Hammersmith reached out to me personally on July 22, 2026. I was looking for a club to photograph during the FA Cup, while they were searching for London-based photographers. It was a perfect match.
We agreed on a date, which happened to be their Women’s FA Cup third-round qualifying tie against Eastbourne Borough. Little did I know that this team would take me on a rollercoaster ride that I would be so grateful to be a part of.
I love the FA Cup. As a kid, the third-round weekend, when the Premier League giants entered the competition, was my favourite football weekend of the year. It represented one of the few occasions when football felt like a truly level playing field, a competition where anyone could beat anyone.
I used to watch the giant killings and wonder how incredible it would be to witness one in person, to be there and experience a cup upset for myself.
Now, through a chance conversation, I have found myself alongside a contingent of dreamers: a group of people driven and determined to make Hammersmith FC truly great.
They affectionately call themselves the United Nations of Hammersmith. Despite the club’s growing ambitions, its community-focused roots remain firmly intact. As the biggest game in its history approaches, Hammersmith has continued to call on its local community to come down, get behind the team and be part of something special.
Built on Friendship and Ambition
Hammersmith’s story began in 2020, a year when COVID-19 ravaged the world. Amid the uncertainty, two friends, Akin Okunola and Madeline Hills, decided to establish a football club that would go on to change their lives.
Maddy made the brave decision to step away from Tier 4 Women’s National League football to play for Hammersmith, who were competing in the ninth tier of the women’s game. It was a leap of faith, driven by the desire to build something alongside her closest friends.
They also recruited Sabibha Jamal to join the coaching team, a name that has become particularly significant ahead of this weekend’s historic fixture.
Sabibha is now part of the coaching staff at visiting side Wimbledon, adding another layer of meaning to an already special occasion. When I spoke to Maddy about the reunion, she described how the pair would be “foes” during the match but “friends” afterwards. In fact, Maddy even revealed that they planned to go for a drink together after the final whistle.
As soon as the tie was announced, Sabibha’s return became one of the central storylines running through the fabric of the occasion. Maddy herself described it as a “full circle moment”.
And it is not the only one.
One Last Dance at ‘The Fortress’
This weekend will also mark a goodbye for Hammersmith, as they prepare to play their final game at Gunnersbury Park, a venue where some of the club’s greatest memories have been made.
Maddy called the occasion “fitting”, and it is difficult to disagree.
For a club that has built so much of its identity around its home ground, there could hardly be a more fitting way to say farewell than by hosting the biggest match in its history.
Affectionately known as The Fortress, Gunnersbury Park has been the backdrop to Hammersmith’s remarkable rise. It has witnessed the celebrations, the setbacks and the moments that have brought this group of people closer together.
Now, as the team prepares to move on to its next chapter, the players have one final opportunity to create a memory that will live long beyond their time at the ground.
A Club on the Rise
Hammersmith’s progress since its formation has been extraordinary.
The club secured promotion to the eighth tier in its first full season before doing so again in 2021 and 2022. They were climbing the divisions at breakneck speed, establishing themselves as a team with ambitions that stretched far beyond their humble beginnings.
Then came 2023, a year that marked another significant step forward.
Hammersmith established a partnership with British R&B duo Chase and Status, whose names appeared on the club’s kits before the two parties collaborated on a range of shirts. The club also secured a deal with Kappa to supply its kits and teamwear.
Just this week, Hammersmith and Chase and Status renewed their partnership for the season ahead.
When I spoke to Maddy on Wednesday, she even pointed out the amusing similarity between Kappa’s logo, featuring two women leaning back-to-back, and Hammersmith’s own run of consecutive promotions during its first two seasons.
But beyond the coincidence, these partnerships demonstrated just how much Hammersmith were building. For a club competing in the seventh tier at the time, attracting the likes of Chase and Status and Kappa was a remarkable achievement.
They were no longer simply a group of friends playing football. They were building a club with a clear identity, an ambitious vision and the ability to attract attention well beyond their immediate community.
Recognition for Years of Hard Work
That growing reputation was evident this week when the iconic FA Cup trophy made its way to Hammersmith.
As the players walked past it, posed alongside it and took photographs to capture the moment, I could only imagine the motivation it must have given them ahead of the weekend.
For a club that has worked tirelessly to reach this point, seeing the trophy up close felt like another reminder of what is at stake.
Hammersmith are a group of people who deserve the attention they are receiving, and I have witnessed the dedication behind the scenes first-hand.
The club’s head of marketing, Eliz, is a particularly good example. She is incredibly hard-working and a genuinely lovely, bubbly person to be around. Alongside Maddy, Akin and the rest of the staff, she has poured so much into making this club what it is today.
Watching them begin to reap the rewards of that work in real time has been a privilege.
