History
of the South London Tangerines - A former secretary's view
It
is with this historical report that a few emotions will undoubtedly
flow - living in the north west back water of Manchester now (but closer
to the "big team!!!") after 6 years in London, I have the
pleasure of trying to write a considered view of how and why a Dundee
United Sunday league football team was developed.
4
of those years in London were spent trying hard to get a football team,
build it, keep it together and so on - doing this is part of a normal
Sunday league team but when you kind of represent the team you love,
you kind of want to make it happen. The SLTs, were literally formed
on the preverbial "back of a fag packet" in a local pub in
South West London in 2000, whilst watching an Edinburgh derby with intrigue
as the fad of spread betting took hold amongst a few of those gathered
(it was not a good day). A few of friends from Dundee had moved to within
the Earlsfield/Putney area over the course of the previous two years,
and there was no doubt it was a necessary requirement to eliminate the
long weeks at work and the inevitable socialising that London attracts
you to, with some exercise - and that meant football.
In
the pub that day, we devised the plan. On a scrap of paper we managed
to get 11 names. There were very good footballers, average footballers,
a chap who could not play football without his specks (he did not last
long), there was a tubby ginger hockey playing footballer - basically
it was mixed bag of footballers, athletes, posers, but mainly drinkers
and smokers, most of whom had a common bond - Dundee United FC.
After
hearing of the APFSCIL league by a friend of mine and Aberdeen fan,
we set about the long process of convincing the committee that we were
serious: getting kits made, presenting our "worth" to old
men who, I am sure, just loved referring to us as "Dundee"
- it was all very dull. However, as all the admin was completed before
the season started, we realised a first record when we registered with
the London FA - the longest named team of any in the association. The
South West London Tangerines Dundee United Football Club FC were officially
formed.
We
were placed into the Division 3 of the APFCISL league. After playing
in various friendlies, in some right real London bolt holes (a 7 hour
round trip to Hackney in the back of a crap Proton was one that has
not been talked about for many a year), we were ready - we had a website
created "impressively" by "The Goalie mark II"
Rod Burns, we had the content being written by striking legend Neil
Forsyth - it is doubtful whether the SLTs paved the way for his journalistic
career, but with him writing and contributions from other players,
the website started to fill up as well - mainly ribbing me and those
who supposedly were on the big bucks in the smoke, Messrs Iain Miller
and Gregor Dobbie. The team itself, had the best two good looking
centre halves in the league in Kevin Thompson and Figo who would compete
every week with their array of beauty products, a pacey little goal
poaching Wegie in Blair Robertson, a shinty playing highlander who
had studied in Dundee in Glenn Tonkin, we had a left footed old man
called Dave Coleiro, we had a bald chap called Lewy who drove a moped.
And then there was of course Fraser Gourlay - a man who is still with
the club after all these years, who has given endless fun as well
as earache to the many defenders referees and SLT players over the
course of the 4 or so years. Dave G, still the foundation behind the
current team and who has taken over the "fantastic" secretarial
duties from me turned up every week biding his time and waiting for
the players in from of him to flit out of London.
As
the weeks started in that first season, it was very good fun - results
were good and the adoption of a local pub, the Jolly
Gardeners, near our Wandsworth pitch, boded well for the creation
of team spirits. Sunday nights were usually laden with pints of Lager
tops (named sportsmans to justify our thirst) and occasional karaoke.
The
first season was excellent fun and promotion was gained, mainly because
of the original Dundee set and close mates who had started the season.
Unfortunately as what usually happens in London, people move on and
changes of players meant that new recruiting had to take place - a
tough ask. New boys came in - mainly friends of friends but the core
of United fans still existed and the laughs continued although getting
a team out week in week out often proved difficult - mad dashes from
places outside of London after weekends away was done for the sake
of the team. The social events were the main hub of keeping things
together, the Ralph Milne Weekends (including his 40th birthday and
playing at Ashton gate), were more than eventful (read the old
web site links). To this day, we are still in contact with the
legend. In our second season we hosted him and his girlfriend for
a weekend at our Christmas party - a ridiculous night out complete
with Ralphie's tops from European semis and Scottish cup finals.
On
the playing field, we adopted an open way of playing football - basically
no lead was safe, and any time we were being beaten we knew we could
come back. A nail biting end to our second season saw us pitched against
arch rivals Stoke where we narrowly missed out on a second successive
promotion. Our third season saw us again going into a last game decider
against London Scottish which saw the SLTs giving them a right royal
humping, albiet against 9 men! That season, I also realised I had lost
my pace in February in one game against Hull, playing against some young
winger. To combat that new "tactics" were called for - I took
the goalie shirt as Rod Burns went away travelling. The top division,
which started off before my adventure north did prove tougher for the
team, but with more boys being on board who love the "big team"
things will continue to move forward.
I
miss the weekly emails, receiving the Sunday morning calls of "where
are we playing again?" and, trying to get other bodies on board
at short notice (usually meaning unanswered calls), the mad dashes across
London from team members after rolling in from dubious nightclubs in
the early hours, attending really compelling and riveting committee
meetings on Monday nights. I take great memories of everyone involved
with the club, those who have played for the shirt, the ups and downs
of the matches and the 3 goals I scored for the team (one of which was
a 20 yard top corner flyer in extra time in the cup versus Man City
that brought the house down!)….and the piss ups….
Shed
Rool
Malky
Freeman
The Secretary
