NON-LEAGUE NEWS: There’s a buzz around Croydon Arena on matchdays that hasn’t been felt for a while, as ANDREW SINCLAIR reports on some positive progress at both local clubs
Captain courageous: Croydon skipper Kieran Rufus hails another big win for the Trams. Pic: Paul Davis
Croydon FC are beginning to dream of a return to Step 5 football for the first time in six years, as they sit five points clear at the top of their league table three months into the season, one-third of the games played.
Across the borough, meanwhile, Croydon Athletic, after six weeks without a permanent manager, are finding their feet at a higher level of football after a rocky start to the campaign.
Beset by near-misses and slow starts in recent campaigns, Croydon FC look like a well-oiled machine under new boss Antonio Gonnella. Gonnella has quickly taken to his first senior management, building an effective squad and guiding them to a 12-match unbeaten run in the Southern Counties East Football League First Division.
Gonnella’s Trams have won four on the spin and their most recent triumph was one of their most impressive yet, trouncing Forest Hill Park 5-0.
Forest Hill have generated a lot of headlines this season after being taken over by YouTube Sunday League team SE Dons, but in front of a 247-strong Croydon Arena crowd (the third gate of more than 200 already this season), they were blown away. Croydon led 3-0 at the break before further goals from Uli Fischer and Lauris Chin added the gloss to a five-star display.
Top of the table: Croydon’s five-point margin over the rest of their division leaves them in a very strong position heading towards the New Year
Speaking to Inside Croydon after the latest match, Gonnella said: “We couldn’t have asked for more in all honesty.
“The performance was excellent. The team followed the game plan and executed the week’s training perfectly. It was a fantastic result, but for us, a win is a win – every victory holds the same value, regardless of the scoreline.”
The win puts the Trams five points clear at the top of the table.
Among those that have impressed most is attacking midfielder Georgi Steeds, who is up to six goals for the season with the same number of assists.
Crowd pleasers: Even with the main stand off-limits at the council-owned Croydon Arena, Croydon FC have had gates of more than 200 at three games already this season
Gonnella said: “We focused on developing an aspect of Georgi’s game that was new to him, and his dedication and ability to adapt are truly commendable. We’re fortunate to have him on the team.”
Croydon were not ranked highly enough to be given a slot in this season’s FA Cup, and they weren’t involved in the FA Vase, either, so when they return to action on November 16, it will be their first cup action of the season, when they travel to Charlton-based Bridon Ropes in the SCEFL Challenge Cup. Four days later they meet Forest Hill again in the London Senior Trophy, going into the competition as cup-holders.
“While our main focus is on the league, we’re also aiming to reach a cup final – especially the Challenge Cup,” Gonnella said.
“This competition includes teams from the division above, and, to my knowledge, no team from our division has ever won it. Any trophy is an achievement but that challenge adds an extra layer of motivation for us.”
Croydon don’t have another league fixture until November 23, when they will welcome 15th-placed Tooting Bec to the Arena for what will be their penultimate home game of 2024.
Their final home game of the year is on December 14 against Faversham Strike Force, who look to be one of their closest promotion rivals. Among their other fixtures to the end of the year is an away trip to FC Elmstead, the only team to have got the better of Gonnella’s side so far this season.
With growing attendances, an exciting young squad and positive results on the pitch, many involved with the club are already dreaming of promotion and a return to English football’s ninth tier.
“The support has been incredible this season,” the manager said. “The club has done a fantastic job, setting up food stalls, children’s activities and making the most of our excellent clubhouse to create a welcoming environment for everyone coming to cheer us on. Our supporters have been amazing for the team – they even walked 11 miles to our game against Tower Hamlets, raising more than £1,300 for charity along the way.
“As a squad, we’re still very much focused on taking it one game at a time, but we also have a clear end goal: promotion. We know there’s a long road ahead, and we’re committed to putting in the work needed to reach that goal.”
Star stats: Georgi Steeds (right) has been impressing his manager
Croydon Athletic enjoyed that high of promotion last season but had a bumpy start to life in the eighth tier.