When I asked Maddy about balancing her responsibilities as head of women’s football with playing for the club herself, she described it as “time-consuming”.
That hardly came as a surprise. Managing two different women’s teams while remaining an active player is an enormous commitment, and it speaks volumes about the people behind Hammersmith that they continue to give so much of themselves to the club.
Setbacks, Heartbreak and a Chance at Redemption
The journey has not always been straightforward.
In 2024, Hammersmith narrowly missed out on the league title to London rivals Camden Town. They lost just once all year, but five draws ultimately proved costly. Nevertheless, promotion was still secured, and the club continued its upward trajectory.
Then came 2025, a year that delivered arguably one of the best and worst moments in Hammersmith’s history.
The club earned promotion from the sixth tier, taking them to within one division of the level Maddy had left behind to pursue this dream with her closest friends.
But in the same year, they suffered a devastating setback: expulsion from the FA Cup for fielding an ineligible player.
When I spoke to Maddy about the incident, she explained that one of the hardest parts was having to watch other teams continue in the competition.
It is easy to understand how painful that must have been. After everything the club had achieved, they were left on the outside looking in, their absence from the competition determined not by what had happened on the pitch but by an administrative mistake.
It was a significant blow, but Maddy also spoke about how the club rallied together, regrouped and simply went again.
That resilience makes this year’s FA Cup run all the more meaningful.
The same competition that brought heartbreak a year ago has now allowed Hammersmith to create something unforgettable. There is something poetic about that, and the possibility of redemption makes their story even more compelling.
Eastbourne Borough: Where the Dream Began to Gather Pace
Hammersmith’s journey through this year’s competition began with an enthralling encounter against Eastbourne Borough.
The match finished 4-3 before going to a penalty shootout, producing the kind of drama that makes the FA Cup so special.
When Hammersmith needed someone to step up, Grace Amos, their starting goalkeeper on loan from Maidenhead United, delivered. She saved two penalties to become the hero, helping her side progress in the most dramatic fashion imaginable.
Maddy even came off the bench to score one of Hammersmith’s penalties, playing her own part in a victory that would set the tone for the rest of their run.
It was a moment that captured everything I love about this competition: tension, unpredictability and players rising to the occasion when it matters most.
Wycombe Wanderers and the Magic of ‘The Fortress’
The third-round qualifying draw brought Wycombe Wanderers to Gunnersbury Park, giving Hammersmith another opportunity to play in front of their home supporters.
Having photographed both matches, I can say that the fans are a huge part of what makes this team so difficult to beat at home.
I distinctly remember one supporter repeatedly smacking the gate separating the fans from the pitch during the Wycombe game. For a split second, I felt as though I was photographing a Wednesday night Champions League fixture at Stamford Bridge.
That is the kind of atmosphere Hammersmith’s supporters can create. Their passion gives the players an extra lift, transforming a community ground into a place where something special feels possible.
The match itself was an end-to-end affair, but Hammersmith came out on top with a thrilling 3-2 victory.
The scenes afterwards were joyous.
Coach Akin was enveloped by supporters, while Vicky, the club’s number 11, was carried by Rachel, who not only photographs for the club but also plays for the team herself.
As golden hour descended over Gunnersbury Park, the players made their way towards the fans to celebrate together.
It was a beautiful moment, one that perfectly captured the spirit of Hammersmith: a club where the lines between players, staff, photographers and supporters often blur because everyone is working towards the same goal.
These are not simply people who turn up on matchday. They are part of the story.
The Hope of an FA Cup Dream
As the game draws closer, I find myself feeling an overwhelming sense of hope.
Some say it is the hope that kills you. In football, that can certainly feel true. Supporters invest so much emotionally in their teams, knowing that everything can change in an instant.
But in this case, hope is doing something different. It is making me dream.
It is making the Hammers dream, too.
From a chance conversation in July to a penalty shootout against Eastbourne, a dramatic victory over Wycombe and the arrival of the FA Cup trophy at Gunnersbury Park, I have been fortunate enough to witness a remarkable journey unfold.
I came looking for a club to photograph during the FA Cup. Instead, I found a group of people whose ambition, friendship and determination have reminded me why this competition means so much.
Hammersmith’s story is about far more than football. It is about what can happen when people believe in one another, commit to a shared vision and refuse to let setbacks define them.
This weekend represents a chance to honour everything that has come before: the promotions, the partnerships, the heartbreak, the friendships and the memories made at The Fortress.
Whatever happens on the pitch, this team has already given its community something to believe in.
And as I stand on the sidelines, camera in hand, I will be hoping alongside them.
Because sometimes, the magic of the FA Cup is not just about giant killings or the chance to lift a trophy.
Sometimes, it is about being there when a dream starts to feel real.
