Sutton United F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Sutton United Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The U’s The Amber and Chocolates The Yellows |
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| Founded | 5 March 1898 | ||
| Ground | Gander Green Lane, Sutton | ||
| Capacity | 7,032 (1,132 seated) | ||
| Chairman | Bruce Elliott | ||
| Manager | Steve Morison | ||
| League | National League | ||
| 2018–19 | National League, 9th of 24 | ||
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Sutton United Football Club is a professional football team from Sutton, in South London, England. The team is often called "The U's" or "The Amber and Chocolates" because of their kit colours. They play in the National League, which is the fifth level of English football.
Sutton United started in small local leagues. Over the years, they moved up to bigger leagues like the Athenian League (in 1921) and the Isthmian League (in 1964). They even reached the Conference (now National League) in 1986. They won the Athenian League three times and the Isthmian League five times. In 2016, they won the National League South. Then, in the 2020–21 season, they won the National League title. This meant they were promoted to the Football League for the very first time!
The team has played at Wembley Stadium four times. They played in the FA Amateur Cup final twice, the FA Trophy final in 1981, and the EFL Trophy final in 2022. Sutton United also won the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1979. They are most famous for their amazing wins against bigger teams in the FA Cup. One of their most famous wins was in 1989 when they beat Coventry City 2-1. Coventry City had won the FA Cup just two years before! In 2017, Sutton United reached the fifth round of the FA Cup. They beat three Football League teams, including Leeds United, before losing to Arsenal. Sutton United plays their home games at Gander Green Lane in Sutton.
Contents
Club History
How the Club Started
Sutton United Football Club was formed on March 5, 1898. This happened when two local teams, Sutton Guild Rovers F.C. and Sutton Association F.C., decided to join together.
The club quickly became well-known in junior leagues. In 1910, they decided to become a senior team. They joined the Southern Suburban League and won it in their first try. The team played at different grounds before settling at what is now known as Gander Green Lane after the First World War. They have played there ever since.
Playing in the Athenian League
Sutton United joined the Athenian League in 1921. They struggled at first, finishing last in 1926. But just one season later, in 1928, they won their first Athenian League Championship! The 1930s were also good years for Sutton. They reached the semi-finals of the FA Amateur Cup twice.
During the Second World War, Sutton United continued to play football, but on a smaller scale. They won several smaller competitions. This helped them when the war ended, as they won the Athenian League again in the 1945–46 season. This was also the first time they won the Surrey Senior Cup and reached the FA Cup first round.
The 1950s were not as successful on the field. However, the club improved off the field. They built a new main stand, which can hold over 700 fans today. Success returned when George Smith became manager. They won the Athenian League for the third time in 1958 and the London Senior Cup for the first time. The club continued to do well in the 1960s under manager Sid Cann. In 1963, they reached Wembley for the FA Amateur Cup final but lost to Wimbledon.
Joining the Isthmian League
After their cup success, Sutton United joined the Isthmian League. In 1967, they won the league title. Two seasons later, the club was back at Wembley for the Amateur Cup final. However, they surprisingly lost to North Shields.
In 1970, Sutton United had a great run in the FA Cup. They beat Hillingdon Borough in the third round. Then, they played against Don Revie's Leeds United, one of the best teams in Europe at the time. The match at Gander Green Lane saw 14,000 fans pack into the stadium. Leeds, with many international players, won the game 6-0.
The next ten years were not as successful. Sutton United had many different managers. However, when Keith Blunt took over, success returned. His biggest achievement was winning the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1979. They had a surprising 2-1 win over Chieti. This was the only time an English semi-professional club won this trophy.
After Keith Blunt left, Barrie Williams became manager. He led Sutton to Wembley for the 1981 FA Trophy final, but they lost. Under Williams, the club also finished second in the Anglo-Italian Cup twice more. They also won three cups in 1983: the Surrey Senior, London Senior, and Hitachi Cups. The Surrey Senior Cup win was the first of six in a row, which is still a record.
The Conference Years
Sutton United won the Isthmian League championship for the second time in 1985. They first turned down promotion to the Football Conference because of stadium issues. But they won the championship again the next year and accepted promotion. Fans helped improve the stadium so they could move up. Sutton managed to stay in the league, often finishing in the middle of the table.
