Grier's Guide to Corinthian-Casuals
The game: Corinthian-Casuals v Kingstonian, Isthmian League. (Bank holiday) Monday 10 April, 15:00.
The club: Amateur club formed in 1939 as a merger of Corinthian FC and Casuals FC. In 1984 they were harshly thrown out of the Isthmian League for not having their own ground, recovering their status in 1996. In recent years they were revitalised under James Bracken's management - achieving promotion back to the Isthmian Premier in 2018 for the first time since 1973, having narrowly missed out in the two previous seasons. They moved to Tolworth in 1988 - prior to that they'd played at various grounds across South London, including Richmond Road.
The ground: United Business Group Stadium, Queen Mary Close, Hook Rise South, Tolworth, Surrey KT6 7NA. Ks fans will no doubt be familiar with it from our four seasons groundsharing there. The low roofs behind both goals mean even a small number of fans can make a good atmosphere at both ends. It was closed for a few weeks in the autumn when a storm caused a tree to fall into the clubhouse - Casuals had to groundshare while the damage was fixed.
Tickets: £12 adults; £8 concessions; £5 students/U18s; £1 U12s.
Directions: Ks fans presumably all know where the ground is but remember with a derby crowd parking will be more difficult than we were used to for home games. If the car parks are full, which they probably will be by kick-off, it may be easier to park on Davis Road or Roebuck Road, off Jubilee Way.
Our record there: The two teams met frequently from 1945 to 1974 but were then in separate divisions for some 31 years. So it wasn't until 2005 that we made our first competitive visit to the ground, in the old Ryman 1. We've now met there eight times in the league, yielding six wins for Ks and two draws. Last season a Gus Sow penalty secured us a tight 1-0 win.
Players to watch: Striker Nathaniel Pinney and midfielder Shaun MacAuley played for Ks under Tommy Williams - the latter scored our last ever goal at Kingsmeadow.
Recent form: They've found it tough going this season since the departure of the talismanic Bracken over the summer and have got through two managers since. But they won two in a row under caretaker Brian Adamson, however defeat on Saturday against Cray Wanderers sealed their fate. Now they look to help K's seal a similar one.
Crowd: Their live crowds have grown in recent years and are typically around the 300 mark. They also have thousands of Brazilian fans who have adopted them from a distance - seven time Brazilian champions Corinthians Paulista were inspired by Corinthian FC and the two clubs have maintained ties since, including Corinthian-Casuals making three tours of Brazil.
Drinking: Tolworth's pub situation hasn't improved since we moved out but Casuals have a decent clubhouse which offers more choice than the bar in Mitcham. Otherwise, Ks fans tend to drink in Surbiton before matches at King George's Field.
Food: While it's hard to get a pint in Tolworth it's not hard to get something to eat, with a huge variety of fast food joints, cafes and restaurants lining both sides of the Broadway and reflecting the area's diversity.
