Paddy Hasty

Paddy Hasty was one of the greatest players to play for the club. He was a Northern Ireland Amateur International and a member of the Great Britain Olympic squad in 1960. A truly brilliant centre-forward and prolific goal scorer for Tooting & Mitcham United, netting 193 goals in 245 appearances for the club, a fantastic scoring ratio.

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Paddy was also one of the stars of the superb 1958/59 team, which reached the FA Cup Third Round Proper, losing to the eventual winners of the competition, Nottingham Forest after a replay. He also starred in that great season of 1959/60, when the club won the Isthmian League title, together with the London Senior and Surrey Senior Cups. The Terrors were also finalists in both the London Challenge Cup losing 2-1 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (Hasty with the consolation goal) and the London Charity Cup. T&MUFC being the only club to reach the three London Finals in the same season.

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Paddy was the Sandy Lane idol who bagged a hat-trick on his Tooting & Mitcham United debut on Christmas Day 1954, against local rivals Sutton United in a home 6-3 Athenian League victory. He also scored in his final United game away to Corinthian Casuals in an Isthmian League fixture played in February 1961, which we won 3-1. The match was played at the Oval Cricket Ground. Paddy would then sign professional forms for his local club Aldershot, who were then in the Football League. He also won the Athenian League title with us in the 1954/55 campaign and another Isthmian League Championship in season 1957/58.

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Paddy returned to the club, to make a guest appearance in March 1962, when he switched on our new floodlights at our old home Sandy Lane, against Arsenal before a crowd of 5,000. He also scored a goal in a 4-2 victory for the Terrors.

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Paddy Hasty was a loyal servant of Tooting & Mitcham United and even to this day when the name of Tooting & Mitcham United comes up in conversation with older non-league fans, his name is often mentioned.

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He was a true star.

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Article written by Ian Bullock TMUFC Members Club Vice President