Sutton United chairman jokes boss Matt Gray has FAILED… because team doing too well ahead of Papa John’s Trophy Final

ALL aboard on yet another leg of Sutton United’s incredible journey.

Fresh from entering the Football League last summer for the first time in their 123-year history, not only are they competing for yet another promotion to League One but on Sunday will be playing in the Papa John’s Trophy final at Wembley.

But chairman Bruce Elliott says manager Matt Gray has FAILED to meet his objectives.

Gray, 40, is only in his third season in management and Elliott told SunSport: “Last year we asked him to keep us in the National League because we thought we were punching above our weight — but instead he got us promoted into the EFL.

“And this season, we asked him to just get us to 50 points so we can have a second year as members of the Football League.

“But not only did we reach that target in February, we’ve still got another chance of promotion and he’s got us to Wembley. So he has failed again!

“Yet, joking aside, you couldn’t make this sort of stuff up. We’re still pinching ourselves.”

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A vintage London bus — hired by the trophy’s sponsors — rolled into Sutton town centre this week as the team met fans ahead of Sunday’s big game.

Sutton, who have sold nearly 14,000 tickets, will be hoping its fourth time lucky at Wembley after losing all three of their previous trips — but it will be their first appearance under the arch and first at our national stadium since 1981.

And Eliott has been to all THREE — watching the club in the FA Amateur Cup final in 1963 and 1969 as well as the FA Trophy final in 1981.

He said: “When I went in 1963 I was a teenager and the first time I’d ever been to Wembley. We lost 4-2 to Wimbledon with Eddie Reynolds scoring four headed goals.

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“I’ve been chairman since 1996 and in that time we’ve won promotions, had our best-ever FA Cup run where we reached the fifth round against Arsenal in 2017 and become Football League members for the first time in our history. 

“But the one last thing I still had to tick off was getting to a Wembley final and we’ve done it.”

Having been a Tottenham youth team-mate of Peter Crouch and Ledley King, Gray had to retire as a player aged 25 due to injuries after a short non-league career playing for Barnet, Hayes and Havant & Waterlooville.

And he spent 12 years serving as an assistant at Eastleigh as well as in League Two with Aldershot and Crawley before becoming a coach under Paul Doswell and then replacing him when he stepped down.

The Sutton boss said: “I always wanted to go into coaching and management. 

“It was engrained into me from childhood by my dad and grandfather from the age of 10. We’d be watching games and they’d be quizing me about what formations different teams were playing. I always had that eye for it and passion for coaching.

“I didn’t expect to be in it so young though after having six operations in six years — three back, three knee.

“I gained a lot of experience. I wanted to become a manager but it had to be at the right club because I wasn’t a household name.”

TOUGH START

And — although what Gray has achieved at Sutton is nothing short of miraculous — he admits his start to management was tough.

He said: “I won two and drew three of my first five games in charge but then went on a run of one win in 14. For that to happen so early in my managerial career was a baptism of fire.

“But not once did I have any concerns about the board sticking by me. They’ve always been supportive and I know how well we had been playing in that run. We just weren’t getting the results or the rub of the green.

“I knew it would change with a couple of tweaks here and there and Bruce and the board have forever been supportive. We’ve not looked back since.”

Captain Ben Goodliffe returns to the stadium almost a year after he watched England in the Euro 2021 Final against Italy with team-mate Dean Bouzanis.

The former personal trainer, 22, said: “I’d never have thought beyond my wildest dreams I’d be playing there myself less than a year later!

“I’ve snapped up 60 tickets for family and friends. I can’t wait to play in front of them and all the fans.

“Joining Sutton after I was released by Wolves three years ago has been the best thing to happen to me. I’ve played more than 100 games for the club and we’ve evolved from a non-league side to one that is trying to get into League One.

“The recruitment of players here has been brilliant and the gaffer likes us all to have banter away from football but when it’s time to work we all knuckle down.”

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk