Tuesday 20th August 2024 ko 19:45

Midland League Division One

SUTTON UNITED 2 (Gildea 4 33)

PAGET RANGERS 0

Att 132

Entry £6

Programme £2

Teamsheet FREE

As the saying goes “What’s in a name?” Well quite a lot of you happen to be Sutton United! For the avoidance of any doubt this is the club based in Sutton Coldfield, not the National League Premier side based in South London. As if to make it worse I’ve seen the club referred to as Sutton United (Birmingham); Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham are two very different places.

Then there’s the Coleshill Road Stadium used by the club since 2016. I haven’t met a single groundhopper who likes 3G pitches in cages, but this one might just change your mind. It’s the scale and ambition of it that appeals, from the 5-a-side pitch, the cafe and picnic area, and one of the largest clubhouses you’ll ever see. There’s even free teamsheets!

Of course to look at Coleshill Road as purely the home to a Midland League team is to miss the point. What this is, a community based club, and the artificial surfaces let multiple teams use it under the same “Sutton United” banner; I counted 49 in the programme. That is the club’s future in good hands.

This is the club’s second season at Step 6 and they’re clearly thriving. Robyn and I picked a good game to see, the reformed Paget Rangers play at Sutton Coldfield Town, making this something of a Sutton derby! The form book suggested a home win and the game went exactly to plan, other than Joe Gildea failing to score a hat trick, much to the consternation of his youthfull followers near the stand.

Nevertheless keep an eye on him and especially Sutton United (Sutton Coldfield); I have a feeling they’re going places.