Summer training resumes sunday July 18th, 11.30am by the lakes Clissold Park.

Trophy Presentation 5.7.09

Blimey! We had our very own San Marino moment as our Under 11s side scored against us in our Trophy Presentation match in Clissold Park. Luckily, Russell's late equaliser managed to save our blushes and we managed to scrape a draw after being made to chase shadows for most of the game by Recreativo Juniors. A trophy ceremony followed, our lot getting a nice little momento for all the hard work of last season. Well done everyone who took part, the kids loved it! A lovely few hours bringing together the Recreativo family. Nice one!

Rio Kaiserslautern 2-1 RECREATIVO 29.3.09

The clocks have gone forwards ("is that the good one?"), the Recreativo sick, injured or drunk list is unending and to top it all we have to drive to bloody Putney. Oh, and the Boat Race is on, starting from Putney Bridge...

Still, as we have done all season, Recreativo turn out prompt and punctual and we find ourselves in the dressing rooms of Wandsworth Park with an hour to spare before kick off. It's the final game of the season, a campaign that has seen the team reach it's highest position in this league, beat some of the fancied teams and bring together the finest bunch of football comrades that North London has produced.

Russell is hung-over, hands thrust deep inside his leather jacket as we go through our warm up. Bilal's hamstring is strapped up and given him severe gip. Jimmie's cake and wine addiction is showing around his belly. Dario is still in Streatham failing to have changed his clock. The ref is old enough to be ex Reccy keeper Steve Jones's grandpa (as bow legged as Garrincha, but quite endearing despite not keeping up with the game). Still, the sun is out, it's the final game and we put on a decent footballing display.

As usual our football is pretty good. Both James and John have a fine game in our busy backline. Russell and Adam are flying into eveything in midfield and the youngsters charge up and down, skilful, tricky and energetic. We play most of the second half with 10 players, both Jimmie and Bilal hobbling almost as much as the ref. Once again Joao stands heads and shoulders above everyone. There's not a better player in this league. Fact.

Despite Miguel putting us one up early in the second half, Rio get two back and ensure they go on to become champions. As the chants of "Champ-i-arneeees, Champ-i-arneees" eminate from the dressing room, we head back to North London for a well deserved break. Congratulations to Rio on winning the league. However, next season we will come back and really give it a go. It's been a fantastic season for our club and a real laugh at times and ultimately, that's what it's all about. The future definately looks bright for Recreativo FC. Nice one lads!

Team: Chris Read, James Humphreys, Joao Spinola, Jimmie Gregory (Dario Costa), John Megaughin, Nick Candy, Stefan Garcia Fernandez, Adam Bradbury, Russell Smith, Miguel Morales, Bilal Talib Ali.

Shepherds Tuesday 0-1 RECREATIVO 22.3.09

The dressing room is packed as once again an almost full Recreativo squad turns out for the short trip to Regents Park under another beautiful sunny sky. Greetings are made, hands are shaked as we ready ourselves for this penultimate match of the season. The sun baked pitch brings with it the usual dilemma of studs or astros?, blades or barefeet? as various players change footwear and then stick with whatever they've got on as the ref blows his whistle and the game begins.

We dominated the first half, camped in and around the opposition's box. Dario's persistant and dangerous forays down the left paid dividends and he grabbed a first half goal that was the only goal of the game. Injury saw both Alex and Bilal withdrawn and Lee the Shepherds manager was gracious in letting us bring back on our substituted players to keep 22 players on the pitch. Despite second half pressure, Chris kept a clean sheet and we left the pitch with all three points. With the league positions not having been updated for a couple of weeks we go into the last match not knowing quite where we are in the table, but safe in the knowledge that we're up in the top three. It's been an almost classic season for Recreativo. The football's been great and the squad large, bolstered by a mighty fine group of lads who turn out week after week. Hats off to you all boys! Forza Recreativo!



Team : Chris Read, James Humphreys (Mario Pisano), Joao Spinola, Jimmie Gregory (Joe Dunthorne), Nick Candy (John Megaughin), Stefan Garcia Fernandez, Russell Smith (Adam Bradbury), Alex Fenn, Miguel Morales, Bilal Talib Ali, Dario Costa.

