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| Full name | Sutton United Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | The U’s The Amber and Chocolates The Yellows | ||
| Founded | 5 March 1898; 127 years ago (1898-03-05) | ||
| Ground | Gander Green Lane,Sutton | ||
| Capacity | 7,032 (1,132 seated) | ||
| Chairman | Bruce Elliott | ||
| Manager | Chris Agutter | ||
| League | National League | ||
| 2024–25 | National League, 12th of 24 | ||
| Website | suttonunited | ||
 Current season | |||
Sutton United Football Club is a professionalassociation football club fromSutton,South London,England. The team competes in theNational League, the fifth level of theEnglish football league system.
Sutton started out playing in junior, local leagues, but progressed into theAthenian League in 1921; theIsthmian League in 1964; and theConference in 1986. The team was relegated back into the Isthmian League in 1991. Sutton won the Athenian League three times (1927–28, 1945–46 and 1957–58) and the Isthmian League five times (1966–67, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1998–99 and 2010–11). They appeared in the Conference for one more season in1999–2000, and were founding members of theConference South (now known as National League South) in2004. Sutton won the National League South in2015–16 and achieved promotion to the Football League after winning theNational League title in the 2020–21 season.
The team has played atWembley Stadium on four occasions. Firstly, in theFA Amateur Cup final twice, theFA Trophy final in 1980–81 and theEFL Trophy final in 2021–22. Sutton won theAnglo-Italian Cup in 1978–79, but the club is most famous for itsFA Cup "giant killing" exploits, most notably in the 1988–89 season, when theydefeated Coventry City 2–1 in the third round.Coventry City had won the competition in 1986–87 and had England forwardCyrille Regis up front. In the2016–17 season Sutton reached the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history, beating three Football League teams (includingLeeds United) before losing toArsenal. They play home games atGander Green Lane in Sutton about 11 miles south-southwest of central London.
 | This articleappears to beslanted towards recent events. Please try to keep recent events in historical perspective andadd more content related to non-recent events.(April 2025) |
The club was formed on 5 March 1898 when Sutton Guild Rovers F.C. and Sutton Association F.C. (formerly Sutton St Barnabas F.C.) agreed to merge[1] during a meeting at the Robin Hood Hotel.
The club gained a reputation locally in junior leagues, including the Clapham League,[2] and in 1910 decided to become a senior side.[1] They joined the Southern Suburban League and won it on their first attempt.[3] During this period the team moved between several grounds, including what was then known as theSutton Adult School Ground. After the First World War, the team moved in for good and have not left the stadium since.[4]
Sutton gained election into theAthenian League in 1921.[1] The team did not challenge at the top of the table and in 1926 finished last, but were re-elected.[1] Only one seasons later, in 1928, the team won its first Athenian League Championship.[3] The thirties were a good time for Sutton, who twice reached the semi-final of theFA Amateur Cup (in 1929 and 1937).[1]
During the Second World War, Sutton kept playing football but on a smaller scale. The Athenian League had been suspended while this happened[5] and so organised competitions were rare and sporadic, but Sutton won a number of honours. This put them in good stead for winning the league again when the war came to an end. With the help of 42 goals fromCharlie Vaughan, Sutton ran away with the 1945–46 season.[3] This was also the first time the club won theSurrey Senior Cup and got through to theFA Cup first round.[3]
The 1950s brought little success for Sutton, though the team is said to have progressed off the field. Assets were transferred to a limited company,[1] something which was unusual for the time. In addition, the main stand was constructed, which today holds over 700 spectators.[6] It was not untilGeorge Smith became manager that success returned; the Athenian League title was won for the third time in 1958 and the club won theLondon Senior Cup for the first time.[3] Progress continued into the 60s underSid Cann in Sutton's most successful period. In 1963, the club reached Wembley in theFA Amateur Cup, but lost 4–2 toWimbledon.[1]
The summer after the cup success marked Sutton's election into theIsthmian League.[citation needed] In 1967, they won the league title.[3] Two seasons later the club played at Wembley again for the Amateur Cup final, but in irony lost 2–1 to underdogsNorth Shields.[1]
1970 brought great cup success to the club once more, but this time in the form of theFA Cup. Sutton beatHillingdon Borough[7] in the third round and went on to playDon Revie's top flightLeeds United, one of the best teams in Europe at the time,[8] atGander Green Lane. The match saw 14,000 spectators squeeze into the ground[9] and Leeds, with 11 full internationals in the team, won 6–0.
