Late Terrors!

Arriving at the Campus Society Stadium- otherwise known as Imperial Fields- everything seemed unchanged since our last visit. Outside the stadium the car park was filling up, the bar was busy, and a number of people were milling about in the sunshine waiting for the gates to open. Inside there were the usual Mitcham aromas- a mixture, depending on where you were standing- of jerk chicken and liniment, one smelling much better than the other. There was the usual friendly welcome, the usual smattering of volunteers. There were no officials in white coats with stethoscopes, no conveyor belt, and no signs pointing your way to the Tooting & Mitcham United Footballer Cloning Facility.

It seemed that whatever the Terrors had done to create a succession of professional footballers during the last few months, it had been a matter of sporting achievement, not science.

The last time we watched Tooting play at home was two seasons ago. The club had just been promoted to the Isthmian Premier Division and was taking on Needham Market. Frank Wilson was in the dugout, full of optimism after overseeing their promotion from the South Division as champions, but his side were on match six and didn’t have a single win to their name; they had but two points, courtesy of draws against Brightlingsea Regent and Merstham. These days Wilson works at Moatside, and the Terrors have just begun their second season back at Step Four, their Premier Division experience seeing them win only nine matches, concede one hundred and one goals and finishing bottom, relegated on goal difference after Burgess Hill Town conjured up their usual last minute miracle. The optimism of the start of the season had evaporated by the end, as had Wilson. Where would they go from there?

Last season was, for much of the campaign, a period of consolidation- although towards its climax it seemed as if the Terrors might just grab a playoff place. A two-month unbeaten period from mid-January to mid-March propelled them up the table, and another six game unbeaten run towards the end left them just one place away from the chance of glory. It was a situation that had seemed unlikely back in August, and what had changed had been rather remarkable. Tooting had put their faith in youth- and how that faith had been repaid.

The only problem with that- and the Terrors wouldn’t see it as a problem, so forgive the phrase- is that when their young players began to sparkle, professional clubs began to take notice. Soon high-level scouts were amongst the throng queuing for Caribbean food at half time. By the start of the summer midfielder Abraham Odoh had headed to Charlton Athletic. Winger Isaiah Jones and right-wing back Samuel Folarin had become honorary Smoggies, heading to Teeside to join Middlesbrough. By the end of the summer a fourth Terror had left for the Championship, as centre-back Lexus Beeden signed for to Reading. The club were rightly proud, but surely losing four players of such talent would hamper their start to the new season? Well four matches in, three in the league and one in the FA Cup, the side in black and white have four straight victories. It seems that high-profile departures are taken in their stride at Imperial Fields.

Youth was strongly in evidence even an hour before the match. The club had decided that the visit of Northwood would coincide with their ‘Football festival,’ so we had children’s activities, music and games, and many rather young footballers on show before the match. They might not actually clone the new generation but goodness they seem to start them early; much of the audience was shorter than Dennis Wise, if rather better tempered. The festival was just another string to their youth-focused bow, and the club are feeling the effects not only on the field, but off it, too- already this season they have the best crowds in the Division, and they were already up almost twenty percent on those from last year.

The Terrors opponents today, Northwood, have not had the start to the season they would have hoped for, but the Woods faithful were confident nevertheless. Performances had apparently been much better than the results would suggest, and Monday’s draw with promotion-favourites Bracknell Town perhaps suggested an upturn in their fortunes. The fixture computer hadn’t been kind to them, delivering the Robins, The Terrors and Westfield amongst their first four fixtures, but there looked to be plenty of quality amongst Scott Dash’s young charges. Before the match they seemed full of beans as they warmed up, and that wasn’t because they’d been to visit The Shak for a pre-match meal.

Tooting have joint managers, Ashley Bosah and Cornelius Nwadialor, and seem to be one of very few clubs where that kind of an arrangement has worked. The atmosphere amongst their charges was very positive indeed; it had the feeling of being something of a family affair, which, given many of the squad have played in the same side for a number of years wasn’t really a surprise. Managers often talk about the atmosphere in the dressing room being a big influence on performances, and that bodes well for the rest of the season.

