CADBURY ATHLETIC 3 - 1 KNOWLE

 

    MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION TWO

Cadbury Recreation Ground, Bournville Lane, Birmingham, B30 2HP

                 5th November, 2022                 2:00 pm Kick-Off  

So the rail strike has been called off but not in time for most services today to be disrupted. This has helped to make me make a decision to go to a venue that will be easy to reach by local bus and I have plumped for the MFL Div 2, top of the table clash in the 'village' of Bournville, between 3rd placed Cadbury Athletic v 2nd placed and unbeaten Knowle F.C.

It's also a good excuse to visit this unusual ground set in beautiful surroundings.

I initially have trouble getting a No.1 bus from Acocks Green as the one I wanted doesn't show up, so I have to wait another 15 minutes for the next one. I then get off opposite the Edgbaston Cricket Ground, walk round the corner on to the Pershore Road and catch the No.5 to Stirchley, where I find my planned meal stop at the Bournville Cafe is not possible as this establishment is not open, or even closed for good?

As I'm pushed for time, I grab a coffee at another cafe, (which doesn't serve food) and then walk in to Bournville, buy some cheap chicken sandwiches at a local corner shop and eat them on the way to the ground.

I make it to the ground with 20 minutes before kick-off, pay my entrance fee and buy a programme, which is quite unusual and welcome for this level. I'm even able to buy a welcome cheese roll at the tea bar at the bottom of the magnificent Pavilion building, which is the headquarters of the football and cricket teams.

I take up a position at the opposite end to the pavilion, with the factory building and team dug-outs on my left and the rest of the playing fields to my right.

Unfortunately the kick-off is delayed to 2:15 pm due to the match officials for some reason arriving late to the ground.    

Cadbury troop out on to the turf, in their usual purple shirts, white shorts and purple socks while Knowle are also in their first team colours of red shirts, black shorts and socks.

I had made a mental pre-match prediction of a 1-1 draw, given that Knowle have the meanest defence in this division and they take an early lead, when they are awarded a free kick on the right, the shot hits the right hand post, comes out to the Knowle No.6 who hits a goal bound shot and is deflected off a Cadbury defender in to the right hand corner of the net.

After this set back, the 'Chocolate Men' begin to take control of the game. After mounting pressure, a cross comes in from the right and is headed in by their lively No.11 after 21 minutes.

It's no surprise when goal number number 2 arrives when the Knowle keeper, Craig Johnson, is beaten by a shot across the goal from the left.

Johnson then does well to make a save from an incoming header but it proves to be a short reprieve, when in the 32nd minute he comes out to block the Cadbury N0.9, Tom Craine, only to see the ball rebound off him to the oncoming Jeson Dinanga to slot the ball home.

So my pre-match prediction has been destroyed by a 'purple patch' of 12 minutes play by last seasons champions, Cadbury Athletic, who take this 2 goal lead into at the interval. 

I have a cup of Cadbury's hot chocolate and wonder if there will be any more goals in the second period?

I think this ground is a haven for ground hoppers as I have met 3 today. I get talking to one guy who has managed to travel by train from Coventry. He originally comes from Barnet in North London and we reminisce about grounds we have visited in the past and also music concerts. It turns out that he is going to watch the old 70's punk band 'The Damned' this evening.

Also there is a guy from Leicester, taking photos for a website (called 'Football Grounds In Focus') about football grounds around the country and abroad too, which is worth checking out.

The second half of this game sees Cadbury Athletic largely content to keep the visitors at bay. 

Knowle's stand out player today is undoubtedly their No.10, Reece Hewitt, who has shown great skill and energy in his efforts to rally his team (as shown below).

 Knowle do go close late on in the game to getting a second goal when a header hits the base of a post and out.

The match ends in a well deserved win for the home team, who by courtesy of a surprising slip-up at home by the league leaders, Sutton United (1-2 losers v Inkberrow), duly take over Knowle in second place and 2 points behind Sutton. 

