Saturday 16th January 2016 3pm
Midland League Division One (step six)
Bromsgrove Sporting 3 Leicester Road 0 ht: 2-0 att: 412 Ent: £6 Prog £1.50 Coffee £1
Hewitt 3, 35 Brain 79
from Victoria Ground
Bromsgrove Sporting play at Bromsgrove Rovers’ old ground, the Victoria Ground. I knew that Rovers had played at a higher level in the pyramid but hadn’t realised they were such a non league giant, playing conference football and finishing as runners-up in 1992-93, behind Wycombe Wanderers. The Victoria Ground is of a size concomitant to its previous owner’s stature in the pyramid – it is a grand old stadium, dating back to 1910.
Rovers existed for 125 years, starting out in 1885. As well as the aformentioned success in the Conference they also won the Conference Cup (fka the Spalding Cup) two years running in 95 and 96. In 1994 they claimed their first league scalp in Northampton Town away, in ther FA Cup 1st round and played Barnsley in the 3rd round to a capacity 4,893 Victoria Ground crowd. They led 1-0 until the 88th minute before losing 2-1. After relegation from the Conference in 1997 they entered a slow decline which eventually saw their demise, because of financial problems, in 2010.
Bromsgrove Sporting have been promoted twice in their seven seasons. They were runners up three times running in the first division before finally winning it in 2016-17, after going the season unbeaten in the league, and reaching the semis of the FA Vase. Strangely the Midland League first division only promotes one club.
Due to their de facto replacing of Bromsgrove Rovers, they enjoy unusually high crowds for the Midlands League. There were 412 in attendance today.
A six step terrace lies behind one goal with a striking mural of the club name on the white panels at the back. The large main stand is fronted by a seven step terrace.
An 11 step covered terrace stands behind the other goal.
The other long side has some shallow covered terracing.
This game was from when they were still at step six and in the Midland Division One, enjoying the highest average crowd at that level, in the country. They were comfortable winners against Leicester Road. The club shop was impressive with a large selection of old programmes, especially from Rovers’ Conference days.
The Groundhog 