Wolverhampton Sporting Community

Tuesday 15th September 2015
West Midlands Regional League Premier Division
Wolverhampton Sporting Community 0 AFC Bridgnorth 4 ht: 0-2 att: 45hc

from Pride Park 

Are you Derby in disguise?

Wolverhampton Sporting Community (or WSC as I like to call them, like When Saturday Comes magazine) changed venue last season, but I only realised at the start of this one. They were sharing Wednesfield’s Cottage Ground, as they were when they were called Heath Town Rangers (until 2010-11). Last season they moved to a ground at Great Wyrley; I couldn’t find any details on their new ground, but looking at their uncorroded, smart metal floodlight pylons, am guessing that it has recently undergone an upgrade and hence WSC’s move. All last season, unbeknownst to me, this club had shot to number one in my nearest unvisited grounds list; 19 places ahead of the usual stalwarts of the number one slot, Graham Street Prims. The ground isn’t even as far as Wolverhampton; Great Wyrley is a couple of miles south of Cannock, eight miles north of Wolves, lying between the legs of the M6(1 + toll).

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Bardon Hill

Tuesday 11th August 2015
Midland League Premier Division

Bardon Hill 2 Coleshill Town 2 ht: 2-2 att: 84

from Bardon Hill Sports Centre

Tozer 6, Fray 45+5; Barlone 25, Johnson 29

I’m fast running out of midweek grounds. There’s only five left above step six, less than 50 miles away. FC United’s Broadhurst Park became one of that number this season. Widening the net to 60 miles opens up another 21 grounds for me, 15 of which are East. Bardon Hill were one of that number, along with a glut of other East Midlands and Midland League clubs. Luckily they all lie along the A50, which given the state of the M6 these days is a good thing, and a hell of a lot quicker. (Most people from the Midlands have set their land speed records on this road). Bardon Hill won the East Midland league last season and were promoted to the Midland League Premier Division. They have only been at step six of non league since joining the East Midland League in 2007-08 from the Leicestershire Senior League. The club go all the way back to 1890 though. Despite being a small community in Coalville they have a rich history of football.

West Midlands Regional Premier League Fans’ Guide 2014-15

The West Midlands Regional League is three divisions spanning steps six to eight of non league football, and this season celebrates its 125th birthday, having been formed in 1889 as the Birmingham & District League. This guide concentrates on the Premier division (step six) where Lye Town are the current champions. They now play in the newly formed Midland League, which combined the step five Midland Alliance and the step six Midland Combination. Future winners will also be promoted to the Premier division of the Midland League.

Haughmond

Wednesday 22nd October 2014 7.45pm
West Midlands Regional League Premier from Shrewsbury Sports Village
Haughmond 3 Shawbury 6 ht: 1-3 att: c.70

Estimate of minutes: 18, 60, 88: 16, 30, 35, 47, 80 (pen), 90

Haughmond FC are new to step 6 of non league, promoted last year from WMRL One to Premier. They have made big strides in recent years, coming up swifly from the Shropshire league. Not having heard of them until this season I didn’t know much about them, except that they played at Shrewsbury Sports Village. Despite the name being suggestive of such, I didn’t realise they played in a caged ground. Such grounds I’d received dire warnings of. Even the most fervid of hoppers has waxed fierce at the idea of watching caged football, in the way a trainspotter might eschew the wiles of a diesel train or like when I says to Withnail in the film Withnail and I (after he starts to drink lighter fluid) – even the wankers on the street don’t drink that.

Hereford United

Date: Friday Dec 30 2011
Ground: Edgar Street
Comp: League Two
Match: Hereford United 1 Accrington Stanley 1 HT: 1-0
Arquin 5: Evans 72
ATT: 2,057
Additional: Entrance £14.00, Programme £2.50

Edgar Street in pictures
Ground Statistics (marks out of ten, maximum 40)
Character 8, Structures/Terracing 8, Hospitality 7, Backdrop/Scenery or aesthetics for larger stadiums 7
Total 30

Eastwood Town

Date: Saturday Dec 17 2011
Ground: Coronation Park
Comp: Conference North (step two)
Match: Eastwood Town 0 Workington 3 HT: 0-2
Caines 36 og, McNiven 41, Amison 50
ATT: 209
Additional: Entrance £10.00, Programme £2.00

Coronation Park in pictures
Ground Statistics (marks out of ten, maximum 40)
Character 7, Structures/Terracing 7, Hospitality 7, Backdrop/Scenery or aesthetics for larger stadiums 6
Total 27

 

 

 

Darlaston Town

Date: Tuesday Nov 01 2011
Ground: City Ground
Comp: West Midland Regional Division (step six)
Match: Darlaston Town 0 Cradley Town 8 HT: 0-4

ATT: 45 (headcount)
Additional: Entrance £4.00, Programme £1.00

City Ground in pictures
Ground Statistics (marks out of ten, maximum 40)
Character 8, Structures/Terracing 7, Hospitality 7, Backdrop/Scenery or aesthetics for larger stadiums 7
Total 29

By a coincidence, just days before going to the City Ground of Darlaston Town, Neil Chambers emailed me. He is the author of the book ‘The History of Darlaston Town Football Club’. It is a 220 page glossy, superbly put together, history from 1893 to present. The club is thought to have existed as early as 1874, though. The introduction to the book describes it perfectly:

Stafford Town

Date: Saturday Aug 27 2011
Ground: Evans Park
Comp: West Midlands Regional League (step six)
Match: Stafford Town 4 Dudley Town 1 HT: 3-0
Sequence: 1-0,2-0, 3-0, 3-1, 4-1
ATT: 35 (headcount)
Additional: Entrance £4.00, Programme £1.00

Evans Park in pictures
Ground Statistics (marks out of ten, maximum 40)
Character 7, Structures/Terracing 7, Hospitality 8, Backdrop/Scenery or aesthetics for larger stadiums 7
Total 29

Stafford Town, founded 1976, are in only their second season back in the pyramid at step six or above. They have been there before, but had to share with Stafford Rangers’ Marston Road ground, in order to be eligible. The turn of the century was their highest elevation when they played in the step five Midland Alliance. In the 2000s they opted to go back to the West Midlands League Division One (step seven), playing at the Rowley Park Stadium, a municipal sports facility. In 2009-10 they had a new stadium built, named after their founder and still chairman Gordon Evans. They played their first game there near the end of their season and, coincidentally, also got promoted to the Premier step six division, and obviously had no problem meeting the grading requirements this time.

Gornal Athletic

Date: Saturday Aug 20 2011
Ground: Garden Walk
Comp: FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
Match: Gornal Athletic 2 Shifnal Town 2 HT: 0-1

ATT: 60 Head Count
Additional: Entrance £4.00, Programme £1.00

Garden Walk in pictures

Ground Statistics (marks out of ten, maximum 40)
Character 8, Structures/Terracing 7, Hospitality 7, Backdrop/Scenery or aesthetics for larger stadiums 6
Total 28

Gornal Athletic are a small, unassuming club that have been around since 1919, taking over from an earlier incarnation called Gornal Wood Excelsior. They have always played in Lower Gornal, between Sedgley and Dudley, in North West Birmingham, and indeed were know as Lower Gornal Athletic until 1972. They have played in the West Midland Regional League since 1962, a league that spans steps six to eight. They are currently in the Premier step six division, along with today’s opponents Shifnal Town, from near Telford.