Welcome to the latest installment of the Gloucester Groundhopper blog.
For this installment, we headed to the West Midlands for Southern League Premier Division Central action as Halesowen Town took on Redditch United at The Grove.
It's All In The Name
The nickname of Halesowen Town Football Club is the Yeltz. There have been a variety of suggestions as to why the club's nickname is the Yeltz. The following are just a few:
An evolutionary theory is one of the most popular and plausible. Hales Owen was the name before Halesowen. Before that, it was just Hales. Halas came before that. Because the Black Country accent changes 'H' sounds into 'Y' sounds, Halas became 'Yalas,' which finally became "Yeltz."
Another theory is the following, In March 2019, John Workman, a writer for the Black Country Bugle, released an essay titled "Reviving the Possible Origins of the Word Yeltz." Workman hypothesised that the James Grove Button firm, which operated from a factory on the Stourbridge Road from 1866 until 2012, coined the term "Yeltz" (originally written "Yelts") for one of its buttons. The button had a buffalo head with the words "Yelts Brand" inscribed around it.
Additionally, according to folklore, the name "Yeltz" was derived from "Ye Earls," a local term for "belonging to the Earl."
The Earl of Dudley is a descendant of the Ward family, a lineage of historic Midlands landowners. The Ward family owned a considerable chunk of the land in and around Halesowen during the eighteenth century. As a result, this area, and later the entire town, became known as "Ye Earls" (i.e., the earls' territory). "Ye Earls" evolved into "Yeltz," and the football team embraced this title in its early days.
Some Notable People From Halesowen:
Lee Sharpe- Footballer
Richard Wordsworth- Actor
Rex Williams- Snooker Player
Michael Bradley- Cricketer
Eric Neale- Car Designer
Some Notable Former Players
Ikechi Anya
Troy Deeney
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake
Lee Hughes
A History Lesson From The Gloucester Groundhopper
The club was thought to have been founded in 1873, but current research indicates that it was most likely founded in 1877 under the name Halesowen Football Club. They played on three different pitches before settling in at the Grove in 1881. In 1892, the squad entered the Birmingham & District League and finished last in their debut season. In 1904-05, they finished last in the league and were relegated to the Walsall & District League. In 1906, they returned to the Birmingham & District League after only one season. In 1910-11, the club was relegated to the Birmingham Combination after finishing last again. They finished last in the new league for the next two seasons until leaving after finishing second-to-last in 1913-14. The team was later transferred to the Birmingham young & Old Boys Football Association Suburban competition Division One, an amateur competition where young football remained until the end of the war.
Halesowen rejoined the Birmingham Combination in 1919 and was established about 1926 as Halesowen Town. They finished last in the league in 1926-27, but stayed in the league until 1939. They rejoined the Birmingham & District League in 1946 and won their first league title in 1946-47. The league was divided into Northern and Southern divisions in 1954, with Halesowen playing in the latter. Following further league rearrangement, they were promoted to Division One the following season. For the first time, the club reached the first round of the FA Cup in 1955-56, losing 4-2 at home to Hendon in front of a record attendance of 5,000. They were relegated to Division Two the next season after finishing in the bottom three the previous season.
After finishing third in 1957-58, Halesowen was promoted back to Division One. The league was reduced to a single level in 1960 and renamed the West Midlands (Regional) League in 1962. The club finished second in 1964-65 and was promoted to the Premier Division at the end of the season when the league gained a second division. In 1982-83, they won the Premier Division and reached the FA Vase final, when they were defeated 1-0 by VS Rugby at Wembley. They went on to win the FA Vase in 1985 and 1986, beating Fleetwood Town 3-1 in 1984-85 and Southall 3-0 in 1985-86. The team also reached the first round of the FA Cup for the second time in 1985-86, finally losing 3-1 in a replay against Frickley Athletic. After winning their fourth consecutive championship in 1985-86, the club was promoted to the Southern League's Midland Division.
