-04 | Elected to the Semi-professional Kent Senior League (Step 5) |
2004 | Accepted into the FA Vase and FA Cup competitions |
2005 | Sporting Bengal, one of two Asian teams to play in the FA Cup at the time |
2009 | UK Asian Football Champions |
2011-12 | Entered the Essex Senior Football League (Finished 11th in League and 3rd Round Proper of the FA Vase) |
2013-14 | Essex Senior League Cup Runners Up |
2015-16 | Ex Dagenham & Redbridge FC footballer, Anwar Uddin, appointed Sporting Bengal Utd manager |
2016-17 | Imrul Gazi appointed as Manager after Anwar Uddin leaves for other work commitments. |
2016-17 | FA Cup history made as club progress through to the First Round Qualifying. |
2021 | Appeared in a music video of popular British Bangladeshi music artist, Nish (@MusicByNish) |
2021-22 | Shipon Miah appointed as manager. Steve Clark appointed as manager in December 2021 |
2022-23 | Equalled the club record run in the FA Vase after reaching the Third Round Proper, losing to Deal Town on penalties |
2022-23 | Thurlow Nunn League First Division South – Playoff Winners and promotion back to the Essex Senior League (Step 5) |
2023-24 | Broke multiple club records at Step 5 level including highest league position, most points, most wins and most goals. |
2023-24 | Essex Senior League Premier Division – Playoff Winners and promotion to the Isthmian League (Step 4) |
