No Softly Softly as Dulwich Hamlet pick up the Bill on the road at Imber Court...

In East Germany, Dinamo Berlin won 10 successive championships in the 1980s, but theirs was a tainted glory. Dinamo were the "police team" and their dominance owed much to timid or corrupt officialdom, high-level interference, a blind eye turned to the odd inducement to the opposition when the right result was needed and players whose closest connection to the police came when a black market copy of Reggatta de Blanc slipped through a chink in the Berlin Wall.

No such chance of that on Saturday as for we do things differently in Britain, which is why the football club of the Metropolitan Police must battle away in the Isthmian League rather than be given a leg up to the lofty echelons of the Premier League. Yet while the Met may not be detested like Dinamo, who represented both the Stasi secret police as well as the regular force, there are many who envy both their facilities at Imber Court, including one of the finest greenswards at any level of football, and manager Jim Cooper’s ability to pull in some of the finest talent available at this level regardless of a service record with the Boys in Blue.

Celebrating a decade in the hot seat Met Police boss Cooper took over a struggling club that had escaped relegation from the Isthmian League by the skin of their teeth in the previous two seasons, winning a relegation playoff with Wembley over two legs in 2003 before finishing just outside the drop zone a year later. Cooper’s arrival coincided with Met’s abandoning of their closed ranks policy as a sea change at the club forced by a goalkeeping crisis eventually players recruited from outside the thin blue line. It certainly did the trick though play off semi-final defeats in successive years to Bromley on penalties and Dover Athletic by the only goal of the game stymied promotion dreams. In 2007/8 the Blues finished 4th in Division One South but for the third time in four years was beaten in the play-off semi-final, this time 2-0 by Cray Wanderers. 12 months later the season finished with the Met in fourth position, thus qualifying for the play offs for the fourth time. Semi-final victory over Fleet Town (1-0) set them up for a final showdown against Cray Wanderers but to no avail as the Kent side triumph by the only goal.

The 2010/11 season proved to be the most exciting in the club's history, culminating in the clinching title by narrowest of margins – a single goal. Bognor Regis Town had a two-point advantage as the clubs faced their final matches. Away to relegation threatened Chatham Town Bognor could not claim the victory they needed as they were held to an unexpected draw, whilst at Imber Court the Police somehow scrambled the victory they needed against Merstham, that single goal was enough to send them up as champions with a goal difference of 61 against the Rocks’ 60.

After a mid-table finish in their first season in the Premier Division, slipping away after a promising start, the Police came within a whisker of the playoffs in the campaign just passed finishing just outside in sixth spot.

The summer brought much upheaval with a number of players upping sticks during the close season. However an excellent preseason gave the lie to any thoughts that the thin blue line had been stretched to breaking point as the ever ebullient Cooper strengthened the rear-guard with the signing of left sided defender Ricardo Joseph from Carshalton Athletic, Max Fitzgerald, latterly of Millwall and Nick Hutchings , Farnborough and Fleet Town. Also arriving, between the sticks, was the vastly experienced stopper Stuart Searle who counts Basingstoke, Chelsea, MK Dons and Chelmsford City among his former clubs. Another to boost the experience factor will be the versatile Simon Huckle, a mainstay of the Kingstonian engine room in latter years making over 250 appearances for the K’s and bagging in excess of 30 goal for them. With other new signing including Manny Osei (Harlow, Leiston), Josh Gallagher (Millwall, Leatherhead), Pat O'Connor (Millwall, Braintree), Lee Carey (Brighton and Hove Albion, Lewes, Hastings United), Will Bor (AFC Wimbledon, Staines) and teenage striker Tobi Alabi who was playing for Lungskile SK in Sweden’s Superettan until recently, any summer losses were quickly forgotten.

Fuelled by their pre-season form the Met opened their 2013-2014 season last Saturday having won seven out of eight pre-season games, bagged 21 goals and conceding just three – including a 0-0 draw with Skrill South and Isthmian Premier Champions new boys Whitehawk in the last of them. However, the best laid plans of mice and men and all that as Dave Knight grabbed Met Police nothing but a consolation goal in a 2-1 defeat away to Enfield Town. Better news in midweek though as Met Police picked up their first win of the Ryman Premier season on Tuesday night with a 3-1 win over Wingate & Finchley. Alabi, making his début grabbed a pair, whilst Knight hit the target once again; all this after Searle had saved a first half penalty that would have given the North London side the lead.

This afternoon’s game kicks off at 3.00 pm at Imber Court Sports Club, Ember Lane, East Molesey, Surrey, KT8 0BT. Directions to the ground can be found here

ADMISSION PRICES
£10 for Adults
£5 for Concessions
Under 16s FREE accompanied by a paying adult.