As we approached kick off the sun went in, and the wind began to gust. Summer had turned to autumn inside ninety minutes. We hoped that the next ninety minutes would warm us up again.

The visitors, in the shape of Alex Witham, got us underway, whilst in the corner of the ground a collection of small folk in black and white striped shirts remained oblivious to this, as they bounded up and down on an inflatable whilst attached to bungee ropes. It resembled an instrument of torture but they seemed to be enjoying it.

The visitors were quickest out of the blocks, and Luke Holness was the first to test a goalkeeper, his shot from the edge of the box saved by James Shaw. The Terrors went straight up the other end and conjured a shot of their own, Hady Ghandour’s effort from a tight angle going across the goal and past the far post.

Northwood had the ball in the net on eight minutes, and again it was Holness making a nuisance of himself, the ball ricocheting off him and past Shaw. The Woods number seven was most annoyed when the referee signalled that the goalkeeper had been fouled and awarded a free kick; the away bench wasn’t best pleased either. At the other end Ghandour stretched to toe poke the ball towards goal, but Rob Partington got down to make the save.

That was the start of a period of sustained home pressure, and a collection of corners. Dominic Morgan-Griffiths was becoming increasingly influential in midfield, and it was no surprise when he worked himself a shooting chance, his effort from the right hand side of the box just clearing the bar. The home support were encouraged, and Morgan-Griffiths tried again, fizzing a shot which Partington could only block. The keeper then blocked the rebound from Bassett, too, and the rebound of the rebound- a fine triple-save to keep his side level. The Northwood keeper was at it again as we approached the half way mark of the first half, diving full length to push a shot from Razzaq Coleman around the post.

Imran Uche picked up the first yellow card of the match for a foul which left David Castanho requiring treatment, and led to a free kick twenty five yards out. Daryl Coleman curled it expertly towards the far post, and it looked to be curling in, only for Partington once more to throw himself into the air and touch over. The keeper was at it again a minute later, although this time he knew nothing about it, the ball ricocheting and hitting him before being cleared.

We were almost at the half hour mark, and without Partington’s heroics the Terrors would have been well ahead. Which, of course, meant only one thing. Northwood scored.

On the occasions when the Woods had been able to get the ball out of their own half they had looked dangerous, and so it proved. A clearance found Alex Witham, and his finish from outside the box was excellent, across Shaw and directly into the bottom corner. The celebration was heartfelt, the stunned silence from the home fans spoke volumes. Could Tooting respond?

“We’re the black and white army,” sung the home support behind Partington’s goal. Razzaq Coleman tried to give them something else to sing about, twice beating the visiting right back to fire in crosses, the first which flew across the six yard box without anyone getting a touch, the second earning a corner, but again the breakthrough was elusive. The half ended with no addition to the scoreline.

Northwood were first out for the second half, and had the chance to be first on the scoresheet, too; Holness forcing a save from Shaw three minutes after the restart. Tooting started the second period by overplaying the ball repeatedly or overhitting passes, and seemed somewhat nervous. They’d need to calm those nerves, and quickly.

They had their first real chance of the half in the fifty-seventh minute. A foul on Danny Bassett which led to some debate about whether it was inside or outside the box was adjudged to be outside, and whilst the free kick was fired into the wall the ball eventually found Bassett thirteen yards out, but his effort just cleared the Northwood bar. More pressure followed, and the Terrors began to recapture their first half style, but unlike before the break Partington remained untroubled. A moment later he was picking the ball out of the net.

Sixty two minutes had passed, and the ball found Bassett, on the edge of the box. It took him but a split second to fire it low, hard, and into the corner, sending the home fans into song and scoring for the fourth successive match. Could they go on and win it?