Clapham Alexandra 2-3 RECREATIVO 15.3.09

Another away day to South London, today in glorious sunshine as golden rays stream down from the heavens above. Bloody marvellous! It feels like summer has arrived and with it brings the business end of our season.. As always, it great to see another really good turn out, the early meet at Clissold Park gets the excitement flowing as we cram into cars and head south. Past the Emirates, down the Cally road, Kings Cross and Blackfriars Bridge - a journey we've taken so many times over the years.
We reach Clapham with an hour to spare, the Common busy as a summer's day. The gorgeous weather makes a much welcomed change from the cold open space of Hackney Marshes and the good spirits flow throughout the team.

Joe bravely volunteers for first half goalie duty, a wise move as the infamous over-sized goals of pitch eight certainly need someone of a tall frame to fill them. He does a sterling job too, despite Clapham finding the back of our net on two occassions in the first half. Alex latches on to a through ball just before half time and we're back in it, 2-1 at the break.

The second half saw Recreativo come out with all guns firing, refusing to be shamed in front of the Clapham Alexandra Wags watching from the sideline. (We'd crumbled 7-0 to the Llamas here earlier in the season, the Llamas's wives and girlfriends cheering them on against us scruffy Hackney lads, a major factor in our capitualation that day!). Miguel got us level and then Joe got the winner, heading goalwards and reeling away in celebration. Fantastico!

A really great performance, a real fight back and in the end a very deserved victory for Recreativo today. Beautiful sunshine, a bloody great game of football and some funny conversations about ex-players made today one of the best sundays out in a long time. On the way home Alex recounted some fine tales of following Reading away on a pre-season tour of Sweden. Chunky Kit-Kats and Lucozade complimented our journey back to Stokey as always. It will be a shame when this season ends. It's been beautiful.

Team : Joe Dunthorne, Mario Pisano, Joao Spinola, Jimmie Gregory (James Humphreys), Marcus du Sautoy, Nick Candy (Stefan Garcias Fernandez), Alex Fenn, Russell Smith, Miguel Morales, Dario Costa, Bilal Talib Ali.

Livingstone Academicals 1-2 RECREATIVO

This match had been brought forward for an early start as not to clash with the Carling Cup Final - welcomed by most of us who were either off to Wem-ber-ley or thankfully for once could spend the afternoon entertaining the kids at home. There's something special about our away trips. Friendly faces turn up in ones and twos, committed souls who have forgone a decent breakfast and hour with the sunday papers to turn out for Recreativo. A couple of phonecalls prompt even Bilal and Stef out of their beds and by 9.20am we're squeezed into two cars and heading for the right regal Regents Park, picking up Super Mario on the way.

It's always a joy going to Regents Park to play. London Zoo and it's 'Bear Mountain' form a fantastic backdrop alongside the pitches. We parked next to the tapir enclosure, our prescence causing the strange looking creatures to charge around as we empty the car of kitbags and head for the Hub, the UFO looking building that houses both the dressing rooms and cafe. This is everything that Hackney Marshes isn't. It's organised, it's clean, it's the kind of place where you want to play football when you shell out so much money every season on dressing rooms. There's space, there's showers, there's soap, there's toilet paper.

We've had some great games against Livingstone in the past, but felt their Argentina style kit has always given them an advantage. Those light blue and white vertical stripes - a classic kit inspired by the colours of the sky, expansive colours of the heavens, worn by the likes of Messi, Riquelme and the master himself, Maradona. (Kit colour is important. The now defunct Hackney Marshans, perennial Sunday Super-League whipping boys, wore a nasty purple and white striped number and later a brown and cream kit. Ghastly, and surely the real reason they imploded).

An early Livingstone corner and an un-manned Recreativo back post invited them an easy goal. A quarter of all goals we've conceeded over the past six seasons have come from opposition set pieces and corners (something we will definately work on during this summer's training schedule!). Still, Recreativo fought back, playing the better football, Miguel scoring twice and keeping us up there in the top half of the table. Another really great performance from Recreativo.

Those of us who had gone over to Wembley,(£6.10 for a pie! and more whipped up hysteria from the pa announcer than a Smash Hits Poll Winners Party!),came away slightly dissapointed with another cruel defeat at the hands of Man Utd, but bouyed and happy with the result that really mattered, another victory for Recreativo. And this week, for once, the kit failed to make it back to the Gregory household. Result!

