They moved through the leagues winning the Premier Division in 2009 where they were denied promotion to the Midland Alliance as their ground at the time didn't meet the necessary criteria. They moved to Castlecroft Stadium and won the Premier Division again in 2013 which got them promotion to the Midland Alliance who merged with the Midland Combination to form the Midland League.
BOLDMERE ST MICHAELS were established in 1883 and are based in Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield.
COVENTRY UNITED were only formed in 2013 following a takeover of Coventry Spartans. Coventry City had moved from the Rioch Arena and were playing way outside of the city in Norhampton.
COVENTRY SPHINX were formed in 1946 as a work's team named 'Armstong Whitworth Aircraft FC' with the name Sphinx FC adopted in 1960. In 1995 following promotion to the Midland Combination Premier the club were renamed Conventry Sphinx.
GRESLEY ROVERS are a famous name from non-league's history. The club famously played in one of the most exciting finals ever held at the old Wembley Stadium when in 1991 they came back from 3-0 after 31 minutes to make the score 3- 3 with a last minute equaliser. Thier opponents Guiseley went 4-3 up in extra time only for The Moatmen to equalise again in the final minute of extra-time. They lost the replay 3-1 at Sheffield United's Brammal Lane.
HEATHER ST JOHNS are based in the village of Heather in Leicestershire. They were formed in 1949 and take their name from the local church. Heather currently has a population of just under 1000 people and is around 15 miles North-West of the city of Leicester.
HIGHGATE UNITED are a extremely famous name from the history of non-league football. Established in 1948 they reached the FA Amateur Cup quarter-finals in 1966/67 where during the game against Enfield a lightning strike caused several players to collapse and the game was abandoned. Tragically Highgate's Tony Alden passed away the following day. The game was replayed at Villa Park which saw The E's win 6-0 in front of 31,000 people honouring the memory of Tony.
LYE TOWN have reached the fourth round of the FA Vase on two previous occasions. In 95/96 they were knocked out by Barwell with Histon beating them 1-2 in 18/19.
One of my most favourite named football clubs after reading a programme from RACING CLUB WARWICK when I was a youngster and finding out they were called this as their Townsend Meadow ground is located right by town's famous racecourse. They were known as Warwick Saltisford Rovers up until 1970
Another club formed as a Sunday League team are SELSTON FC. They came into existence in 1868 and moved into Saturday football in 1986 playing in the Central Midlands Alliance and Midlands Regional Alliance. The Parishioners, as they are known, didn't run a first team between 2003 to 2006.
SPORTING KHALSA are based in Willenhall. They were formed in 1991 and are another team to have played Sunday Football and then moved up the pyramid.
Another former Southern League club currently plying their trade in the Midland League Premier are STOURPORT SWIFTS. They played at Step Three from 2001 to 2004 and then Step Four (with the introduction of the National League's North and South) from 2004 to 2012.
WALSALL WOOD were formed in the early part of the twentieth century with the earliest records dating back to 1915. The club's original name being Walsall Wood Ebenezer Primitive Methodists which indicated the club's connection the local Methodist church. A merger with Walsall Sports saw a new name of Walsall Borough used from 1982 with Walsall Wood being re-adopted in 1986.
The most well known club in the Premier Division - City were formed in 1902 and were long time members of the Southern League after the Second World War and also played in non-league's top division from 1979 to 1985.
Since then they have finished 7th, 13th, 17th, 17th, 12th and last season in the null & void campaign were 13th. This season they are 10th. They reached the Fourth Round of the FA Vase in 2015/16.
The Old Wulfrunians team won back-to-back Birmingham AFA Premier Division titles in 2014 and 2015. They entered another team into the West Midlands Regional League where they now play in Division One. Old Wulfrunians 'A' continue to compete in the Birmingham AFA.
Their home is now called the CKW Stadium and is located in the Castlecroft suburb of Wolverhampton.
They are best known in non-league football for their run to the 1946/47 FA Amateur Cup Semi-Final when they were members of the Central Amateur League. They lost 2-0 to Barnet (who were then members of the Athenian League) in front of over 20,000 people at Highbury.
In 1948 they hosted the Indian Olympic Team in a friendly match losing 0-1.
Since 2014 and the formation of the Midland League they have finished 9th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 5th, 7th (n&v) and are currently in 16th position.
The Mike's home is named in honour of their former Chairman - The Trevor Brown Memorial Ground.
The 'St Michaels' part of the club's name comes from the local church as when formed the club was attached to and part of the church's activities.
Coventry Spartans were playing in the Midland Combination and can loosely trace their history back to the famous Coventry Sporting side which reached the second round of the FA Cup in 1975 beating football league side Tranmere Rovers along the way.
