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Malcolm Parker: Covering Casuals

24/5/2023

by David Harrison

As a difficult season comes to a close it’s a good moment to say thanks to Malcolm Parker who has been writing the Non-League Paper (NLP) match reports for Corinthian-Casuals home games for the past 18 seasons. He’s covered the worst and best of times for the club, from teetering in the depths of lower leagues to James Bracken leading us to promotion to the Isthmian Premier, and now, sadly, relegation.

Malcolm wrote: “My first Casuals match was in 1998 when we were in the Spartan League. In the early 2000s I was asked by then Press Secretary Rob Cavallini to do some reports for the matchday programme. In the 2004/05 season I was invited to do the home match reports for the Non-League Paper which I have done ever since, missing very few games.”

Due to his tennis commitments Malcolm often arrives at Tolworth only minutes before kick-off. He has to get his report of up to 250 words through to the NLP by 5.30pm. For big games Stuart Tree may add an action photo.

So a quick cup of tea in the boardroom at half-time is all we see of Malcolm. Unusually for a reporter, Malcolm chooses to stand behind one of the goals “near his pals”, rather than sitting in the press box. “When the final whistle blows, I’m off.” He phones the report through from his home nearby.

His best memory? When Corinthian-Casuals won the Surrey Senior Cup in May 2011 at Sutton, beating Leatherhed 2-0 with goals from Dave Hodges and Joel Thompson.

As someone who has stood in for Malcolm on his occasional absence, I can attest that it’s no mean feat to get the report written and phoned in. First make sure you’ve got the scorers right and who assisted – for both sides; then find out other results to see if Casuals’ position in the league table is affected; and even try for a quote from the manager; and all by 5.30pm. Then make sure you get a copy of the NLP on Sunday morning – to find they’ve edited out half your report!

Despite the club’s relegation to the Isthmian South Central League next season we’re delighted that Malcolm will continue reporting. He says that in this lower league the NLP has restricted him to 120 words a match. “Not sure how I’ll manage but I’ll have a go!”

From all of us at Corinthian-Casuals, thank you Malcolm, for your mighty efforts.

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Josh Uzun: “It’s A Special Club”

22/5/2023

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Interview by Zac Welshman
Photos by Stuart Tree

There was plenty to reminisce over at King George’s Field on 6 May. Danny Bracken’s testimonial gave fans and players the chance to catch up with old friends and trade stories of seasons gone by. But perhaps no moment realised the nostalgia around the ground more than when Josh Uzun surrendered his ball-playing duties, donned the gloves, and replaced his former captain in goal.

Uzun had already taken the goalkeeping mantle once before after Bracken fell victim to a broken leg at Walton Casuals in the 2017/18 campaign. With the Casuals in the hunt for a play-off place but now without a recognised goalkeeper, the midfielder shouldered the additional responsibility, stepped into goal, and over almost 70 minutes, produced a string of expert stops to keep the score at 0-0.

Thankfully, the circumstances that surrounded this most recent replacement were far less serious. A wrist injury suffered midway through the second half of his testimonial was enough to force Bracken out of goal, but not enough to keep him off the pitch as fans delighted in seeing their former captain switch sides and try his luck outfield. And while all eyes were on Bracken, many supporters were just as eager to see Uzun reprise his role as emergency goalkeeper, even if, as the man himself put it, “There was a lot less pressure this time.” And this second goalkeeping cameo gave Uzun the chance to reflect on his first foray between the sticks.

“Obviously Bracks broke his leg after about 20 minutes,” he recalled. “And I’d always messed around in goal, so when James [Bracken] said, ‘Do you fancy it?’, I just said, ‘Yeah, I’ll give it a go!’ But it was horrible. As soon as the whistle went it was just relief. Even though I’m not a goalkeeper, I didn’t want to let the team down.”

With Uzun standing several inches shorter than his predecessor, there were concerns that Walton would take advantage against the comparatively diminutive keeper.

“I remember the commentator for the recording said when I was getting my shirt on, ‘He’s a bit small for a goalkeeper!’”
Despite the early doubts, an inspired performance kept the home side at bay and the result would prove vital as Corinthian-Casuals finished in the play-off places by a single point before ultimately securing promotion, a fact Uzun could only humbly recount by declaring, “It all worked out in the end.”

His willingness to take one for the team and the performance that followed has given Uzun cult-hero status at King George’s Field, but it’s his outfield successes that remain a talking point for many. Flushed with compliments by sentimental fans during the testimonial, a pre-season hat-trick against Bristol Rovers is often pointed to as an example of his natural talent.

“Yeah, I remember that game!” he said. “One was a free-kick on the edge of the box and two were penalties. I’ve not scored many hat-tricks so to do it against a side like that was nice. I’ve never been the quickest or the strongest but technically I’ve always been good, I’m maybe one or two steps ahead of others.”