Unfortunately, the next decade proved to be one of little success for the club[3] and Sutton went through a succession of managers, includingTed Powell andDario Gradi, both of whom played for the team and went on to manage at higher levels.[citation needed] It was not untilKeith Blunt took charge that success returned to Gander Green Lane.[1] His biggest achievement was to win theAnglo-Italian Cup in 1979, after a surprise 2–1 win overChieti. This was the only time an English club won the honour in its semi-professional era.[1]
Soon after the continental win,Keith Blunt moved on to manageMalmö andBarrie Williams took over.[citation needed] He guided Sutton to Wembley for the 1981FA Trophy final, but the side lost toBishop's Stortford.[citation needed] This was to be the club's last appearance at Wembley until 2021, a place which saw little success for them.[3] During Williams's reign the club finished runners-up in theAnglo-Italian Cup twice more, in 1980 and 1982.[3] The club also finished runners-up in the 1981–82 Isthmian League and in 1983 won a treble of the Surrey Senior, London Senior, and Hitachi Cups.[3] TheSurrey Senior Cup win was the first of six in as many years, a record that remains unbroken, as of May 2011[update].[1]
The club won the Isthmian League championship for the second time in 1985. After refusing promotion to theFootball Conference because of issues with the stadium,[10] they retained the championship the following year and this time accepted promotion after supporters helped in a large redevelopment of areas of the ground.[4] Sutton managed to cement their place in the league, often finishing mid-table.[1]
On 9 January 1988, Sutton drew withMiddlesbrough of theSecond Division, in the1987–88 FA Cup, before losing the replay 1–0 atAyresome Park. Sutton enjoyed a memorableFA Cup run in the following season in 1988–89. Entering the competition at the fourth qualifying round, they beatWalton & Hersham,Dagenham andAylesbury United to set up a third round proper tie withFirst DivisionCoventry City, who were in theFirst Division and had won thetrophy 18 months earlier.[10] Ina memorable game against Coventry City, Sutton won 2–1 with goals from Tony Rains and Matthew Hanlan,[1] joining a small number of non-League clubs to beat top-division opponents in the competition.[citation needed] This was a 24-year record before the nextnon-League side beat a team from the top flight of English football. On 28 January 1989, Sutton lost toNorwich City of theFirst Division 8–0 in the fourth round.
Two seasons later in 1991, the club suffered relegation to the Isthmian League[3] because of a goal drought and a number of injuries.[1] On 13 November 1993, Sutton defeatedColchester United of theThird Division 4–3 away from home in the FA Cup. On 4 December 1993, they beat Torquay of theThird Division in the FA Cup second round.[11] Despite two top-three finishes following the relegation, a quick return to the Conference did not come until Sutton were Isthmian League champions in 1999 under former captain John Rains.[3] During this period, Sutton claimed the scalps of several league clubs in theFA Cup, includingColchester United andTorquay United in 1993 alone.[1] The stay in the Conference lasted just one season as the U's were relegated again in 2000.[3]
The early 2000s were quiet times for Sutton, although the club is notable as the first-ever opponent ofAFC Wimbledon, defeating the Dons 4–0 in a pre-season friendly in July 2002 in front of 4,657 atGander Green Lane.[12] Sutton won theSurrey Senior Cup in 2003[13] and the following season saw the team start well and recover from a bad spell over the winter to finish second.[14]
For the 2004–05 season,The FA planned for the introduction of two new divisions: theConference North andConference South.[citation needed] Because of Sutton's high finish in theIsthmian League Premier Division, they were selected to be a founding member of the Conference South.[15] The next three seasons were unremarkable, with Sutton finishing mid-table each time and no real success in cup competitions.[14]
John Rains stepped down as manager in March 2006 and Ian Hazel took over the reins.[citation needed] By October 2008, the team were at the bottom of theConference South and looking destined for relegation.[1] A string of managers, includingErnie Howe,Stuart Massey andJimmy Dack failed to save the club,[16] and Paul Doswell came in as manager during the 2008 close-season.[17]
Sutton finished fifth in their first season back in theIsthmian League Premier Division and 2nd the following season, losing in both seasons' play-off semi finals toStaines Town andKingstonian respectively.[3] But the2010–11 season saw Sutton win the championship with three games to go and secure promotion back into theConference South.[18]