Coventry Amateurs had been formed in 1936 as a works team for the Coventry Tile Company playing at the Butts Stadium. In 1946 a name change to Coventry Amateurs in 1946 and a ground move in 1948 to Kirby's Corner. In 1974 another name change to Coventry Sporting. They moved up to the Southern League but folded in 1989. In 2008 a new Coventry Amateurs were formed who then became Coventry Spartans in 2011.
United's home is The Butts Park Arena which also plays host to Coventry Rugby Club fixtures.
Three promotions in as many seasons form 2013 sees them now proud members of the Midland League Premier Division. They are 9th this season and were top when the season was stopped in 2019/20 so clearly have real ambition to climb higher in the football pyramid.
The name Sphinx relates to a journalist review of a Siddeley-Deasy Motor Car in 1912 stating it was 'as silent and inscrutable as the sphinx' - the Sphinx was from then used as a mascot, bonnet ornament and logo for the cars.
The Sphinx got the FA Vase Quarter-Finals in 2007/08 before losing in a replay to eventual winner's Kirkham and Wesham (now AFC Fylde). They play as Sphinx Drive which is a name which was first used in 1995.
Sphinx and United played in the FA Cup in 2019/20 - Crowds of 480 and 160 saw Sphinx win the replay 0-1. A crowd of 300 saw the recent league game at Sphinx Drive against United.
Rovers moved up to the Southern League and remained there until 2004 when they moved to the Northern Premier League.
Rovers had won the Southern League Premier Division in 1997 and should of moved up to the Conference but due to ground grading they were refused a place at non-league's top table - Derby County had offered them the use of The Baseball Ground but this was refused by the league. Gresley's heartbreak was Cheltenham Town's luck as the runner's up were promoted to the Conference.
After the glory years of the 1990s financial problems followed and the original club were liquidated in 2009 with a new club GRESLEY FC formed and taking a place in the East Midlands Counties League - Promotion back to the Northern Premier League followed in 2012 but relegation in 2019 now see's the club in the Midland League Premier Division. The original name was readopted in July 2020.
Gresley FC reached the quarter-finals of the FA Vase in 09/10 losing to Whitehawk FC. The original club reached the First Round of the FA Cup on two occasions - In 94/95 they lost to Crewe Alexandra and in 98/99 they lost to Walsall.
HAUGHMOND FC are based in Shrewsbury and take their name for Haughmond Hill which overlooks their ground at the Shrewsbury Sports Village. Formed in 1980 the club have played in the Shropshire County Premier League and the West Midlands Regional League. They moved into the Midland League Premier Division following a runner's up position in the WMRL Premier in 2019. They were 16th last season and are second bottom for this season where they are still awaiting their first win of the league season.
They moved to their St Johns Park ground in 1993 with floodlights added in 1997.
They were named Heather Athletic from 2003 to 2007.
The club won Division One of the Midland League in 2019 to achieve promotion to the Premier Division.
They went one better in 1973 when they drew Walton & Hersham in the semi-final. They lost 4-0 in replay at Selhurst Park after the first game was drawn 0-0 at Highfield Road.
The Gate won Division One in 2015 and have been members of the Premier Division since with a top placed finish being 3rd in 2017/18.
LONG EATON UNITED were officially formed in 1956 but can trace it's history back to the formation of Long Eaton St Helens in 1907 who became Long Eaton Town who stopped playing in 1927. The club were reformed in 1949 but after financial problems were rebranded to Long Eaton United.
They moved from the Northern Counties East Premier to the Midland League in 2014. Prior to football being suspended this season they had been having a great campaign with seven wins and one draw in eight games played.
Their Grange Park ground is in Long Eaton which is just to the south-west of Nottingham.
LYE TOWN have reached the fourth round of the FA Vase on two previous occasions. In 95/96 they were knocked out by Barwell with Histon beating them 1-2 in 18/19.
Nicknamed The Flyers they won the West Midlands Regional League in 2014 to move up to the Midland League Premier League.
Rebranded as NEWARK FC last May after being known as Newark Flowserve for many years.
Formed in 1901 and played as Worthington Simpsons and IDP Newark for many years.
As recently as 17/18 they were playing in the Nottinghamshire Senior League which they won winning 31 of 34 league games to move up to the East Midlands Counties League where a second placed finish saw them win promotion to the Midland League Premier Division.
Representing the town of Newark-On-Trent which has a population of around 30,000 they have real ambitions of moving up the pyramid.
One of my most favourite named football clubs after reading a programme from RACING CLUB WARWICK when I was a youngster and finding out they were called this as their Townsend Meadow ground is located right by town's famous racecourse. They were known as Warwick Saltisford Rovers up until 1970
The Racers were members of the Southern League from 1989 to 2003 which was a real struggle. They firstly played in the Midland Division finished 19th, 16th, 18th, 22nd, 13th, 10th, 18th, 11th, 15th and 21st. They then moved to Division One (West) finishing 20th, 17th, 20th and 22nd.
