"And if you know your history, it's enough to make your heart go 'well, that was quite interesting'."
The Jokers were started in 1988 by Chris Salmon and James Duberly. The name has often as much a source of puzzlement to our own players as much as the opposition, with common on-field conversations along the lines of "Why you called the Jokers mate", "Coz we're shit?". The name was in fact chosen by the brother of Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, a one-time player during the Jokers' period as a Bristol University football and cricket club. Then as now, the club had a reputation for gifted individuals but erratic overall form.
After Bristol, Chris, James and Adrian moved to London and re-formed the team, entering it in the Wimbledon and District league Division 2 (the bottom league). The home team was in Southfields, where a brook by the side of the pitch collected at least 8 balls a season and the local dogs left presents for any players involved in the Jokers' limited forays down the wing. In those early days the Jokers regularly managed to get 11 players out.
To avoid all the dogshit, the team moved from grass to astroturf and were soon (after about 7 years) promoted from Thames League Division 3 (the bottom league) to Division 2, due to the fact that the league was reduced in size.
In 2003-2004 the Jokers were promoted to Thames League Division 1, after an influx of new players under goalkeeper/manager Peter Linter. However, the 2004-2005 season saw the Jokers relegated for the first time in their history, needing to win their last two games they could only manage a draw and a win.
The Jokers showed great 'bouncebackability' in 2005-2006. The Jokers most successful season ever included a stretch of fourteen league games without defeat, resulting in an immediate return to the top flight.
The following season, things again looked bleak for the side's attempt to avoid the yo-yo tag, as they found themselves bottom and winless at Christmas, but an incredible second half of the season, comprising eight wins in ten games, saw the Jokers achieve their highest ever league position of 4th in 2006/2007.