Knowle drop to 4th place on goal difference from Alcester Town. The top 7 teams are only seperated by 7 points, so this bodes well for a possible tight title race this season.

It's been good to visit this ground (one of my favourites) again and I might make another visit, possibly for a cup match, in the next few months.

Match Attendance:                     75

Entrance Fee:                              £5 (£3 concession)

Match Programme:                    £ 1.50

Entertainment Value:                7.5/10  

  

 

   

COVENTRY ALVIS 2 - 2 COTON GREEN

 

      MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION TWO

    Alvis Sports & Social Club, Green Lane, Finham, Coventry CV3 6EG

                           9th April 2022,   3:00 Kick-Off

Today I have decided to watch the match that will determine if Coton Green will finish second in the MFL Div 2 as Cadbury Athletic have already secured top spot this season. Cadbury have opted out of promotion so Coton Green will be promoted in their stead if they get at least one point from their final game today at Coventry Alvis.

Their nearest rivals, Knowle FC are away to Barnt Green Spartak and need to win to have a chance of finishing second. This will be my first visit to this ground and I am looking forward to my trip as the weather forecast is good and it's not too far to travel.

I get to Coventry at midday and when I go for the way out at the station I end up in the new extension, which has finally been completed and it's very smart, with the exit leading out to the bus stops and the other way leads to the car parking area.

I walk out to the front of the station where there is a Tourist Information booth and pick up some leaflets about forthcoming events in this city.

I then walk to the City Centre and make my way to a cafe at the side of Coventry Market where they sell some reasonably priced meals and have my lunch there. It's popular with the locals as there is only one free table left.

As I don't have much time to have a look around I just go to a shop where they sell used electrical goods and have a look at what camera gear is for sale. Then it's back to the train station and I go to the side in Warwick Road to catch the No.9 bus to Finham where the ground is located.

15 minutes later and I have arrived in Green Lane and I find that Finham is a quiet southern suburb of the south of this city and the ground is set in a semi-rural location with houses to the north and fields lying to the south of the ground.

I soon find the sports club entrance and wander through. To my left is where the cricket pitch is situated but as the local season has not yet started, there are 3 football pitches marked out instead in this area. The road curves round to the clubhouse and to the right hand side of this can be found the car parking area. 

On the other side of the clubhouse is the entrance to the main pitch.

  I pay my entrance fee at the table and buy a club badge too (£3.50p) and have a quick chat with 2 friendly club officials, including the Chairman Don Corrigan.

I then make my way over to the far (southerly) side of the ground, where the team dugouts are located and also there are 2 stands, one with seating for 50 spectators and a larger one with just standing room only. It's a neat little ground, with floodlights, hard standing and railings on 3 sides, with the one end having just a wire fence behind the goal.

The teams come out in both their first team colours, Alvis in light blue shirts, dark blue shorts and light blue socks, while the visitors are in all red with white trimmings.

The early exchanges are pretty even and the first real chance comes Coton Green's way, when their No.9 has a shot blocked by the keeper and it falls to the Green's No.10 Chris Lloyd but he is off balance with his attempt, his shot bounces in to the ground and hits the bar and out of play.

An early goal would have relaxed any nerves that they may have been feeling I'm sure.

It's by no means a one-sided contest but 'The Green Army' are looking the more likely to score, although they miss a good chance after 27 minutes when Chris Lloyd cuts the ball back from the bye-line but the Coton No.11 fluffs his attempted shot in front of goal.

Alvis show they are still dangerous when they quickly break down the left and their forward shoots across the visitor's goal and just wide of the far post. A few minutes later and Coton's No.11 has a close range shot smothered by the advancing Alvis keeper.

Just when I think that this half will end goalless Coton score with a header by their No.3, Joseph Smith, who dives low to connect with the ball.

     (Joseph Smith , 2nd left, being congratulated by his team mates)
   

So it's 1-0 to the promotion chasers and on the balance of play it's a deserved reward for their efforts so far.

