Sutton United Football Club is thrilled to unveil Chris Agutter as our new Head Coach.
The 37-year-old arrives at Gander Green Lane from National League South side Worthing in a deal that took extra time to finalise due to the Rebels’ profound determination to retain him, and required significant investment to secure his release from his contract at Woodside Park.
“I’m delighted to welcome Chris to the club.”
“He’s a young, up and coming and energetic Head Coach whose Worthing team were always incredibly attractive to watch with a winning mentality. We’ve been through a thorough process, which has taken slightly longer than what we’d have liked and talked to some outstanding candidates, but with Chris’s passion and drive, which was evident, but every time met him, we know we made the right choice.”
“We’re looking forward to him being able to transfer his entertaining ball playing and aggressive style. I’m sure the fans will welcome him and give him the normal Sutton ovation and support.”
– Terry Bullivant, Director of Football
Agutter now makes the step up to the National League having carved out a reputation for building teams that play possession-oriented football, with an emphasis on keeping the ball and building attacks, and has developed a track record of ensuring his team plays in a proactive, but consistent way.
His identity relies on determination, work rate, mentality, resilience and high standards, and was initially appointed at Worthing with the explicit intention of continuing the club’s existing footballing philosophy, based around being possession-based and attack-minded.
By extension, his demand for maintaining structure is a key part of his style, while his ability as a man manager has become an important aspect of his remit.
The newly-appointed Sutton boss also has a rich pedigree of youth development and integrating Academy players, with strong roots within youth football at Brighton & Hove Albion and Eastbourne Borough.
Following a brief playing career which began in Brighton’s academy, Agutter mirrored his footballing journey by also kicking off his managerial pathway with the Seagulls, where he was Youth Team Manager more than a decade ago.
After leading them to a top six finish in the Premier League South, he joined Eastbourne Borough as Assistant Manager, while also heading up their Academy, and later returned to the AMEX to resume his previous role in 2016. However, he departed for Hastings United a year later, where many of his early managerial achievements lie.
After running their Academy programme, Agutter was promoted to First Team Manager in October 2017 and took them from relegation contenders to serious challengers for the play-offs in his first season. He went to enjoy a successful few years at the Pilot Field, reaching the Sussex Transport Senior Cup Final as well as topping the Isthmian South East Division midway through the 2019/20 season, only being denied a shot at promotion by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Agutter did secure that long-awaited title though, guiding the club to the Isthmian Premier Division as champions the following year, with his work being rewarded with a move into the Football League with Stevenage.
Being named as Head Coach of Boro’s Under-18s and Under-21s, he continued his rise through the ranks by becoming First Team Assistant and Interim Boss at Broadhall Way, before returning to Brighton’s Academy in 2022.
A further return to Hastings saw him finish seventh in the Isthmian League, turning the U’s season around after taking over with the club in a relegation battle, before a 2024 summer elevation to Worthing saw him guide the Rebels to their highest ever points total in the sixth tier in his first season.
Under his leadership, the Rebels accrued 88 points in the National League South, missing out on the title by a solitary point, but thus cemented his status as a highly-regarded coach.
After agreeing to join Sutton, Agutter said:
“I am absolutely delighted to be joining Sutton United as Head Coach.”
“I’m throughly looking forward to the challenge ahead, and I will be working incredibly hard to help put a team on the pitch that the Football Club and its supporters can be proud of.”
“I have no doubt we are going to have plenty of fun on the ride ahead.”
Welcome to Sutton, Chris!
Photo Credit: Worthing Football Club
