Everyone’s a winner
Even Carshalton Athletic were winners but more importantly Sutton United were as well. When Saturday came Sutton beat Exeter City two one at the Gander. When bank holiday Monday came Carshalton Athletic beat Isthmian South League leaders Worthing by two goals to one. So, everyone’s winner but I doubt the two clubs exchanged calls to hail both results as great for football in the local area. If Liverpool has Everton as local rivals, then Sutton United has Carshalton. For a section of Sutton supporters, a recurring nightmare plays out on the terraces expressing a dark fear of being mastered by those Carshalton bastards. While historically Sutton and Carshalton footballing clubs boiled in the same league pot these Sutton have sped away to higher ground of EFL2 and are in third place. We need an upgrade in the rival department. AFC Wimbledon fit the bill as a motivational rival as they are relatively local to Sutton and are a league above us in EFL1. To matters more important, the Sutton win over Exeter City who stole our lunch money big time when they turned us over two nil at their place.
Upbeat music for Sutton goal.
The game had its moments of entertainment, two stand out for obvious reasons. The first was Buigel on the head thanks to great delivery by Kizzi. Before the game in both bar and car park I told whoever would listen that I fancied Buigel to score but added some anatomical detail to say he would do this with his head 😊. What I did not predict was how quickly Exeter responded that within a minute of our goal Exeter scored to make it one all. The game was heading for a draw, and few would have begrudged that as anything but a fair return on a game both sides struggled to make sense of. Then at the eighty ninth minute Exeter gave away a penalty that even an Exeter fan could not argue against. Milsom stepped up to the pressure pot, only a goal could release the energy. A goal and energy were released with Sutton fans exploding with delight. Then things simmered down when the referee added six minutes of additional time. Six minutes can feel like thirty when it is additional time, but Sutton survived and started 2022 third place in EFL2.
This would have amazed those who back in 1898 met at the Robin Hood Hotel to form the club Sutton United. A few hours after the Exeter game I joined other members of the Sutton United Historical Society to visit the Robin Hood Hotel in Sutton to drink cherry wine and recreate the scene when the club was formed in the Robin Hood Hotel. Unfortunately, period costumes were not worn to make the recreation more authentic. Further historic recreations are planned to remember when in 2003 Sutton United beat Carshalton six nil. This historical recreation will feature a rendition of ‘Where is the Love’ by the Black-Eyed Peas. Clearly not much love for Carshalton that day.
