Nomads Korfball Club was founded in 1972 by Peter Allan, Roger Prowse and Mary Allan (nee Troy), though the story really begins four years earlier with a chance meeting of would-be participants for the “It’s a Knockout” TV programme.

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At the time (June 1968), Peter Allan was a coach at Mitcham Clarion Swimming Club. All of the sports clubs in Merton were invited to send along players to try out for Merton’s It’s a Knockout team. Peter went along with his swimming club and made friends with Mitcham Korfball Club.

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Peter got on so well with the korfball club that he often went on camping trips with them. At one of these weekends away, Peter was introduced to Roger Prowse.

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Over the next few months and years, Peter was asked to play korfball for Mitcham (they were desperate!) and they quickly hood-winked him into refereeing as well. However, Peter and Roger’s first love was football. Peter and Roger continued to play football regularly and only entered a korfball team into the 1972 London and District Korfball Association (LDKA) summer tournament because they wanted something to do. That doesn’t matter now though, because that is when Nomads Korfball Club was born!

Peter and Roger got some friends together (including Mary) and entered the LDKA tournament held on Wandsworth Common. That day, Elsie Renew, the LDKA Secretary, asked Peter if Nomads would be entering a team into the 1972/73 korfball season. Peter said it was unlikely as most of the boys played football; however, the girls who were playing said they wanted to join the league! The girls were challenged to find enough boys to enter a team. So, the following Saturday they went off to a party and came back with some (including Roger Penrose, later to become Nomads’ Chairman for many years and still a top scorer at the club)!

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To fulfil the league rules, the club needed a committee: Peter became the Chairman and Roger became the Treasurer (a role he held for 40 years!).

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In our first season, Nomads came third in the LDKA third division. In the second season we were promoted to the the second division - and entered another team into the third division. By our third year we had three teams - fielding 36 players - and our first team was in the first division. Today, Nomads has six senior teams across four different leagues, with 80+ members and we run a thriving junior program.