Halesowen returned to the FA Cup first round in 1987-88 and again in 1988-89, when they faced Football League opposition for the first time, losing 2-0 at Brentford. In 1989-90, they won the Midland Division, earning promotion to the Premier League, and another FA Cup first round appearance ended in a 1-0 defeat to Cardiff City. They went on to lose 2-1 in the first round to Tranmere Rovers in 1990-91, then 4-0 in a replay to Farnborough Town in 1991-92.
In 1995-96, Halesowen finished second in the Premier Division, three points short of the title and promotion to the Football Conference. However, the club bounced around the divisions in the early 2000s, finishing bottom of the Premier Division and demoted to the Western Division in 2000-01. The following season, they won the Western Division and returned to the Premier League for the first time. After being relegated to the Western Division at the end of the 2002-03 season, the club was immediately promoted back to the Premier League. Another FA Cup first round appearance in 2004-05 concluded in a 2-1 defeat against Yeading. The team finished third in the Premier Division in 2007-08, qualifying for the promotion play-offs; after defeating Chippenham Town 2-1 in the semi-finals, they were defeated 2-1 by Team Bath in the final.
Halesowen finished bottom of the Premier Division in 2010-11, leading in relegation to Division One South & West. They were promoted to the Northern Premier League's Premier Division in 2013-14 after being transferred to Division One South in 2012. As part of the non-League pyramid restructuring, the club was transferred to the Premier Central division of the Southern League at the end of the 2017-18 season. They were relegated to the Northern Premier League's Division One Midlands at the end of the 2020-21 season. The club finished second in Division One Midlands in 2022-23, qualifying for the play-offs. After defeating Coleshill Town 3-1 in the semi-finals, they defeated Spalding United 2-1 after extra time in the final to secure promotion to the Southern League's Premier Division Central.
Honours
🏆 Southern League Midland Division (Champions: 1989–90)
🏆 Southern League Western Division (Champions: 2001–02)
🏆 Northern Premier League Division One South (Champions: 2013–14)
🏆West Midlands (Regional) League (Champions: 1946–47, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86)
🏆 FA Vase (Winners: 1984–85, 1985–86)
🏆 Birmingham Senior Cup (Winners: 1983–84, 1997–98)
🏆 Staffordshire Senior Cup (Winners: 1988–89)
🏆 Worcestershire Senior Cup (Winners: 1951–52, 1961–62, 2001–02, 2004–05)
🏆 Kidderminster & District Football Association Cup (Winners: 1885–86, 1886–87)
🏆 Dudley Guest Cup (Joint Winners: 1892–93)
An Interview With 'You Yeltz' fan page on X (@youyeltz)
GG: Could you tell us about the reputation of Halesowen Town among football fans?
YY: I'm glad to add that Halesowen has a great support base, as well as (I believe) an excellent reputation. We are always warm and inviting at The Grove, and when we are away from home, we are loud, proud, and many! Non-league is one large community, and we've made some wonderful friendships with supporters of various clubs in recent years.
GG: Who is Halesowen's standout performer this season?
YY: It's Todd Parker for me. He's a young, talented midfielder with a bright future, and he's a joy to watch in a Halesowen shirt. We had former Wolves and Villa player Paul Birch play for us at the conclusion of his career many years ago, and he was a wonderful act. But, as I've said, Todd is the best ball-playing centre midfielder we've had since - it's difficult to give him any higher praise.
GG: How is the matchday experience at Halesowen?
YY: The matchday experience at The Grove is fantastic; I wouldn't trade it for any other venue. It's a well-liked and well-kept setup, with four stands providing an excellent view of the game. The matchday atmosphere is best found at the Shed End, where you'll hear a wide variety of funny songs! There are also plenty of wonderful local pubs to visit before and after the game, including The King Edward, The Hawne Tavern, and The Waggon & Horses, which all have the You Yeltz seal of approval.
GG: Who is your all-time favourite player, and why?
