AFTER two years in the largely Kent-based Southern Counties East League, Whyteleafe have been deprived of local derbies.
But this season, east Surrey clashes will come regularly starting with a trip to South Park on Saturday.
Before both sides went on to win their respective leagues, a rare meeting between the two sides saw Whyteleafe play South Park in a pre-season game last summer with the Reigate-side triumphing 3-2.
But while Leafe may not have been regular visitors to Whitehall Lane, Park are a team manager John Fowler is more than familiar with.
"South Park are a good side. I know a bit about them from my time with Croydon in the Combined Counties League. They still have a lot of the same players," Fowler explained.
"We haven't really had many local derbies recently so we are all really looking forward to it.
"It's a clash of two promoted sides, two sides who are used to winning, so it should be a good match and it being a derby adds a little bit of extra spice."
Leafe, like South Park, won their opening Ryman League Division One South game on Saturday.
Greg Andrews scored the only goal of the game as Leafe beat Ramsgate and Fowler believes it was the perfect response to their humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Beckenham Town in the Roy Vintner Challenge Shield the previous weekend.
"I was pleased. A big reaction was required after the shambles against Beckenham," the manager said. "It was important to get off to a good start.
"We didn't know a lot about the opposition but even when they had good spells they didn't trouble us too much.
"I was really pleased. I thought everyone stepped up."
