Welcome to the latest instalment of the Gloucester Groundhopper blog.
For this chapter, we headed back to Worcestershire for some Southern League Premier Division Central action as Alvechurch took on Mickleover at Lye Meadow.
It's All In The Name
Alvechurch is the name of the Church of the Lady Aelfgiva, who may have been a relative of King Althelstan. King Offa gave the parish territory to the local church in the latter part of the seventh century. In the Domesday Book, the parish is mentioned. The club call themselves 'The Church.'
Some Notable Former Players
Sean O'Driscoll
Russell Penn
Steve Cotterill
Alan Smith
Some Notable People From Alvechurch:
Jeremy Akerman- Politician
Jenny Brasier- Botanical Artist
James Delingpole- Journalist
David Maloney- TV Director
Godfrey Baseley- Creator Of The Archers
A History Lesson From The Gloucester Groundhopper
Alvechurch Juniors was founded in 1929 and competed in the Redditch League until World War II. In 1960-61, they finished second in the West Midlands Alliance and advanced to Division One of the Worcestershire Combination. Following a seventh-place result in their debut season in the Combination, the club finished first or second in the league for the next seven seasons, winning the league title in 1962-63, 1964-65, and 1966-67, as well as the League Cup in 1964-65, 1965-66, and 1967-68. In 1965-66, they reached the FA Amateur Cup semi-finals, finally losing 1-0 to Wealdstone at Stamford Bridge in front of roughly 10,000 supporters.
In 1968, the league was renamed the Midland Combination, and Alvechurch won the League Cup once more in 1968-69. In 1971-72, they won their fourth Midland Combination title and their fifth League Cup. During the season, they also made FA Cup history when they were drawn against Oxford City in the fourth qualifying round. The contest went to a record five replays after a 2-2 draw at home; the first match at Oxford City's ground was drawn 1-1. The second replay was held at St Andrew's in Birmingham since all replays after the first had to be held on neutral ground, and it ended 0-0. The third and fourth matches were similarly 0-0 (both at the Manor Ground in Oxford), until Alvechurch won the fifth replay 1-0 at Villa Park. Four of the games went into overtime. The six matches, played over 17 days and during which Alvechurch also had a league match, remain a record for an FA Cup tie, as the FA eliminated all matches beyond the first replay in 1991, which would now end in penalties to choose a winner. With the win, Alvechurch qualified for the first round proper for the first time, becoming the first club from the Midland Combination to do so. They were defeated 4-2 in Aldershot.
Alvechurch moved to the Premier Division of the West Midlands (Regional) League after placing second in the Midland Combination and won the Worcestershire Senior Cup in 1972-73. The club reached the first round of the FA Cup again in their debut season in the league, defeating Fourth Division Exeter City 1-0. This was followed by a 6-1 home win over King's Lynn in the second round, followed by a 4-2 defeat at Bradford City in the third round. In addition, they won the West Midlands (Regional) League, the League Cup, the Birmingham Senior Amateur Cup, and the Worcestershire Senior Cup. The club won the League Cup again in 1974-75 and the Worcestershire Senior Cup again in 1976-77, retaining the league title for the next three seasons. In 1977-78, they finished second in the Premier Division and won the League Cup, before moving up to Division One North of the Southern League.
Following league reorganisation, Alvechurch were assigned to the Southern League's Midland Division for the 1979-80 season, and were divisional champions in 1980-81, going on to defeat Dartford of the Southern Division in the championship play-off, winning 1-0 at home and 3-2 away before winning the tie 4-3 on penalties. The following season, the club finished second in the Midland Division and won the League Cup. Following league reform, they were assigned to the new Premier Division for the 1982-83 season. The club's prosperity then faded, as they finished in the bottom half of the standings for the next three seasons. They were relegated to the Midland Division after finishing second-to-last in the Premier Division in 1989-90. Another demotion two seasons later saw them return to the West Midlands (Regional) League's Premier Division. The club eventually disbanded in 1993.
In 1994, the club was renamed Alvechurch Villa and joined the Midland Combination's Premier Division. They reverted to the name Alvechurch in 1996. The club won the Premier Division and the League Cup in 2002-03, and was promoted to the Midland Alliance. In the following years, they won the Worcestershire Senior Urn in 2003-04, 2004-05, 2007-08, 2009-10, and 2012-13. Alvechurch were placed in the Premier Division after the Midland Combination amalgamated with the Midland Combination to establish the Midland League in 2014. In 2015-16, they finished second in the league and won the Worcestershire Senior Urn, and the following season, they won the league and League Cup double, earning promotion to Division One South of the Northern Premier League.
Alvechurch finished second in Division One South in their maiden season in the Northern Premier League, earning them promotion to the Premier Division Central of the Southern League. The club qualified for the promotion play-offs after finishing fourth in 2018-19. However, after defeating Stourbridge 2-1 in the semi-finals, they were defeated 3-0 in the final by King's Lynn Town. The club won the Worcestershire Senior Cup for the fourth time at the end of the season. In 2022-23, the team reached the FA Cup first round once more, this time defeating League One club Cheltenham Town 2-1 to advance to the second round.