Northwood weren’t prepared to lie down. Conrad Kweku Lucan saw a chance deflected wide, and a free kick, take centrally, gave them another corner in the 67th minute, but it was too long and the United were able to reclaim possession. Northwood made a change, Chris Gosling coming on, and the hosts soon did the same, Omari Hibbert entering the fray. Hibbert scored the winning goal against Hertford Town in the first match of the season after being introduced in the second half of that match, and Tooting would have loved to see lightning strike twice. As he swung at the ball six yards out with twelve minutes remaining the expectation was heightened, but his shot struck a defender and was hoofed to safety. At this rain began to violently fall, and our transition to autumn was complete as much of the crowd tried to find shelter at the back of the stand whilst wishing they’d brought a warmer coat.

As we approached ninety minutes Tooting were once more applying pressure, and perhaps would have been the happier when the referee added a minimum of five minutes. Almost four minutes into that five, the ball fell to Razzaq Coleman just outside the box. He controlled, moved quickly forward, and wallop-it was in the net. The entire Tooting team, including keeper Shaw who ran the full length of the pitch, celebrated. Northwood looked shattered, as well they might. They’d again taken on one of the promotion favourites and played well, and again looked to be taking nothing from their endeavours. The whistle went, and Tooting celebrated. They were still celebrating ten minutes afterwards, such was their delight.

The heyday of Tooting & Mitcham United was undoubtedly delivered by their side of 1959. Earlier this year committed Terrors fan Jeff Brooks released a book chronicling the exploits of that side to correspond with the sixtieth anniversary of a famous cup run. ‘We Woz Robbed in ‘59’ takes us back to a period when Cliff Richard was considered a subversive influence and the Terrors were an FA Cup force, beating Bournemouth and Northampton Town before being denied a famous victory over Nottingham Forest by a refereeing decision that nobody present- even those from the away side- could understand. With the FA Cup once more on the horizon next weekend, and Tooting producing high-quality players in large number, could we perhaps soon have a Terrors side to rival that of six decades ago?

It seems possible, but unlikely; mainly because these days players who stand out at our level are likely to be upwardly mobile rather quickly. The Terrors FA Cup heroes were part time footballers, and in those days the financial rewards today’s top level players take for granted weren’t available, so there was every chance they’d remain at an amateur level.

Take, for example, Seamus O'Connell, a title winner with Chelsea and a contemporary of the Tooting boys. Here was a player who was offered the chance to leave left ten-time FA Amateur Cup Winners Bishop Auckland to try his hand at the top level of the game, headed to Stamford Bridge, scored a hat trick on his debut against Manchester United, won a league title, and then went back North to play only for Bishop whilst working on the family farm. He combined his Chelsea duties with continuing to turn out for Bishop, and refused to turn professional, because- to put it bluntly- it didn’t pay enough to make it worth his while.

That might seem a rather unique story, but the truth is it wasn’t. Many of O’Connell’s contemporaries- amongst them Bobby Hardisty, captain of that Bishop Auckland side- turned down entreaties from even the likes of Matt Busby to give up their amateur status. They had family responsibilities, businesses, and football wasn’t necessarily the best way to make a living. Footballers even had to take a wage cut during the summer, such was the nature of the game back then.

Sixty years on and the world has changed. The cash earned by Isthmian League players- if, of course, there is any- is hardly likely to be world changing. The likelihood of players at our level, whether at Tooting or elsewhere, turning down the chance of a professional career is rather small. On that basis, the chance of the Terrors holding on to the talent it develops must be rather slim- but that won’t stop it trying to develop even more.

You wouldn’t find a Tooting & Mitcham United supporter who would turn down success. On-field glory would be nice- and it doesn’t look beyond this side, even if the Third Round of the FA Cup might be. But that’s not what today’s Tooting & Mitcham United is about. This is a club rather secure in its aim; and that aim isn’t to make it into the professional ranks, rather it is to become a fixture at the centre of its local community, a place where young players come to learn, and to thrive.

Whatever happens on the field, it seems they are already well on the way to achieving that ambition, at the very least.