Coventry Alvis were founded in 1928 as the works team of the Alvis Car & Engineering Company and amongst it's products, they produced military vehicles, including tanks, hence the club's nickname of 'The Tank Men'. They played in various local leagues in the Coventry area and had good success in the Coventry Alliance before moving up to the Midland Combination and then the Midland Football League when it was formed in 2014.

So it will be interesting to see if Coton Green can build on their slender lead in the second half or will the 'Tank Men' of Alvis be able to give them a battle?

After 50 minutes, Coton Green threaten the home goal again but are thwarted by a tackle from the Alvis No.2 close to his goal. 10 minutes later and Coventry Alvis are back in the game when following a throw in from the left, they score with a shot from their No.10 I think. It's not that surprising as they seem to be a bit more lively after the interval.

Coton Green go close again on the hour mark when a looping shot hits the bar on it's way over and then Alvis sees their No.2 have a shot saved after being played in from the right.

It's the Green Army who score next when their captain Joseph Smith breaks through the middle to stroke the ball home for his and his team's 2nd goal. That's the captain leading by example!

Alvis are not going down without a fight and after 76 minutes their No.16 hits in a great shot for the equaliser following an attack down the left flank.

Coton Green go close again when the Alvis keeper has to make a good save at the feet of one of their forwards but the game finishes in a 2-2 draw which satisfies both sides.

'The Green Army' will now be playing in the MFL First Division next season and it will interesting to see how quickly they can settle in at this higher level. Coventry Alvis on the other hand are looking to end the season in a creditable 8th place and they still have the Coventry Charity Cup to go for after their great 3-0 win over MFL Div One side Coventry Copsewood in the quarter-final.

Before I leave the ground I go in to the toilet and I hear the Coton Green players loudly singing 'We're going up. we're going up...etc' in the adjacent changing room.

Entrance Fee:              £4

Match Attendance:       45

Match Programme:      none available

Entertainment Value:   8/10 

  

HAMPTON 0 - 4 COTON GREEN

 

      MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION TWO

     The Boggery, Hampton Sports Club, Field Lane, Solihull, B94 5DX

                      12th March, 2022      3:00 Kick-Off

Well my trip today is definitely a case of lastminute.com as my first plan was to visit the ground of West Midlands League club, Sikh Hunters who play at Long Lane Park north of Walsall.

Unfortunately when I was checking out the bus times late on Friday, I found out that because of road works taking place at Perry Bar, it was affecting the journey times. So I decided to go elsewhere and then later on 'The Hunters' secretary kindly informed me that the game was called off anyway due to a waterlogged pitch.

In the end Iv'e decided to keep things simple and pop down the road to nearby Solihull and visit Hampton for their clash v 2nd placed Coton Green who I have never watched before.

When I get in to Solihull on a fine but still cool day, I see that there is a street market with plenty of food stalls of varying cuisines. In the end I plump for a light meal in the cafe of the local Theatre and then get some cheese cake from one of the stalls in the market.

I get the X 12 bus from the town centre (15 minutes late) and walk in to the ground with 10 minutes to spare. When I go in to the club house, there are definitely more people here than when I last visited in January, which is good to see.

After using the toilet I go outside and pay my entrance fee and go to the left hand side of the pitch. I get talking to a lone spectator there and he says he's seen me before, probably at nearby Knowle FC last autumn. During our short conversation he tells me that the probable champions of this division,Cadbury Athletic, haved declined promotion so that gives Coton Green a big incentive to make sure of a 2nd place finish. 

The teams come out on the field with Hampton decked out in their usual home kit of red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red & white socks. Coton Green are in their 2nd strip of mint green shirts, blue shorts and socks.

As Coton Green (who come from that district in Tamworth) are doing so well this season, I predict an away win of at least 0-2. 

The first half sees Hampton doing well and trouble the visitor's defence on several occasions but Coton Green look dangerous on the break.

    I'm beginning to wonder if Hampton can spring a surprise like the last time I watched them when they won their local derby v near neighbours Knowle FC ?

