Welcome to the latest instalment of the Gloucester Groundhopper blog.
For this chapter, we travelled back to Worcestershire for some Hellenic League Division One action. High flyers Pershore Town, fresh off the back of 10-0 and 13-0 victories took on Kidlington Reserves as they looked to move forward towards the title. King George's Way was our host for the afternoon.
It's All In The Name
The Plums is the nickname of Pershore Town. Every year, orchards in this area produce a large number of popular plum varieties, including Victoria, Marjorie Seedling, Heron, Monarch, Pershore Purple, Pershore Yellow Egg Plum, and Pershore Emblem, among others.
Maggie Andrews claimed that Pershore plums helped win the First World War. Before the war, the smallholdings of Pershore and the Evesham Vale were well-known for their fruit and vegetable production. Pershore was especially famous for its plums; the Pershore Purple was ideal for bottling, canning, and pickling, and the large, yellow Pershore egg plum was especially useful for making the infamous apple and plum jam, which helped troops at the Front meet their daily calorie requirement of 3,000. The decision to send soldiers home to help harvest these plums during the Battle of the Somme demonstrates the authorities' recognition that food had become a weapon of war.
Some Notable People From Pershore:
George Dowty- Inventor
Hugh Bennett- Cricketer
Florence Feek- Suffragette
George Mason I- Mason was the great-grandfather of George Mason IV, a Founding Father of the United States.
Claude Choules-the world's last living veteran of both world wars and supercentenarian.
A History Lesson From AFC Finners
Pershore Town was formed in 1988 as a result of the merger of three separate clubs: Pershore United, Pershore Rec Rovers, and Pershore Bullets. They joined the Midland Football Combination's Division Two in 1989 and won it on their first try. Following a second promotion, they were in the Premier Division.
They won the Midland Combination Premier Division in 1994 and went on to become founding members of the Midland Football Alliance, where they spent six seasons. The same season, Pershore Town had their best FA Cup run, reaching the fourth qualifying round after beating Racing Club Warwick, Northampton Spencer, Pelsall Villa, and Atherstone United before Yeading proved too strong.
The victory in front of the BBC cameras and the then-club record attendance of 730 will live long in the memory of Atherstone United and Pershore Town. The club was also featured on BBC's "Road to Wembley" and Central News.
There hasn't been much to cheer about since their relegation in 2000, but they did win the Worcester Royal Infirmary Cup in 2014. They have moved leagues several times due to restructures, and are now in the Hellenic League Division One, looking to build on their promising fifth-place finish last season, which included a Worcestershire Senior Cup victory.
Honours
🏆 Midland Combination Premier (Winners: 1993/94)
🏆 Midland Combination Division Two (Winners: 1989/90)
🏆 Worcestershire Senior Cup (Winners: 2021/22)
🏆 Worcestershire Senior Urn (Winners: 1995/96) (Runners-Up: 1992/93, 2012/13)
🏆 Worcestershire Junior Cup (Winners: 1990/91)
🏆 Hellenic League Supplementary Cup (Winners: 2021/2022)
🏆 Smedley Crooke Memorial Cup (Winners: 2021/22)
🏆 Jack Mould Trophy (Winners: 1990/91)
🏆 Robert Biggart Cup (Winners 1990/91, 1991/92, 1994/95, 1996/97) (Runners-Up 1989/90, 1995/96, 1998/99)
🏆 Martley Cup (Winners: 1990/91)
An Interview with Pershore Town coach AJ Mountain:
GG: Could you tell us a little bit about Pershore Town?
AM: Pershore Town FC is a club that is growing in strength. The club now has over 20 teams playing from it. The first team management has given the club a fresh start by setting such high expectations for the players.
GG: How long have you been with Pershore Town, and do you recall your first game?
AM: I've been with the club since 2019, when I began coaching at U7s and am now at U11s. As a club, we are hoping to put in a pathway for all girls, so I now run our only girls' team at the club U12. I'm also on the committee, which allows me to see how the club wants to proceed.
GG: How do you feel about working for a club in the lower leagues, and how does it differ from working in the higher leagues?
AM: I believe that participating in lower league football is more rewarding for everyone involved. Non-league football is where it all starts.
GG: How important is the club to the community?
AM: Personally, I believe the club makes every effort to involve the community as much as possible. Every week, the local community becomes more interested in the club. The fan base is growing steadily, which is fantastic. We can't thank everyone enough.
GG: What are the clubs' long-term goals?
AM: The club's long-term goal is to play in step 4/3. We are obviously aiming for promotion this year, which will take us to step 5. This would not be possible without the leadership of Danny Jones and his team, who have been outstanding since their arrival in November 2021.
