Athletic Newham – the last three seasons:

2024/25 – Essex Senior League Premier
The Kings, for that is how they are known, finished 10th last season with 48 points from their 38 matches. 14 wins, 6 draws, and 18 defeats gave them the 48 points and 66 for and 70 against a -4 GD. They won 7 on the road. Top goal scorers were Leonardo De Carvalho Pedro with 21, Jaime Obama Nvumba with 11, and Alex Kozak with 9.

2023/24 – Essex Senior League Premier
The Kings finished 11th with 52 points from their 38 matches. 16 wins, 4 draws, and 18 defeats gave them the 52 points and 58 for and 59 against a -1 GD. They won 6 on the road. Top goal scorers were Richard Kone with 18 (and look where he is now!), Daniel Izekor with 11, and Joel Appiah with 10.

2022/23 – Essex Senior League Premier
The Kings finished 6th with 66 points from their 38 matches. 19 wins, 9 draws, and 10 defeats gave them the 66 points and 75 for and 47 against a +28 GD. They won 8 on the road. Top goal scorers were Richard Kone with a staggering 40, Joel Appiah with 23 and Daniel Izekor with 14.

2025/26 – Essex Senior League Premier
The teams met at the T.J. Cottis Stadium on Saturday, 1st November 2025, and although it was a day late for Halloween, it was a nightmare horror show for The Bridge.

The visitors won the match 5-1, opening the scoring in just the 3rd minute with a goal from full-back Kevin Akpoedafe. Akiljo Balliu made it 2-0 after half an hour before Billy Willis’ cross/shot made it 1-2. George Rankin and Carter Ford scored before half-time to give the visitors a 1-4 lead.

Substitute Billy Boag was sent off in the 77th minute, and Atletico wrapped it up with a Hamdan Ashimi goal in the 85th minute.

Atletico have been members of the Essex Senior League Premier along with The Bridge for seasons 2025/26, 2024/25 & 2023/24, and therefore the two sides have met in the league a few times, as shown below. The first meeting of the teams for the current season ended in a 5-1 away win for The Kings. Details are above in the last three seasons section.

Season 2024-25 Essex Senior League Premier
Saturday 11th January 2025
Bobby Moore Sport Hub
Athletic Newham 3 The Bridge 2

66 were in attendance to see Atletico win this one 3-2. Abdul Khamis scored in the 5th and 21st minutes before Iziah Antoine made it 2-1 in the 29th. A Freddie Moriaty penalty levelled it (56) before Charlie Campbell got the 70th-minute winner.

Season 2024-25 Essex Senior League Premier
Saturday 10th August 2024
Lower Road
The Bridge 1 Athletic Newham 6

In front of 105, Atletico administered an early-season thrashing at Lower Road, winning 6-1 with goals from Alex Kozak, Leonardo Luis De Carvalho Pedro (yes, that one!), James Runham and three from Jamie Obama Nvumba. Leading 6-0, The Bridge got a late consolation from Aidan Brown.

Season 2023-24 Essex Senior League Premier
Saturday 11th January 2024
Newham Leisure Centre
Athletic Newham 1 The Bridge 2

The Bridge won this one with two late goals. Usman Temitope and Michael Agboola were on target for The Bridge, and Idris Aminu scored for Atletico.

Season 2023-24 Essex Senior League Premier
Saturday 28th August 2023
Lower Road
The Bridge 2 Athletic Newham 1

Michael Agboola really enjoyed playing Atletico this season, and he scored the two Bridge goals in this one with Jaques Leurs on target for the visitors as 90 watched on.

The last six:		Won	Drew	Lost	For	Against	GD
Athletic Newham		3	1	2	12	8	4
Hullbridge Sports		3	0	3	7	9	-2

Athletic Newham		Won	Drew	Lost	Competition
Romford	H	2 - 0			ESL
Harwich & Parkeston	H	6 - 2			Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy
Buckhurst Hill	A			0 - 2	ESL
Hackney Wick	H	3 - 2			ESL
Benfleet	A			0 - 1	ESL
Ilford	H		1 - 1		ESL

Hullbridge Sports		Won	Drew	Lost	Competition
White Ensign	A	1 - 0			ESL
Great Wakering Rovers	H	2 - 1			Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy
Woodford Town	H			0 - 4	ESL
Harwich & Parkeston	A			1 - 2	ESL
Basildon United	H			0 - 2	ESL
Sporting Bengal United	A	3 - 0			ESL

I would have said Chuks Uzor, who is the only player on either side in the ESL top twenty goal scorers for 25/26, with 8 goals, but he hasn’t played since the 25th October, so is unlikely to be on display on Saturday. I’m not sure if he’s moved on or not playing for some other reason, but he’s not been part of the team for a while now.

Anyone else? Well, recent scorers have been Joao Cruz, Akiljo Balliu and Emmanuel Osilaja, so one or all of them if they are selected.

The two teams are pretty evenly matched, 15th and 16th league position-wise, with 26% and 28% win percentages. Atletico are ahead in current form, where they are 6th, and The Bridge are 16th, but The Bridge have now won two in a row and maybe, just maybe, their season is about to take off.

The place to be on Saturday is Dagenham, and you don’t hear that too often!