Back in the Conference South for the 2011–12 season, Sutton finished 4th but lost toWelling United in the play-off semi finals.[3] In the 2013–14 season, they achieved their highest ever Conference South placing (2nd place), but again lost in the play-off semi finals toDover Athletic.[3][citation needed] In the 2014–15 season they finished 15th.[3]
For the 2015–16 season, the Conference South was renamed theNational League South. The U's put together a run of 25 league games unbeaten, including a notable 2–0 victory over fellow title contendersEbbsfleet United on 16 April 2016 in front of a home crowd of 3,142 (a club record for league match attendance at that time).[19] On 23 April, Sutton defeatedChelmsford City at home 2–0 and were crowned champions of the National League South with a game to spare.[20]
The club's first ever televised league game,[additional citation(s) needed] broadcast live onBT Sport, was played againstTranmere Rovers atGander Green Lane on 17 September 2016, a game which Sutton won 1–0.[21] Paul Doswell celebrated his 500th game as manager of Sutton United on 8 October 2016 and the club made a special presentation to him before kick off.[22]
In the second round of the 2016–17 FA Cup, Sutton defeatedLeague Two sideCheltenham Town 2–1. In the third round, Sutton were drawn at home to local rivalsAFC Wimbledon ofLeague One, attracting a crowd of 5,013. A 0–0 draw set up a third round replay atKingsmeadow which Sutton won 3–1 after coming from behind. On 29 January 2017, Sutton, captained byJamie Collins, a part-timebuilder, beatChampionship sideLeeds United, 1–0 in theFA Cup, and reached the 5th round of the competition for the first time. They therefore became only the 9th non-League side to reach the 5th round of the FA Cup since 1945.[23] They hostedArsenal in the last 16 of the competition on 20 February which they lost 2–0.[24] The game sparked a betting controversy surrounding the actions of Sutton's reserve goalkeeperWayne Shaw, who ate a 'pastry' on the bench after Sun Bets offered odds of 8–1 against him eating a pie during the match. Shaw offered his resignation over the incident.[25] Sutton finished the 2016–17 season mid-table in 12th.[26]
In their final game of the 2017–18 season, and in front of a record league attendance of 3,541, Sutton beatAldershot Town at home 2–1 to claim a play-off semi-final place and a best ever league finish of third in the fifth tier.[27][3] The play-off semi-final took place on 6 May 2018 againstBoreham Wood in which Sutton lost 3–2.[28] In 2018, Sutton were invited to participate in the2018–19 Scottish Challenge Cup after the competition had decided to include twoNational League clubs. On 8 September 2018, Sutton defeatedAirdrieonians by 17 September 2018 in the second round of the tournament.[29][30]
Following a temporary break in mid-March 2019, one month later Paul Doswell resigned after 11 years as manager, as Sutton finished 9th in the league.[31] During that time his achievements included leading the club to two league promotions, a run to the fifth round of the FA Cup, a National League play-off semi-final and a first win for an English team in theScottish Challenge Cup.[32] The club also prospered off the pitch with regular match attendances increasing significantly, ground improvements and the formation of an academy for young players.[citation needed]
On 1 May his successor was announced asMatt Gray, who had joined the club as head coach in December 2018. This was Gray's first appointment as a full manager.[33]
Sutton were ranked 15th when the2019–20 season was suspended because of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[34][35] In the following2020–21 season, Sutton performed strongly throughout and on 23 May 2021 beatHartlepool United at home 3–0, winning the National League with a game to spare and securing promotion to theEnglish Football League for the first time in the club's 123-year history.[36]
On 7 August 2021, Sutton played their first English Football League match, losing 2–1 toForest Green.[37] Sutton booked their place in the2022 EFL Trophy final after defeatingWigan Athletic on penalties.[38] In the final atWembley Stadium, Sutton metRotherham United, losing 4–2 after extra time.[39] In their firstLeague Two season, Sutton finished 8th, missing out on the play-offs by one point.[40]
They finished 14th at the end of the2022–23 season.[3] In December 2023, Matt Gray was sacked with Sutton in 24th-place in League Two, six points from safety, after an 8–0 loss toStockport.[41] He was replaced with Steve Morrison. In the2023–24 season, Sutton were relegated from the Football League after finishing in 23rd place.[42]
After a mid table finish in their first season back, Steve Morrison was sacked in October 2025 after Sutton were in the relegation zone with terrible form. He was replaced by Chris Agutter, who dragged the team out of the relegation zone, and the team turned the season around with the 2nd best form in the National League as of 05/11/2025, unbeaten in 8 games in all competitions.
