High Net Worth

Highworth Town  1  Evesham United  7

Southern Football League – Division One South

The expansion of Step 4 saw an influx of clubs from Step 5 take promotion at the end of last season, some willingly, some less so!

Highworth Town finished third in the Hellenic League last time out, but with winners Thatcham Town, and runners-up Bracknell Town both getting the nod to go up, many thought they had missed the boat. But, thanks to some magic formula that probably involved points per game (PPG) and / or a club going belly up, they were offered / told that they too would be getting a promotion!

To be honest, Highworth are a club who’s profile has risen over the past few years, and the vibes were that they felt ready to make the step up to the Southern League, so unlike some who kicked up a right stink when they’d broken the bank to win the league, despite knowing the compulsory promotion rules well in advance, it was a good move all round.

When I say profile has risen, they’ve been ticking along in the Premier Division of the Hellenic since 1994, winning the championship in 2005, and more recently getting to the semi-final of the FA Vase in 2015 when they lost over two legs to eventual winners North Shields. They claimed a major scalp in the quarter final, winning a replay at Tadcaster Albion’s Ings Lane ground, a side who were one of the favourites for the competition.

So, it’s New Years Day, and with a weather forecast that gave no cause for concern, along with very positive Twitter updates, it was time to go and have a look at what Highworth Town were all about as they embark on their debut season in the grand old Southern League.

Sat just below half way in the table, they seem to have accustomed themselves pretty well, but in promotion chasing Evesham United, they were to face a formidable challenge, and so it proved, but more on that later.

Highworth sits North of Swindon, on the road that leads to the Cotswolds, and thanks to a very kind sat-nav system, it was via the Cotswolds that I went. Once off the M40 it was down through Moreton-on-March, Stow-on-the-Wold and Burford, three truly delightful locations, all of which would warrant a stop off if time allowed, and a stop over if Mrs H was with me, but with time precious, I could merely look out of the window and wonder at just how much a pint of lager might set me back, let alone an en-suite room with breakfast to boot!

The ground in Highworth is very central, and once in a busy car-park, it was time to check out the facilities. The bar was busy with the Everton v Leicester City game on the box, while the tea bar was doing a splendid fare of hangover cures for those who had overdone the otter sauce the previous. evening.

The ground looks to be something of a work in progress. The clubhouse and dressing rooms sit behind the goal and right now the base is down for another building, adjacent to the current one, while the area in front has been sectioned off, for what I couldn’t tell you, but clearly some form of landscaping / building will be taking place at some point soon.

Moving round to the left after leaving the club the tight perimeter hard standing takes you round the side of the ground that is both tree-lined, and also contains three areas of cover. A very old area of terracing with HTFC painted onto the wall sits on the half way line, while to either side are Atcosts, containing presumably the requisite number of seats to allow promotion to take place. The bottom goal is hard standing, very much like at the clubhouse end, while the side opposite the stands is out of bounds as far as spectators are concerned. The pitch does have a noticeable slope from North to South, but in terms of the condition, considering the recent weather it was in excellent nick.

The game started well for Highworth, they took the lead on the 12^th minute through Ash Edenborough, but after that it went somewhat wrong for the hosts.

By half time they were 4-1 down thanks to two goals from the impressive Kane Simpson, one from Cory Simpson and a further goal from Shayne Anson as the half was well into added time.

Highworth did start the second period brightly and put the visitors defence under pressure, but eventually more goals came.  Kane Simpson added two more to take his tally to four for the game, while Kye Simpson was also on target.

In case you were wondering, all three Simpson’s are indeed brothers, sharing six goals between them on the day. Think it’s fair to say that they had an early night on New Years Eve!

Highworth were well beaten, a bad day at the office, but they’ll regroup and go again I’m sure. 

Evesham on the other hand look impressive. Strong, pacey and ruthless, they could take some stopping as we move into the second half of the season.

As the darkness descended it was time to head back through the Cotswolds and back to blighty, 2019 starts with a bang, just what will the year have in store?

The FA will no doubt have a big say in that come May time…..