Chips draft

By David Watters

Chipstead

It was one of the cruel ironies of non-league football that the Chips did not serve their potato-namesake but it's all change at High Road this season.

And it is not just your usual chips and burgers on the menu, with cheese and tomato toasties, poached eggs, cheesy pasta and jacket potatoes all available from the new Muddy Boot snack bar, situated on the halfway line at Chipstead Football Club.

It's the brainchild of Chipstead committee member Pat Gallagher, who decided to rid the club forever of hot chocolate with a side helping of melted plastic spoon and introduce a menu of food spectators would enjoy eating – with ingredients sourced from local farms and bakeries.

"It's about local businesses helping each other," Gallagher explained. "The bacon and the sausage come from Shabden Park Farm across the road, and all the bread rolls and fresh bread comes from Bloomers Bakery in south Croydon. Pete the chef makes his own burgers.

"It's all fresh. Everyone loves it, even the away fans. A supporter said last week that his burger was the best burger he'd ever had. We get that sort of comment quite a lot; everyone has been raving about it."

Last season, Chipstead had the lowest average attendance in the Ryman League Division One South, but Gallagher is hoping good grub will entice a few more ground hoppers to make the drive up to High Road.

"Since August we have probably had 2,000 customers and I haven't had a complaint about anything," he said.

"I've been to a few football matches in my time and I've been to few rugby matches too, and the food is generally horrible.

"So my idea is to improve that and utilise the local community, so that everyone gets something out of it."

Source: www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk

Where next?

Worthing nab White from Sussex rivals DIVISION One South club Worthing have snapped up Horsham YMCA boss Chris White as their new manager.

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