For the last 20 minutes of this half, Coton begin to dominate the play and force a series of corners but the hosts manage to keep them out. 

Their defence finally cracks in the 41st minute when Coton's No.10, Harry Howard, goes on a mazy run through the middle before poking the ball past the advancing Hampton keeper, Mark Allely. 

It's a fine goal to break the deadlock and Howard is rightly ecstatic in his celebrations, especially as it's his debut appearance for the 'Green Army'! 

On the stroke of half time, Howard volleys the ball at the far post from a corner on the left but Charlie Noakes is credited with the goal as he's adjudged to have had the final touch before the ball crosses the line.

So the visitors at half time find themselves in the driving seat and it's going to take a big effort for Hampton to get back in this game, especially as they have a general difficulty in scoring many goals this season.

When play resumes, Coton Green are very much on top and determined to ensure they win today.

In the 52nd minute they surely put this game to bed when their No.3, Jay Payne, goes down the left wing and cuts the ball back inside for the skipper, Corey Powell to shoot home. Another fine goal for the visitor's.

          (Jay Payne on his way to passing the ball for the 3rd goal)

Mr. Payne is involved again with the 4th goal for 'The Green Army' as his assist enables their No.11, Chris Lloyd to place the ball in to the right hand corner of the net just 3 minutes later.

This purple patch just before and just after half time has produced 4 goals and their captain is urging them to score more.

Hampton to their credit do get more in to the game and go close with efforts in the 71st and 78th minutes.

Hampton are unable to breach the visitor's defence though and Coton Green come away with a comfortable win, which strengthens their position as their nearest rivals, Knowle, have drawn today at leaders Cadbury Athletic. This puts Coton Green six points ahead of them and 3 points behind Cadbury but having played 2 games more.

Hampton are now in 12th place just 4 points ahead of the basement boys of Bolehall Swifts but I think they should be safe of relegation, if they could only score more goals!

They have a nice ground at Field Lane and I wonder if they are looking to install some floodlights in the future?

Match attendance:         76

Entrance fee:                 £3 

Match programme:        none available

Entertainment value:     7/10 

HAMPTON 2 - 1 KNOWLE

 

      MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION TWO

                   The Boggery, Field Lane, Solihull, B93 0NX   

                        15th January 2022,  2pm Kick-Off

So I am keeping my 2nd visit to a match of this new year strictly local today and I will be seeing the MFL 2nd Division local derby at Hampton F.C. who are hosting 2nd placed Knowle.

On paper, it looks to be a fairly easy task for the high riding visitors but I have a feeling it will be a tight, hard fought game.

I make my way to Solihull on the No.4 bus, have a quick wander round the town, have a meal of scampi and chips before going to the bus stop that I need opposite the Solihull Rail Station. I have left it a bit late and have to run some of the way, jump on to the wrong bus (X2 instead of the X12) and when informed by the driver, jump off again and catch a taxi from the town centre.  

I get to the ground 20 minutes before kick off but £7 lighter. This cheap local trip is turning out to be more expensive than planned.

  I have time to get a cup of tea in the club house, buy an impressive club badge (a black griffin (?) on a red background) and settle down to watch the Premier Division early kick off game between Man City and Chelsea, which is scoreless so far.

When I go out to get to the pitch later on, the guy who is taking the gate money informs me that the game is taking place on another pitch as the usual one has not thawed out properly. Also there are no programmes available as the Editor is on holiday. Well at least the game is being played!

The teams come out with Hampton in their home colours of red and white shirts, black shorts and red and white socks. Knowle are in a change strip of all light blue.

Hampton are the team to be making the early running and in the 5th minute, their No.10 makes an impressive run in to the Knowle half, sees his shot rebound to team mate and No.11, Hamza Siddique to slot home in to the left hand corner of the net.

First blood to the underdogs and this promises to be more interesting than I had first thought.

