Social Distancing Is An Own Goal - Painful For Meadow Men....

And so to the Red Lion Ground at Brereton Sports & Social Club, in Brereton near Rugeley, for a North West Counties Division One South match between Brereton Social FC and AFC Bridgnorth.

Brereton Social FC was formed in 1899 and had three separate spells in West Midlands (Regional) League starting in 1968. Social was promoted to the Premier Division in 1971.

The club resigned three months into the 1987/88 season and entered the Staffordshire League in 1992. Brereton rejoined the West Midlands in 1995 before folding in 1999.

Reformed a year later Social went back to the West Midlands then moved to the Midland Combination in 2006, ultimately ending in resignation in August 2010. Following a brief hiatus Brereton rejoined the Staffordshire League and was promoted to North West Counties Division One South as champions last time. They are currently 16th, of 20, with 8 points from 7 matches.

Bridgnorth Town existed in the 19th century playing in the Shropshire & District League in 1899. A new club was formed in 1938 joining the Worcestershire Combination for one season only. 

The team was refounded again in 1968 and the Meadow Men won the Midland Combination in 1980 and again in 1983. Town was promoted to the Southern League Midland in 1983 but folded due to financial problems in 2013. 

A fourth iteration in the form of new club AFC Bridgnorth was established in the same year and the club badge depicts the iconic Town Hall. West Midlands Division One champions in their first season, moving to the Premier, then on to the Midland League in 2021 - finishing 10th last time and laterally moving to the NWCFL One South this season. The Meadow Men sit top at the minute: 6 wins and a draw from 7 games.

Today's numberplates are PH16LAV and PH16TUB - both Peter Higson vehicles. At the Manor 'Beer is Cheaper Than Petrol - So Drink & Don't Drive' and there's a return BJS Removal Van emblazoned with 'Taking Our Time in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllantysiliogogogoch' 🤔

To the M6, and signs for Halloween Spooktacular and Wurkflow.ai, as rain gives way to sunny spells and a strong breeze. Then the A34, with Blue Iris Landscapes and into Trentham.

That's followed by Flip Out Trampoline Centre, Amerton Railway and Aston Marina. Rustique Living at Sandon and Burston then the Dog & Doublet, Hixon Airfield and Ed Weetman at Pasturefields.

The A51 sees travellers and horses tethered by the roadside plus a Solophina GSDs van - German Shepherd Dogs. Then we hit Wolseley Bridge and Rugeley with its Miners' Memorial and The Plaza - the town's Wetherspoons offering.

Bypassing Brereton Town FC, member of the Cannock Chase Football League, we come to the Red Lion. £6 to get in and a decent crowd of 204.

Inside is a lovely ground with the clubhouse and main stand down the popular side. Up top is a steep banking side with bar tables and benches at the summit, with Brereton Hill behind.

Opposite the main stand is a walkway and the team dugouts, this part one of three tree lined sides. The far end, technically out of bounds, hosts Hob Hill. 

Advertising hoardings for The Plough & Harrow, Midland Mastics and Fuze are on display. Social are in red and white stripes, sponsored by MD Roofing and the Meadow Men are in blue with white trim, sponsored by Corporate Togs. We also have two tubby linesmen and an ineffective referee....

There are early chances for Nehemia Zazi for Bridgnorth and Kieran Cliff for Brereton, which brings a sprawling save from Craig Pain. Social's Jake Cartwright puts his shot beyond the Meadow Men's goal and Mitchell Evans has a fizzer off target for the away side on 20 minutes.

But the deadlock is broken six minutes later. A deep Brereton free kick is inadvertently flicked on by Bridgnorth centre back David Anani for an own goal, into the top corner past Pain.

Thereafter it's all Meadow Men: De Quarnai Williams has a powerful run on 31 but shoots wide and Trayvon Powell is wasteful after 40 minutes. Suar Dedja finds the side netting a minute before half time but Brereton lead 1-0 at the break.

The second half disappoints as the league leaders don't have the quality to break down a resolute Social defence - Rhys Williams is barely troubled in the home goal. Bridgnorth also fail to take advantage of Blake Ainger's sinbinning just before the hour.

Indeed Brereton have the best chance on 70 minutes, Samuel Mellor smashing over. Thereafter we see a destroyed boot, a handbags altercation and an injury time chance for DQ Williams, comfortably saved by his namesake, as Social beat the Meadow Men 1-0.

