So it's the 2nd week of the new season and also the first week of the season long journey of the FA Cup, in the form of the Extra Preliminary Round. I have chosen to see the all Midland Football League team tie of 'The Mikes' v 'The Romans', the nicknames of Boldmere St.Michaels and Rocester respectively. It's being played at the familiar (for me) Trevor Brown Memorial Ground in Boldmere, one of my favourite venues in the Birmingham area.
It's a mainly cloudy day with sunny intervals today and a temperature of 18c. Not bad for watching football.
After having lunch in Sutton Coldfield, I take the train to Chester Road station where it's just a 10 minute walk to the ground. I think Chester Road road, must be one of the longest in the region and could have been the route of a Roman Road, as it looks so straight as it disappears in to the distance. I am soon turning in to Church Road on my right and a few yards on my left is the small car park in front of the ground. After paying my entrance fee I walk through the turnstile, the pitch is in front of me, with the club house and changing rooms a few yards to my right. In front of this is small covered area for spectators to stand. On the far side is the main stand with enough seating for 230 spectators. On the opposite side are the team dug-outs and this and the far end of the ground are uncovered.
Boldmere St.Michaels are a well established club who date back to 1883, where they started life as a youth team from a local church. They became an open age team a few years later when the boys had grown older. One of their first claims to fame came in 1948 when they reached the semi-final of the old FA Amateur Cup, losing at Highbury 0-2 to Barnet. The club had success in the mid to late 1980's when they were champions of the Midland Football Combination. They were one of the original members of the Midland Football Alliance in 1994 and they also tasted success in 2006, 7 & 8 when winning the Walsall Senior Cup.
Their opponents from the Staffordshire village of Rocester, near Uttoxeter, were formed in 1876. Their main successes have come since 1986, when they achieved the double of being Staffordshire Senior Lge champions and also winners of the Staffordshire Senior League. They have also won the Midland Football Alliance in 1999 & 2004 and as a result of these acheivements briefly featured in the Southern and Northern leagues before relegation. Great achievements for a village side! Their Hillsfield ground is built on the former site of a Roman fort, hence 'The Romans' nickname.
Both teams have had an inauspicious start to their league campaigns with both suffering two straight defeats so far.
The teams come out on the pitch with Boldmere in their usual white shirts and black shorts. Rocester are in their away strip of all blue and it's the visitors who look the more dangerous in the early stages.
After just 2 minutes, Rocester score and I'm sure that wasn't in the script! Midfielder Tom Brown is the villain of the piece and it's not until about 10 minutes that Boldmere start to mount any serious attacks themselves.
Boldmere's strikers, Stuart Capaldi and Charisma Agbonlahor start to cause problems for the Romans defence but it's the visitors who score the next goal after 26 minutes when Robert Ritchie-Smith takes advantage of a botched clearance from Boldmere to shoot past the home keeper.
The Mikes hit back almost immediately with a good shot from Stuart Capaldi from the right hand side of the penalty area and Agbonlahor equalises with another good effort from a similar position with 4 minutes of the half remaining.
The match takes another twist when Rocester midfielder, Sam Griffiths, is sent off for a high tackle.
So it's 2 goals apiece at half-time and as the teams seem evenly matched I think it could go either way. With prize money at stake to the winners today, they will both be trying their hardest although whoever wins will have the tough task of playing higher ranked Leek Town away in the next round.
I feel a bit sorry for the nearby bowls club which is just over the other side of the wooden fence in one corner of the ground. Twice during the game the ball goes over the fence and it must be quite disruptive to the bowls players who are playing today. I bet they don't have any important tournaments on match days.
The second half sees Boldmere St.Michaels doing most of the attacking and most of their best midfield play comes from their captain and No.8, Stephen Palmer but Rocester are proving to be dangerous on the break, especially the speedy No.10, Karl Demidh.
Boldmere's pressure finally seems to have paid off when they take the lead in the 89th minute. It comes from a goal mouth scramble following a free kick out on the right of the penalty area. The goal is accredited to Agbonlahor but it might have been an own goal.
Most of the crowd think that it's game over but Rocester have other ideas and in injury time they score a 3rd goal themselves when their captain and centre back, Tom Land, heads in from a corner.
Soon the whistle blows for the end of the game and we certainly got our moneys worth today. It was probably a fair result in the end although everyone associated with Boldmere will almost certainly disagree.
Boldmere St.Michaels are a friendly club with an attractive ground and I will probably be making another visit this season.
Match entrance fee: £5
Match programme: £1
Match attendance: 123
Match entertainment: 7.5/10
PS. Rocester have won the replay 4-0 on Tuesday night.
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