Team : Chris Read, John Megaughin, Joao Spinola, Nick Candy, Marcus du Sautoy, Stefan Garcia Fernandez, Adam Bradbury, Russell Smith, Miguel Morales, Dario Costa, Bilal Talib Ali. Subs : Mario Pisano, James Humphreys.

RECREATIVO 0-0 Barking Mad

A late saturday session along Church Street that took in stops at the Red Lion, Alistairs, the Three Crowns and a early hours boogie in the basement of the Gold Bar was not the ideal way to prepare for this game. However, wolfing down a mega fry up and the final few squares of a family size bar of Galaxy on sunday morning, was a great pick me up. Out to Hackney Marshes for our final home game of the season.

"It's Roma vs Juventus", quipped one of the Turkish boys on the next pitch as we took to the field with a very good turnout and fairly strong looking team. With players back from both holiday and injury, the squad is shaping up nicely and should see us well into the final run in of the season. Although after today's scoreless draw it's looking very unlikely that we'll win the league this time round.

We dominated the first half, carving out chance after chance, only to send every shot high up into the heavens, way over the bar. We did play some half decent football, the team now seemingly brimming with attacking players who are confident, tricky and skilful. Yet we found no breakthrough, even when first a Barking player withdrew injured and then with ten minutes to go two others got sent off for telling the ref to fuck off! In truth we can only stand back and applaud our opposition today for coming away with a point and three of their number off the pitch. We quite like Barking Mad, having always had decent games against them. So that was it. With no Recreativo player able to bury the ball in the old onion bag, no one able to get the better of the Barking defence it was a scoreless draw. A proper football result!


So farewell to Hackney Marshes for another season at least as we look forward to four exciting away trips to the four corners of London and the final few weeks of the Sunday Super League 2009.

Team : Chris Read, Joe Dunthorne (John Megaughin), Joao Spinola, Jimmie Gregory (Marcus du Sautoy), Nick Candy, Miguel Morales, Jamie Harris, Russell Smith, Stefan Garcia Fernandez (James Humphreys), Bilal Talib Ali, Dario Costa.

RECREATIVO 1-1 Sandmere 15.2.09

The week had been fraught with anxiety as our stand-in ref shamelessley emailed on friday evening, pulling out and letting us down with some lame excuse. Saturday meant another morning of calling round in the desperate attempt to get another man in black. We did. We hired him for the princely sum of £45 cash, but then fired him after Abdul the Geezer rang to say he was now available and would see us pitchside five minutes before kick off. We like Abdul, a larger than life Moroccan cockney geezer, although often wonder why after the dodgy offsides he seems to give against us. After spending saturday afternoon watching Recreativo Juniors under-10s thrash Highgate 6-0, displaying a master-class in step-overs, dragbacks and pass and move and then an evening at Screen on the Green eyes agog at the adorable cast of Vicky Christina Barcelona, the weekend was shaping up very nice indeed. After another Juniors training session early sunday morning, we are finally off to the Marshes again. Bilal, Stef and Miguel are comatosed after a late night teen lager-fest. We manage to prise Bilal out of his slumber and drive off without the others. We are also missing Dario, Marcus, Russell and James today, but depite this manage to put out a really good team.

Sandmere finally turned up and we got on with the game. We have to say, they were probably the best team we've played all season. Although, we've come on in leaps and bounds, a really good game of football unfolded. Chris once again had a great game in between the sticks, certainly a major factor in Recreativo's recent resurgence. Miguel made amends for his no show early morning by getting the bus out to join us for the second half and putting in a really good performance. 1-0 down with a couple of minutes to go Alex cooly stepped up to put away a penalty (after Adam had been hacked to the floor). A good result, a really great effort from all concerned and as the late afternoon rain began to fall, the ref blew full time and we headed homewards. Back home, very fine pork sausages and a mountain of mash potato and gravy awaited. As the dying embers of Derby-Man Utd fizzled out on the telly, it was into a hot bath for a soak and to listen to some old gits ranting about football on the radio. Laying back in the steaming water, a generous glass of dark Tempranillo in hand, it was heaven. A couple of hours later, the Milan Derby was being shown on BBC3. Bellissimo! Beckham vs Mourinho, fantastic ultras choreography celebrating a wonderful city torn apart by red or blue, flares and smoke and drama. A beautiful weekend, sullied only by Mario's green pants that we all knew lay somewhere, deep down and dirty within the Recreativo kit bag.