Assuaredly - Meadow Men Leave Foley With Meir Consolation...

And so to Crown Meadow on Innage Lane in Bridgnorth for a North West Counties Division One South curtain raiser between AFC Bridgnorth and Foley Meir FC.

Bridgnorth Town existed in the 19th century playing in the Shropshire & District League in 1899. A new club was formed in 1938 joining the Worcestershire Combination for one season only. 

The team was refounded again in 1968 and the Meadow Men won the Midland Combination in 1980 and again in 1983. Town was promoted to the Southern League Midland in 1983 but folded due to financial problems in 2013. 

A fourth iteration in the form of new club AFC Bridgnorth was established in the same year and the club badge depicts the iconic Town Hall. West Midlands Division One champions in their first season, moving to the Premier, then on to the Midland League in 2021 - finishing 10th last time and laterally moving to the NWCFL One South this season.

The visitors hail from the McIntosh Arena, or Trentham Foods Stadium, on Whitcombe Road in Meir, Stoke on Trent. 

Foley Football Club was founded in 1947 by a group of friends and ex-servicemen from the now forgotten Foley district of East Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent.

A replica of Arsenal's strip was purchased from the late Les Evans, later club president, who had a shop in King Street, Longton and the club, based next to the Foley Arms, playing at 'The Open Holes', joined Longton League Division 2. Foley moved to their current ground on Whitcombe Road in Meir in 1982.

In 1996 the club joined Midland League Division Two, winning the league at the first attempt. In 2005, following the Midland League's merger with the Staffordshire County League, the club became a founder member of the Staffordshire County Senior League. 

The Foley changed name to Foley Meir - the former Midland Combination Meir KA (Kings Arms) becoming defunct in 2010. The team won the championship in 2020/21, and placed 4th the season after, earning promotion to the North West Counties Football League Division One South. Immediate relegation followed but Meir rejoined the North West Counties in third position in 2024 and finished 11th last time.

Numberplates today are C1UFC - the official Carlisle United team bus - and AG61 USA, plus a van emblazoned with Franking Sense. We then pass J3NGR graffiti on the M6 before heading to Stoke on Trent... and oatcakes 😊

A detour follows via Monkey Jungle and Ashtag Barbers in Stone. Then over the River Sow and past Buttercups and Daisies in Eccleshall and through Chetwynd Aston and Woodcote.

Over the River Severn brings us to Bridgnorth. The town is home to the Severn Valley Railway (with the Railwayman's Arms), the Cliff Railway, Lavington's Hole and Bridgnorth Castle & Gardens.

£7 in and North are in blue with white trim, Foley Meir in change yellow and grey. Curiously some away shirts display a poppy, and others don't... The crowd today is 135 with limited away support.

Inside, past the bar and changing rooms, is the Sameday Freight Stand, a covered terrace complete with a pair of stocks. The main seated stand abuts Crown Meadow Park and Playing Fields - the other two sides are walkways with benches with residential housing behind.

    

On another hot, sunny day the match commences on a parched pitch. The first half is epitomised by a Pug escaping its owner and doing its business on the touchline - fortunately its owner cleans up 🙄

And there's a strange minute's silence - surely not for Franco Baresi 🤔 But there are a glut of chances for the Meadow Men just before the hydration break - Kobi Love and Sam Preece forcing good saves from away custodian Monty Parkes and Craig Tuckey shooting just wide.

The sole Foley effort is a swerving shot narrowly beyond the goal on 34 minutes by captain Harry Livingston. Five minutes on North's number 9 Suar Dedja heads wastefully over from a free kick.

But the deadlock is broken bang on half time. A messy corner sees the ball in the net, Preece claiming the credit but to the rest of us it looks like a Parkes' own goal; Bridgo lead 1-0 at the break.

The second period starts quietly but on 59 Meir substitute Archie Ellams turns and fires in an equaliser, the ball squirming through home keeper Craig Pain's hands. Dedja misses badly for the Meadow Men ten minutes later.

And so when we are all expecting an undeserved draw for Foley, matters change with six minutes left. North's left back De Quarnai Williams hits a beautiful curling shot that smacks the frame of the goal and Dedja is deadly with the rebound.

Sixty seconds on Love sees Parkes save and again Dedja poaches the rebound. And there we have it, despite 8 minutes of stoppage time, as Bridgnorth triumph 3-1.