Tuesday 10th March 2026 ko 19:45

Middlesex County League- Premier Division

KENSINGTON DRAGONS 3 (Martin 2 Springer 40 Tunc 60)

LONDON FENNECS 3 (Atoub 43p Rouighi 48 Mezaoui 88)

Att 29

Free Entry

Programme £3

It always pays to grasp opportunties when they present themselves so when journalist and QPR fan Tony Incenzo announced a midweek floodlit game in West London I was more than interested. And with a programme too? It would have been rude not to!

The Step 7 Middlesex League has been a good source of late season ticks over the years, but floodlit games are rather unusual, but then again Kensington Dragons seem to be club on the up. They play at a pitch to the side of the Linford Christie Stadium, adjacent to Wormwood Scrubs jail. It was named in 1993 as the British sprinter trained here prior to winning the 100 metres Gold at the Barcelona Olympics the previous year, and yes some football has been played in the middle of the running track- and yes I’d love to see game there.

The stadium was redeveloped further in 2004 when additional facilities for sports including football, rugby and hockey were installed, and its one of those 3G cages that is now home to Kensington Dragons- and don’t switch off at the thought of a cage- it’s better than you think! You can access all 4 sides in contrast to so many of the ilk!

There is a link to Tony’s Queens Park Rangers too. QPR have been looking at leaving the cramped confines of Loftus Road for a while, and around 9 years ago looked at building a 30,000 capacity stadium on the Linford Christie Stadium, on land owned by Hammersmith Council. Those plans look to have come to naught, so the only football currently being played here comes from Kensington Dragons.

The club started in 2001 with little more than a regular kick around in the Kensington Memorial Park. The players soon wanted regular football so the club expanded over the years to now have eight boys and youth sides, five girls sides and three Senior teams playing in the Middlesex League. The direction of travel is obvious though, not only does the pitch have lights, but the club are constructing a clubhouse and changing room block, with a stand to be dropped in afterwards. They claim it will be the closest Step 6 compliant ground to the centre of the City of London!

Hindsight being what it is, it it transpires that London Fennecs will be in at Step 6 but in the Eastern Counties League next season, having won the Middlesex League. They use the Terence McMillan Stadium in Newham, which I’m sure ticks the right boxes for their new league, but forgive me if I don’t rush back there! In case you didn’t know, the Fennec is a small fox found in North Africa- as the club have roots in London’s Algerian community.

As the score suggests we got a good game, in fact so good that I didn’t hear a single “Jail” joke all evening. But then the clubhouse bar (s) haven’t quite been built yet….