Uzun’s former manager James Bracken would likely agree with that assessment, as the ex-Casuals boss once allegedly claimed that, if he could, he would field an 11 made up entirely of Josh Uzuns.

“I’ve heard this before,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s really nice to hear, we spoke before and he told me I had a complete footballing brain. Even in goal I sort of know where to be, so apart from maybe centre-back, I’ve played everywhere for James.”
It was Bracken who brought Uzun to Tolworth after the pair first worked together for a season at Sutton United, and it’s a decision he’s still grateful for.

“I know James understood what I’m about, and I’m happy he brought me here because of the people I met, and the memories I have are amazing.”

Despite departing back in 2018, Uzun is still held in high regard around the club, a fact that was evident from the stands as the fans behind his goal serenaded him once again despite his efforts to keep the man of the hour at bay.
“It’s amazing, I never really had that anywhere else, that connection with the fans and the players. You don’t get that everywhere, it’s a special club. I’m so grateful, when the boys behind the goal sing your song it just gives you such a buzz and I’ll always be grateful for the support they’ve shown.”

Although there was no clean sheet this time around, Uzun wasn’t too downtrodden about being beaten by his former captain from the spot with the last kick of the game.

“It was Danny’s day and I’m happy he scored. I think it would have been wrong of me to save the penalty! When he got it, I thought I’ll stay in the middle, I didn’t want to get dinked or be embarrassed…but I dived late!”

Many of those that took to the field during Bracken’s testimonial have unique stories and fascinating relationships with the club. But despite a plethora of available anecdotes, Uzun’s may just top the lot when it comes to originality, and his return to King George’s Field was as entertaining as it was heart-warming.

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Stuart Tree: “It’s Not Goodbye”

12/5/2023

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Words by Zac Welshman
Photos by Katja Hillebrandt

As the footballing curtain fell on Corinthian-Casuals’ 2022/23 season, it signalled the end of an era off the pitch as long-time programme editor and matchday photographer Stuart Tree called time on his media duties at the Corinthian-Casuals.

Having written, designed, and edited the club’s matchday programme, The Casual, for over a decade, Tree has become part of the fabric at King George’s Field, and despite taking a step back from his official involvement, the affection he has for the club and its community is as ardent as ever.

Recalling how, as a student working in the local area in 1999, he went in search of live, local football, he said, “I didn’t even know there was a football club here until I started working up at Tolworth Tower. So I said to a work colleague, ‘Let’s go down there and see what it’s like’, and we just fell in love with the place immediately. There were only about 40 or 50 people there, and it was really quiet but very welcoming and I just loved it.”

After a few years in the stands, it was a passion for photography that brought the amateur snapper closer to the action and led to his official involvement with the club. “The football photography kind of just took off organically, I bought my first camera, I was already going to the football and I just combined the two.” With matchday photos scarce for the club, then-programme editor Rob Cavallini began including Stuart’s work, eventually leading to him succeeding Cavallini in 2010.

“I remember we were away at Leatherhead,” he recalls. “Rob was resigning and Brian Vandervilt came up to me and asked if I fancied doing the programme next season, and I thought, ‘You know what, let’s do it! I’ll do it for a season.’”

One season turned into 12 years as a new-look programme became a matchday staple for Casuals fans despite the “crisis of confidence” that struck the new editor early on. “It had always been done the same way, everything was done on Word, given to a local printer, and then the brothers [Brian and Roger Phillips] would go and pick it up on their bikes and spend Saturday morning folding and stapling it.

“So it was learning to change those things, like getting a professional printer involved. But Rob handed it over really well, we went to a pub one night and just went through everything and he was always on hand whenever I had any questions.”

The media influence extended onto the pitch too as James Bracken took over as manager in 2015. “He brought in a side that had a lot of collectiveness, he also made me feel very welcome, and he said a lot of kind things about how I was part of their team as well. So I always felt a loyalty to them, I wanted to kind of keep going and keep doing it for them.”

The longevity that came with that loyalty produced a hatful of memorable moments for Tree, who eagerly reminisced about the buzz he felt around the club during the mid to late 2010s, specifically the play-off semi-final against Greenwich Borough in 2017.

“It was surreal, this is a club that traditionally sits near the bottom of the league below, let alone in this division,” he recalled. “I remember being away at Greenwich and I just thought. ‘This is what I usually do with other clubs, I photograph other club’s semi-finals, but this is my club!’ I was so nervous I had a raging headache by the end of it, but that’s a game that will live long in the memory.”

Having experienced highs and lows over the years, Stuart gladly passed on some advice for Casuals fans new and old.

“Enjoy it,” he said before quickly continuing, “but don’t get too swept up in it. It’s easier said than done. There’s been times I’ve sat pitchside watching us lose a two-goal lead and thought, ‘Why am I doing this?! Why am I putting myself through this?’

