Not A Gray Cloud In The Sutton Sky, Just Some Silver Linings

He may not have been able to see year one out to a finish, but the resilient Sutton United boss has faced bigger problems in his life.

Let’s remember, when you have had your career ripped away from you by your mid-20s, what’s six months without football in comparison?

He takes his team to Wealdstone on Saturday sitting pretty in second, the live BT Sport match against the other surprise strong starters a victory for the powers of part-time football.

Not many people have enjoyed 2020, but Sutton sure aren’t hating it.

Five wins from seven so far this term, they lost just twice between New Year and when football was called off in March.

Now they go from south west to north west London looking to keep their incredible climb going.

Ahead of the second vs third clash, Gray said: “It was certainly a unique first season. Getting the job then going on a bad run was a baptism of fire.

“But I stuck to my beliefs - then I couldn’t even finish my first season due to a worldwide pandemic!

“I really loved my first taste of it. This has been years coming for me. A lot of years. A really long time and a lot of hard work.

“I was forced to retire when I was 25. That was no age really when you’re a footballer but I had six operations in six years.

“What I did next was try to turn a negative into a positive and build a future for myself in the game in another way. I knew when I was 16 that the management side of football was going to be for me. From that moment I just re-focused and got on with it.

“I’m very lucky to have my first job in management at a club as well-run as Sutton United. I’m not just saying that because the chairman may be reading!”

It’s been some start to the new season, despite not being able to hold onto a lead on Tuesday night at home to Dagenham,

The U’s have won at Yeovil, Weymouth and Aldershot already, with home success over King’s Lynn Town and Maidenhead United thrown into the mix for good measure.

They have 16 points from seven matches and no side has let in fewer goals.

So what’s the key to the success so far?

“I’m extremely pleased with where we’re at,” he told the National League’s Oliver Osborn in a Zoom chat.

“We’ve had some great wins, and we’ve gone very close against a really good Notts County side - I still maintain that whoever finishes above them will win the league.

“If you would have offered me this start before we began, then I would have taken that.

“There’s been many, many pluses so far, but I still feel there’s a hell of a lot to work on.

He added: “The second-half to last season I thought we were outstanding. After our horrendous run we made a few tweaks and results really turned.

“We kept 15 of those players and added a couple in and there wasn’t too many that we had to educate and get on the same page as everyone else. We were already up and running. I have got a young, hungry, fit group of players.

“We were unbeaten in pre-season and we hit the ground running when the league action started.”

His team head to Wealdstone having let in just five goals. The Stones, in third, have shipped 17 in comparison.

Should we really be surprised by stingy Sutton when we remember who is in charge?

“I’m a defender - so naturally I don’t like conceding goals!” Gray smiled.

“I like looking at tactics, so to stop the opposition is key but I also know what I didn’t like playing against. I like wingers, crosses and pace and power - I like entertaining football.

“I like to think we have recruited well. For the size of the club we know we’re not going to be able to go and recruit big-names, we’re going to have to use the Non-League market and find the up-and-coming players.

“It’s a club full of volunteers. There’s no money man. It’s about surviving - if you have stable foundations from bottom to top then it makes the managers’ job so much easier. It’s all down to the relationship with the board.

“This is such a tough division. We know on any day we can beat anyone - but by the same token, we also know on any given day they can beat us!

“The gap between the top and the bottom is very thin. Every point is certainly earned.”

PHOTOS BY PAUL LOUGHLIN