AMBER AND CHOCOLATE

Well, congratulations to a club I knew well for a few years in the late 1970s!! Sutton United, which until today, was in the 5th Tier of the Vanarama National League. Manager, Matt Gray, and his team have just won themselves a place in thre Football League, having beaten Hartlepool in their National League finale, coming top of the division and promoted. 

Last week they beat Maidenhead Utd 3-0 away and then saw Torquay United drop points in a  2-2 draw with Stockport County. So everything was in their favour as they took on the Monkey Hangers* at Gander Green Lane, their astro pitch stadium in South London.With goalscorer Harry Beautyman getting back to fitness, the Us were hoping to give him time on the pitch, to draw the season to a conclusion, That's what happened, Harry got a few minutes on the pitch; though Sutton were comfortably 3-0 up at the substitution. Over a 1,000 supporters socially distanced themselves in Sutton's tidy, suburban stadium to witness the victory. So jolly well done, the "amber and chocolates".

*See previous blog for an explanation

Ex-Football League clubs that lie in the wake of Sutton are: Torquay U 2nd, Stockport C 3rd, Hartlepool U 4th, Notts County 5th, Wrexham 6th, Halifax T 10th, Dagenham and R 12th, Yeovil T 15th, Aldershot 16th, Barnet 22nd.

Sutton United FC was formed on 5 March 1898. when a meeting of two leading local clubs, Sutton Association and Sutton Guild Rovers, decided that they should join forces. The amber and chocolate colours of Sutton Association were retained, along with both clubs’ grounds, and the United club’s first game was against Norwood & Selhurst FC . With two grounds available Sutton fielded three teams in the Herald and Surrey Junior Leagues, but the loss of Western Road after a year, led to the disbanding of the third team. The senior side’s first honour came in the form of the Herald Junior Cup in 1902, the first of three successive triumphs in that competition.

As well as Youth teams from U7-U16, the clubs Youth Team played Liverpool at the Liverpool Academy in the FA Youth Cup in March and got beat 6-0 but what the heck, what an experience. The club also runs a Disability Squad and the club supports Women's senior and youth squads successfully.

The match programme for today’s game against Hartlepool is now available to download free. Matt Gray gives his latest views in an article compiled after yesterday’s game between Torquay and Barnet, while Mark Frake completes his alphabetical look through Sutton’s history, even finding an entry to qualify under the letter X, and also looks back at other occasions on which Sutton’s season has carried on deep in to May. Go to the club's website if you would like a look!