Match Pack: Shrewsbury Town (H)

Sutton are set to host League Two opposition on Saturday, with a televised teatime clash with Shrewsbury Town in the Emirates FA Cup Second Round.

Read below for everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Match Info

• Fixture: Sutton United vs Shrewsbury Town
• Competition: Emirates FA Cup (Second Round)
• Venue: VBS Community Stadium
• Date: Saturday, 6th December; 5:15pm KO (3pm Turnstiles)
• Strip: Amber home kit
• Television: BBC Two, iPlayer and TNT Sports 2

Officials

• Referee – Jacob Miles. In his third season as an EFL referee and last month took charge of his first Championship games, at West Brom and Millwall. He was last at Sutton for the EFL Trophy game against Aston Villa in September 2023 and he was also in the middle for the top of the table National League game against Torquay in April 2021.
• Assistant Referees: Peter Lowe (red/yellow); Greg Read (yellow)
• Fourth Official – Isaac Searle

How to Follow

Video

Sutton’s Emirates FA Cup Second Round tie with Shrewsbury Town has been selected for live coverage on BBC Two, iPlayer and TNT Sports 2.

Audio

Due to FA Cup rules, our usual Mixlr commentary will not take place this weekend. However, BBC Radio Shropshire will be doing commentary on behalf of our visitors, meaning supporters both in the UK and overseas can still listen in on all of the action.

Social Media

You can also follow the game through our social media channels below, with full text coverage during the fixture.

X: @suttonunited

Facebook: @suttonunited

Instagram: @suttonunited

In Person

Tickets are available to purchase here.

For enquiries, supporters can contact the club over the phone at 02086444440 or via email at tickets@suttonunited.net.

Ticket Prices

General Admission

Main / Family Stand

• Adult: £21
• Concession: £18
• Under-18: £10
• Under-14: £5

All tickets purchased on matchday will be subject to a £3 increase at the gate.

Getting to the Ground

Stadium Address:

VBS Community Stadium

Gander Green Ln

Sutton

SM1 2EY

By Car

Travel along the M25, exiting at Junction 8. Then travel north on the A217 for about 15-20 minutes. Ignoring signs for Sutton itself, stay on the A217 to the traffic lights by the Gander Inn (on the left), turn right into Gander Green Lane. The Borough Sports Ground is about 200 yards up this road on the left hand side. If you reach West Sutton Station you have gone too far.

On matchdays, the club car park in Gander Green Lane is for parking permit holders only. Away fans should park in Gibson Road, the local municipal car-park. It takes no more than 15 minutes to walk from Gibson Road to the stadium. Click here for more information regarding parking, while a map of Gibson Road can be found here.

By Rail

It is recommended that visiting supporters use Sutton station, which is on the main lines out of Victoria and London Bridge and is at the top end of Sutton High Street, about 20 minutes’ walk from the ground. Two buses between Morden and Sutton stations run conveniently close to our stadium: route 413 bus goes down Gander Green Lane, and number 80 runs along Collingwood Road. The ground can then be reached by taking the path through Collingwood Rec.

West Sutton railway station is adjacent to the ground. It is served by Thameslink trains via Wimbledon or Sutton. Come out of West Sutton station and turn right into Gander Green Lane and the ground is about 100 yards further along. Away fans should walk past the main entrance and after about 70 yards turn right into Collingwood Recreation Ground, where the away turnstiles 5-8 are situated.

By Bus

The 413 service runs past the ground down Gander Green Lane. The bus leaves Sutton town centre from outside the main post office. The 80 route from Hackbridge to Belmont runs down Collingwood Road. The ground can be reached by taking the path through Collingwood Rec. Both routes also connect with the Northern Line at Morden.

London Buses are now cashless. Fares are a flat £1.75, and this includes multiple journeys within a one-hour period of the first “touch in” with a contactless payment card or Oyster card.

Accessibility

All accessible entrances will be open as detailed in the stadium map below:

We currently have spaces for ten wheelchair users (seven home, three away) and we would ask anyone who needs to use this facility to book in advance (contactus@suttonunited.net). If any wheelchair user needs to park at our stadium, please let us know in advance and we will make arrangements to welcome you. We have accessible toilets at both ends of the ground and in the main stand. Ambulant supporters will need to climb a handful of steps as there are currently no lifts.

For more information, supporters can access the club’s FAQs, which can be found here.

Full Fan Guides for both home and away fans can also be accessed here.

Footballing activities will be available in the fanzone, including table football, as well as the bar and club shop being open.

Stat Attack

1 – This will be the first ever meeting between Sutton and Shrewsbury in any competition.

3 – Shrewsbury’s last outing – a 3-3 draw with Gillingham – was one of only two occasions they’ve scored three goals in a league game since November 2024.

4 – Only four teams in League Two have scored less goals than Shrewsbury (18) this season – Oldham Athletic (16), Bristol Rovers (15), Cheltenham Town (14), Harrogate Town (17).

11 – This will be the 11th Second Round tie Sutton have contested at this stage of the competition.

18 – This will be Sutton’s 18th match as a senior club on 6th December.

Player In Focus

Sam Clucas

Position: Forward

Age: 35

Appearances 25/26: 18

Goals 25/26: 2

Assists 25/26: 4

Played for Both

Steve Arnold

Prior to his move to Sutton in 2023, Steve Arnold had turned out for a host of other Football League clubs including Shrewsbury Town, playing 32 times during the 2018/19 season.

A former youth player at Boreham Wood and Arsenal before joining the Norwich City academy, Arnold went on to play for Grays Athletic, Eastleigh, Wycombe Wanderers, Stevenage, Forest Green Rovers, Dover Athletic and Barrow, working his way up the divisions to become a reliable stopper in the National League.

This saw him earn a move to then-League One side Shrewsbury, having impressed manager John Askey during a one-week trial. He went on to make his debut in a 1–1 EFL Trophy draw with Manchester City Under-21s, but was initially second-choice goalkeeper behind Joel Coleman, and had to wait until November to make his first league start; a 2–1 win over AFC Wimbledon. Despite this, he eventually established himself as first-choice goalkeeper thereafter, making 32 appearances before a hamstring injury in a 2–0 defeat to Portsmouth curtailed his season.

This also brought an end to his time in Shropshire, and after helping Northampton Town win promotion to League One via the play-offs, he returned to non-league with a move to Southend United, winning the club’s Player of the Season award in his maiden campaign with the Shrimpers, while his overall time with the club was cut short due to their financial issues, and led to his move to Sutton ahead of the 2023/24 season.

He ended up making 15 appearances in the fourth tier after having to initially bide his time, with both Jack Rose and loanee Dean Bouzanis taking the number one spot at different points in the season, but the arrival of Steve Morison in January 2024 led to Arnold becoming a mainstay in the team with a string of impressive performances between the sticks that established him as the U’s clear first choice, something the experienced goalkeeper took into the previous campaign as he kept the superb Jack Sims out of the side until picking up an injury at the start of the season.

Arnold since departed Sutton last summer, and currently turns out for Hemel Hempstead Town.