YY: My all-time fave player is Steve Piearce, a bleach blonde centre forward from the late 1990s. He was lightning fast and lethal in front of goal, forming an incredible connection with the equally legendary Evran Wright and terrorising defences for several years before moving to Hereford. I was shocked he never advanced to a higher level, but that appears to be the way in football!
GG: Could you give us a humorous club story?
YY: I'm a big fan of the now-infamous "Crutchgate" event. A few years back, we were playing Carlton at home, and there was a strange "altercation" between an away player preparing to take a throw-in and a two of elderly (and apparently first-time) spectators in the normally-very-sedate Harry Rudge Stand. I couldn't give all the facts, but the end result was a befuddled athlete with a sore head, two stadium bans, and the crutch as the linking piece!
GG: Can you tell us how Halesowen like to play in general?
YY: At times, the Mighty Yeltz play some fantastic passing and offensive football, aided by some superb technical players and a pristine grass field at The Grove. However, our lack of height and muscle has frequently been our undoing, and especially away from home, we have been thwarted on the sticky fields. Many people believe we need more brutes on our side, but it's a difficult trade-off to make!
GG: What was your favourite football match with Halesowen?
YY: In the 2019/20 season, we had the most extraordinary run in the FA Trophy, playing fourteen games (in a knockout format!) and beating six higher-level teams, including three Conference teams on their own turf. The highlight was the away game at Barnet in the quarter-finals, which we won in extra time to some spectacular scenes. Unfortunately, the epidemic took away our Wembley dream, and we will eternally fantasise about what may have been.
GG: Where do you see the club going in the football pyramid?
YY: Halesowen have all the makings of a solid Step Two club in my opinion, and I believe the club hierarchy shares that ambition. However, I am pleased to see the club grow steadily, and we are fortunate to have a wonderful owner who understands the value of growing the underlying set-up. The club is obviously on the rise right now, which is amazing to see after some extremely difficult years, but you can never take anything for granted, and I'm just delighted to see us on a solid foundation.
GG: Which manager has left the biggest of an impression on Halesowen fans?
YY: I was too young to remember Harry Rudge, Paddy Page, and the Wembley years (the club won the FA Vase twice in the 1980s), but I'm sure those who did will remember these guys fondly. However, in my time, Paul Smith has achieved wonderful things for Halesowen, including that unforgettable Trophy run and a critical promotion last season, while also rebuilding a footballing side we can be proud of.
GG: What has been your most memorable football game experience?
YY: Non-league football is all about the terrace environment - those shared moments with your fellow fans, as well as the connection between fans and players. When the team clinched promotion on the final day of the 2013/4 season with a 2-0 win at Belper Town, our star striker Ben Haseley scored both goals. He celebrated his second goal by sprinting directly into my arms - right location, right time, I suppose! - and it doesn't get any better than that, does it?
Matchday: Halesowen Town 1-2 Redditch United
We travelled to Halesowen on a slightly warmer Saturday morning as we looked forward to yet another game of football. We arrived in Halesowen in good time, parking at the Pool Lane car park. Now, there is a big sign saying the first two hours of parking at this car park is free, and we arrived back at my car exactly one hour and thirty five minutes after we left. So you can imagine my shock when I saw one of those lovely yellow gift parcels waiting for me on my windscreen. Not entirely sure, what we did wrong, but here we are- parking attendants showing their lovely nature again.
Anyway, while in the town centre, we visited Carly's Cafe, where we endulged in a delicious (and ridiculously cheap) full English breakfast. £6.50 for what they called a Mega Breakfast) which was probably big enough to feed two, if not three, people. After this, and a few visits to charity shops and the mighty B and M, we headed to the ground.
