Welcome to the latest installment of the Gloucester Groundhopper blog.
For this chapter, we headed to Worcestershire to watch Redditch United face Bromsgrove Sporting at The Valley Stadium in the Southern League Central Division.
It's All In The Name
The first known mention of Redditch (Red-Ditch, assumed to be a reference to the neighbouring River Arrow's red clay) is in 1348, the year the Black Death broke out.
Redditch United FC, also known as "The Reds," proudly wears the colour red on their shirt and crest. The nickname symbolises the team's identity and is popular among both players and fans.
Some Notable People From Redditch:
Charles Dance- Actor
Harry Styles- Singer
John Bonham- Drummer For Led Zeppelin
Luke Johnson- Drummer For The LostProphets
Joe Lolley- Footballer
Some Notable Former Players
Scott Dann
Lee Hendrie
Clinton Morrison
Matt Smith
A History Lesson From The Gloucester Groundhopper
Redditch United is one of the Midlands' oldest football clubs, having formed as Redditch Town in the Birmingham Combination League in 1891 and winning the Worcestershire Senior Cup for the first time in 1894.
The club's inaugural season in 1893/94 began with a 4-1 home victory over Singers FC, who would change their name to Coventry City five years later.
However, Redditch Town withdrew before facing Hednesford (Town) in the second qualifying round, a pattern that was repeated the following season, with Stafford Rangers winning and then withdrawing before facing the original Coalville Town.
Redditch Town not only abandoned its suffix at the end of the 1896/97 season, but also slipped down to play in local league football, not returning until the 1908/09 season when it joined the Birmingham Combination.
Two years later, Redditch returned to the FA Cup, but were soundly defeated 6-0 by league rivals Willenhall Pickwick in the 1910/11 Extra Preliminary Round.
The final few years before the onset of World War I would witness only one FA Cup triumph for Redditch, 1-0 at Willenhall Swifts in the 1914/15 Preliminary Round, although this would lead to the club's biggest FA Cup defeat ever, 8-0 at the hands of Cradley Heath St.
The club thrived in the 1930s and again 20 years later, when they won the Birmingham Combination championship in 1952 and 1955. United was added to the name in 1971, and in November of same year, the club advanced to the first round of the FA Cup for the first time in its history. A record attendance of 4,500 packed the Valley Stadium to watch the Reds tie 1-1 with Division Four club Peterborough United before falling 6-0 in the replay.
The next season, they joined the Southern League and were promoted to the Premier Division at the end of the 1975-76 season, after scoring over 100 goals. They were founding members of the Alliance Premier League at the start of 1979/80, but struggled against rivals such as Barnet and Yeovil Town in what would become the Football Conference.
The club thereafter did its trade in the Southern League for more than 20 years, with the highlight being a return to the FA Cup first round in 1989, where it lost 3-1 to Conference side Merthyr Tydfil in front of another sellout crowd.
Under manager Rod Brown's leadership, the Reds secured an unprecedented double promotion at the end of the 2003/04 season. After winning the Southern League Western Division, the team won two play-off games to earn a spot in the newly established Conference North, where they remained for seven seasons. In 2011, the club experienced financial difficulties and was forced to withdraw from the National League North.
Redditch United returned to the Southern Premier Division for the 2011-12 season after being relegated the previous season. Under Liam McDonald's direction, the team placed second in the league at the end of the 2015-16 season, but were denied promotion after losing on penalties to Leamington in the play-off semi-finals.
The Reds won the Worcestershire Senior Cup, and several players moved on to full-time football, including Jermaine Hylton, who signed with Swindon Town, and Omari Sterling-James, who joined Cheltenham Town.
In 2016, the club collaborated with Redditch Borough Council, the FA, and the Football Foundation on a £900,000 investment package that included the installation of a cutting-edge 3G playing field and significant modifications to changing facilities. Tracey Crouch, the Sports Minister, officially launched the newly renovated facilities.
A full-time academy was then established, allowing scholars to pursue college and university studies while still participating in an elite football programme.
Since its inception, several players have progressed via the pipeline to senior football at Redditch United and other local clubs.
The Covid-19 pandemic then raged over the world, cutting the 2019/20 season short owing to national lockdown and saving Redditch from near-certain relegation. A new season began later than usual in September 2020, with a new Chairman and Manager for Redditch.
Redditch United started brightly under Matt Clarke, only to have the season delayed in November and then cut short in February after only 8 games played.
