Doswell excited by Southampton visit (From Fulham Guardian)

Doswell excited by Southampton visit

10:05am Monday 19th July 2010

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Sutton United manager Paul Doswell’s good relationship with his Southampton counterpart Alan Pardew helped him set up this Saturday's pre-season friendly between the two sides.

Pardew rang Doswell from Switzerland, where Saints are on their pre-season tour, to confirm that he would be bringing a full-strength side to Gander Green Lane.

Though the meeting will be a warm-up game for both sides, they will also be playing for silverware.

The winners will lift the President’s Trophy, a cup awarded in memory of Sutton’s long-serving former president Andrew Letts who passed away in 2008 aged 93.

Doswell was delighted to be able to attract his beloved Saints for a game of such importance to the Ryman Leaguers.

"It was a brilliant phone call to get," beamed lifelong Southampton fan Doswell, who met Pardew at a charity game at Sutton before he got the Saints job and has stayed in touch since.

"It’s a relationship that’s built up over the last year," he continued.

"I asked if a team could come up and expected the development squad.

"But he said they are bringing the full first-team – Rickie Lambert, David Connolly, everyone – and that he will be there to take the game to get ready for Reading and onwards for Plymouth.

"I never for one minute expected Saints to come to Sutton."

The news was especially welcome after Europa League finalists Fulham decided they couldn’t fit a pre-agreed friendly against Sutton into their pre-season schedule.

Sutton were hoping to bank around £30,000 from the game, which was part of a deal they struck after selling Stefan Payne to the Premier League side.

"It makes up for it in terms of profile," continued Doswell.

"It’s massively important in terms of the income for a non-league club and for me as a Saints fan it’s a real privilege to have them up.

"I would really hope that the Saints fans will come down to watch.

"Gander Green Lane is the sort of ground where you can get close to the players and be a part of the day.

"It’s only an hour down the road and it will be brilliant from our point of view to see as many Saints fans as possible."

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