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This feature highlights those clubs who no longer or have never had a home ground of their own.
Index of clubs on this page: Just click on the club you wish to view.
To start things off we'll be featuring Oldbury United, Stanton Ilkeston, Warstones Wanderers and Wednesbury Town.
Oldbury United were kicked off their home ground recently and now ground share at Tividale FC while the dispute with the social club owners at Oldbury goes through the courts.
Stanton Ilkeston lost their ground which they shared with the local Rugby Club and played their home games in the Cental Midlands League at South Normanton Athletic for the 2007/08 season.
Warstones Wanderers have recently started ground sharing with Sporting Khalsa at the Abbey Stadium in Bloxwich.
Wednesbury Town have folded and reformed a number of times in their history, this time round they play their home games at Long Lane Park.
2008/09 Members of the Midland Alliance
2007/08 Final League Position: 21st Midland Alliance
2007/08 Average Home Attendance: 39 Highest Home Attendance: 75
2006/07 Average Home Attendance: 75
Pictured above Oldbury United's old York Road ground
Year of Formation: 1958
Nickname: Cricketts
Ground Address: Tividale F.C. The Beeches, Packwood Road, Tividale, West Midlands, B69 1ULl.
Ground Telephone: 01384 211743
Ground Directions: Leave the M5 at junction 2 and follow signs for Dudley A4123. Approximately one mile after school and playing fields on the right go under pedestrian walkway to traffic lights. Turn left into Regent Road, then left again into Elm Terrace. Then take first left into Birch Crescent and second left into Packwood Road. Ground is at the end of the Cul-de-sac.
These pictures how how close Oldbury's old ground was to the M5, above left, and the near side of the ground, above right. Pictured below the stand behind the near goal.
Special thanks to Paul Edwards for the scan of the Oldbury United programme.
Blackheath Town and Warley Development currently play their home games in the West Midlands (Regional) League - Division One at Oldbury United's old ground.
Best Performance in the FA Cup: 4th Qualifying Round 1986/87
Best Performance in the FA Vase: 5th Round 1977/78
Last Result: Wednesday 16th April 2008 Stanton Ilkeston 0 Sutton Town AFC 1 Cental Midlands League - Premier Division
Current League Position: 18th
Ground Address: South Normanton Athletic Football Club, Exchem Sports Ground, Lees Lane, South Normanton, Derbyshire
Ground Directions: From M1 junction 28, take the B6019 towards South Normanton. Once in South Normanton turn turn right after one mile (at BP garage) into Market Street. After 1/4 mile turn left, immediatley after The Clock pub into Lees Lane. The ground is at the bottom of this road on the right.
The History of Stanton Ilkeston Football Club
The club began life in 1921 as Stanton Football Club, the team of Stanton Ironworks, hence their nickname "The Ironmen". From those early days as a works team the club has, in recent years, evolved into a community based organisation with no link to the Stanton works. At senior level, the club fielded teams in a variety of leagues progressing through the Midland Amateur Alliance and Derby Senior League to the Central Alliance. There followed a spell in the Notts Alliance prior to entering the East Midlands Regional League Division One in 1977.
Promotion brought a move into the Central Midlands League and the football pyramid system. Their direct admission into the Premier Division was justified by a fourth place finish in their first season, this progress was confirmed the very next year by a league and cup winning double. The club was denied promotion on the grounds of lack of facilities but did eventually win promotion to the top division before dropping back into the Premier.
In 1991 the club changed its name to Stanton Ilkeston FC to strengthen links to the town and local community. They continued to play in the Central Midland League with two teams and in 1998 the committee saw the need to expand the club. At senior level the incorporation of Ilkeston Pioneer FC meant that the club would now run two teams in the Long Eaton Sunday League while three junior teams were formed at Under 10, 11 and 13 age groups.
Unfortunately at the end of season 2001/2002 the decision was taken to withdraw the senior teams from the Central Midland League. The loss of the club's base at the 'Stute' and the costs involved in maintaining a commitment in the football pyramid were the key factors in the decision.
The future of the club now lies in developing the younger players and this can be seen by the fact that several of the lads from the Under 13 team of 1998 were introduced to the senior game in the Long Eaton Sunday League and acquitted themselves most capably. The expansion continues year on year and the club now boasts squads ranging from the youngsters of the nursery squad up to under 18. Ultimately the club is aiming to give the players the opportunity to join us at nursery level and stay with us until they retire from playing.