The club's crest is derived from, and almost identical to theArms of the Municipal Borough of Sutton and Cheam, the predecessor to the present day London Borough of Sutton, the only differences being some minor colour changes and the borough motto being replaced with the team name. The gold and silver discs on the shield and the keys inside the discs symbolise the ownership of Sutton by theChertsey Abbey (as recorded in theDomesday Book).[43] Thepopinjay which sits at the top of the badge is from the arms of the Lumleys, former lords of the Manor of Cheam.[43] The crosses (now golden on the club's crest, but black on the borough's crest) represent theSee of Canterbury, which held Cheam in the time ofCnut the Great.[43] The badge also features a medieval helmet.
Sutton United began playing in 1898 wearingamber andchocolate brown stripes, adopting the colours of Sutton Association F.C., one of the two clubs who amalgamated to form United. The club made a brief experiment with green and white stripes for a season during the 1920s, but the team's form was poor and they soon reverted to amber and chocolate, which became hoops rather than stripes during the early 1930s. By the late 1930s, the home shirt had changed to amber and chocolate halves and this remained so until after the end of theSecond World War. Another experiment was made with amber and chocolate quarters but by the late 1950s, home shirts were amber with chocolate numbers, worn with white shorts and white socks. Socks reverted to amber in the early to mid 1960s but the kit remained otherwise unchanged until 1974–75, when the shorts became chocolate.[citation needed]
By the late 1970s, Sutton wore an all amber kit with chocolate trim and it remained virtually unchanged until the club's centenary season in 1998–99, when a special design of amber and chocolate quarters worn with chocolate shorts was used. In the early 21st century, the home shirt became thick amber and chocolate stripes before new manager Paul Doswell ordered a return to an all amber kit for the 2008–09 season. The home shirt was redesigned for the 2016–17 season to be all amber with a single chocolate stripe running down the centre and chocolate trim on the collar and sleeves. It changed again in 2018–19 to amber with chocolate sleeves and trim. The colours have become synonymous with Sutton and fans at home games can often be heard chanting "we're the amber and chocolates" (to the tune ofSeven Nation Army byThe White Stripes).[citation needed]
Amateur football teams began wearing away or change kits after the end of theSecond World War and Sutton initially wore a red and white away kit during the 1950s. Sutton first began wearing an all white away kit by at least the time of the 1963 Amateur Cup semi-final, when their opponentsHitchin wore red. Light blue and black and then brown kits (both modelled onCoventry City's kit at the time) appeared briefly in the late 1970s before the club reverted to all white. The away kit remained all white for the rest of the 20th century and into the 21st century, except for the 1998–99 centenary season when green and white quarters were worn, and a brief period using a broad green and white strip. The away shirt was redesigned for the 2016–17 season to be all white with a single red stripe running down the centre and red trim on the collar and sleeves. It changed again slightly in 2018–19 to all white with red trim.[44]
Table of kit suppliers and shirt sponsors appear below:[45]
| Season | Kit Manufacturer | Home Shirt Sponsor | Away Shirt Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–2005 | Kitz | Securicor | Securicor |
| 2005–2007 | G4S plc | G4S plc | |
| 2007–2008 | Falcon Builders | ||
| 2008–2009 | Erreà | P.G.Marshall & Sons Ltd. | HSS Hire |
| 2009–2010 | TAG | A-Plant | Holiday inn |
| 2010–2012 | Allgold Coins | ||
| 2012–2013 | Paris Smith | Drew Smith | |
| 2013–2015 | Joma | Drew Smith | Paris Smith |
