Sutton
Common Rovers FC
Ground: War Memorial Sports Ground, Carshalton Athletic FC
Capacity: 5,000
Club Founded: 1978
League: Combined Counties League Premier Division South - Step 5/9th Tier (current level)
Sutton Common Rovers are a fine example of a non-league club serving their local community, while gradually progressing through the pyramid.
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| Rovers currently share with Carshalton Athletic |
Club History
Early Years
Sutton Common Rovers FC was formed in 1978 by Alan Salmon as Inrad FC, changing their name to Centre 21 FC through a sponsorship deal. Sutton Common Road FC then came into
being, or SCR for short. Further
sponsorship deals led to Plough, Grapes, Litten Tree, and Kingfisher being added after
Sutton Common Road at various stages.
By the 2006-07 campaign, SCR found
themselves playing in the Surrey South Eastern Combination. An unsuccessful application to join the Combined Combination League saw the club join the Middlesex County League as Sutton Common Rovers FC.
The team did enough to secure a place in the Combined Combination League (CCL) under
manager Darren Salmon. In the summer of 2008, the club changed its moniker to
Mole Valley SCR, reflecting where the club played its home games at the time.
SCR just
missed out on promotion from Division One. However, the 2009-10 season saw
Rovers crowned champions and promotion to the Premier Division while lodging
at Cobham FC. Despite being relegated, the team regrouped to regain their loftier status.
In 2015, the club moved in to share the Borough Sports Ground with
Sutton United, dropping Mole Valley from their title. After several seasons of struggle, SCR improved dramatically, finishing third in 2017-18. With Donny Rennalls joining Darren Salmon at the helm, Rovers clinched a runners-up position in 2018-19.
Off the pitch, the club had organised a petition to try and secure their own home ground at Glenthorne High School in conjunction with Sutton Council, with the installation of a brand new 3G football pitch on the Daisy field located directly behind the school, just off the A217, near Sutton Common Road, where the club had been founded.
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| The War Memorial Sports Ground - Home to SCR from 2024 |
Rovers' previous record was enough to be awarded a place in the South Central Division of the Isthmian League following league restructuring. The side stayed up while being tenants of Whyteleafe FC after defeating Crawley Green Gatwick in a playoff game in 2022-23. In the summer of 2024, SCR moved to Colston Avenue, sharing with landlords Carshalton Athletic.
The team was relegated at the end of their first season there, with Rovers going down to the Premier Division South of the Combined Counties League.
My visit
Sutton
Common Rovers u18s 1 Uxbridge u18s 3
FA Youth Cup Round One - Monday 28th October 2019
👨👨👧👧 183 🎟️ £5
A full day
off work and limited fixture options gave me a long-overdue opportunity to see
a Rovers side in action playing at home. There was no way I was paying £30 for
QPR v Brentford when I knew the potential stars of tomorrow would be giving it
their all for just £5.
The fixture
dovetailed nicely as it allowed me the opportunity to watch the 2pm kick-off at
Dartford between the under-23 sides of Charlton Athletic and Bristol City
before taking a train to Carshalton via Peckham Rye for my evening dose of
entertainment.
The excellent pub didn’t let me down before I boarded a
delayed service to Sutton. It appeared to be in as the Thameslink train to West Sutton was also behind schedule, meaning that I didn’t miss it. Fortunately, I didn’t have my music on, as the
driver announced it was going non-stop to Blackfriars owing to its late
running.
It’s fair to assume I was not particularly impressed by the news as I’d now miss kick-off. However, my mood was relatively positive compared to how it would have been if I’d been deposited in the city after whizzing past the stadium while staying on the train.
The number
80 bus came to my rescue, or at least offered me damage limitation as it
dropped me within a quick ten-minute walk of the ground. I walked back along Collingwood
Road and then through the park with the floodlights flickering to my left.
Admission
was via the rear entrance to the Main Stand at Gander Green Lane. I heard a
large cheer just as I was about to go in. I bought a decent programme for a
couple of quid and got confirmation that the hosts were 1-0 up as I had missed Cordell
Whyte’s effort. The first thing that got me was the size of the crowd.
The local youth were out in force
to support their mates, which was really good to see. There was also support
for Uxbridge around the venue. It was good, competitive, and fast action. I’d certainly seen a lot worse at
senior level, and it was different gravy compared to the mismatch I’d seen in the
previous round at Hornchurch when they smashed Dagenham & Redbridge 11-0.
Uxbridge
drew level before the interval. By now, I’d taken a seat at the top of the stand, and during the break, I had a nice chat with an older Rovers fan who was proud
of his club’s set-up and achievement.
The second
half saw an even encounter, though the pacey Uxbridge forward line looked
dangerous throughout. It didn’t come as a huge surprise when they went in front.
Sutton did their best but were up against a fine keeper in Jayden St Paul. It was
turning into a cold night as the half progressed. The play was end-to-end and
becoming stretched.
I was faced with a dilemma with around ten minutes
remaining. I could wait for a later train or nip out and catch a service at
9.25. With the earlier delays and shambles in mind, I departed before full-time, missing the third Uxbridge goal. It was a shame to leave early, but I’d had my money's worth, and I wanted to warm up and have a couple of pints back in Kingsbury.
The
Thameslink train took me all the way to West Hampstead, and I was in the pub to
tell my pal all about my long day out before 11pm. It had been a
good day of exercise, a double dose of football, and some decent ale. A perfect
day off work!
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