Roses

Albrighton  0  Wyrley United Development  1

Staffordshire County Senior League – Division Two South

Admission / Programme – No / No

You can normally rely on at least one late entrant every season into a league, one that catches you unawares, and has seemingly gone unreported in the usual places.

It was while I was messing around looking for fixtures at Hednesford Fives in the run up to the abandonment debacle (yes, I’m still sore about that) that I spotted a team called Albrighton in the Staffordshire County Senior League. That was a new one, they weren’t listed in the constitutions or placed in the initial directory at the start of the season?

Further investigation indeed proved that they were an eleventh hour entrant to the competition, and furthermore looked to be a new club filling the long void in the village of senior football since Albrighton United had a spell in the West Midlands Regional League in the late seventies and early eighties.

Being a research enthusiast, I had a look back through some old programmes and it seems I have one from Albrighton United, and back in the day they played on Newport Road in the village. These days though they played at the back of a housing area on Loak Road, so, it was back to the general vicinity of Wolverhampton again on a sunny November Saturday to see what it was all about.

Albrighton is not a million miles West of Codsall where I recently went to watch Punjab United. The route this time took me along the M54 before turning off at the Cosford exit, going straight past the entrance to the RAF base before throwing a right turn into the middle of the village.

Located right next door to the huge David Austin Nursery (he of expensive rose fame of which Mrs H has a prized one in our garden), is the Loak Road home of the football club, and as I arrived it was indeed a hive of activity.

It seemed some kids were having a training session on the pitch so the car park at the top of the bank behind the goal was full to brimming, so I had to make do with a space on the road outside until the grommits had vacated and some spaces were made available. Spaces did of course become available and I was soon parked up with a fantastic view of the pitch, without the need to leave my car. It also transpired that the game was kicking off half an hour earlier than advertised which duly might a quicker arrival home and a happier Mrs H to boot!

It’s a very nice little facility it has to be said. The end behind the goal where the car park is has a rail at pitch side, and this extends all the way round one side of the ground as the grass bank gradually tapers away. Two sides are open, but another point to note about the ground are the views, of the said nursery to the left and the air base in front, with the odd plane flying about for good measure. Yes, it was a happy place to be, and with the changing room forming part of what looked like a community centre behind the goal, it had everything you needed for a decent level of Saturday football.

Wyrley United Development had not travelled far to be fair, and having had a solid start to the season they were just above the hosts in the league table, although on balance of play there wasn’t much in the game if I’m honest. The only goal came from Chad Smith in the second period as he fired home for the visitors.

It wasn’t the greatest spectacle, but sometimes the games themselves don’t always match the surroundings.

I spent the first half at pitch side and then spent the second period somewhat lazily in the car with the radio on, it was lovely and warm to be fair, and looking across the car park, I wasn’t the same one with that idea.

Like I said at the start, this one was a bit of a surprise one for me, but sometimes the surprises can be pleasant ones. Certainly a much nicer surprise than a half time abandonment at Hednesford Fives, have I mentioned that to anyone yet…………