A Brum Ting

Solihull Sporting  3  Wake Green Amateurs  3

Midland Football League – Third Division

Pickings were a little slim on the second opening weekend of the new season (we’ve got a third coming up shortly if your team is in the Northern Premier League!).

I made my mind up early on though, a short run down the A38 to the Eastern side of Birmingham (it’s a Brum Ting apparently) to Midland League newcomers Solihull Sporting, where the game against fellow newcomers Wake Green Amateurs was very much floating my canoe.

When I say newcomers, they were in the Midland League last season, competing in the Reserve Division, so I can only assume what was a club linked to Solihull Moors, has decided to head off in their own direction. I stand to be corrected on that, but my logical brain has lead me to that conclusion.

I had a bit of dialogue with the club over the Summer, largely because they were very quick to get a list of pre-season friendlies out into the public domain, but venues of the games were somewhat changeable. Games were scheduled at John Henry Newman College, the old Chelmsley Town ground, and the Tudor Grange Academy at Kingshurst, with the latter being what was the registered home venue for the season. The guy who runs the Twitter for Solihull was both prompt and helpful, but to be fair, due to a number of factors, I couldn’t get in a visit before the real stuff started.

It was a lovely day as global warming increases it’s grip on our embattled planet, and the journey down was a straightforward one, skirting the edges of the large Castle Vale estate, and running parallel to the M6 before turning onto Cooks Lane. When I say straightforward, it became clear that there was a bit of a problem at the venue itself because both teams were queued up in cars on the main road trying to access the academy, but that was proving quite tricky as the gates were locked!

The traffic congestion this caused was relatively minor, and when the gates were finally unlocked it was like a scene from the start of the Gumball Rally as engines revved and horns were sounded, thankfully though car parking spaces were greater than the number of cars trying to use them so in a short period of time order was restored and the home team had to move quickly to get the pitch in order.

When I say get the pitch in order, it’s a floodlit 4G, and the first job was to get all of the small sided goals out of the way, the corner flags put in and the temporary dugouts erected!

With the jobs completed, the players had a warm up / cool down, and it gave me chance to survey the scene. No alcohol was taken as my meanderings in the vicinity didn’t present me with any opportunities, so I made do with a bottle of H20 and gazed across the landscape which other than being made up of a good number of educational establishments, was very much a large residential expanse of relatively modern housing.

A changing room block sat at the Northern end of the pitch and comprised the usual facilities, but for clubs like Solihull Sporting the only down side is they can’t make any money selling refreshments etc. To compensate for that though they did charge £3 admission, and I have to say it was money well spent!

Somewhat against the run of play, it was the hosts who scored twice in the opening half, one from a free kick and the other well finished after an excellent through ball.

Visiting Wake Green came back into it and reduced the areas in the second period only for Solihull to reply almost instantly and make it 3-1. This galvanised the visitors though and for the remainder of the game they threw all they had at Sporting, firstly reducing the arrears and then as the game entered it’s closing stages they bagged the all important equaliser.

So, 3-3, a cracking game and probably on reflection a fair outcome for two sides who gave their all and look to be good additions to the competition. Solihull Sporting are a forward thinking and friendly club, so I would recommend a visit, especially on a day when (and don't laugh) when it eventually turns wet and cold and you need a failsafe!

Another opening day thoroughly enjoyed, one more to look forward to the following Saturday, I won't be going to a 'Trident League' game though (FA Speak for Step 3 & 4), a trip to Cornwall beckons, assuming the planet hasn't spontaneously combusted by then!