The club had a very famous FA Cup run in 1988–89. They beat smaller teams to reach the third round. There, they faced Coventry City, a top-division team that had won the FA Cup just 18 months earlier. In a memorable game, Sutton won 2-1 with goals from Tony Rains and Matthew Hanlan. This was a huge upset, as it was rare for a non-League team to beat a top-division opponent. Sutton then lost 8-0 to Norwich City in the fourth round.
Back to the Isthmian League
In 1991, the club was relegated back to the Isthmian League. This was due to a lack of goals and many player injuries. However, they still had some great FA Cup wins. In 1993, they beat Colchester United 4-3 away from home. They also beat Torquay United in the second round that same year. Sutton returned to the Conference in 1999 after winning the Isthmian League again. But they were relegated after just one season in 2000.
The early 2000s were quieter for Sutton. In 2002, they played against AFC Wimbledon in a friendly match, winning 4-0. Sutton won the Surrey Senior Cup in 2003.
Playing in the Conference South
In the 2004–05 season, two new divisions were created: the Conference North and Conference South. Because Sutton had finished high in the Isthmian League, they became one of the first teams in the Conference South. For the next three seasons, Sutton finished in the middle of the table.
Paul Doswell became manager in 2008.
The Paul Doswell Era (2008–2019)
Sutton finished fifth in their first season back in the Isthmian League Premier Division. They finished second the next season. In the 2010–11 season, Sutton won the championship with three games left. This meant they were promoted back to the Conference South.
Back in the Conference South for the 2011–12 season, Sutton finished 4th. In the 2013–14 season, they reached their highest ever Conference South position, finishing 2nd.
For the 2015–16 season, the Conference South was renamed the National League South. Sutton had an amazing run of 25 league games without losing. On April 23, 2016, Sutton beat Chelmsford City 2-0 at home. This made them champions of the National League South with a game to spare!
Sutton's first ever televised league game was against Tranmere Rovers in September 2016. Sutton won 1-0. Paul Doswell celebrated his 500th game as manager in October 2016.
In the 2016–17 FA Cup, Sutton beat League Two team Cheltenham Town 2-1. In the third round, they played local rivals AFC Wimbledon. After a 0-0 draw, Sutton won the replay 3-1. On January 29, 2017, Sutton, led by captain Jamie Collins (who was also a part-time builder!), beat Championship team Leeds United 1-0 in the FA Cup. This meant they reached the 5th round for the first time in their history. They were only the 9th non-League team to reach this stage since 1945. They then hosted Arsenal in the last 16, losing 2-0. Sutton finished the 2016–17 season in 12th place.
In their final game of the 2017–18 season, Sutton beat Aldershot Town 2-1 at home. This earned them a play-off semi-final spot and their best ever league finish of third place in the fifth tier. They lost the play-off semi-final to Boreham Wood 3-2. In 2018, Sutton was invited to play in the 2018–19 Scottish Challenge Cup. They beat Airdrieonians in the second round.
Paul Doswell resigned in April 2019 after 11 years as manager. During his time, he led the club to two league promotions, a great FA Cup run, and improved the club off the pitch.
Promotion to the Football League (2019–present)
On May 1, 2019, Matt Gray was announced as the new manager. This was Gray's first time as a full manager.
Sutton was in 15th place when the 2019–20 season was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the next 2020–21 season, Sutton played very well. On May 23, 2021, they beat Hartlepool United 3-0 at home. This win meant they won the National League and were promoted to the English Football League for the first time in the club's 123-year history!
On August 7, 2021, Sutton played their first English Football League match, losing 2-1 to Forest Green. Sutton reached the 2022 EFL Trophy final after beating Wigan Athletic on penalties. In the final at Wembley Stadium, Sutton played Rotherham United, losing 4-2 after extra time. In their first League Two season, Sutton finished 8th, just missing out on the play-offs.
They finished 14th at the end of the 2022–23 season. In December 2023, Matt Gray was no longer manager. In the 2023–24 season, Sutton was relegated from the Football League after finishing in 23rd place.
Club Identity
Team Shirt and Badge
The club's badge looks very similar to the old badge of the Municipal Borough of Sutton and Cheam. The gold and silver circles on the shield, with keys inside, show that Sutton was once owned by Chertsey Abbey. The bird at the top of the badge is a popinjay, from the Lumley family's old badge. The crosses on the badge represent the Archbishop of Canterbury. The badge also has a medieval helmet.
Sutton United started playing in 1898 wearing amber and chocolate brown stripes. These were the colours of one of the clubs that joined to form Sutton United. For a short time in the 1920s, they tried green and white stripes, but their performance was poor. So, they quickly went back to amber and chocolate, changing to hoops in the 1930s. By the late 1950s, the home shirt was amber with chocolate numbers, worn with white shorts and socks.
