Pre-season Squad
The unofficial web site of SUTTON UNITED
CLUB HISTORY
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.
In 1910 Sutton assumed senior status and joined the Southern Suburban League, and it was during the next decade that the club gained use of their present home in Gander Green Lane. After finishing as Southern Suburban League runners-up in 1920 they were elected to the Athenian League at the end of the following season, and celebrated by twice winning the Surrey Senior Shield. League form was more uncertain, and in 1926 U's had to seek re-election, but were successful and recovered to win the championship just two years later. Over the next decade Sutton established themselves as a force in the amateur game, twice reaching the FA Amateur Cup semi-finals, although on the first occasion they were expelled from the competition after fielding two players who had played Sunday football and were therefore ineligible.
Football carried on in a reduced format during World War Two, and Sutton gathered a momentum that stood them in good stead when the Athenian League resumed in 1945. With centre forward Charlie Vaughan scoring 68 goals, 42 in the league, they were champions for a second time as well as winning a first Surrey Senior Cup and also featuring for the first time in the FA Cup 1st round proper, although Walthamstow inflicted a heavy defeat. The following season they were denied another championship triumph only by Barnet's superior goal average.
Although not among the club's most successful years on the pitch, the 1950s saw great progress off it, with the club becoming a limited company in 1953 and a large new stand constructed. In 1958 the Sutton team matched this progress by regaining the Athenian League title and winning the London Senior Cup for the first time, and five years later they made their first appearance at Wembley in the Amateur Cup final, losing 4-2 to South London rivals Wimbledon.
The clubs became league rivals the following season as Sutton were one of four clubs elected to the Isthmian League, and after another Surrey Senior Cup success in 1965 U's were league champions in 1967 and runners-up a year later. This was one of the club's most memorable spells and continued with another albeit unsuccessful Amateur Cup final appearance in 1969 and national fame the following year when FA Cup victories over Dagenham, Barnet and Hillingdon saw them reach the 4th round and be rewarded with a home tie against Leeds United, then the top side in the country, who won 6-0 in front of a record 14,000 crowd. League runners-up again in 1971, U's also lifted the County Cup on two more occasions during this period.
The 1970s saw Sutton unable to maintain this form, not helped by a rapid turnover of managers after the departure of Sid Cann, who had presided over these achievements, but the appointment of former player Keith Blunt in 1977 steadied the ship and two years later U's created history by becoming the first and only English winners of the Anglo- Italian semi-professional tournament. His departure to top Swedish club Malmo saw assistant Barrie Williams step up to take over and he guided the club through a period which saw them at their highest ever level. Only a penalty shootout defeat prevented them retaining the Anglo Italian cup, and in 1981 they were back at Wembley, although a late goal
condemned them to a third defeat, this time against Bishop's Stortford in the FA Trophy final. The following season they were league runners-up, and also reached the FA Cup 2nd round for the first time, unluckily losing to a last minute goal at Swindon, while 1983 saw them win the Surrey Senior, London Senior and Hitachi Cups. Only the London Senior was not retained, and the Surrey Senior Cup remained in U's possession for a record six consecutive seasons.
In 1985 Sutton again won the Isthmian League, but problems connected with the ground prevented the club from seeking promotion. These problems were solved, though, so that when they retained the title in 1986 they took their place in the GM Vauxhall Conference.
During their five year first spell in the Conference U's hit the headlines with their FA Cup exploits. In the 1987-88 season they recorded their first win over Football League opposition, beating Aldershot 3-0 and then winning at Peterborough before going out after extra time in a third round replay at Middlesbrough. A year later they again reached the third round and their 2-1 win over Coventry is still the last instance of a side from outside the Football League beating one from the top flight of English football. Sutton also seemed established as a Conference side but in 1991, having recorded a record Conference away win of 9-0 at Gateshead, they picked up just one point from their last eight games and were relegated for the first time in their history.
Although often around the top of the Isthmian League U's could not realise their hopes of an immediate return, and it was in cup football that they enjoyed more success. In 1992-93 they reached the FA Trophy semi-finals, and another F A Cup run in 1993-94 produced victories over Colchester and Torquay before a narrow defeat at Notts County. There were also two triumphs in the Surrey Senior Cup and one in the Isthmian Full Members' Cup. The appointment in 1996 of the management team of John and Tony Rains, with over 1400 appearances for the club between them, saw a renewed assault on the championship, and after twice finishing third they realised Sutton's ambition of returning to the Conference in 1999, finishing eleven points clear of long time leaders Aylesbury after a run of 13 wins and 3 draws in 17 games. The Surrey Senior Cup was also impressively regained, U's five games in the competition yielding 24 goals for the concession of just two.
