This article appeared in the matchday programme on 27 December 2025.
There is only one Darren Read. Perhaps not a chant you have heard before, but it’s the said Darren that is responsible for my long-time interest in Tooting & Mitcham. Up here in Scotland my league team is Airdrie and Darren, a Tooting and Mitcham fan from the area has been travelling up to Scotland once or twice a year to support Airdrie for over two decades now. We met twenty or so years ago, have been great friends ever since and it was his passion for Tooting & Mitcham that sparked my interest in the club. This has evolved over the years with my writing articles on T&M for the programmes of some Scottish non-league clubs such as Blantyre Victoria (who play in step 8) and through the support of the amazing Ed Parlett, I have written a range of articles for the excellent match programme at Tooting and Mitcham and, it has to be said, built up a great collection of T&M programmes. Cheers Ed. However, every time I have been in London the team have been away somewhere and my schedule has limited my opportunity to visit the club. On a recent visit to London, I was determined to rectify this and with the kind help and support of Ed and my host Peter Donoghue, I was finally able to visit the club and get a look around.
I absolutely loved Imperial Fields. Peter took me around the club and his expert knowledge was fascinating. Even managed a quick chat with the gaffer Jamie Byatt. It was abundantly clear that a relatively small group of people make amazing things happen at the club and keep it all functioning on a daily basis. These people give their time and effort to make the club better at every level and it was great to see the renovations to the bar area as one such example of their efforts. Naturally, I bought the obligatory T&M bobble hat which will see me through the harsh Scottish winter and act as a mobile advertisement for the club as I wear it to games here in Scotland. I am sure it will attract interest from the various non-league clubs that I visit in addition to Airdrie fans, many of whom are well aware of T&M through Darren. Thanks to Ed, and Peter for facilitating a great experience and to those I met on the day who made me feel so welcome at the club. I look forward to getting back down later in the season to see the team in action. Up the Terrors!