Honours
🏆 Birmingham Combination (Champions: 1913–14, 1932–33, 1952–53)
🏆 Birmingham & District League Southern Division (Champions: 1954–55)
🏆 Southern League Division One North (Champions: 1975–76)
🏆 Southern League Western Division (Champions: 2003–04)
🏆 Birmingham Senior Cup (Winners: 1925, 1932, 1939, 1977, 2005)
🏆 Worcestershire Senior Cup (Winners: 1894, 1930, 1975, 1976, 2008, 2014)
🏆 Staffordshire Senior Cup (Winners: 1991)
🏆 Worcester Royal Infirmary Cup (Winners: 1999)
Matchday: Redditch United 1-0 Bromsgrove Sporting
We woke up on a Saturday morning not knowing where we would be going due to the cold weather causing a lot of games to be called off. We had highlighted four clubs we wouldn't mind visiting: Alvechurch, Corsham, Royal Wootton Bassett and Studley...
... Arriving in Redditch, we found parking in a nearby cul de sac for free, although there is parking available at the ground should people not want to get their steps in. We bought our tickets online, which was fairly simple, however, for some reason, when the guy tried scanning our tickets, they kept saying invalid. That being said, it didn't really hinder our experience at all, as the guy was pretty nice about it, it's just being mentioned more for the club to look into (I suspect the fact we bought tickets on the day of the match had something to do with it).
We entered the ground and were immediately met by a friendly guy who was selling scarves and hats. We did enquire about pin badges, but sadly they had run out. Again, it didn't really hinder our experience. The guy on the stall was really friendly and really apologetic, so FairPlay to him.
AFC Finners indulged in a veggie burger (thank goodness we found a club that actually do a veggie option) which he thoroughly enjoyed. Happy, and full from a succulent veggie meal, we went for a look around the club bar, which is situated in the Cedar Road Stand. The bar is a decent little bar, with a large selection of drinks available. There was a massive television showing the early kickoff, which was Arsenal vs Crystal Palace, and there seemed to be a decent vibe around the place. One fact that we found particularly interesting was that the bar was opened by Sir Stanley Matthews and there is some signed memorabilia to go with it.
After this, we wandered round the ground. It is a great little ground it has to be said. A massive stand down one side, and then two more decent stands to go with it. One thing I will say, if not nitpicking, is that the walkway to the stand that has 'Valley Stadium' written on it (I don't know the actual name of it) is a little bit too small for the purpose it is meant to serve.
The atmosphere for the level the game was being played at was out of this world. The Redditch United supporters were loud throughout the entire game, with the classic 'ALLEZ OH' and 'X get battered everywhere they go' ringing out for 90 minutes. I often say you don't expect flares at this level of football... nope they had flares too. The only reason the atmosphere didn't score higher is to be fair to the other grounds that have naturally been louder due to the sheer number of supporters.
Overall, if any Groundhoppers are looking for a decent day out, with an amazing welcome, a cracking ground, some decent food and a good game of football... get yourselves down to Redditch.
Teamsheet
Redditch United
Manager: Matt Clarke
Adam Harrison
Brad Burton
Ryan Wollacott
Calum Flanagan
Jordan Cranston
Callum Rowe
Aram Soleman ⚽️
Reece Flanagan (c)
AJ George
Tyrel Skeen-Hamilton
Alex Cameron
Substitutes
Musa Ceesay
Jaiden White
Danny King
Morgan Owen
Johnny Johnston
Bromsgrove Sporting
Manager: Michael McGrath
Ollie Taylor
Billy Shaw
Ayomide Lekuti
Jack Newell
Aaron Roberts
Michael McGrath 🔴
Miro Pais
Luke Rowe (c)
Prince Henry
Conor Tee
Keanu Cooper
Substitutes
Elliott Ball
Aksum White
Tristan Dunkley
David Solademi
Shaquille Leachman-Whittingham
The game started quite evenly, with both teams attempting to match one other in a local derby. Redditch had the first chance, with Reece Flanagan hitting the post from an inswinging corner.
Not long after, Bromsgrove Sporting was reduced to ten men after Michael McGrath was sent off for bringing down Tyrel Skeen-Hamilton as the final man.
The lone genuine chance of the first half came in the 45th minute, when Aram Soleman forced a stop from keeper Ollie Taylor on a long-range shot.
Redditch had a strong start to the second half, with Jordan Cranston making a fine stop from Taylor to keep it out of the bottom left corner and Flanagan curling a shot wide.
Redditch took the lead in the 76th minute thanks to a fantastic header by Aram Soleman from a Flanagan corner.
Bromsgrove almost got a point in the dying moments, but a corner was scrambled wide after a lot of pinball. Ultimately, Redditch United held out for the three points that would propel them to the top of the league.
Scores On The Doors
Atmosphere: 7/10
Food and Drink: 6/10
Stadium: 6.5/10
Welcome: 8/10
Overall Experience: 8/10
GG
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