Unfortunately U's found the gap to the Conference too wide to bridge, and seven consecutive defeats at the end of the campaign saw them finish bottom, but relief was provided in the FA Trophy where they beat three Conference clubs, including two of the eventual top six, to reach the semi-finals where their hopes were comprehensively dashed by ultimate winners Kingstonian.
After hinting at a promotion challenge before Christmas, last season proved a disappointment as U's fell away in the second half of the season to finish 13th, and saw all cup interest ended before the end of February.
In recent years Sutton have gained a reputation for producing players who would play in the Football League and Premiership, with the most notable being former Norwich and Wimbledon striker Efan Ekoku, who was a member of Nigeria's 1994 World Cup squad and spent much of last season with Sheffield Wednesday. Andy Barnes (Crystal Palace), Stuart Massey( Crystal Palace and Oxford), Ollie Morah( Cambridge United) and Mark Watson( West Ham) were all signed from Sutton, while present Football League players who began their career at Gander Green Lane are Brighton's Paul Rogers and brothers Andy and Rob Scott, respectively with Oxford and Rotherham. Just before the start of last season the trend was continued when Brentford signed midfielder Ed Hutchinson, a graduate of U's youth team who had established himself as a regular in the Conference squad as a 17 year old.
SUTTON UNITED PEN PICTURES
2001-2002
JOHN RAINS, manager: Appointed at the start of the 1996-97 season, he guided Sutton to a top three place in each of his first two seasons before adding the Ryman League Championship in 1999 to the two Isthmian titles he won with the club as captain in 1985 and 1986. In a distinguished playing career he made 685 appearances, more than all but two players in the club's history, and scored 131 goals, mainly from centre back, between 1974 and 1987 having been signed from Bromley. His previous clubs as a manager are Epsom, Worthing, Dorking, Molesey and Carshalton. One of the two players to make more appearances for the club is younger brother TONY RAINS, who returned in the summer to the assistant manager's position that he had held from 1996 until the start of last season, when he had a spell as manager of Carshalton. He scored one of the goals in the 2-1 FA Cup defeat of Coventry in 1989 and made 722 appearances in all.
EDDIE AKUAMOAH. Striker who joined Sutton during the pre-season schedule after eight seasons with Kingstonian for whom he played over 300 games, featuring in the Ryman League triumph of 1998 and two subsequent FA Trophy victories, scoring twice in the 3-2 defeat of Kettering in the 1999- 2000 final at Wembley. He also scored the only goal of the victory at Southend during Kingstonian's FA Cup run last season. Previously with Carshalton, he represented Great Britain in the 1996 World Student Games.
DANTE ALIGHIERI. Left back signed in March from Woking, where he had progressed through the youth ranks to play at Conference level.
DANNY ARKWRIGHT. Tall centre back who joined the club in the close season after returning from a year in Australia. He has previously played for Epsom and Whyteleafe.
GWYNNE BERRY. Began his fifth spell at the club when he rejoined in September having resigned as player-manager of Dulwich. Originally a member of the youth team in the early 1980s he made his senior debut in 1989 after returning from Whyteleafe, and made over 100 appearances before a spell in America. He then spent a year and a half with Woking, winning an FA Trophy winners' medal, before rejoining U's in January 1995. He then had a season with Welling before returning again in August 1996, and has now played nearly 350 games in all. Player of the Year when Sutton won the championship in 1999, he had a testimonial game against Crystal Palace in July, although he had by then taken the manager's job at Dulwich.
CHRIS BOOTHE. Signed early last season from Chesham United, he came to prominence as a striker with Farnborough after an impressive scoring record with Spartan League Hanwell, and was leading scorer for four seasons, winning a Southern League championship medal in 1994. He joined Hayes for a five figure fee in October 1997 but returned to Farnborough in March 1999 before moving to Chesham at the start of the following season, and has played in midfield, attack and the centre of defence since joining Sutton. Appointed captain at the start of this season.
DANNY BROOKER. Versatile player at home at right back or in the centre of defence, he was signed from Kingstonian in summer 1997 and his consistency won him the Player of the Year award from both the Football Club and Supporters' Club in his first season. A former youth team captain at Wimbledon before spending two and a half seasons with Kingstonian, he has now made over 200 appearances for the club.
