Tom Chapman, Deal Town's leading scorer this season, was on target again in Saturday's 5-2 win at Steyning Town Community and also set a little piece of Hoops' club history in the process.

Chapman gave Deal the lead in the first half with his 20th league goal of the campaign and the talented winger has played a vital role in helping Steve King's side to become adjusted to their new "life" in the Isthmian League South East Division after winning promotion from the Southern Counties East League last season.

The Isthmian League South East Division is at Step Four in the National League System, and the last time that the Hoops were playing in a Step Four League was in the 1965-66 season. That was the last of the three seasons that Deal played in the old Southern League Division One before they resigned from that league and joined the old Greater London League.

Deal had found life tough during all the time they spent in the Southern League and the best individual goalscoring performance came from Ivan Green, who scored 19 league goals in the 1964-65 campaign to help the Hoops narrowly avoid relegation that season before finishing bottom of the table 12 months later.

But because the Greater London League, and then the next two leagues that the Hoops played in, the old Kent League followed by the Southern Counties East League, were Step Five level leagues it meant that Green's Step Four single-season scoring record was to stand for a total of 60 years until Chapman finally claimed it down in Sussex at the weekend.   

COURTESY OF KEVIN REDSULL

TC's second goal, of his brace, at home to Three Bridges last weekend was actually his 50th for the club on his 148th appearance. He is currently sponsored by Ward and Son Laundry Ltd. 

Tagged: Tom Chapman