Despite performing well in the cups, an indifferent start in the league saw the club’s ambitious directors parted ways with promotion-winning manager Jermaine McGlashan in mid-September. A permanent replacement has yet to be named.
Michael Kamara, a former Crystal Palace and Wimbledon defender who has been with the Rams as a player-coach since 2023, has stepped up in the interim and has done a decent job in what’s now been a six-week tenure. The club didn’t advertise for a new “ambitious and dedicated manager” on social media until October 22, more than a month after McGlashan’s departure.
The club’s lofty ambitions are starting to be met on the pitch, with Athletic now up to 10th in the Isthmian League South East Division, with 18 points from 13 games.
Star of the show, as he was last season, has been winger and captain Brandon Pierrick.
Academy graduate: Brandon Pierrick
The former academy player at Crystal Palace, who played Premier League football in 2020, has already scored 17 goals in all competitions this season, including a recent four-goal haul against Horley Town to secure progress in the Surrey Senior Cup.
The Rams also beat Balham on penalties to advance to the last 16 of the London Senior Cup. They’ll meet Haringey Borough or Barking there, but while they wait for that game, their focus will turn back to continuing their improved league form.
The club are 11 points off the play-offs at this point of the season, but their abundance of attacking talent has begun to click, with 14 goals scored in their last four matches.
That bodes well for what looks like a string of winnable matches against Erith Town, Steyning Town Community and Three Bridges before a very important game with Sittingbourne at the end of the month.
Croydon Athletic
Sat Nov 9: Isthmian SE Div v Erith T (H)
Mon Nov 11: Velocity Cup R3 v Carshalton Ath (A)
Sat Nov 16: Isthmian SE Div v Steyning T (A)
Sat Nov 23: Isthmian SE Div v Three Bridges (H)
Sat Nov 30: Isthmian SE Div v Three Bridges (H)
Tue Dec 3: Isthmian SE Div v Ashford Utd (A)
Sat Dec 7: Isthmian SE Div v Sevenoaks T (H)
Croydon FC
Sat Nov 16: SCEFL Challenge Cup v Bridon Ropes (A)
Wed Nov 20: London Senior Trophy R2 v Forest Hill Park (A)
Sat Nov 23: SCEFL Div 1 v Tooting Bec (H)
Sat Nov 30: SCEFL Div 1 v Lewisham Boro (A)
Sat Dec 7: SCEFL Div 1 v Forest Hill Park (A)
Sat Dec 14: SCEFL Div 1 v Faversham Strike Force (H)
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ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: In January 2024, Croydon was named among the country’s rottenest boroughs for a SEVENTH successive year in the annual round-up of civic cock-ups in Private Eye magazine
As a Whyteleafe supporter (they are the closest non-league team to South of the borough), I’m really pleased to see the Trams doing so well with new managers and coaches Antonio and Wayne at the helm! There was a great rivalry between the two teams in SCEFL and it was such a shame that Croydon weren’t promoted with the Mighty Leafe at the end of the season. Nice to see also that The Rams have picked up their form and hopefully that will continue.
Fellow Leafe fan and also pleased to see The Trams back on track. Great atmosphere last season between the teams, I give up on the number of games, kept drawing each other in numerous cups. Good to see the attendance figures increasing and ex Leafe coach Antonio doing so well. Will we meet again? Will Andrew Pelling don his blue scarf and make it back down to Church Rd? I don’t know Motty, Leafe sit 2nd in the CCL chasing a 4th consecutive promotion and could be playing The Rams next season.
Having followed Croydon Amateurs since 1966, I have seen many false dawns where we have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and am therefore not getting carried away just yet. But the signs are promising so will enjoy writing about that it the third edition of the club’s history (the first “The club that Jack built” covers the first twenty-one seasons and is available from the club at £10 on matchdays or by post from the club website). The next edition will cover the Isthmian years, the third (aiming for 2028 the club’s 75th anniversary) will cover since then.
If anyone has any photos from these years, I would be grateful to see them as most of the negatives were lost in the fires.