Honours
🏆 Southern League (Champions: 1980–81)
🏆 Southern League Midland Division (Champions: 1980–81)
🏆 League Cup (Winners: 1982–83)
🏆 Midland League Premier Division (Champions: 2016–17)
🏆 Midland League League Cup (Winners: 2016–17)
🏆 West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division (Champions: 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77)
🏆 West Midlands League Cup (Winners: 1973–74, 1974–75, 1977–78)
🏆 Midland Combination (Champions: 1962–63, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1971–72, 2002–03)
🏆 Midland Combination League Cup (Winners: 1964–65, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1971–72, 2002–03)
🏆 Midland Combination Invitation Cup (Winners: 1966–67, 1967–68)
🏆 Worcestershire Senior Cup (Winners: 1972–73, 1973–74, 1976–77, 2018–19)
🏆 Worcestershire Senior Urn (Winners: 2003–04, 2004–05, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2015–16)
🏆 Birmingham Senior Amateur Cup (Winners: 1973–74)
🏆 JW Hunt Cup (Winners: 2016–17)
Matchday: Alvechurch 1-2 Mickleover
We travelled to Alvechurch on a slightly warmer Saturday afternoon as we looked forward to yet another game of football. We arrived in Alvechurch in good time, so we went for a stroll around the village. We eventually ended up sat in a local cafe (Cafe Morso) eating a lunch of burgers and chips. After this, we headed back to the ground.
The ground is fairly well signposted, however it would be easy to miss it if travelling down the road in a hurry. We had bought our tickets online, with the charge being £10, £2 cheaper than if we paid on the day. When arriving at the ground, we could be forgiven for thinking that the lack of a person on the turnstile meant that we had to show our tickets elsewhere. On our way round to the busier area, we were called back by the turnstile man, who said 'you have to pay, lads' to which we responded 'we have paid.' A response which was rewarded with 'you still have to show me.' You weren't on the turnstile, mate. Anyway, after this we were granted access to the ground.
The first thing we did was do our customary circuit of the ground. We were aware that Alvechurch are planning to move grounds in the near future, and we were prewarned that this had resulted in some areas of the ground being neglected. Unfortunately, this was correct. Some of the fencing was damaged and the chicken wire around the pitch had seen better days. There was a derelict clubshop on one side too. That being said, the one stand with seats in it was very comfortable to sit in, and there was plenty of space between the seats which made it even more comfortable.
After our circuit, we headed into the bar. The bar was actually probably the nicest part of the ground. It was very spacious, and felt very comfortable. The man on the bar was lovely and really friendly. There was also a big screen playing the early kickoff, which was West Ham United vs Newcastle United. We also purchased our pin badges from the bar, which cost a hefty £5.
After this, Finners was peckish, so he headed for the food stand, which offered a variety of food, including burgers, pies and hotdogs. One thing that the club has to be given credit for is the provision of a veggie option. The veggie burger that Finners bought was described by the man himself as 'the best burger he'd had at a ground.' Special mention also has to go to the fact that the food bar offers Baileys Hot Chocolate- a fine choice.
After this, we headed back to the seated stand. The ground was fairly quiet throughout, although I do think the poor quality in the game had something to do with it. An honourable mention has to go to the Mickleover fan who sang his heart out the entire match, and yes you are 'going to Alvechurch.... que sera sera.'
Teamsheet
Alvechurch
Manager: James Fry
Ronnie Hollingshead
Ammar Dyer
Dylan Mitchell
Yaw Nantwi-Ofosu (c)
Dylan Allen-Hadley
Jaanai Gordon ⚽️
Nicholas Clayton-Phillips
Finley Thorndike
Kartell Dawkins
Ethan Young
Archie Crowther
Substitutes
Joshua Dugmore
Ethan Patterson
Jack Hallahan
Richard Batchelor
Daniele Reka
Mickleover
Manager: John McGrath
Yusuf Mersin
Ethan Mann
Jake Bennett
Dan Bradley
Will Tamen
Kyle Rowley
Ethan Fitzhugh
Ben Sault
Stuart Beavon
Will Trueman
Oliver Greaves
Substitutes
Tyrell Waite ⚽️ ⚽️
Lewis Ridd
Will Atkinson
Will Bapaga
Marcus Barnes
Alvechurch dominated the early stages, and the hosts had a great chance early on when Dylan Allen-Hadley found space behind the goal but got beneath the effort, which sailed over the crossbar.A fantastic cross from Nicholas Clayton-Phillips landed on the head of Archie Crowther, who put his header in, but the ball was turned over by the keeper.
Nicholas Clayton-Phillips then won the ball in a great position and had the entire goal to shoot at, but his effort slid past the post. Mickleover then seized the lead late on when Tyrell Waite hammered in the rebound from a corner from the left to make it 1-0.
Tyrell Waite quickly doubled Mickleover's lead. Waite scored the second goal, making it 2-0, after a pass over the top put him in. The action did not finish there, as Jaanai Gordon cut the deficit in half when an Alvechurch corner struck his head. Still, Mickleover held on for a strong three points.
Scores on the Doors
Atmosphere: 3/10
Food and Drink: 7/10
Stadium: 4/10
Welcome: 6/10
Overall Experience: 6/10
GG
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