A visit from Chelsea's Under 23 squad will complete Sutton United's pre-season friendly programme, the final details of which were confirmed today. Chelsea's highly regarded youngsters will visit Gander Green Lane on Saturday 27 July, the week before the 2019-20 National League season begins. The sides also met last summer, with two goals from Charlie Brown giving victory to a Chelsea side whose goalkeeper, Karlo Ziger, went on to make an impressive appearance for Sutton in the FA Trophy at Spennymoor. Once again we are grateful to Chelsea for agreeing to the fixture.
The remainder of the pre-season schedule involves mainly games against National League South teams, after U's have opened the programme with a visit to Redhill on Saturday 6 July to mark the hosts' 125th anniversary. A week later, U's face Slough Town at Arbour Park, where our FA Cup hopes ended last season after a marathon penalty shoot-out in a first round replay, with Slough falling just short of a play-off place in their first season at that level. Three days later U's will come up against former coach Steve McKimm with a game at Tonbridge, who regained their National League South place this month after beating Haringey and Merstham in the Bostik League play-offs, and then overcoming Southern League Metropolitan Police in the 'super play-off'.
After the game at Havant that was announced earlier this week, U's then have a first home friendly on Tuesday 23 July when Dulwich Hamlet come to Gander Green Lane having secured a mid-table finish in National League South last season, their first after winning promotion. South London rivals for many years, it will however be the first meeting between the sides since U's beat Dulwich 5-1 in the FA Cup in 2011. After Matt Gray's squad face tenants Sutton Common Rovers on Friday 26 July, the Combined Counties League side being the home team, Chelsea complete the schedule a day later.
FULL SCHEDULE
Saturday 6 July, 3pm v Redhill (A)
Saturday 13 July, 3pm v Slough Town (A)
Tuesday 16 July, 7.45pm v Tonbridge Angels (A)
Saturday 20 July, 3pm v Havant & Waterlooville (A)
Tuesday 23 July, 7.45pm v Dulwich Hamlet (H)
Friday 26 July, 7.45pm v Sutton Common Rovers (A)
Saturday 27 July, 3pm v Chelsea U23 (H)