SCOTT CORBETT. Midfielder who began his career with Chelsea and then had a spell at Hampton before joining Kingstonian, where he won a Ryman League championship medal in 1998 and an FA Trophy winners' medal a year later. He then moved to Farnborough, where he picked up a second championship last term before joining Sutton during the pre-season friendlies.
TOMMY DUNN. The regular goalkeeper in Sutton's successful reserve side last season having graduated from the youth team, he made his senior debut in September 2000 and had an extended run at the end of the season, impressing enough to earn the Securicor Player of the Month award for April/May.
MATT FOWLER. Striker signed just before the start of this season having scored nine goals during the pre-season campaign. A graduate of youth and reserve football with Carshalton, he joined Dulwich at the start of last season and scored 17 goals in 23 games, the last six coming in one match at Bromley. After a spell with Woking, he rejoined Carshalton towards the end of the season and although his goals were unable to preserve their top flight status he finished the season not only as their leading league scorer, but also as Dulwich's.
MATT GRAY. A promising striker who scored prolifically at reserve and youth level last season, scoring four reserve team hat tricks including one on his debut, he became the youngest player for 24 years to play for the senior side when he made his debut at Farnborough in January the day before his 17th birthday, and at the end of the season became the first winner of the Ralph Carr Memorial Trophy for the Young Player of the Year. He is currently on loan at Tooting.
STUART HAMMONDS. Centre back who played in the Unibond League for Lincoln United before joining Sutton at the start of last season. Previously with Arnold Town, where he was Players' Player of the Year in 1999, he established himself as a regular in the first team before suffering a broken leg in January which is likely to keep him sidelined this season until after Christmas.
ROB HAWORTH. Striker who had a successful month on loan from Dagenham early last season but then returned to feature in their FA Cup run, playing in both games against Charlton, before rejoining Sutton for a four figure fee in early February and finishing the season with 11 league goals to his credit in 23 games. He moved to Dagenham last summer after four seasons with St Albans, and has also played for Kettering and Aylesbury having had Football League experience with Fulham and Millwall.
PAUL HONEY. Another youth team product to make an impact at first team level last season after making his senior debut in December, he represented England Schoolboys during the season on their tour of the Far East.
CRAIG HOWARD. Another graduate of youth team football who featured regularly for the reserves last season and impressed in defence on his first team outings after making his senior debut in February.
SAM KEEVILL. An attacking midfielder who joined the club in September after being released in the summer by Fulham, where he had been a professional for two years. He had a spell on loan at Kilmarnock last season.
CHUCK MARTINI. Moroccan international goalkeeper who joined Sutton in the close season. He began his career with Wimbledon and was then part of the Wycombe squad that achieved the Conference/FA Trophy double in 1993. He has also played professionally for Leicester and Barnet, and after a spell in America has most recently been with King's Lynn, where he set club records for most clean sheets in a season and most consecutive clean sheets three seasons ago.
MICHAEL MISON. Signed in August from St Albans, although he spent much of last season out of the game. He began his career with Fulham before spending three seasons with Rushden & Diamonds, making around 50 Conference appearances, and can play in midfield or at centre back.
JAY MURRAY. Striker who was recently signed on a month's loan from Leyton Orient and scored in two of his first three games for the club.
JON PALMER. A close season signing from Dr Martens League Kings Lynn, for whom he was second highest scorer last season and made nearly 100 appearances in all after being signed from local Nottinghamshire football in October 1998.
RYAN PALMER. Signed last summer after a season with Brighton, an accomplished and versatile player who played with success at both centre back and on the right of midfield last season and won the Football Club Player of the Year award. He began his career as a trainee with Fulham.
DAMIAN PANTER. Striker who graduated through the ranks at Woking to play at Conference level before joining Sutton in September 2000. He spent the second half of last season with Walton, but returned to Sutton during the close season.
AARON SMITH. Promising young midfielder who has progressed through the youth side and captained last season's successful reserve side, making his first team debut in February.
RICHARD TAYLOR. Left sided defender signed in August from Woking, where he had played at Conference level. He has also played for Staines.
DAVE TIMOTHY. A right sided midfielder or wing back who was a close season signing after spending two seasons with Slough, he began his career with Reading as a junior and has also played for Woking and Hampton.
NICK WILLIAMS. Another player to have graduated through the youth and reserve teams to feature in the senior squad, he is an attacking midfielder who was among the leading scorers for the reserves last season and marked his full Ryman League debut at Canvey Island in February with a spectacular goal.
