When Sutton United were drawn against Arsenal in the fifth round of the FA Cup, the youth squads had the biggest reaction of anyone at the club.
Dozens of players from a variety of age groups were training on the Gander Green Lane pitch when the news came in, and Mark Cheriton, chairman of Sutton’s juniors section, recalls how time almost stood still as the realisation hit.
“We probably had about 40 to 50 kids on the pitch at that time, training, from all different age groups,” says Cheriton, who is stood among the home fans with some of the youngsters he helps bring through the ranks, from Under-7 all the way up to Under-16.
“All the kids just stopped and started jumping up and down, it was fabulous.
“The atmosphere has been absolutely fantastic, the whole community has been buzzing ever since the draw.”
Cheriton was in attendance with youth team coaches and players, who regularly train on the first team’s pitch
Indeed, one of the main things you notice upon entering Gander Green Lane for the biggest game in the National League side’s history is the relative youth of the crowd.
It is that picture of nostalgia that older fans of Premier League clubs paint when describing ‘the good old days’, kids stood on shoulders, perched on steps or even peering over the perimeter fence to see into the ground. At one point the staff at the club shop take a conveniently-timed 45-minute break to join the youngsters on the steps of the cabin from which they sell scarves, shirts and other memorabilia.
There must be more than 1,000 supporters who weren’t even born the last time Sutton embarked on a famous cup run, eliminating then-holders Coventry City in 1989 in the third round, only to suffer an 8-0 reverse to Norwich City the round after. And, considering the disadvantage at which non-league sides are placed in the competition, it could well be another quarter of a century before another opportunity like this comes around.
Sutton players celebrating their win over Coventry in 1989 (Photo by Simon Bruty/Allsport/Getty Images)
The game has taken on added significance due to Sunday night’s quarter-final draw, with supporters knowing that an unlikely victory over their Premier League opponents would set up a meeting with Lincoln City, the only other fifth-tier side remaining in the competition.
Paul, a long-time Sutton fan who sees as many away games as home ones after leaving South London for Kent, tells me that such a possibility has almost ruined things for fans who had all but come to terms with their dream run ending at the hands of the Gunners.
“I thought we’ll go out, end of story, but now you look at it and think if you can fluke a miracle it’s a 50-50 for Wembley,” he says.
“If it had been Millwall or something I wouldn’t have been that bothered about getting through but Lincoln…Lincoln won’t want to come here.”
Still, in the early stages it feels as though Arsenal are similarly unprepared for what’s in store, despite Arsene Wenger naming a strong starting XI including big-money summer signings Shkodran Mustafi, Granit Xhaka and Lucas Perez.
Like Leeds United in the fourth round, there are fears that being able to train on a surface comparable to Sutton’s artificial pitch will be more a hindrance than a help, with some of the Premier League regulars almost seeming to be mentally prepared for a training match.
George, a fan who came to his first game back in 1938 and witnessed the fourth-round runs of 1989 and 1970, admits that the pitch has played a big part, but nevertheless describes the run to this stage as “unbelievable”.
It appears to be going according to plan for another fan, Simon, who says the hosts need to “keep it all square until 20-30 minutes in, then we’re in with a shout.
“Make them nervous and anything can happen”
Jamie Collins of Sutton United heads the ball at goal (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Even when Lucas puts Arsenal ahead just before the half-hour mark, giving them a 1-0 half-time lead, there’s a feeling that while Sutton might not quite have their opponents exactly where they want them, they’re pretty damned close.
Ahead of the game, there were concerns about regular fans being passed over for tickets, not to mention the £35 price tag – a figure which would get fans into multiple National League games in normal circumstances.
There are still some murmurings of discontent, with vague mentions of season ticket holders being unable to get their hands on tickets for the game, but many of those in attendance would have been happy to pay even more for what could well constitute a literal once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“I’d have paid as much as £50,” says Paul, whose friend Phil doesn’t miss a beat when agreeing.
“It’s never going to happen again,” Phil adds. “It’s a local club, I’d pay whatever.”
The bigger concern, at least from the outside, is the presence of SunBets on the front of the Sutton shirts in place of regular sponsor GreenGo.
Plenty of neutrals had been turned off the club after the decision, but fans Barry and Neil – friends of one of the GreenGo owners – give a slightly different story.
“Being a sponsor, he’s been a real gentleman in the fact that yeah, they need the money,” Barry says.
“How often do these games come around? The last one was all those years ago [in 1989], it might not happen for a while and they need all the money they can get.
“James, the shirt sponsor, he’s got his name on the back of the shirt above the numbers and was quite gracious about it, he said he wanted to see Sutton do well so fair play to him.”
Sutton fans masked by flare smoke during the second half
Just as the Arsenal game will be a formative memory for many young Sutton fans, one supporter whose first game came against Coventry City has stuck with the club through thick and thin ever since.
Andrew still remembers that game as his first, and now – as he works in the club shop welcoming the next generation of what he hopes will be regular attendees – he speaks of the large number of new faces coming in.
“A lot of people have been coming in here for a scarf and you’re not a regular if you don’t have one already,” he notes, adding that “the half-and-half scarves were sold out before kick-off.”
But if there was any danger of the passion dying down, that was soon put to bed as the noise – and a couple of errant flares – kept coming even after Theo Walcott doubled Arsenal’s lead after the break.
Former Gunners Roarie Deacon and Craig Eastmond impressed, the former striking the woodwork and the latter producing an Arsenal-esque backheel that could have produced a goal had it been better read by a teammate, and it seems the impressionable new crop of supporters will have plenty of players to get behind.
Indeed, as the visitors brought on top scorer Alexis Sanchez with 15 minutes to go, cries of “You’re just a shit Roarie Deacon” rang out around the stadium.
“They’ve only brought on Alexis so he can say he’s played at Sutton,” one fan offered.
Andrew and his colleagues in the club shop at half-time
Sutton United might not have been able to shock Arsenal, but they gave as good as they got against a team which has got far more change out of much more well-funded opponents earlier this season.
And, most importantly, they will feel confident that they were able to win over new fans, while at the same time reminding the older generation of the reasons they have kept coming back to Gander Green Lane all these years.
Arsenal are the favourites to win the Emirates FA Cup with official betting partner Ladbrokes. Check ladbrokes.com for all of the odds