Team: Chris Read, Mario Pisano, Joao Spinola, Jimmie Gregory (Miguel Morales), John Megaughin (Stefan Fernandez Garcia), Joe Dunthorne, Adam Bradbury, Alex Fenn, Jamie Harris, Bilal Talib Ali, Nick Candy.

RECREATIVO 5-0 The Llamas 1.2.09

The dark blanket of cloud creeps towards us from somewhere near Leyton. A brooding, menacing sky begins to form strange patterns as if a huge tornado is looming. The biting wind gnashes into bare legs as we await both the Llamas and Abdul the ref. We try to keep warm, the massive open Marshes offering no respite from the bloody awful chill. We attempt a warm up then take pot-shots at Chris, most of which are carried over the bar and across the adjoining pitches. Half past two and we finally kick off and despite the weather, the football is fairly good. Joao sits in at centre-half, a revelation! He sees everything in front of him and dictates and directs, mopping up the loose balls and covering everyone's mistakes. Joe gets his first goal for Recreativo, charging in to meet a corner. New lad Miguel is brimming with attacking skill, taking players on, eager to impress and bags two goals. At half time the sky opens up, blinding snow like flying daggers coming at us horizontally. Bilal steps up and scuffs home a penalty (he'll say he meant it!) and Adam is rewarded with a goal after a chase into the box to meet Dario's perfect cross. 5-0 to Recreativo that some what balances out the thrashing we got from the Llamas earlier on in the season. We leave the pitch still absolutely freezing, but warmed by the fact that we'd just taken part in one of the best performances for Recreativo in our six season's existance. Today it felt like despite the mud, the cold, the filthy kit and running around, everything clicked and being part of Recreativo was worth it all. Satisfied, happy and buzzing, we packed the gear into the car and headed home to the warm. Ahhhh....


Team : Chris Read, James Humphreys (John Megaughin), Joao Spinola, Jimmie Gregory (Stefan Garcias), Nick Candy, Joe Dunthorne, Adam Bradbury, Alex Fenn, MiguMorales, Bilal Talib Ali, Dario Costa.

RECREATIVO 4-4 Jeff's Chippy 25.1.09

FA Cup weekend. It's wall to wall football from friday evening onwards. In the Recreativo household the channels switch between Sky Sports and Setanta and occasionally to the piss poor football coverage on ITV. When saturday comes a couple of the Reccy squad hot foot up to Old Trafford to sing the praises of Harry Redknapp's Blue and White Army, only to see all hopes dashed by the evil that is Dimitar Berbatov. After the game Kali gets the choice to turn out for the team in the rain and mud of the Marshes the following day or stay in Manchester with a night out with Chester's Youth firm in some northern boozer. He chooses the latter and ends up missing a near classic game against CSSL current champions Jeffs Chippy.

After loading up Nick's motor with all the gear, picking up half the team on the way and sending another car to get the ref from a gridlocked Upper Street, we finally take to the field on a very wet and windswept Hackney Marshes. Despite the conditions the football is much improved from last week. We were joined by new lads Jamie and Miguel, both who made excellent debuts. Dario was once again the golden boy in golden boots charging forward from the left of midfield, never giving up the chase and bagging two excellent goals. Bilal, despite having eight different girls on the go, mustered the energy to weave in and out of the Chippy backline and grab another two well taken goals. We were unable to keep the Chippy out, on erm...four occassions, but in truth, with the weather, the very well paid ref and fitness once more all against us, we felt we had played our part in a very good game of football indeed. Even the Chippy's last minute equaliser didn't take away the fact that we have a really good team now, a great bunch of lads turning out week after week and a positive and bright future ahead. Nice one Recreativo!

Team : Chris Read, Mario Pisano, Nick Candy, Jimmie Gregory (James Humphreys), John Megaughin (Miguel Morales), Dario Costa, Joao Spinola, Alex Fenn, James Harris, Joe Dunthorne, Bilal Talib Ali (Stefan Garcia Fernandez).

