Poplar FC was formed in 1994 by a group of friends after leaving university. It was a forum for people from the local areas could come together and take part in the numerous tournaments that were common at the time. Having quickly achieved a reputation for playing top quality football in the local community, the club soon grew to accommodate players from far and wide. Although very entertaining to watch, success did not come immediately. The club became well known as an under achiever.
The club joined the Asian Football League (AFL) in 1995 and enjoyed much success winning the first division in the second season and the league cup in the third season. The club eventually left to join the new Inner London Football League (ILFL) and at the same time formed a new youth team which played in the Sports Network Council (SNC) Under 18 league. Success came quick for the youth team who won the League in 2002 and ended runners up in the cup. While the senior team had enjoyed moderate success in the new league ending in the top four for successive seasons, it wasn't until the youth team players found their way into the senior team that the club won the ILFL Premier division in 2004 and also came runners up in the cup final.
The performance in the Bangladesh Football Association (BFA) league has always been somewhat different. Being an ethnically diverse club with a high proportion of the players being non-bengali meant the club was always at a disadvantage compared to other teams. But nevertheless, the club maintained a strong position in the premier division since joining the league in 1997. The ethnic disadvantage was almost overcome in 2004 when the club came second in the league having led the table for most of the season.
The Victory Shield, an annual under 16s Home Nations Championship, began this weekend. Would you like to see a similar competition played at senior level?
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