Knowle come back with some attacks of their own and when their No.10 bears down on goal, a Hampton defender makes a great tackle before he can get in a shot from a promising position.

In the 21st minute, the home team increase their lead when Knowle are unable to properly clear the ball after a Hampton free kick and Hampton's No.8, Will Simmons shoots in to the net.

Knowle come back strongly with their No.3 shooting just over the bar and their No.11 shooting in to the side netting after a good attack down the right.

Hampton show they are still dangerous on the break and Will Simmons takes a shot before he can steady himself properly and slices his shot wildly to the right of the goal.

When Knowle are thrown a lifeline, with the award of a penalty in the 41st minute, their No.7 sees his effort easily saved by Matt Allely in the Hampton goal. 

So the first half ends with Knowle facing an uphill task to get any points from this game in their quest to make some ground on runaway leaders, Cadbury Athletic, who are in cup action today.

It's certainly a cold day and my hands are feeling a bit numb, even with gloves on. It reminds me a little when I came here before, nine years ago, when it was cold but it was also windy then too. At least the sun has been showing his face a little today.

I notice that the Knowle programme editor, Ronald Craine, is in attendance today, busy with his match report and I make my re-acquaintance with him after first meeting him at Knowle a few months ago. He has been disappointed with his sides performance so far and reckons they don't fancy the pitch they have had to play on. Hampton's first choice pitch certainly looks in good nick.

I'm sure they will make a greater effort in the next period and so it proves to be when play starts again. They are putting in a lot more effort and they quickly reduce arrears when their forward, Nathan Corry scores with a great shot from just outside the penalty area in the 50 minute.

 After 16 minutes, the Hampton keeper makes a good save and the shot from the rebound goes just wide of the goal.

Hampton are defending well, albeit desperately at times. It's certainly a hard fought and physical game as you would expect from a local derby.

Their cause is not helped when their No.9, Tom Parnaby, is sent off after being booked a second time in the 79th minute.

Knowle are awarded plenty of corners from their attacking efforts in the second period but are not able to make it count and go close again in the 87th minute when their No.3 shoots across the goal but just wide.

Although there is about 9 minutes of injury time played, Knowle are unable to find an equaliser. They have certainly played much better in this half but the luck has not been with them today. They will no doubt be hoping on some slip ups in the coming weeks by Cadbury Athletic to aid their championship bid.

Hampton on the other hand can take credit from their performance today and will be looking to get in to the top half of the Division 2 table.  

Entrance Fee:                   £3

Programme:    none available

Match Attendance:            72

Match Entertainment:    8/10

     

     

LANE HEAD 1 - 2 CADBURY ATHLETIC

 

      MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION TWO

      Red Lion Ground, Somerfield Road, Bloxwich, Walsall,  WS3 2EJ 

                  3rd January, 2022      2:00 pm Kick-Off

So here we all are in the spanking new year of 2022 and let's hope it will truly be a better experience than 2021 and worse still 2020!

For my first game of the year I have settled on seeing a new team, Lane Head FC, who play at a ground that I have visited 4 or 5 times in the past.

Later after I had watched the game I did a bit of research and found that 'Lane Head' is a district of the nearby town of Willenhall. In the Industrial Revolution era, it was where a colliery and a iron works were situated. The colliery supplied the iron works with the coal and the Wyrley & Essington canal was also close at hand to transport the finished goods. Willenhall is mainly known as a centre for lock making and to underline how important the Industrial Revolution was to this area, the population increased from 3,143 in 1801 to 18,515 one hundred years later!

I believe that Lane Head are a new club to this level of football and it will be interesting to see how they fare against the Div 2 leaders of Cadbury Athletic.

The weather today is a great improvement to when I last ventured out to watch Sutton United, as there is plenty of sunshine and it's not too cold either.

I travel to Walsall by train with no problems and after having a snack in the Saddlers Shopping Centre, I catch the No.32 bus for a 15 minute journey that takes me close to the ground.

