3 weeks ago we announced that we will be playing our football at the NRT Stadium, High Road, Chipstead FC from next season. After 7 seasons at Tooting & Mitcham, including a year out at RPV FC we look forward to a new partnership with everyone at Chipstead.

As we look forward to a new chapter it’s always important to take stock and no matter our surroundings remember where we came from and why we do what we do. This way whatever the result, whatever the pitch, weather or changing facilities we enjoy the game, company and beers.

After all on pitch success won’t always be there and it’s all the rest that keeps you going through the tough times. When I was told, 2 days before Christmas, that our groundshare wasn’t going to be renewed it was a shock, despite only ever having a 1-year agreement we hadn’t even considered leaving Imperial fields and we/I had 3 months to stop us from being kicked out the league.

These past 10 weeks I’ve spoken to pretty much every club in Surrey and a few outside! It’s been a second job, it’s been stressful, on the pitch Matt and the lads are fighting for promotion, off it we were fighting relegation, maybe distinction.

Brian Vandervilt at Corinthian Casuals was a gentleman but ultimately couldn’t help, Liam Hickey at Dulwich was super helpful while many other clubs had tenants and we weren’t prepared to shaft them and leave them in the same boat as us. Thank you to everyone who took my call or replied to my email.

When we started our search Chipstead wasn’t on the list as we knew Sporting 50 well and knew they were well set there, or so we thought, once we heard Ben and co were moving to their new home we meet with Heather and Jeff, and it took a week to get a 2-year contract signed!

It’s a superb ground with an excellent pitch which I think will help us, I only hope we can persuade a few spectators to come watch us no matter what league we end up in come August. We will be looking at ways to help people get to the ground from Tooting and back again.

While I dispute Kingstonian Chairman’s claims, maybe to make himself feel better about his actions, that we have moved to the 3G pitch at Imperial fields, there is no way it is anywhere near ready to host step 5/6 football without a great deal of work and investment. What K’s did was underhand, with no concern for a fellow club but business is business and we have to accept that even if we wouldn’t ever step on another club to get to the top.

We do want to publicly thank everyone at Tooting & Mitcham FC for allowing us to have use of their brilliant facilities, for us they are part of our extended black and white family, and we hope to continue that partnership through out other 7 teams that we hope will remain at the ground for many years to come. Let’s hope the Bog End Cup lives on.

Tomorrow will be a sad day when we play our last game at the ground, but we are from the parks, and pubs, of south west London. No matter how big the stand or flat the pitch Tooting Bec FC is in our hearts not in any building, as long as its there we will fight the odds and taking on the big boys at Chipstead rather than Mitcham.

Maybe one day we will have a home of our own, if we can achieve this much as a nomadic club then who knows and with Rosena and her team onside maybe we can one day buy you a beer in our own bar. We can dream.

Now that’s sorted we have business to deal with on the pitch before the removal van arrives.