By the late 1970s, Sutton wore an all-amber kit with chocolate trim. This stayed mostly the same until their 100th season in 1998–99, when they used a special design of amber and chocolate quarters. In the early 2000s, the home shirt had thick amber and chocolate stripes. Then, in 2008, the manager decided to go back to an all-amber kit. For the 2016–17 season, the home shirt was all amber with a single chocolate stripe down the middle. Fans often chant "we're the amber and chocolates" at home games.
Away kits started being worn after the Second World War. Sutton first wore red and white away kits in the 1950s. They then started wearing all white. The away kit stayed all white for most of the 20th and 21st centuries, except for a short time when they used green and white. For the 2016–17 season, the away shirt was all white with a single red stripe.
Team Mascot
Sutton United's mascot is Jenny the Giraffe. She is at all home matches and greets fans before the game starts. Jenny wears a Sutton United shirt and sometimes a scarf in winter. In 2010, Jenny took part in the Mascot Grand National race and finished 5th out of 41 mascots.
SUFC Gambia
There is a football club in The Gambia also called "Sutton United FC". It was formed in 1999 and was first called Young Stars FC. Later, an English visitor donated equipment and suggested they change their name to Sutton United FC (Gambia). This club plays in the third tier of Gambian football.
Home Ground
Sutton United plays their home games at Gander Green Lane. For sponsorship reasons, it is officially called the VBS Community Stadium. The stadium can hold 7,032 people, with 1,132 seated. Sutton United received the seats for their main stand from Chelsea F.C. when they remodelled Stamford Bridge.
Supporters and Rivalries
Sutton United has main rivalries with Bromley and AFC Wimbledon.
Sutton's strongest rivalry is with Carshalton Athletic. Both teams are in the same area of London. They have played many derby matches in different leagues and cup competitions. Sutton has a better record in these games. One famous match was a 6-0 win for Sutton in 2002. The two teams have met 133 times, with Sutton winning 72 of those games.
Sutton had never played in the same league as AFC Wimbledon until the 2022–23 season. But because they are close geographically, they have a friendly rivalry. They first met in the 2016–17 FA Cup in 2017. After a 0-0 draw, Sutton won the replay 3-1, which was a historic comeback.
In 2015, Sutton relaid their pitch at Gander Green Lane with artificial turf. Since then, games against Maidstone United, who also use an artificial pitch, have been called El Plastico by fans.
Club Records and Statistics
- Best FA Cup result: Fifth round, 2016–17
- Best League Cup result: Third round, 2023–24
- Best EFL Trophy result: Runners-up, 2021–22
- Best FA Trophy result: Runners-up, 1980–81
- Highest League Finish: 8th in League Two, 2021–22
- Record attendance: 14,000 vs. Leeds United, FA Cup fourth round, January 24, 1970
- Biggest victory: 11–1 vs. Clapton, 1966; 11–1 vs. Leatherhead, 1982–83
- Heaviest defeat: 13–0 vs. Barking, 1925–26
- Most appearances: Larry Pritchard, 781 games
- Most goals: Paul McKinnon, 279 goals
Players
Current Squad
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Notable Former Players
Club Management
| Role | Name |
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| Chairman | Bruce Elliott |
| Manager | Steve Morison |
| Assistant manager | John Meeney |
Club Honours (Trophies)
Here are some of the main trophies Sutton United has won or been runners-up in:
League Titles
- National League (level 5)
- Champions: 2020–21
- National League South (level 6)
- Champions: 2015–16
- Isthmian League Premier Division
- Champions: 1966–67, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1998–99, 2010–11
- Athenian League
- Champions: 1927–28, 1945–46, 1957–58
Cup Competitions
- EFL Trophy
- Runners-up: 2021–22
- FA Trophy
- Runners-up: 1980–81
- FA Amateur Cup
- Runners-up: 1962–63, 1968–69
- Anglo-Italian Cup
- Winners: 1978–79
- Bob Lord Trophy
- Winners: 1990–91
- Isthmian League Cup
- Winners: 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1997–98
- London Senior Cup
- Winners: 1957–58, 1982–83
- Surrey Senior Cup
- Winners (15 times): 1945–46, 1964–65, 1967–68, 1969–70, 1979–80, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1998–99, 2002–03
See also
In Spanish: Sutton United Football Club para niños
