The Gun FC

The Gun FC 🤝 @societas.club

The Gun FC I Middlesex Int Sunday Cup Winners 25/26 📸 @matty_cunnington

After winning the league back to back, the I’s went into this season without several players who had been so key to that repeated success. Moves to the other side of the world, knee reconstructions, travelling, marathon training, you name it. We knew in pre season it could be difficult; or a transitional one at least but to go and lose 3 out of the first 7 league games felt disastrous to put it lightly. 12 points off top in January and struggling for an 11 most weeks, the vibes - on the floor. Our title hopes were done and in reality it was much worse than that with the future of the team even in doubt during some whatsapp crisis meetings. It’s hard to put a finger on a moment that changed things; and to give any one thing credit wouldn’t be fair - but, a couple of returns from injury, January signings sent from heaven and a collective grit from everyone who had been in the shit together do sit near the top of the list. We eventually found ourselves in a position where winning our last 7 games-ish would at least give us a chance (with other results going our way) at retaining the title and in seasons gone by we might have fancied it but gone are the days of a few bankers, the league stronger than ever. Things started to click, the weight started to lift and most importantly we started winning - and then we just couldn’t stop. 10 on the spin in all competitions with Camden Senior and Middlesex Cup Final wins along the way left us with two games in the league, from which we’d need 4 points. A 5-0 rout of Apollo meant just a point was needed on the final day against Hackney Wednesday. We were 3-0 up at half time as the impossible started to look really likely. A consolation goal for Wednesday late in the second half (less said about that one the better) followed by two red cards meant the drama remained until the very last moments. 3-1. Title secured. Scenes. We’ve won a lot of leagues over the years but that one hit different. From the depths of hell to the pearly gates of a 3peat. One of only 3 other teams to ever do it since the leagues inception in 1954. We go again in two weeks, attempting to make the Treble a Quadruple. UTG 🔫

Support your local! 💚💙 In less than 2 weeks, we’re taking on the Hackney Half to support the legends at Hackney Quest. 🏃‍♂️💨 We’ve been running for HQ for 6 years now, but this year we really want to cross the finish line with our biggest donation yet. We need your help to get to our target! Every penny stays right here in Hackney, supporting local young people and families. If you’re in a position to donate, the link is in the bio! 🔗👇

The Gun FC I 2-1 HMT Samsunspor ⚽️⚽️ @harrycllarke 🅰️ @charliejday 🅰️ @alexbernes UTG 🔫

The Gun FC I 2-1 HMT Samsunspor An unfamiliar 8.00am King’s Cross meet for the I’s as they made the odyssey across London to face HMT Samsunspor in the Middlesex County Cup Final at Bedfont Sports. A fairly even split of possession in the first half but the better of the chances repeatedly fell our way. It felt like at some point, we would have to go one nil up but it was HMT that took the lead. A quick one-two and third man run, 0-1 down. Our best chance of the half came right before the break as a @_sgray98_ shot was parried into the on rushing @alexbernes who blazed over from just yards out. Jokingly after the game suggesting he was trying to pass to his dad who was heading back to Australia from neighbouring Heathrow Airport that morning. Second half, more of the same. It comes to a point in those games sometimes when you start to think it just might not be your day but commeth the hour commeth the man. 0-1 down, 15 to go. A @alexbernes flick on bounced perilously towards their last defender only to be caught out by the pace of @harrycllarke who knocked it past him and despite a desperate tug of his shirt, powered through on goal, slotted home and celebrated nonchalantly. Hands out. Straight to Mum and Dad. What a moment. Back in the game. Into the 89th minute and the game looked destined for penalties. But enter that man again @harrycllarke - who wasn’t even supposed to be on the wing were it not for a late tactical decision on the tube over from gaffer @debussty . This time after a @charliejday clearance. An almost identical chance, too fast, too powerful and another strikingly calm finish. Pandemonium. Tops off. Fans on the pitch. The unlikely hero. Welcome to The Gun FC folklore. A Double complete with a Quadruple still possible; meanwhile joining an exclusive club of teams that have won both a London and Middlesex County Sunday Cup. A big moment in our history. Underneath the hangovers acquired in Hatton Cross’ aptly named Green Man pub - I, as I am sure the rest of the lads are, am still beaming. A really special day all around. A really special group of lads, I’d write a paragraph on you all if there was not a chracter limit. UTG 🔫

