News

Corinthian-Casuals FC are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement for Epsom & Ewell FC to groundshare at King George’s Arena for two seasons from the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign.

The Salts currently play in the Combined Counties Premier Division South and have been without a home ground of their own since moving out of their West Street ground in 1993.

It is hoped their move to Tolworth – a short journey from the borough of Epsom & Ewell – will be beneficial to both clubs and we look forward to enjoying a close working relationship with their committee, staff and supporters.

“I’m very happy to have made this agreement with Epsom & Ewell,” said Brian Adamson, Chairman of Corinthian-Casuals. “It’s a club we have a good relationship with and we’re looking forward to having them with us.”

Mel Tough, Chairman of Epsom & Ewell FC, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Epsom & Ewell to be at the closest ground to our borough.

“I would like to thank Corinthian-Casuals for agreeing to the share and look forward to developing the good relationship, and helping to get both historic clubs back to where they belong.”

Corinthian-Casuals FC are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement for Epsom & Ewell FC to groundshare at King George’s Arena for two seasons from the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign.

The Salts currently play in the Combined Counties Premier Division South and have been without a home ground of their own since moving out of their West Street ground in 1993.

It is hoped their move to Tolworth – a short journey from the borough of Epsom & Ewell – will be beneficial to both clubs and we look forward to enjoying a close working relationship with their committee, staff and supporters.

“I’m very happy to have made this agreement with Epsom & Ewell,” said Brian Adamson, Chairman of Corinthian-Casuals. “It’s a club we have a good relationship with and we’re looking forward to having them with us.”

Mel Tough, Chairman of Epsom & Ewell FC, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Epsom & Ewell to be at the closest ground to our borough.

“I would like to thank Corinthian-Casuals for agreeing to the share and look forward to developing the good relationship, and helping to get both historic clubs back to where they belong.”

Dan O’Donovan joined us at the turn of the year and has made an instant impression between the posts for Paul Barnes’ new-look Casuals side in 2024. Dominic Bliss sat down with the 20-year-old keeper after our 1-1 draw with Southall on Saturday…

Dan, we picked up an important point with a 1-1 draw against second-placed Southall on Saturday, and we looked good value for it. What was your take on that performance?

I think a big difference was that we went with the wind in the first half, so we made sure we were on top at the start, and I think the new boys coming in added just that bit more energy as well.

We really took it to them. I think Southall came here thinking we’d lost our last four or five on the bounce so it would be an easy one for them, but we really showed the togetherness that we’re starting to build now. It’s a fraction of what we need to do to get ourselves out of the situation we’re in, but I’m really looking forward to the games to come.

Has it been a case of squad-building these last few weeks?

Yeah, I think Barnsey’s done a really good job of getting the players together as much as he can really, with the short amount of time we’ve had. As the chairman said in the programme, it’s been like a pre-season halfway through the season, which is obviously not ideal, but I think we’re finally starting to look like we’re getting it right.
That was the first time this squad has all played together and I think we did really well – it’s on the incline now.

What’s your background and how did you come to join us mid-season?

I’ve been in non-league for a few years now. I’ve been at Step 6, then Step 5 last year and this year my aim was to play Step 4. I started the season at Merstham but didn’t get into the squad unfortunately, then I got a call from Carshalton Athletic because their keeper got injured and they needed someone to fill in. I went there, played six or seven games and I think I did really well.

Circumstances meant I didn’t end up staying there, but the experience was crucial for me, especially the mental side of things, knowing I can play at that level, I can play higher.

I got a call from a man that both Barnsey and I know, saying that he needed a keeper here, and explaining the situation at Corinthian-Casuals. This is more-or-less on my doorstep, it’s at Step 4 and obviously, with the history of this club, I couldn’t say no to the opportunity. I’ve known about this club for a long time, from youth level when I was with the Kinetic Foundation, who used to play their Under-18s here in the FA Youth Cup.

Oh, you were a Kinetic player?

Yeah, I used to be at Kinetic. When I was a first and second-year scholar, I was with Kinetic, and I was on the bench for the Youth Cup team here, before I went to play for the Croydon team. So I know a lot about this club – obviously everyone knows about Casuals because it’s such a big and important club. I’m so excited to be playing here and grateful that I’ve got this opportunity to play for Casuals.

You’ve made some big saves lately and contributed to the draw on Saturday. How important could that performance be in the development of this team?

Not losing that game was crucial. I think a lot of people would have thought going into that game, against a team in second, that we’d be in for a long afternoon. But we really showed how much we want this… and I think we’ll get out of this… but it’s going to be a long, uphill climb to get there.

The fans really got behind us on Saturday, especially after we got the goal. It went up a notch – I was shouting and I could barely hear myself, and I was up the other end of the pitch – that’s how loud the fans were. That’s what football is all about and the fans are everything to this club. We’re really grateful to them.

Quade Taylor is a former professional who joined us this January after working with Paul Barnes in the past. The 30-year-old – who can play in central defence or midfield – tells us about his journey to this point and his hopes for the coming months at Casuals…
 
Interview: Dominic Bliss
Image: Stuart Tree
 
What attracted you to move to Corinthian-Casuals in the middle of a tough season for us?
 