From its origins as a works team, with a single side, Stanton Ilkeston has grown to a membership of over a hundred players of all ages and is proud of its position in the local football community and in the town.
2007/08 is Stanton Ilkeston's first back in the Central Midlands League, playing in the Premier Division. They had, until recently, played their home games on their own ground which they shared with the local Rugby club.
Stanton played on the 'top' pitch where the ground had been developed to include floodlights. The Rugby team played on the 'bottom' pitch where there were no lights and little in the way of facilities. The social club became involved in the politics of the two clubs resulting in Stanton Ilkeston losing use of the 'top' pitch to the Rugby team.
As the facilities on the 'bottom' pitch were not to the standard required for their level of football Stanton have been forced to ground share with South Normanton Athletic in order to play back in the Central Midlands League this season.
Best Performance in the FA Cup:
Best Performance in the FA Vase:
2008/09 Members of West Midlands (Regional) League Division One
2007/08 Final League Position: 7th West Midlands (Regional) League - Division One
For the 2007/08 season Warstones Wanders played their home games at the now defunct Wyrley Rangers ground at Long Lane Park. For the 2008/09 Warstones Wanderers have moved to Sporting Khalsa's Abbey Park Stadium in Bloxwich.
Ground Address: Abbey Park Stadium, Glastonbury Crescent, Mossley Estate, Bloxwich, WS3 2RQ
Telephone: 01922 477640
Ground Directions:
Pictures on this page are of Long Lane Park, if you wish to see photos of Warstones home for the 2008/09 season click here
Admission: £3.00 (includes programme)
Programme: Warstones Wanderers issued a programme for the first time in their history for their home game against Wednesbury Town on Saturday 8th Decemnber 2007. If you would like to buy a copy of this historic first Warstones Wanderers programme please email midlandsnonleaguefootball@hotmail.co.uk.
There's No Place Home!
Warstones now have a home for at least the rest of the season after spending the first couple of months of this campaign homeless! The first three games of the season were played at Bilston United’s Parkfields Stadium, followed by a 2-0 victory in the Staffordshire Cup game against Holt JCB at ‘The Dip’ Windsor Avenue. We have also played home games at Wolverhampton United and Goodrich, making Long Lane Park our 5th home ground of the season.
The dugouts at Long Lane Park, Warstones Wanderers new home.
Warstones Wanderers - A Brief History
Warstones Wanderers were formed in 2001 with just one under 10s side playing in tournaments and the Bilston Junior League. The following season there were 6 junior sides and by the third season this had grown to 13. The following year saw a big growth in the number of junior sides Warstones had, rising to 23. The 2006/07 season saw the first girls side established, fielding an under 16s side. This season sees Warstones Wanderers putting out 25 different teams, this includes 22 in the youth section, under 7s to under 15s and one under 17s girls side. Warstones also have two Sunday league sides playing senior football as well as the senior side in the West Midlands (Regional) League - DIvision One.
The first Saturday senior side was established at the start of the 2005/06 season joining the Wolverhampton & District Combination. The following season the jump was made to the West Midlands (Regional) League, playing in Division Two. Home games were played at Bilston United’s Parkfields Stadium and a decent 7th position in the league was achieved. The West Midlands League increased the number of sides in Division One for this season and Warstones Wanderers were moved up to Division One as a result.
Another view of the stand at Long Lane Park.
Long Lane Park is privately owned and is currently up for sale for just over £1 million pounds. Warstones Wanderers are ambitious to have a home of their own and continue to investiagte possible sites where they can make a start on becoming a major force in non-league football in the Midlands.
Long Lane Park - There's no place like home - Warstones Wanderers
Best Performance in the FA Cup: Never Entered
Best Performance in the FA Vase: 2008/09 first year of entry into competition
Last Result: Saturday 12th April 2008 Sporting Khalsa 1 Wednesbury Town 0 West Midlands (Regional) League - Division One
Current League Position: 13th
For the 2008/09 season Wednesbury Town will be playing their home games at Long Lane Park. At the end of the 2007/08 season their ground sharing agreement with Darlaston Town came to an end and as Darlaston decided to start once again fielding a reserve side Wednesbury Town were forced to look for a new home.
Ground Address: Long Lane Park, Long Lane Essington, Wolverhampton, WV11 2AA
Ground Telephone:
Ground Directions: From M6 junction 11 take the A462, take the third turning on the left, the A4210 (Broad Lane). Take the first left into Long Lane, follow the road for half a mile, ground is on the left.
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