“But this season has been a revelation for me, I’ve taken a step back and realised whether it’s step 3 or step 4, level 7 or level 8, people don’t care. They just want to come along, have a good time and cheer on their local football team, and it won’t matter an iota that we’re suddenly playing in a slightly different league. So take that breather, take a step back.”

Although his official involvement with the club has come to an end, he is as excited as ever to support from the stands and document the game.

“I’ve taken around 40,000 football photos, which is scary. So there’s not many I have left to tick off. But Kat [Stuart’s girlfriend] has just discovered football photography and I’m loving that we can come along and snap games together because I’ll always want to take photographs. It's not just taking photographs that I enjoy, it’s about what the club gets out of it as well.”

There’s no doubt that Tree’s larger-than-life personality will still be felt around the club in seasons to come, albeit in slightly smaller doses. “I want to come down, get in at five to three, have a few beers, and leave at five past five,” he chuckled, before admitting there will likely always be something for him to get involved in.

“Once you cross that threshold, you never truly hold back. I just hope for a good season on the pitch.”

For Casuals fans that still want to see more of his work, Stuart can be found on Flickr and Twitter.

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James Bracken, A Tribute

10/5/2023

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Words by David Harrison
Photo by Stuart Tree

With much attention going to Danny Bracken last weekend – quite rightly – to mark his 500 games for Corinthian-Casuals, it also seems appropriate and important, to remember the immense contribution that older brother James has also made to the club.

James came to Corinthian-Casuals as manager in 2015/16, three years after brother Danny had joined. James had enjoyed three highly successful seasons with Sutton United, steering their Reserves to three consecutive Suburban Premier League titles. He picked up no less than seven trophies with Sutton in 2015, as well as winning the Ryman Youth ‘Champion of Champions’ in 2016. During those years James was named by the Non-League Paper as one of the best young managers in the country.

James is now 39, Danny seven years younger. Danny recalls how James was a gifted player, “better than me”. As youngsters both had been on the books of West Ham, James from the age of 10 for three years as a promising right winger. He went on to Wycombe Wanderers for three years as a sweeper then played right wing-back at Woking. But James injured his back working and started coaching at Sutton United, before moving on to Corinthian-Casuals.

Danny assessed his brother’s managerial skills. “His knowledge of the game is outstanding, what each individual and the collective team should do. He’d talk to his assistant Dan Pringle all day on a Friday about the team make-up and tactics. Dedication is the word.”

In September 2017, James was named ‘Mitre Manager of the Month’ for an unbeaten four-week run while Danny was awarded the Bostik League South ‘Safe Hands’ award after Corinthian-Casuals conceded only a single goal in four league fixtures. That is the measure of their joint contribution.

In his seven seasons at Corinthian-Casuals James took the club from languishing in the lower levels of the Isthmian League South, through two play-off final defeats and a points-per-game reprieve, to the Isthmian Premier League in Step 3, where in his final season Casuals finished a comfortable 14th.

James had spoken of his aims: “The mission, set by my own ambitions in 2015, was to get an amateur club promoted to Step 3, then keep them there. I came to do something for me and for a group of young players who needed an opportunity… Here we are seven years later and the last four spent at Step 3.

“Three play-off finishes in our first three years and more penalty shoot-out heartbreaks than any other team – I know it simply galvanised us. That disappointment and pain we all shared only served as motivation to keep us going and do better.

“What I know is none of these are individual awards. Without the support of an incredible staff – words don’t do them justice – none of this would have happened. They have taken every step of the way with me. I’ll always be grateful for the friendship, support and commitment shown by Dan Pringle, Jon Williams, Al Winnett and Carly Doyle.”

James wrote his own farewell on the club website: “Corinthian-Casuals is a special club. You learn that quickly when you’re there and understand what it represents. It’s unique and very much a collective. For that reason I say thank you to Corinthian-Casuals, for the opportunity, for the support, for the experience, for everything.”

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Danny Bracken: "It Couldn't Have Gone Better"

8/5/2023

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Words by Dominic Bliss
Photos by Katja Hillebrandt and Stuart Tree

Few players have embodied the Corinthian spirit quite like Danny Bracken did over the course of 12 years and 508 appearances for the club, and his testimonial on Saturday was a reminder of all that is good about Corinthian-Casuals.

Players from across his time here returned for the game between a team of Corinthian Legends, managed by Brian Adamson, and a Casuals All Stars side, led by James Bracken, and as Danny himself put it after the final whistle: “It couldn’t have gone any better".

"For everyone to turn out as they did, in that weather, on Coronation weekend, was really special,” he said. “Everyone who was there did it in the right spirit, the game was competitive enough that it was entertaining to watch as well as being fun to be part of, so I think the balance was right.”