I go in to the club house and there is a friendly lady waiting to take the entrance fee off me. There are no programmes available (not that unexpected) and no badges for sale. It's good to see though that the tea bar outside is still in use and I have a nice warming cuppa.

When the 2 sides come out on to the pitch, the home side are in an all blue strip while Cadbury are more like the 'White Chocolate Men' today in their all white change strip.

For the first 10 minutes, the visitors are on top and after 6 minutes their lively No.11, Emile Beckford goes on a good run down the left and crosses the ball just in front of the goal line and the Lane Head keeper, manages to claw the ball away from the waiting Cadbury striker, Tom Craine, (as shown below).

After 26 minutes, the Cadbury No.3 passes through the middle for their No.9 to hit a shot past the right hand post.

Lane Head have been getting in to the game more as this half progresses and their No.6 scores following a free kick awarded on the left hand side. So the home side have rocked their opponents and what will happen now?

They come back strongly in the last few minutes and Beckford sees his fierce shot turned over for a corner. In the 41st minute, their dangerman, Tom Craine manages to bundle the ball home for the equaliser following a free kick on the left.

So it's even-stevens at the end of this half and it looks as if Cadbury will have to dig deep to get the victory they so desire.

Before I arrived I at this ground today, I had been worried in what shape it might be in, as on my last visit here nearly 5 years ago (when Bloxwich United were the hosts), the ground had been experiencing a steady decline and looked quite shoddy. Although there is still work to be done, the general appearance of the ground has definitely improved. The end where the seating is situated appears to be out of bounds for now but hopefully will be repaired in the future. 

When play resumes, Cadbury are the first to go close to scoring when Craine shoots across the goal from the left.

Lane Head though go close themselves when the ball is chipped neatly in from the right and their No.7 shoots just over the bar.

Cadbury Athletic though are stepping up the pressure on their hosts and it comes as no surprise when their No.14 slots home in to the right hand side of the net after 64 minutes.

  Although Cadbury do look the more dangerous side, Lane Head are definitely not out of it and they are handed a lifeline when they are awarded a penalty, when I think the Chocolate Men's No.3 is adjudged to have handled the ball in the area. 

The Lane End No.5 eventually steps up to take the kick, after some heated discussions between some of the Cadbury players and the ref. He decides to go for power down the middle of the goal and the keeper, Sam Smith is able to block this attempt.

There is further disappointment for 'The Lane' when their No.12 is shown a second yellow card for his rash and robust challenge on the Cadbury No.6, Stuart Cooke.

Right in front of the Ref too! So as he trudges of the pitch, so too do Lane End's hopes of salvaging a point as there is only 1 minute of normal time to go and so the match ends in a valuable 3 points gained by the league leaders. To their credit, Lane Head have pushed them all the way today and will be looking to improve on their current 9th place.

Cadbury Athletic will host promotion rivals Fairfield Villa (4th) next Saturday while 2nd placed Knowle (4 points behind) will be at home to 3rd placed Coton Green.

Entrance Fee:                 £4

Match Attendance:          Approx 50 (guesstimate)

Match Programme:          None Available

Entertainment Value:       7/10

 

 

  

  

KNOWLE 4 - 0 BOLDMERE SPORTS & SOCIAL FALCONS

        MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIV 2, 09/10/2021

    The Robin's Nest, (Draintech Community Stadium), Hampton Road, 

                                  Knowle, Solihull, B93 0NX 

 It's time for me to fly over to the Robins Nest ground of Div 2, Midland Football League team of Knowle F.C., who are currently riding high in the league table. The first four teams, (Fairfield Villa, Coton Green, Knowle and Cadbury Athletic) are all in very close proximity to each other and there is the prospect of a very exciting title race for this season between them.

I take the short rail journey to Dorridge and then catch the A8 bus to the High Street of Knowle village. Again I am lucky with the weather, with it being cloudy but with plenty of sunny intervals.

I make it in to Knowle village centre and it's a very smart shopping area, much better than some town centres that come to mind. I have a panini and coffee at a local coffee shop and make my way to the ground which is just 5 minutes walk away.