Recreativo 2-7 Lyric Celtic 18.1.09

Richard Dawkins is wrong. God does exist and today he conspired with Lyric Celtic to blow away the clouds and unleash such a blinding ball of sunshine that Recreativo were left chasing silhouettes. Was he punishing us for our Christmas over indulgence? Of for dropping Steve? Visually impaired like the helpless souls of Day of the Triffids, we seemed to charge about the entire second half aimlessley, unable to string more than a couple of passes together.

It had all started so well. Hackney Council had re-booked our pitch, everyone had turned up on time, the opposition were there and even the ref was waiting to get started. Something had to go wrong...

The opening 15 minutes saw us bombing forward, Dario and Bilal eager and tricky around Celtic's box. Joe was making his debut and got stuck in adding pace on the left flank. A goal a piece at half time it was anyone's game. As we came out for the second half we might aswell all have put blindfolds on as the clouds departed, glaring sunshine blinding us. We were unable to make out who was who, reverting to hoofing the ball, panicking and conceeding defeat like a punch drunk Audley Harrison. Chris looked dapper in his tartan deer-stalker cap and despite his dodgy knee pulled off some fine saves throughout the match. Our fitness, and lack of, showed big time in the second half and in truth the final whistle couldn't come a moment sooner. As Celtic's jubilant voices trailed off into the distance we were left to gather the nets and collect the muddy kit and already begin to think about next week. We'll be back and eager to put things right.

Team : Chris Read, Mario Pisano, John Megaughin, Jimmie Gregory, Nick Candy, Joe Dunthorne (James Humphreys), Adam Bradbury, Joao Spinola, Alex Reading, Dario Costa, Bilal Talib Ali.

Recreativo 4-3 Rio Kaiserslautern 14.12.08

The last visit to the Marshes this year brings with it more heated arguing and dramatics than an omnibus edition of Eastenders. The already testosterone charged area around the car park is taken to new levels today as we arrive to witness a group of referees charging after a player from an earlier match. The player in question was hot footing it away after charging into the referees room demanding an explanation for a minor decision that went against him. The men in black did not take too kindly to him waving his fists around and chased him away. We gradually filter into the dressing room and ready ourselves for kick off. (*It's at this point that some inner-Recreativo politics explodes both in and outside the dressing room. For the good of all concerned we'll say nothing more right now, only that it's probably a very good time to have a few weeks winter break)...

Onto the football. You could feel a collective sigh of despair when the words "there's no Joao today" were muttered. Our most gifted player, Joao Spinola, (Bilal may argue with that) has flu, but we have a fairly decent team out today. From the off we played some decent football. Despite the opposition playing some great passing moves, we managed to stay in there and find a rhythm of our own. Dario bagged the best goal scored in a Reccy shirt this season, a delicate drag-back, a turn, a shimmy past two defenders and a thunderous strike past Rio's keeper. Brilliant. Beautiful. Fantastico! Russell's work rate in midfield was rewarded by two goals and another for the golden booted Dario sealed a well fought and well deserved win for Recreativo. Once again, all over, everyone gave their all. That's four wins on the bounce against very good sides.

We shake hands with Abdul, our larger than life ref and wish him happy Christmas. We traipse back across the mud to load the car with the filthy kit and nets and grab some bacteria burger from the chip van. As darkness envelopes the car park the word goes round that the earlier incident involving the referees and angry player has escalated and turned nasty. Within minutes the police arrive and set up a road block, hundreds of tired and muddied sunday footballers corralled in as they try and arrest the idiots who attacked the ref. A police helicopter hovers above us, more flashing blue lights along the Eastway. It's surreal. It's crazy. It's another episode from the strange and wonderful days out with Recreativo!

We eventually get home and load the washing machine with kit, a process that usually takes two days of washing and drying. Hopefully by tuesday it will all be folded and put away ready for the next match. Until then, enjoy the Christmas break...a well deserved rest for Recreativo. Nice one.

Team : Chris Read, Mario Pisano, John Megaughin, Jimmie Gregory, Nick Candy, James Humphreys, Adam Bradbury, Russell Smith, Alex the Reading Fan, Bilal Talib Ali, Dario Costa.

RECREATIVO 6-0 Shepherds Tuesday 7.12.08

It's half hour til kick off and the geezer at the bookings office is still reluctant to give us the key to the dressing room, his colleague busily sweeping out the mud and filth from this morning's fixture. Another chaotic episode at Hackney Marshes, the spiritual home of football. We squeeze in with Shepherds and it's all elbows and arses as both teams struggle for space to get the kit on. The pre-match nerves are always infused with a great excitement and once outside we are eager to whizz through our warm up and get on with the game. Despite some of us being up since 3am (watching a jaded Oscar De La Hoya getting taught a boxing lesson from Manny Paquiao), Russell having a severe hang over and Alex still putting his kit on as the ref blows the whistle, we're all well up for this game. The first half sees Recreativo pass the ball beautifully, in and around the opposition's box. Dario, Kali, Bilal and Alex maintain possession and unleash another attack. It's Total Football today against a side who've had the better of us over the past few seasons. 2-0 up at half time and the team talk is simply "more of the same". Keep possession, close them down, score more goals. Simple. Another four goals in the second half, Chris saying he's bored in goal with nothing much to do and that was that. Overall, a superb result, a very enjoyable game and Dario, Joao and Bilal move up the top goalscorer table (another two each). Recreativo are on a roll, just in time for the visit of high-flying Rio Kaiserslauten next week. Bring it on!

Team : Chris Read, James Humphreys (Mario Pisano), Nick Candy, Jimmie Gregory (John Megaughin), Marcus du Sautoy, Kali Gregory-Hagenstede, Russell Smith, Joao Spinola, Alex the Reading Fan, Bilal Talib Ali, Dario Costa.

Dave Pain aka 'Big Dave' R.I.P.

It was with great sadness that we recieved the news that our old mate Dave Pain, a.k.a. Big Dave, passed away on tues 25th Nov. All the Recreativo old boys will recall the great games we had in Clissold Park over the years, Dave always eager to play his part come rain or shine. Despite having issues with his health, Dave always enjoyed his football with us and was always made to feel part of the fantastic sunday morning kickabouts from which our team today was born. Always smiling, always the first to turn up (in his infamous luminous green goalie's top so you could see him from miles away!), Dave added a very special warmth and humour to our competitive sunday morning affairs. He proudly donned the Recreativo shirt for the Clissold Cup and often came over to Hackney Marshes to watch the games.

Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his family and everyone who knew such a lovely geezer. Rest in peace big fella! Recreativo F.C.

RECREATIVO 4-3 Clapham Alexandra 30.11.08

After a heavy early morning downpour and having been trampled by hundreds of eager footballers already this morning, it's lucky there's any grass left on the Marshes to play on. The usual chaos ensues as a Recreativo advance party surveys pitches further away, "more grass!", "not so boggy in the middle" come the cries as the rest of us carry the kitbag and nets trying to keep up, hot footing from pitch to pitch. After picking up Abdul, the cockney Moroccan referee in Islington and having rushed like maniacs to make the kick off, we've now lost him and Chris is sent back the half mile walk to the dressing rooms to find him. Clapham have rung us to say they're changing pitchside (whichever pitch that is!). We've told them to look out for our yellow shirts with red shorts, as another team in those exact colours rush past us and into the distance. Various other players pass us, feet in plastic bags like casualties from Goose Green. Looking traumatised and confused, they desperately search for their team mates or make sense of the pitch number along the sidelines, now eroded away by muddied boots and rain. The latecomers arrive and Dario realises his brand new gold boots are both left-footed!
When the game eventually kicks off, the football is good. Despite the conditions, both teams enjoy a great game of football. Chris has been a revelation in goal and new boy Alex a brilliant addition to the team. The goals come from the Portuguese wonder kids today - Joao rising high to head in two and bend another in from a free kick. Dario strikes later on in boots a size too big for him and secures all three points for 'tivo. At the final whistle we wrestle with wet kit, nets, and bags and pile back into the cars for the drive back home - another great game, another fantastic result. Back home it's Chels-Arse on the box, beef lasagne and a bottle of rioja. How else could we possibly spend our sunday afternoons?

Team : Chris Read, James Humphreys (Jimmie Gregory), John Megaughin (Dario Costa), Mario Pisano, Adam Bradbury, Marcus du Sautoy, Joao Spinola, Russell Smith, Alex Reading FC, Bilal Talib Ali, Nick Candy.