Editing Ilford (section)

===Sport===
An unspecified venue in Ilford was used for a [[cricket]] match in August 1737 between [[Essex county cricket teams|Essex]] and [[London Cricket Club|London]]. It is the earliest known organised match definitely played in Essex.<ref name=FL18C14>Buckley, p. 14.</ref>

Ilford Cricket Club plays home games at [[Valentines Park]]. This ground was opened in 1897.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/ground/57065.html |title=Valentine's Park &#124; England &#124; Cricket Grounds |publisher=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=2 March 2014}}</ref> It was used regularly by [[Essex County Cricket Club]], but inadequate maintenance meant that the county stopped playing there after 2001.<ref>{{cite news|last=Steen |first=Rob |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/3012369/Cricket-Focus-Essex-heartbreak-at-Valentines-Park.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/3012369/Cricket-Focus-Essex-heartbreak-at-Valentines-Park.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Cricket Focus : Essex heartbreak at Valentines Park |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=8 September 2001 |access-date=2 March 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Two [[Non-League football]] clubs play at the Cricklefield Stadium, [[Ilford F.C.]] of the Essex Senior League and [[Barkingside F.C.]] of the Eastern Counties League Division One South. [[Waltham Forest F.C.]] (now [[Walthamstow F.C.]]) played at the Cricklefield from 2008 to 2013.

[[South Park, Ilford|South Park]] is one of the largest open spaces in the London Borough of Redbridge and has been awarded [[Green Flag Award|Green Flag]] status.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130415053858/http://greenflag.keepbritaintidy.org/park-summary/?ParkID=1418 Green Flag – South Park]</ref> The [[Redbridge Parks Police]] patrolled the parks until they were disbanded in 2011.

[[Nigel Benn]] World Champion Boxer was born in Ilford.