If I’m being honest, in my current circumstances, where I haven’t been playing football this season for one reason or another, I was big on location. I wanted somewhere I could play that would work around family and work. I live in Clapham Junction, so it ticks the boxes in that sense.

Also, it was a chance to work with Barnesy, who I know well and have worked with a couple of times now, at Dulwich Hamlet and Hastings. So there were no surprises – I know what I’m getting from him. It doesn’t matter whether it’s his best day or his worst day, you know exactly what you’re getting.

Then there’s the club itself and the fans. We are not in the best form or the best position, but you saw last Tuesday night at Raynes Park that the fans are there through thick and thin, after each and every game. Even when they could easily turn on us, they are still encouraging us.

What they have shown us in the short time I’ve been here has been brilliant.
 
Do you know much about the history of the club?
 
I do know bits and bobs, because over the years, a few of my friends have played here, and I have played against the club in the FA Cup and pre-season games. So I do know the history, to an extent, but I don’t know the full ins and outs yet.
 
What’s your football back story?
 
To begin with, I was at Dulwich briefly, and I played in the first team when I was 17, which got me a move to Crystal Palace straight away. I didn’t break through at Palace, but it was a great experience playing professional football, and then I followed Dougie Freedman to Bolton. I was there for two years and it was completely different. I was in the first-team setup for the whole time, and I eventually made my debut, which was a dream come true for me.

It was an experience where I got a taste of it, and I didn’t fulfil my potential but that has nurtured me to understand the game better and be able to help other players. With the experience I’ve got, I’m an open book and this squad are really good at listening and taking on advice.
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​Since then, you’ve spent time with a few non-league sides, mainly Dulwich Hamlet, which is a club with a strong identity. Similarly, Casuals has always existed as an alternative to the professional ranks and as a place for footballers to fall back in love with the game, which feels like a good fit for you right now. Is that fair?
 
Yeah, it’s exactly that. You couldn’t have put it any better. This year, I have taken some time away from football and I got a call from Barnesy around the New Year, asking if I wanted to come here.

​I wasn’t sceptical about it, I don’t look at the position we’re in and think, “Oh no, that’s not for me.” The decision was more about myself, but since I’ve been here I’ve seen a style of play developing, even if the results haven’t improved. It’s just a couple of areas, like lack of concentration and mistakes, not being able to consistently perform to the level that we want, that’s letting us down at the moment. But there’s definitely huge improvements in the time I’ve been here.
 
Do you see reasons for optimism?
 
For sure. One thing with Barnesy and Justin [Fevrier] is that they’re very honest with us and if there’s anybody who is not reaching the standards or being accountable for their performances, they will let them know. If that means bringing in an extra one or two players to raise the competition, then they will do that, and I think the boys understand that. You can see in training now that everyone wants to fight for their place, no one is happy just turning up and being on the bench. They all want to stake a claim and I think that’s the best thing that can happen to us because it pushes everyone to raise their standards, which ultimately should show on the pitch and reflect in results.

Photography by Stuart Tree

Corinthian-Casuals Women are delighted to announce the appointment of Dean Gaynor as our first manager since reforming.
Dean joins shortly after the reformation of the women’s setup at the club and now has the task of putting together a squad ready to join the seventh tier of the pyramid next season beginning with the first set of trials this Tuesday evening.

We caught up with him at King George’s Field, where he took in the surroundings and the history of the club, before telling us how much he is looking forward to getting to work.

Dean, welcome to the club. How does it feel to be named the first manager of the reborn Corinthian-Casuals Women’s team?

Very exciting. I can’t wait to get started. What I’m most looking forward to is getting a team together and getting the mentality right straight away. That’s probably the best thing about being first in the door. I’ve got a clean slate – I don’t have to change anyone’s mindset or anything. I can start from scratch, which is really good.

We’re starting with open trials on Tuesday. What is your approach to building a team?

I need a team with a good spirit, so at the trials I can see what I need, what fits my philosophy, what players I need, and go from there. I believe in attacking football and players that will work hard for each other. I don’t need flashy, “I can do it all on my own” players, because you’re never going to win anything that way. It’s about working together as a team. I like having good, talented players as long as they are part of a team and help push everyone forward. It’s about togetherness – that’s a massive thing in my football teams and something I’ve always instilled. Everyone is one. Even if you’re on the bench and you’re angry that you’re not in the team, remember that when the team wins a trophy, you’re still going to win, you’re still as much a part of it as everyone else. You all have to be in it together.

​Why did you want to get involved in women’s football?

I have three daughters and I want to show them that it’s not all about men’s football. There is nothing to stop women achieving what men have in this game. I think empowering women is a good thing, and that’s my task. The energy and enthusiasm that everyone in the women’s setup has is only going to help me more, and strive to do good things. I can tell everyone’s really excited and up for the challenge, so it’s really good to be around that.

Have you got a glimpse of this club’s significance on your first visit to the ground?

Yeah, and I want us to bring more history to the club. I want, in a 100 years’ time, people to remember this time. I want to bring more trophies in to this clubhouse, enjoy more celebrations like the ones on the walls here, and I think we can do that. That’s my main aim. Let’s make a mark on this club.

If you’re interested in getting involved as a player or a volunteer at Corinthian-Casuals Women, please contact our general manager Paul Mitchell at [email protected]

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. 
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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. 
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“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!” 
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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.