GG: If you could only sign one player to play for the club for one game, who would it be?
AM: If I could sign one player to come play at the club for one game, I'd be very happy. Marcus Rashford, based on his current form.
GG: What is your favourite aspect of being in football?
AM: My favourite aspect of being involved in football is seeing how all of the kids in the club grow and enjoy playing grassroots football.
GG: Who is the best footballer you've seen at Pershore's stadium, and why?
AM: Jordan Jones is the best player I've seen play for Pershore Town FC. A very confident player who is always in command and plays with class.
AM: Pershore Town FC welcomes everyone.
Matchday: Pershore Town 2-0 Kidlington Reserves
We travelled to Pershore on a bitterly cold Saturday afternoon as we hoped to enjoy another day of football. We had a quick walk around Pershore, looking at the abbey and having a stroll around the market. We then had a spot of lunch at a café in the market, enjoying a lovely cooked breakfast. The only shame about this café, is that it didn't take card, which is a bit strange in 2023, other than that it was lovely.
We then headed to the stadium, which was literally next door to the market. There is parking available at the ground on a first come, first served basis. Be warned though, the car park is next door to the pitch so you are at risk of a broken windscreen or two, so park there at your discretion.
We ventured straight into the clubhouse, where we were immediately greeted by some lovely ladies who were on the bar. We bought a pin badge, and a drink, and tried to soak in the atmosphere. One incredible feature in the bar was the opportunity to choose the playlist. As a result, I put on a playlist of Roxanne by The Police, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper, St Elmo's Fire by John Parr and Baby Got Back by Sir Mixalot- ultimately demonstrating the widest range in music taste known to man.
We were then approached by a Pershore Town fan named Barry who bought myself and AFC Finners a drink (or two) and then made sure that we felt comfortable during our time there. Barry then bought us a hot drink at halftime too. Thank you Barry!
There was a wide variety of food available at the ground, including chips, pizzas, pies and rolls. AFC Finners indulged in some chips which he thoroughly enjoyed, and someone told me that the pizza is the best in the league, so I'll take their word for it.
We then ventured to our spot in the main stand of the ground. While there, I went into a frenzy trying to find the teams for the day, so when Pershore's Tom Millward approached me with a team sheet, it really was appreciated. The view from the spot we chose was really good, and the stand is decent, it's just a shame there's only one really. It can be argued that Pershore will need to build another one if they plan to move up the leagues though.
For the level that the match was being played, the atmosphere was reasonable. Nobody goes to a game at this level and expects flares from the crowd. There was really positive atmosphere, people laughing and joking with each other, kids playing football together, old and young people talking to each other. I feel that in comparison to other grounds I have been to at higher levels, the atmosphere wasn't the loudest, so I feel I have been fair in the score given.
Teamsheet
Pershore Town
Manager: Danny Janes
Luis Sone
Logan Stoddart
Jake Donnelly
Steve Webb
Kirk Layton (c)
Jordan Adams
Aidan Clark ⚽️
Jordan Jones
Danny Murphy ⚽️
Harry Burns
James Baldwin
Substitutes
Matt Nutt
Josh Willis
Petar Tonchev
Scott Hammond
Jamie Clarke
Kidlington Reserves
Manager: Brad Chalmers
Dale Freeman
Will Baker
Larson Wirdnam-Crick
Brad Cox
Luke McCormack
Joe Basham
Owen Cox
Josh Youngman
Sam James (c)
Joey Aust
Ethan Barresi
Substitutes
Sam Stowell
Brad Chalmers
The game was heavily in favour of Pershore, who dominated from start to finish. Danny Murphy cut inside and fired straight at the keeper within the first two minutes, giving them their first chance. Pershore had a slew of opportunities, and it was a mystery how they weren't out of sight. They finally broke the deadlock when a good interchange between James Baldwin and Aidan Clark resulted in Aidan Clark breaking in to slot home. When James Baldwin hit the post and the ball bounced into the keepers arms, it should have been two before halftime.
Pershore dominated the second half yet again, looking head and shoulders above the rest of the field. Aidan Clark smashed the ball at the keeper, who parried it and Danny Murphy tapped it in to double their lead. When Murphy was played in and fired it against the crossbar, it should have been three, and how it wasn't was a mystery to most of the crowd. Another flurry of chances followed, but it ended 2-0 to a professional Pershore Town, who look set to win the league this season.
Scores On The Doors
Atmosphere: 3/10
Food and Drink: 7/10
Stadium: 4/10
Welcome: 9/10
Overall Experience: 8/10
GG
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