They then played in the Midland Alliance and Midland Combination before playing in the Midland League Division One from 2014. A second place finish in 2018/19 which was their most successful season for many years saw them move up to the Premier Division.
You have to go back to 77/78 for their best FA Vase run when they were knocked out by Irthlingborough Diamonds.
RCW's record victory came recently when on Boxing Day 2016 they beat Southam United, who only have 10 men, by a score of 15-0.
ROMULUS were formed in 1979 and initially playing in Sunday League Football and played out of the Castle Vale area of Birmingham. They moved up to senior football in 1999 and did ground share with Sutton Coldfield Town for a number of years. The club moved through the Midland Football Combination and Midland Football Alliance achieving promotion to the Southern League in 2007 where they stayed playing at Step 4 until 2018 - they were shifted across the the Northern Premier League in 2010.
From the start of the 2018/19 season they moved back to Castle Vale and their original base of Vale Stadium which now has a 3g surface.
The club have a large academy and youth section and have produced a good number of players who have stepped up to the football league over the years including Darrius Vassell,
Courtney Baker-Richardson (currently with Barrow) and Ben Richards-Everton who is currently with Barnet but has played for Accrington Stanley and Bradford City.
Ricky Otto and Paul Devlin also played for the club towards the end of their career.
Since returning they have played in the Midlands Regional Alliance, Nottinghamshire Senior League and East Midlands Counties League of which they were Champions in 18/19 to move up their current level.
They have since struggled at Step Five as they were bottom in last season's null and void league and are currently bottom of the table with no league wins as yet in the 20/21 campaign.
The only point they have picked up so far was in their last game against Highgate United - they showed some fight in this game as they were 0-3 down at half time.
Their roots and history lie firmly within the area's Sikh community.
They have played at the former home of Bloxwich Town which they purchased in 2005 which made them the first Asian semi-professional side to own it's own home.
In 2010 they club announced it would be moving to Noose Lane which they purchased from Willenhall Town who were suffering from financial problems. Over £500,000 was spent on the pitch, ground and social facilities at the time and the newly renamed Aspray Arena was opened in for the 2010/11 season.
They have since spent £1,000,000 during the 17/18 season to further redevelop the stadium.
Sporting's first team have had a huge amount of success in the last few years reaching the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup in 2016 where 2,252 saw them lost at home to FC United of Manchester. In the FA Vase they have reached the Quarter Finals once and the Fifth Round twice in the last few years.
Last season they were second prior to the season ending and this season they are top of the table. I'm sure whenever football gets back underway and we all see an end to the current horrible situation we'll be seeing Sporting Khalsa playing at Step Four and above very soon.
A new Bloxwich Town FC appeared briefly from 2016 to 2018 when 'Rostance Edwards' were renamed and played in the Midland League Division Two. They were renamed 'Lane Head' for the 18/19 campaign and are still members of Division Two.
Willenhall Town who had been members of both the Southern League and Northern Premier League in 1980s and 2000s - they currently play in the West Midlands Regional League Division One playing their games at The Cottage Ground in Wolverhampton.
They have reached the Fifth Round of the FA Vase twice losing to Tooting and Mitcham United in 00/01 and Stockton Town in 17/18.
The Swifts are currently in second place in the table which is their best season for a number of years.
The Dale were formed in 1954 and have played at Step Four for two seasons in 14/15 and 15/16 when they won the Midland Alliance League.
They dropped down to Step Six for the 17/18 and 18/19 season but after winning the West Midlands Regional League they are now back in the Midland Premier Division.
They got the fifth round of the FA Vase in 2011/12.
In 2012/13 The Wood reached the quarter-finals of the FA VASE.
They were relegated from the Vanarama North at the end of the 2016/17 but requested relegation down to Step Five due to the financial problems they were suffering. They had lost their historic St George's Lane home in 2013 and had been ground sharing with Kidderminster Harriers and Bromsgrove Sporting.
The club have a rich history in the FA Cup - In 1959 they famously beat Liverpool 2-1 at home in the Third Round and were then defeated at home to Sheffield United in front of 17,042 fans at their old ground.
More recently in 82/83 they played Coventry City in the Third Round and in 14/15 they again drew The Sky Blue in the First Round and won 1-2 at The Rioch Arena making national headlines once again.
Plans for a new ground in the City at Nunnery Way were unfortunately shelved in 2013 and further plans were put in for a new development at Perdiswell Sports Centre were rejected a number of times.
Happily for the 2020/21 season the club have moved back to Worcester and currently play at Claines Lane which is the home to the Worcestershire Football Association.
With a home ground now in their home City it's hoped the club can climb back up the pyramid.
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