The sentiment was flowing from the moment the players began arriving, with old team-mates catching up and working out which dressing room they were meant to be in. It was like a little time-warp!” he laughed. “When I walked in one changing room, it was like I’d stepped back 12 years, and the other one was a gradual progression of another seven years.

“It was really good to see them all and I thought everyone played well, which was nice, because when the line-ups came out it looked like one team was more balanced than the other, but when the game kicked off it was actually very even. It was really good seeing some of the old faces. When I saw Meddie [Nsubuga]… who I played with 10 years ago, he didn’t look any different! He literally looked identical, and apparently he’s been playing at Banstead. He’s 42 and I think he might have played 90 minutes – to be fair, he probably played better than I’ve ever seen him play!”

The supporters turned out in good numbers to pay tribute to a club great and the atmosphere throughout was one of celebration, much needed at the end of a tough season. The Fiel Londres joined the local faithful behind the goal and unfurled two new banners for the second half. Bracken was overawed by the good feeling.

“When I saw three security guards, I was thinking, ‘I’m not sure these are going to be needed today!’” he joked. “Obviously, the fans are great and then the Brazilians add to the atmosphere. My whole family came down, with my missus’ family and some of my dad’s football friends as well. It was just nice to have everyone there for the day and the game couldn’t have gone any better.”

Bracken faced competition in the other goal, as Jon Williams – a popular part of James Bracken’s backroom team and our head groundsman – put in a great display between the sticks.

“Do you know what, I’ve seen Jon in training and he’s an amazing shot-stopper and he made some great saves,” said Danny. “He definitely made more saves than I did during the game, so I was pleased for him – he did really well.”

There was also a chance for a bit of unexpected nostalgia when Danny picked up an injury and couldn’t continue in goal. Without a sub goalkeeper, he looked around the pitch at the options and saw Josh Uzun, who had stepped in to replace him at Walton Casuals during our promotion campaign in 2017/18, keeping an invaluable clean sheet in the process. The script was written.

“When I hurt my hand, I was thinking I’ll try and play on, then I made one save and it hurt so much, I thought, ‘Do you know what? Uzun’s over there – let’s get him in!’

“He did a good job at Walton the first time around and he’s a bit of a keeper, to be fair, so I think he enjoyed it as well.” It meant Danny got his chance to prove to everyone that he really could have cut it as a left-winger at this level.

“I rolled back 20 years, I reckon!” he said. “I used to play left wing as a kid, although I used to be a bit faster, but I think years of goalkeeper training and jumping on the floor doesn’t really prepare you for running on the wing.

“I did alright, though. I probably did better outfield than I did in goal, to be honest! It was fun to be out there and play with people like Kieron Cadogan, who has played in the Championship for Palace. To share the pitch with some of those players was something special, to be honest.”

Danny had an effort disallowed for the ball going out of play, but he wasn’t to be denied his testimonial goal, and when Danny Dudley gave him a nudge in the back in stoppage time, the referee pointed to the spot. But was it a bit of a soft one, for the occasion?

“A stonewall penalty!” Danny responds. “Stonewall. I saw Duds coming, just took the contact and went down. The ref was brilliant, to be honest. I liked the way he didn’t want to give a goal when I dropped one in my own net as well! I did just think about taking a goal kick and getting on with the game, but I don’t think my brother would have let it happen – he’d have come on the pitch himself!

“I’d like to see VAR on the ball that supposedly went out for the other goal I got, because I’d have had two if that counted.

“But it was good fun and I think everyone who was there enjoyed the day, because Casuals isn’t about me. It’s about the community and everyone around it. It was a day for everyone really and I hope everyone enjoyed it.

“You see people like Rog [Stringer], who has been there for years. He’s been stood there on his own at Three Bridges when we were getting battered 4-0 and struggling in the Ryman South, and to see him still there 12 years on, still supporting the team as loudly as he was then, with the support that has grown, is great.

“We’ve got some really good people down there and I just hope the club can have a team that the crowd can continue to get behind, and establish themselves again as a Corinthian-Casuals team that no one wants to play, which is what the aim needs to be.”

After the game, Chairman Brian Vandervilt paid tribute to Danny, who received a signed shirt from all the players involved and a commemorative cake from David and Julie Harrison.

Vandervilt also paid tribute to the club’s long-serving media officer and programme editor, Stuart Tree, presenting him with a signed shirt as the fans and former players sang his name.

The clubhouse was alive long after the final whistle had blown, with supporters, former players, managers and volunteers mingling and reminiscing. There was a royal coronation earlier in the day, but it was also the day Corinthian-Casuals celebrated the man who was the jewel in the crown of a generation of players this club will never forget.

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Malcolm Parker: Covering Casuals

Josh Uzun: “It’s A Special Club”

Stuart Tree: “It’s Not Goodbye”

James Bracken, A Tribute

Danny Bracken: "It Couldn't Have Gone Better"

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