Remembering Nigel Sarson - Tooting & Mitcham United

For Saturday’s game against Camberley Town the Man of the Match award is dedicated to the Memory of Nigel Sarson, courtesy of Micky Sorenson. Nigel sadly passed away in October 2019 having given great service to our club. Here is the article which Ian Bullock, Club Historian and Life Vice President wrote at the time in memory of Nigel.

It is with great sadness that I write this appreciation of my dear friend Nigel Sarson, who recently passed away after a long illness. I had known Nigel for many years and we became really close friends and he was always there for me if I needed him.

Nigel was born on the 27th May 1943 and football was always his first love, along with cycling. He was a fervent supporter of the Wales Football and Rugby teams having spent some of his early childhood there. He also had a soft spot for Brighton in the Premier League.

During the late 1950’s and 1960’s he followed the fortunes of Fulham but around 1972 he started to support his local club Tooting & Mitcham United. In the 1980s and 1990s he helped out at Tooting & Mitcham Supporters Football Team matches by running the line on many occasions and even coming on as a sub in one game. Nigel helped run the bar at our old Sandy Lane ground and was the ideal person for the job, being very popular with the customers with his dry sense of humour. It brings back happy memories of the many great nights that were had there back in day.

Nigel did have a brief time away from the club helping out friends at Banstead Athletic but returned to his beloved Tooting & Mitcham when John Langford became First Team Manager, taking over as the club’s Kit Manager. When Tooting & Mitcham United moved to Imperial Fields he ran the club bar for a couple of years from late 2002. During a reorganisation at the club in 2006-07 he was made an Officer of Tooting & Mitcham United FC Members Ltd., becoming Club Secretary in 2008 and holding the position for a number of years.

Nigel was a hugely popular figure dealing with the football admin side of things making life easier for the management and was very supportive to the players. The huge number of nice messages on social media from players, managers and supporters pays testimony to that. One former player sums it all up perfectly – “Nigel was my all-time favourite at Tooting & Mitcham, a top man who looked after me from the second I walked through the door, a terrific character”.

A few lighter things about Nigel was that if he wasn’t going to a Tooting and Mitcham game on a Saturday he would hide himself away from the television so that he wouldn’t know any of the scores in the Premier League or Football League so that he could watch the highlights later not knowing the results. A couple of times when I rang him and I let slip a score he was not best pleased.

Nigel would save up all his pound coins and when he had several hundred take them down to the club to Jackie to save her going to the bank. He always had a good appetite being rather partial to a curry (and second helpings of Keith’s excellent Boardroom hospitality)

In recent times his health slowly deteriorated with more and more hospital visits but he took it all in his stride never complaining. He was always appreciative of his close friends and neighbours for their help and support.

This season (2019/20) he was deservedly made a Life Vice President of Tooting & Mitcham United FC Members Ltd for all his past services to the club but sadly he was not well enough to collect the award.

I will really miss my good mate who was a kind, caring, generous person who would help anyone if it was in his power.

Rest in peace Nigel you are no longer suffering.

Ian Bullock Club Historian & Life Vice President