In the second of this short series on the clubs coming into the Essex Senior League next season, we look at a team making a quick return to the league after just one season at Step 4. Just twelve months after promotion at Romford’s expense in the Essex Senior League Play-Off Final, Sporting Bengal United return having ended 2024-25 in bottom place of Isthmian League North.

Sporting Bengal United were formed in 1996 with the aim of challenging the under-representation of Asians in football. The club initially played in the London Intermediate League, before joining the Kent League in 2003, where they remained until 2011 when they transferred to the Essex Senior League, in which, prior to their promotion season of 2023-24, their best finish was eighth place in in 2018-19.

After eleven years in the ESL, they were relegated at the end of the 2021-22 season, dropping into the Thurlow Nunn League Division One South. They bounced back immediately after finishing fourth in the table and were promoted through the Play-Offs in which they beat Stanway Pegasus on penalties in the Final. They then qualified for the ESL Play-Offs in 2023-24 having finished fifth, and after beating Woodford Town on penalties in the Semi-Final, beat Boro 3-1 in the Final.

Bengal began last season with some mixed results, beating Waltham Abbey (who made the Play-Offs) and Maldon & Tiptree, but losing to Grays Athletic and Bury Town. As the season progressed they slipped down the table and after hovering just above the relegation places, fell into the drop zone after a 2-1 defeat at Newmarket Town in late January.

Goals were hard to come by for the Mile End club; they netted just 36 in 42 games, the second lowest in the division, while at the other end they conceded 102. Unsurprisingly with that goals against tally, they suffered some heavy defeats, including back-to-back 5-0 losses against Cambridge City and Waltham Abbey, a 6-0 defeat at Witham Town, and an 8-0 home thrashing by Felixstowe & Walton United.

Bengal tasted league victory just six times, the last of which was a 2-0 win at Maldon & Tiptree on New Year’s Day, and during the last weeks of the season parted company with manager Steve Clark, who had overseen their promotions from the Thurlow Nunn and Essex Senior Leagues.

Several players with Romford connections turned out for Sporting Bengal last season, including Steve Carvell, Freddy Tandon, Jay Knight, and Jayden Silcott-Brown. Top scorer was Joe Gregory who netted 13 times.

Past Meetings:

There have been just three previous meetings between the teams, all during the 2023-24 season. The Essex Senior League game played at Mayesbrook Park was an intense affair and ended 3-3 with Michael Turner and Hassan Nalbant – who scored twice – on target for Romford while two of Bengal’s goals were scored by players with Boro connections, Sheri Artmeladze and Steve Carvell.

The return fixture at the Mile End Stadium was a somewhat more low-key affair and Boro emerged with all three points from a 2-1 win in which Remi Sutton and Hassan Nalbant scored the goals.

Boro’s first goal in the away game against Sporting Bengal.

The third meeting was the Play-Off Final watched by a crowd of 424 at Rookery Hill. Bengal were 3-0 up just after the hour mark and although Finlay Dorrell got one back, it ended 3-1 to the visitors.

Home Ground:

Sporting Bengal’s home ground is The Mile End Stadium. Boro supporters who have been there before will recall that the stadium is accessed through the leisure centre entrance and that there are very limited facilities for food and drink. In the absence of a licenced bar at the ground, The Wentworth Arms in Eric Street is right by Mile End Station for fans wanting a pint before or after the game.

The only covered accommodation is the large main stand, which at least affords a decent view of proceedings across the running track and – if the game is not sufficiently engrossing – the C2C railway and the office blocks of Canary Wharf.

The club give the address as Rhodeswell Road, E14 7TW, and advise that for sat nav directions, "Copperfield Road" brings you closest to the Stadium entrance. There is a paid car park near the stadium, which closes at 10:30pm on matchdays. There are no restrictions after 5.30pm on weekdays and all day on Saturday for FREE street parking, but please do check the signs before parking.

By public transport, Mile End Station on the Central and District Lines is half a mile away, and Limehouse - on the Fenchurch Street line DLR - is just under a mile away.