Play-off victory in Exeter makes it seven back-to-back promotions for the University of East London men’s football team – a feat that chairman Kane Taylor tells Ben Smith will “never be beaten”.
Seven years ago, the UEL men’s football team had just concluded a season in which they languished in mid-table in Division 7A of the South Eastern Conference.
Now, they are basking in the glory of an extraordinary play-off win over University of Exeter which sees them reach the top tier of British Universities and colleges Sport in the south of England.
UEL’s aim was to become the best sporting university in London. The most unprecedented of upsurges through the leagues of the most popular sport in the country is a sincere indication that they are on course to become just that.
Kane Taylor, who took over as chairman of the football club in 2014, believes that their ascent through the divisions won’t be topped by anybody.
“It’s massive,” says Taylor. “I don’t think a lot of people realise how big a club we are, and a club in a university that is not on the scale of Loughborough or University College London.
“They are big universities, and they do well academically, but for us to get seven back-to-back promotions – that will never be beaten.”
As the club breeds success, standards are perpetually raised. Around 300 freshers turn out for trials each year, but adequately replacing the departed graduates is a difficult task.
Expectations surpassed
“This year I was really worried,” admits Taylor. “I thought, ‘How are we going to fill a first team? Is there anyone that can step up and replace the people that have left?’ but it’s even better than I could have expected. I don’t know if it’s because of the new scholarship system that we’re offering out.”
Taylor acknowledges that UEL don’t necessarily have the assets that other universities in London do. They also don’t have a full-time football coach, which makes their achievements even more astonishing.
He continues: “Compared to other universities – and this is no disrespect to UEL – the resources are not great. We have a great coach, in Yassin [Abidou], who has really good experience in professional football as well – but it’s not like he’s always around. He is Events Manager at SportsDock, so he has a full-time job. He doesn’t get paid for coaching the football team.”
“Like they’ve been together for years”
The team unity is something that Taylor really values. He is unable to put his finger on exactly what makes the players gel together so well, but he says the camaraderie in the dressing room is second to none, and that has helped them defy expectations: “I don’t know if people just pick up the style of play, or whether they’ve already been mates, but it’s like a team that have been playing together for years. They’ve just clicked. Nobody expected us to win the league, and to win the play-offs is huge.
Having started the season with the main aim of simply staying in Division 1A the team have truly left that expectation in their wake.
Taylor continued: “We lost the first game to St Mary’s, 2-1, and they finished bottom and we finished top. You could not think up them beating us and then us winning the league and the play-offs! I honestly thought staying in the league would have been big.
“When I first came here, it wasn’t so social in a football sense. Compared to what I’d experienced in the Saturday leagues, there wasn’t really much of an atmosphere. You just played your games and went home.
“Last season it gradually built up, but this year has been great. Everyone gets on, everyone comes out, and we have a group chat with all the boys in it now.
“I think this year we have probably been the most social club at UEL – not just with ourselves, but with all the other groups. As a club, on the whole, we’ve really improved, and maybe that reflects on the football pitch.”
Could they make it eight?
Managing expectations will be tricky for UEL next term. The level of opposition in the Premier South is sure to be much higher than what they have been used to competing against, but having beaten an Exeter side who finished third in the division in 2015, confidence will be high among the East Londoners.
“I could say let’s just stay up in the Premier South next season,” says Taylor. “But I’ve said that for the last two years – so you never know. We were absolutely popping Exeter. If we’re doing that to teams that are in the Prem, albeit one that got relegated, what’s to say we can’t go and do that to someone else?
“A lot of the teams that I’ve seen in the higher divisions are big, strong sides. They like to head it; they like to be rough and tough.
“With us, everything is on the floor. We have bags of pace in the team. There are a couple of players leaving but to say to people that are looking to join a university that our football team is in the Premier South division – that’s got to grab some attention.
“I don’t think we’re going to have to worry. When we go to other universities or people being released from clubs, we can say: ‘Look, we play in the Prem, it’s higher than a semi-professional level.’
“One of the Exeter lads has scored over 150 goals over the course of four years, and we’re beating teams like that.”
Students tend to leave university in their early 20s, and as the imperious Jamie Vardy has proven this season, it is not too late to create a professional career. Taylor believes that more chances need to be given to players at university and non-league level: “I don’t want to say that there is a Jamie Vardy in the team who can work his way all the way up. I think that is very rare.
“But there is loads of talent in non-league. I’m hoping that the Prem gives the chance for some of these players to get noticed.
“At the age of 21, it’s not so young but you could still do a lot in football. I’m thinking that someone could get signed. There are a couple lads in the side now that are going to go for trials in the summer.
The UEL Sports Awards take place on June 1, and Taylor feels as though the football team deserve to cap their remarkable year off with another accolade.
“I’d be upset if we didn’t win anything at the Sports Awards,” he says. “Obviously the basketball team is great – same with volleyball – but football is a massive sport and the level is right up there.”
Hartpury, University of South Wales, Cardiff Metropolitan, Bath and Chichester await UEL in the Premier South next season. All eyes are now on the trials in September. Seventh Heaven could very well become Super 8.