| 2015–2016 | Banstead Downs | ||
| 2016–2017 | Green Go Waste | Champion Timber | |
| 2016–2017 | The Sun/Sun Bets | ||
| 2017–2018 | Angel Plastics | ||
| 2018–2022 | Macron | Angel Plastics | |
| 2022–2023 | O'Neills | ||
| 2023–2024 | Echo Laser BPH Therapy | Echo Laser BPH Therapy | |
| 2024–present | Telsa Media |
Sutton's mascot isJenny the Giraffe.[46] She attends all home matches and can be seen before kick-off. Jenny wears a Sutton United shirt and has been known to wear a scarf during the winter.[47] On 3 October, Jenny took part in the 2010Mascot Grand National atHuntingdon Racecourse[48] and finished 5th out of 41 runners.[49]
There is a club inThe Gambia called "Sutton United FC". In July 1999, Young Stars FC was formed by Father Andrew Cole and the team originally consisted of people going toBible classes.[50] The team was later renamed Sanchaba United, which means "Downtown" in theMandinka language until an English visitor, known only as Walter, donated equipment to the club and suggested they change their name to Sutton United FC (Gambia).[50] The club, which is located in Lamin Village on the outskirts ofBanjul, plays in the third tier ofGambian football known as Nawettan.[51]
Sutton United play their home games atGander Green Lane, officially the VBS Community Stadium for sponsorship reasons. Sutton United received the seats for the grandstand at Gander Green Lane from the remodelling of Stamford Bridge and were given to them by the Chelsea F.C. Pitch Owners. The capacity of the ground is 7,032 (1,132 seated).[6]
Sutton United's main rivals areBromley andAFC Wimbledon.[citation needed]
Sutton's strongest rivalry is withCarshalton Athletic, with both sides within theLondon Borough of Sutton. Derby matches have been contested in theAthenian League,Isthmian League and theConference South, as well as twelve different cup competitions.[52] The teams have generally competed on Boxing Day, New Year's Day and other bank holidays. Sutton have the better record, one of the most famous meetings being a 6–0 win in 2002. In total, the two sides have met 133 times (as of August 2011), with Sutton winning on 72 of those occasions, Carshalton 33 and there have been 28 draws.[52] The two sides last met in July 2011, in a two-legged friendly competition for the "Sutton Advertiser Cup", which Sutton won 3–1 on aggregate having won the home leg 3–0.[53]
Until the2022–23 season, Sutton had never shared a league withAFC Wimbledon, but due to the geographical proximity the two clubs share a rivalry, which has been dubbed the 'friendly derby'.[54] The clubs first met in the third round of the2016–17 FA Cup, Sutton were drawn at home and in front of a sell-out crowd on 7 January 2017, the game ended 0–0.[55] The replay took place atKingsmeadow in front of another capacity crowd, including 809 Sutton supporters, on 17 January. Goals fromRoarie Deacon,Maxime Biamou and Dan Fitchett saw the U's complete a historic comeback and win the match 3–1, putting Sutton through to the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time since 1989.[56]
Sutton relaid the pitch atGander Green Lane in August 2015 with 3Gartificial turf and since then the club have contested matches withMaidstone United, who use a 3G pitch at theGallagher Stadium, in what has been named by fansEl Plastico (a reference toEl Clásico). Bromley also laid a 3G pitch atHayes Lane in 2017.[citation needed]
As Crystal Palace Women also play at the VBS Community Stadium, Crystal Palace paid for a new grass pitch at Gander Green Lane which was laid in the 2023–24 off-season.[57]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Chris Agutter |
| Assistant Manager | Dean Hammond |
| First Team Coach/Analyst | Ben Cornelius |
| Strength & Conditioning Coach | Frankie Deegan |
| Head of Medical | Luke Silavwe |
| Sports Therapist | Catherine Chambers |
| Director of Football | Terry Bullivant |
Source:[63]
League
Cup