It's a venue I have visited twice before and the third time I have watched Knowle, with every time resulting in a Knowle victory!

 The ground is now called the 'Draintech Community Stadium' no doubt due to a sponsorship deal. I walk in and pay my £3 entry fee that comes with a free programme and it looks to be the last one!

Today's visitors from Boldmere, are in a mid table position (sixth) and I think that Knowle will probably win 3-1 but I'm not known for my accurate predictions. 

I'm a bit put out that I won't be able to take any photos from the end nearest the entrance as there is a mesh fence right across there to stop stray balls going over the hedge and in to a neighbouring property. So I decide to go to the far side of the ground, a few yards away from the small stand (seats for 48 spectators), with the portacabin like club house, close by on the other side and then further along the changing rooms and toilets.

The far end of the pitch is accessible to spectators and the other side has the team dugouts and it's where the car park area is located too (handy for the older spectators on a cold winter's day, as you can get a warmer view from your vehicle).

The 2 teams come out and the home team are resplendent in their usual red shirts, black shorts and socks. Boldmere have to change from their usual red and black stripes, to a mainly dark blue kit with yellow trimmings.

It's Boldmere on the attack for the first few minutes but Knowle hit back quickly and see a header just go over the bar. After 6 mins, the home team take the lead with their No.9, Nathan Corry, taking advantage of a mix up in the Boldmere defence to slot home from close in.

It's mainly 'The Robins' on the offensive after this and 'The Falcons' keeper is definitely the busier of the two.

Coming in to the last 15 minutes of this half, the visitors start to mount some attacks of their own, inspired by their captain Matty Tyler. He is an excellent box to box midfielder who I saw play for one of my then local teams from 5 years ago, Worcester Raiders and was one of their key players at that time in an improving team (seen in action below). 

 However this proves to be a false dawn for Boldmere's hopes as some more sloppy defending on their part, sees Knowle's Charlie Morris score from close in.

Just a minute before half-time sees a slick attacking move by Knowle, from right to left across the pitch sees their No.3, Jay Payne, score goal number 3! Then in injury time, Knowle's George Seeley screws his shot just wide when he should have scored.

So Knowle are 3 goals to the good at the interval and have been the sharper team, with a good pressing game, helping to force mistakes from the visitors.

During half-time a man called Ronald Crane comes over to me and introduces himself and asks if I can provide some photos for the club's Facebook page. Of course I'm happy to oblige and he is the guy who writes the match reports for the programme, which turns out to be a good informative read.

The first team's last match turned out to be a closely fought 1-1 draw with 4th placed Cadbury Athletic and also there is a match report on the Ladies team's FA Cup victory over the higher ranked Coundon Court Ladies from Coventry.

It's good to see the club doing well and Knowle go close to scoring again after just 5 minutes of play in the 2nd half when one of their attackers beats the Boldmere keeper to the ball finds the angle too acute to score from.

Another good attempt in the 78th minute sees a Knowle player spotting the visitor's keeper some way off his line and his attempted lob sails just over the bar.

Yet another defensive mix up by Boldmere sees the ball go to a Boldmere substitute, Kaine Williams, who takes it past the keeper and strokes it in to an empty net.

An emphatic victory to The Robins who have certainly clipped the wings of The Falcons, who will have to work on their defensive short comings if they want to improve their season.

Knowle are looking likely title contenders and indeed with today's result and results elsewhere, they leapfrog on goal difference over former leaders Fairfield Villa in to top spot!

It's interesting to read in the programme that Knowle are looking to move to another nearby site that will enable them to have on site training facilities and an all-weather playing surface too.

I have enjoyed my visit today, pleased with keeping my 100% viewing, winning record for Knowle FC.

I make the short walk in to the High Street and while waiting for the bus I take a photo of the church and village sign across the road.

Match attendance          51

Entrance fee                 £3

Programme                Free

Match entertainment  7/10