Non-League and Academy football writer

Derek Tharme is a gentleman who is well known in football, in the county of Sussex. A former Spurs A and reserve team player, where he was on the ground-staff from 1956 until 1962, Derek is from Brighton, and he was a very highly thought of player during his youth. A former Whitehawk player as a youngster, the talented full-back who could play on either flank, was until 2022 the first and only Whitehawk player to have been signed by a top flight/first division club. Derek’s time at Spurs, who he first joined in 1956 (on full-time terms) were happy times in his footballing career, with Derek getting the opportunity to play with and against top players who were around Spurs at that time. During his almost six years at Spurs, Derek Tharme predominantly played for the Spurs A team in the Eastern Counties League, but he also represented the very talented Spurs reserve side on occasions, as well. A long time supporter of Brighton & Hove Albion, Derek joined Southend United in 1962, after leaving Spurs. However, after not very many games for them, he sustained a bad injury, which meant that his time there came to quite an early end.

The former Spurs player once, during his time on national service in the 1950s, played for the Western Command side (alongside the legendary Bobby Charlton) against an Irish League side at Windsor Park, in Belfast. However, Derek Tharme’s wonderful footballing story would take him back to the county that he started his footballing journey in, with him later playing for teams such as Hastings United (alongside former England international Bobby Smith) and Crawley Town. However, his contributions to football in Sussex wouldn’t end there, as after his playing career had come to an end, he coached the Burgess Hill youth team during the 1970s, before coaching at other Sussex clubs – Withdean, and also Shoreham. Derek would coach there on a voluntary basis, but I am sure that he would have really helped a lot of the players at those clubs, with his great knowledge and experience of the game. It’s footballing people like Derek Tharme, who are so important to the grassroots of football, and to non-League football clubs. Derek has given a lot back to the game of football, and he still closely follows the progress of Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur and his very first club, Whitehawk.

Last August Derek celebrated his 85th birthday, and last season (2022/23) he returned to Tottenham Hotspur’s ground for the first time since leaving the club in 1962. Despite his achievements in football, Derek is a very humble gentleman, and someone who I am very fortunate to know, and to have met in the past.