Tooting & Mitcham United F.C.

Infobox Football club
clubname = Tooting & Mitcham United


fullname = Tooting & Mitcham United Football Club
nickname = The Terrors
shortname =
founded = 1932
ground = Imperial Fields Morden
capacity = 3,500 (612 seated)
chairman = flagicon|England Martin Hazlewood | mgrtitle = Manager
manager = flagicon|England Billy Smith
league = Isthmian League
Premier Division
season = 2007-08
position = Isthmian League
Division One South, 2nd (Promoted via playoffs)
pattern_la1=_black_stripes|pattern_b1=_blackstripes|pattern_ra1=_black_stripes|leftarm1=FFFFFF|body1=FFFFFF|rightarm1=FFFFFF|shorts1=000000|socks1=000000
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=|leftarm2=FF0000|body2=FF0000|rightarm2=FF0000|shorts2=FFO=0000|socks2=FFFFFF

Tooting & Mitcham United Football Club are a semi-professional association football club representing the south-west London areas of Tooting and Mitcham, within the London Borough of Merton. The club's stadium, "Imperial Fields" is located in Morden. The club are nicknamed "The Terrors" or occasionally "Stripes", in reference to their kit. They are also sometimes known as "The Half-halfs" in recognition of the merger. As of May 2008, they play in the Isthmian League Premier Division

History

In 1932, Tooting Town (founded 1887) and Mitcham Wanderers (founded 1912) quite literally united to become the modern club representing the two areas. Their merger had been mooted for two years previously, but it was only after it became clear that the area couldn't host two competitive teams that anything happened to advance it. Originally playing in white shirts, in the fifties today's broad black and white stripes were adopted

The club has reached the FA Cup proper on 9 occasions, most recently in the 1977-78 season. It has also won the Isthmian League twice, in 1958 and 1960. Other honours include the Surrey Senior Cup and the London Senior Cup.

Dario Gradi, who is now the manager of League One side Crewe, briefly played for the club in the 1960s.

Modern era

In the Isthmian League First Division, the club were managed by Richard Cadette, whose lengthy list of former clubs include Falkirk, Millwall and Brentford, amongst others. The team made up for lost time and played a very consistent first half of the 2005-06 season. Unfortunately, injuries and the loss of star player Gavin Grant to professional side Gillingham saw the team lose some of their cutting edge and start to falter. However, at the end of the 2005-06 season Cadette was sacked as the team once again failed to gain promotion following defeat in the playoff semi-finals to Tonbridge Angels.

Former player Billy Smith was appointed as manager for the start of the 2006-07 season, in which the club are playing in the resurrected Isthmian League Division One South, the 8th level of the English football pyramid. In April 2007, the club won the Surrey Senior Cup and London Senior Cup.

In May 2008, the club secured promotion to the Isthmian League Premier Division by defeating Cray Wanderers 1-0 at Imperial Fields.

The club has a very successful Junior section, which runs teams in the under 12s to under 16s age group. They have been county champions on many occasions, beaten many European professional clubs, won top league and cup honours in the prestigious Surrey Youth League and many players have pushed on to professional academies.

tadium

The club's ground, Imperial Fields, has a total capacity of 3,500 (612 seated), and is neighboured by an AstroTurf pitch which the team trains on, and also hosts the club's various affiliated teams such as ladies and youth. The stadium itself is a recent development, the club having moved in 2002 from a decrepit all-wooden facility at Sandy Lane in Tooting, which had been declared a fire hazard.

One disadvantage of the ground is the high number of balls lost over the fence and into the river running outside the ground. Despite this, it provides a great venue considering the level of football it hosts - as evidenced by the fact that it has been chosen to host the 2007 final of the London Senior Cup.

Notable Players

* Romauld Bouadji

Notable Previous Players

* Dario Gradi
* Alex Stepney
* Nathan Ellington
* Francis Awaritefe

External links

* [http://www.tmufc.co.uk/ Unofficial club web site]

References