My postings were mean  to be proactive, and sure enough the bait was taken, and has kept me smiling here with some of the comments. Amazing when the team sunk to the bottom of the ocean into  junior grassroots football, there was not a murmur!!!!!!  After many  years supporting the team I will never go to  Imperial Fields again while still owned by Adkins. So, I assume all of you are going tomorrow, so just rock up early :-) 

Roger D, you don't to  tell any Tooting fans how and what time to  get to  a ground. Why don't you "Rock off"

Hello Steve,
For the last 24hours I have been fuming over the “Goal of Season” award by the members club. Thank goodness you clarified the situation.

I knew Geoff over many years watching the Terrors. We always had a lighted and amusing chats on his thoughts on football, especially Tooting.

However, in the early years at Imperial fields, I noticed on a couple of occasions someone with a clipboard, trying to hide by the snack bar, ticking off anyone who entered the main turnstile. At the time I really didn’t think anything of the situation.

At the next match at Imperial Fields, Geoff was not working the turnstile, as usual. Walking to take my place to watch the match, Geoff was leaning against the railings and he informed me he had been sacked as a turnstile operator. He was totally gutted, and to make it worse the club had voided his Isthmian League pass.

Geoff was a genuine guy, and I really don’t think he got over the turnstile debacle, but still continued to attend the games as a loyal supporter
 

Absolutely pathetic Asupportersupports, no wonder the football team is on the verge of collapse and extinction!  As I have said many times before "The team should be disbanded, and die peacefully!" 

 Ev, like you I will never go  to  Imperial fields again until they get rid all the cretins that created the current disaster. 

I will never forget the quote released after the club was taken over by "Del Boy."

Since 2005:  Quote “The challenge is to make Tooting & Mitcham United FC the best semi-professional club in the land, one built on sound foundations of good practice in all matters!! (You can’t make this up lol)

Not even the best non league/grassroots club in Merton lol
 

Really sad news to read about Albert Grainger, one of my outstanding heroes from that superb era, as were all the team in their own in dominatable way! Albert was a direct thrusting winger and goal scorer and the glamour boy of the team with is Clint Eastwood looks.

All this sad news about our greatest team must bring pleasures delight from Woolley Bulley who hated anything to  do with this bunch of great players. 

I understand Tony Slade is not so well either, best wishes to him.

Rest in Peace Albert and go and join your buddy Brian for chats about the great days!


 

To all those going to  Jersey, may I wish you all a safe and trouble free trip. Plus, please preserve the good name of the team what is left of it, and enjoy the game. 

My first match at Sandy Lane was the in November 1956, when I went with my “Street mates” from Upper Tooting, who had dragged me along to watch the “Terrors” play in the 1st Round of the FA Cup against Bromsgrove Rovers. The impact was instant, the huge crowd, the great atmosphere, Military band playing, and a Bromsgrove fan running on the pitch 5 minutes before the kick-off to plant a huge vegetable on the centre circle (it looked like a giant turnip 0r was it Atkins or Woolley!). And then the Stripes took to the field to a huge roar, I was hooked. The next round we were drawn at home to QPR.

 I used to go to every home game after that initial impact, with or without my mates. I would sit in the old wooden stand by myself, and a kindly old couple would look after me. They came from the Totterdown Estate in Tooting, and they had followed the club for many, many years. They always bought me a tea and something to eat at Halftime. I gradually started going to away games getting the coach from Jack Beard’s pub at the bottom of Franciscan Road. For the more important games the supporters club would run in excess of 10 coaches or more!  There were many great games in the 50’s and 60’s, but the switching on of the floodlights in a midweek match against a strong Arsenal team, was a wonderful occasion. The atmosphere was electric (No Pun intended) to see the ground bathed in floodlights for the first time was a magical effect. And of course, the greatest centre forward (striker) ever to play for the club, and the original Terror Paddy Hasty, made a guest appearance from his new club Aldershot Town.

Just look at the state of affairs now shameful!

 

Ev...Tooting got relegated to "Park Football" .....but that's confidential as well!...but that's nothing to  do with the members club lol

I echo every word in both Ev's postings. Relegation should never have happened they had many chances to  stop the rot, but this  was not in any plans. The owner and the membership club (not our fault lol) have played a get out of jail card when all of this could and should have been delivered months ago. If the new management team prove successful at this deplorable level of football, then wait till they need some more funding!

Worse still all the main culprits who brought the football team to its knees are still in place in this useless organisation.

​I look forward to  visiting some real football clubs next season, even if it's park football.

 

Peter,

Thank you for posting this piece of news, but it does really hurt at the Football Team's demise into  the the depths of grassroot football and dreadful way it happened and the reality is now sinking in!

Andy Mc wrote:

Mike  I wouldn't go as far to say T&M Wanderers was a miserable failure, it takes a lot to get a team of the ground with very  little financial backing and I think Stan did a great job in trying to do that. Yes, it didn't succeed in the end but it was a valiant effort. We thought at the time we were in a bad place, with Adkins pulling the plug on 1st team funding, but we're in a far worse situation now. Had Stan started his project in more recent times the chances of success would be far greater.

Andy,
 
I will repeat my statement Stan’s project was a complete failure:
I have already stated the nightmare setting up a new team from scratch. At the time it was Stan the man and his hypothetical dog trying to  run the whole show which was a nightmare for him.
 
Stan warned everyone what was happening to the Football Team from the outset of the new regime. But everyone chose to ignored him as a trouble maker. Many of those critics have since left the organisation and those long-standing fans that remain now have their “tails between their legs”.
 
The start-up cost of a new team, ground hire, kit and fees etc for one person to implement is horrendous. Stan gallantly raised thousands of pounds for his project. But without a core support of helpers and admin personnel (at least 20 minimum) it’s an impossible to deliver.
Also, the FA and Surrey FA were very obstructive, and I think there is still outstanding issues and disputes to this day!
 
However, it just shows what one person can achieve, a few more today may turn the tide for Stan?