ABOUT US
Hackney Laces was set up in 2011 as a place for girls and women to come and play football because there just weren’t enough opportunities for females to play. After running a pilot project we realised that football can be an incredibly powerful tool for empowering and raising the aspirations of our players. In addition to football training, we also run an ‘off the pitch’ programme, designed to inspire and support our girls beyond football. From job applications and training opportunities to work experience placements and mentoring, the Laces community supports over 200 girls in East London.
All ages and abilities are welcome. Have a read of our manifesto which explains the ethos of the club. If Hackney Laces isn’t the right fit for you, we’ll do our best to find you somewhere to play.
To find our more, please get in touch by emailing:
hello@hackneylaces.co.uk
SESSIONS
CURRENT TRAINING TIMES:
Thursdays 6.00–7.00pm @ The Petchey Academy on astro turf
(Open session, all ages)
Please note that sometimes due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather and school holidays, sessions may be cancelled. We suggest calling or emailing before attending your first session to confirm it’s on.
OUR TEam
Hackney Laces is currently womaned by Aneequa, Nikel, Katee, Flossie, Keisha, Sarah, Wiktoria and Yemisi. All women, all footballers. Here’s a little bit about who we are.
Aneequa Prescod-Wright
One of the first girls to join Hackney Laces at 15. Fast forward six years later, she’s spent time coaching at our sister club, Limehouse Laces and coaching the youngers at Hackney. A teaching assistant by day and talented footballer herself, Aneequa takes great pride in watching the girls develop.
Nikel Brissett
Nikel has been Hackney Laces Head coach since 2019. She has a creative flair when she plays and coaches; and her no-nonsense attitude has produced so much progress in our teams.
Wiktoria Kluczynska
Having joined as a player, Wiktoria had a keen interest how businesses run so got involved in behind the scenes at Laces, as a project manager. Her favourite part of playing is the adrenaline that comes when you’re playing matches. Next year she hopes to study psychology at university.
Flossie Malster
Fresh from graduating university, Flossie became the newest member of the Laces family in September 2020 and is working on Marketing and Operations. As well as playing football on and off from the age of 5, Flossie is an avid Chelsea fan, travelling around Europe with her dad and brother to support the Blues.
Katee Hui
Katee moved from Canada to London to study at the London School of Economics. She founded Hackney Laces in 2011 after noticing a distinct lack of girls football teams in her area. She has played football since she was seven years old and plays left back for South London Laces. Katee spends her days working as a strategist in the creative industry.
Keisha Graham-Benjamin
Aside from being an incredibly fierce fullback, Keisha is also a very talented and patient FA level 2 football coach. Last year she took a sabbatical from us and went to West Virginia on a football scholarship. Lucky for us, she came back.
Yemisi Obefin
Yem joined Laces in 2019 as a Programme Manager in collaboration with London Football Journeys. She’s an FA Level 2 coach and holds many football coaching roles including working at Tottenham Hotspurs and ProTouch Academy. An entrepreneur at heart, you can find Yem running one of her many businesses, including occasion hampers and a schools-based sports club.
Sarah Coomson
Sarah joined Hackney Laces in 2019 and has established herself as a much-loved and patient coach ever since. As a talented defender currently playing for QPR WFC, Sarah brings a high level of technical expertise to her coaching. In the future she hopes to start her journey of playing in the higher leagues, inspiring more young women to play football along the way.
Other Coaches
We are lucky to have Ayat El Zein, Marcio Semndo, Lottie Kew, Cheyanne Bell and Sharna Giordani helping us out when they can.