The Gun FC I 3-1 Hampstead Wanderers Hampstead for the second time in three weeks, this time in the league. A pretty much must win to keep title hopes alive. @charliejday opened the scoring with a typically quality finish, an outside of the boot half volley into the top corner from the edge of the box. Hampstead equalised shortly after with a very well worked goal with a finish to match. Just before the half, a pass back to @jackfrancis90 fell short and resulted in a really nasty collision which left Jack unconscious for quite some time and a big break in play whilst we waited for the ambulance. Credit to everyone on the pitch for the way they dealt with what was a horrible situation. Jack is on the mend 💚 We hadn’t been at our best but after a Charlie Day rally at half time, we found a way. Australian goal machine @alexbernes made it 2-1 with his 19th of the season and @benksw sealed the deal, adding to his case for the greatest January signing in Gun history. Two games to go in the league now and four points to win it after being down and out. Doable but certainly not easy. Middlesex Cup Final action this weekend against holders HMT Samsunspor! The Gun FC II 2-1 Soulseek Matched with Soulseek for the fourth encounter this season, the lads had the motivation of keeping qualification hopes alive and maintaining an unbeaten record against our opponents this season. A formation tweak helped us get @jgannon1991 in behind a couple of times early, forcing their keeper into action. But it was that man Adam Heardman again - with a Gannon assist - who opened the scoring with a gorgeous outside of the boot finish on the half hour mark. We took that lead into the second half but started slower until making a couple of changes and doubling the score through Heards again on the break. The opposition kept working and pulled a consolation back in the final minute, by which point a glorious outfield cameo from @laurencemcaulay was all anyone could talk and think about. UTG 🔫

The Gun FC I 4-0 Rex United ⚽️ @louiscross__ ⚽️ @_sgray98_ ⚽️⚽️ @flynn.mcgee 🅰️ @charliejday 🅰️ @louiscross__ 🅰️ @tombuffin 🅰️ @gus.s00 📸 @aidenrherron_ UTG 🔫

The Gun FC I 4-0 Rex United 🏆🏆🏆🏆 The Camden Senior Cup returns to Well Street. It was set up for a classic. The two sides who will likely finish first and second the league. A fixture that has seen more red cards than any other in our history. One match a piece in the league this season. Both teams coming off the back of 8 wins on the spin. The early chances came our way and arguably we should have been at least a couple up quite early on, we did manage to be the team to break the deadlock though, @charliejday with his 14th assist of the season, headed home by @louiscross__ for his 16th goal. @_sgray98_ then made it two after a little round the corner from @louiscross__ , nut meg, bottom corner. The quiet confidence before the game beginning to get a little louder. Although not without a couple of half chances and solid saves from ever reliable @jackfrancis90 before the half was up. Rex had a lot of the ball early on in the second half and some nice passages of play but were restricted to very little. A @tombuffin corner was nodded home inevitably by @flynn.mcgee on the hour mark. Less than ten minutes later it was de ja vu for the Rex defence as up popped @flynn.mcgee from a corner again, this time @gus.s00 providing the assist. 4-0 and job done. A really, really impressive team performance from front to back. And an even better day back at the @eaglepubhackney . Attention now turns to the league run in, Middlesex and Challenge cup finals. UTG 🔫

Sunday league, before kick-off. @thegunfc at Hackney Marshes, East London. A place long regarded as the spiritual home of Sunday league football. The moments before everything begins: routine, focus, and the calm that only lasts until the whistle goes. 📸: @aidenrherron_ #societas #gunfc

The Gun FC I 5-1 Hampstead Wanderers Hampstead had become somewhat of a bogey team for the I’s having faced them twice in the past 12 months and losing both games so there was some added pride going into the challenge cup semi final. The boys flew out of the traps and were 1-0 up in 5 mins, 2-0 in 10, 3-0 in 15. A @tombuffin screamer (that may have took a slight deflection) and the standard @louiscross__ brace. A long ball marshes-bobbled over Joe Mac’s head on the 30 mark and was tapped in by the Hampstead striker to make the end of the first half a little more interesting but a relatively early @flynn.mcgee acrobatic finish in the second half killed the game off and @tombuffin grabbed his second to put the icing on the cake. The I’s now find themselves in 3 finals and are also still in with a shout for the league, nice. The Gun II 0-0 Soulseek One for the purists that. Very slow start against a Soulseek team that showed a bit more desire than we did in the opening 30. We eventually got a foot on the game and dominated the rest of the proceedings. But unfortunately for us (and for those watching) it was one of those games where we could have played the rest of the afternoon and it still would have finished 0-0. Lads can be forgiven after a dominant season. Chance to put it right as we next play Soulseek again in the Presidents cup.

Sunday League Debut / London, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 I visited the iconic Hackney Marshes for the debut of all debuts… Thank you to @thegunfc for having me. It was a pleasure lads. POTM @benksw Where next? Let me know in the comments… 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🇮🇪 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