Southwark has become a hotbed of football talent with one grassroots team playing a critical role in mentoring young boys and connecting them with professional scouts, writes Oliver London…
Southwark Residents FC has not only risen to compete at the highest levels of grassroots football, but has become an important pathway for local talents to enter the professional game.
South London has produced world class players such as Marc Guehi (Lewisham), Jadon Sancho (Camberwell), and Ademola Lookman (Peckham). A Guardian journalist dubbed South London ‘the concrete Catalonia’ which was quickly picked up by FIFA in its promotion of the World Cup in 2022.
In the two years since its inception, Southwark Residents FC have helped seven young south Londoners get signed to some of the capital’s top professional academies, including category-one academies at Crystal Palace, Fulham, and Spurs.
Category-one is the highest status that a football academy can hold, it signifies the highest standard of coaching, facilities and equipment. There are only six category-one academies in London.
Southwark Residents FC realise that their young players require an outlet to escape from the social pressures of being a south London teenager, as the club’s founder Dean Stanhope was involved in gangs during his childhood in Camberwell.
Dean said: “We’re here to give as many opportunities to kids from my area as we can, whilst keeping them away from street crime and gangs.
“Football took me away from a lot of wrong choices when I was young.
“That’s why Southwark Residents have such a strong pulling power in south London, I can relate to these kids’ circumstances and help them make the right choices for their future.”
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Coach Dean, as he is known to the players, currently works as a scout for Crystal Palace and has been involved in football coaching since he was 16 years old.
Despite limited facilities, Southwark Residents have beaten the odds by reaching the semi-finals of the coveted London cup for two years in a row, with their sights set on eventually taking the trophy home.
Coach Dean puts their success down to his team’s mindset: “We have the south London mentality: we are fearless on the field, technically talented, but sometimes a bit egotistical which is what we are working on.
“We need our players to take on coaches’ advice, associate with the right people, and avoid getting into fights with their classmates or referees.”
Coach Dean’s approach to his grassroots side mirrors the professionalism expected at professional football academies, as he asks his prospects to focus on getting their attitude, diet, and focus right so that there is less of a learning curve when they get professional trials.
Yet the success of Southwark Residents FC has not been without tragedy. We reported on the recent passing of 16-year-old prospect Junior Dean, who Coach Dean described as “One of the biggest characters in the entire club.
“He was class on the pitch and with his teammates, he helped us recruit talent in an effort to save his friends from crime.
“About three weeks before he passed something switched in his head and he was completely locked in on football, carrying himself like a professional. Had he lived Junior would be picked up by a professional club.”
Southwark Residents FC held a memorial tournament in honour of Junior Dean after his passing and plan to set up a football mentoring and coaching foundation in his name.
Coach Dean set up an online fundraiser for Junior Dean’s family, which has raised 90% of its £55k target so far.
Donate to the GoFundMe here (all proceeds are going to Junior’s family): https://www.gofundme.com/f/tommy-ballaydean-aka-jr-dean
For more information about Southwark Residents FC, including trial dates and fixtures, please visit their instagram page @southwark_residents