The ground is around a ten minute drive from the town centre, with ample residential parking available a short walk from the ground. After parking (acceptably this time), taking the advice of a steward, we went to the Yeltz Bar. The bar is fantastic, the people working the bar were lovely, happy, kind, and Luke The Stuart Dallas Fan enjoyed being called 'Angel' for the first time in his life. They serve something called 'Yeltz Bitter' in the bar, which AFC Finners thought was fantastic. I think it's fantastic that clubs at this level are producing their own brand of beer, it's shows great initiative and it makes the experience feel more wholesome (if that makes sense).
After this, we met up with @YouYeltz who I later found out was called Tim. He has spent a lot of time giving us advice and making our experience the best it can be. His assistance really has been invaluable. It was made even greater when he presented us with a 'bring a friend' voucher so one of us (me) got in for free.
Going into the ground, we went straight to the club shop. This club shop, again, was brilliant. A lot of clubs at this level don't have a lot of merchandise, and even if they do it's often sold out, so imagine my shock when I learned the Halesowen Town had not one, not two, but THREE different style pin badges in stock (£4 each or 3 for £10). There were also club shirts and scarves available.
Having not eaten for over an hour, Finners decided to purchase his obligatory cheesey chips which he really enjoyed. It was noticed that there was a sweet shop at the ground, which we thought was a nice touch, we just didn't get the opportunity to try anything else.
The stadium itself is fantastic. We often say we love a ground that a person can visit and you can tell that the club take great pride in their ground. Walking around, you can see murals painted by local fans, flags, literally everything is 'Yeltz' themed and everything is in pretty good condition. Naturally at this level, you come into it thinking you might need to give the benefit of the doubt in places, but this ground, and I know it's a big statement, would not look out of place in the EFL. I have been to many grounds in the EFL that are a lot worse than this one (cough Forest Green Rovers and Sutton United cough).
We were tipped off that The Shed End is where most of the noise comes from, and to be fair, there were a group of fans making a decent noise there. While it's not the greatest atmosphere I've experienced, it's still nice to see a club making the effort (again a lot of clubs at this level don't).
Overall, I would definitely recommend this ground to any football fan. It's one that they should do at least once in their lives. The welcome is great, the stadium is a classic, the people are awesome and atmosphere is decent.
Teamsheet
Halesowen Town
Manager: Paul Smith
Dan Platt (c)
Victor Nirrenold
McKauley Manning
Caine Elliott
Ryan Wynter
Tom Taylor
Kieren Donnelly
Nathan Hayward
Miracle Okafor ⚽️
Ryan Boothe
Isaac Adegoke
Substitutes
Josh Ezewele
Todd Parker
Jack Holmes
Rhys Hilton
Richard Gregory
Redditch United
Manager: Matt Clarke
Adam Harrison
Isaiah Bazeley
Ryan Wollacott
Matt Fulloway
Jordan Cranston
Gift Mussa
Morgan Owen
Aram Soleman
Jack Concannon ⚽️
Jonnie Johnston
Danny King ⚽️
Substitutes
Jack Price
Musa Ceesay
Jaiden White
Alex Cameron
AJ George
The first half was pretty even, with both teams cancelling one other out. The first chance came in the 34th minute, when Aram Soleman raced inside and slammed his shot from the edge of the box off the crossbar. Halesowen then had a chance when Miracle Okafor curled an effort over the crossbar following a Ryan Boothe lay off. Jordan Cranston's shot was then saved excellently by the Halesowen custodian following a lovely one-two with Soleman to keep the scores level at halftime.
The deadlock was broken in the 55th minute when Morgan Owen found Soleman, who surged through midfield and weaved past Concannon, taking a touch around Dan Platt and slotting home from close range.
Halesowen Town equalised in the 78th minute when an effort from a cleared corner rebounded and found Okafor, who blasted in from six yards out.
Redditch United retook the lead when the ball landed at the feet of Danny King, who curled in a beautiful goal to secure the three points.
Scores On The Doors
Atmosphere: 7/10
Food and Drink: 7/10
Stadium: 8.5/10
Welcome: 10/10
Overall Experience: 8.5/10
GG
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