And so to the Aspray Arena and Noose Lane in Willenhall for a Midland League Premier Division curtain raiser between Sporting Khalsa and Haughmond.
Sporting Khalsa - khalsa a community that takes Sikhism as its faith - was established in 1991 playing senior football in the Walsall & District Sunday leagues, and playing Saturday football between 1995 and 1997.
After a committee reorganisation in 2004 the club rejoined the West Midlands (Regional) League, immediately gaining promotion. In the following year Sporting became the first Asian semi professional club in the country to own its own ground - Abbey Park Stadium, formerly the home of Bloxwich Town FC.
After five years at Abbey Park the Lions purchased the 5 acre freehold grounds of Willenhall Town FC from the Receivers and Aspray Arena was born. Division One was conquered that season and the Premier Division awaited....
As champions of the Premier League in 2014/15 Khalsa were promoted to the Midland League, finishing third in their first two terms. A £1m redevelopment at Noose Lane in 2017, necessitating a groundshare with AFC Wulfrunians, saw Sporting slip from first to fifth. The revamped stadium, with 5G pitch, was opened in July 2018 - the Lions in second last time, with games in hand, before the season was null and voided.
Haughmond FC,
from the Sundorne Sports Village in Shrewsbury, was established in 1980 and
moved to the Shropshire County Premier League. The Mond won the double of
the league and Ron Jones Memorial Cup in 2011, and were promoted to the West
Midlands (Regional) League Division Two, which they won in their first season.
The Academicals triumphed in Division One two seasons later, and then achieved promotion to the Midland League in 2016/17; relegated in their inaugural season, promoted as runners up the following year and 16th from 20 as the pandemic hit last term.
So with a
bruised sky and patchy rain then changing to watery sun, and via
MillionHairs (pet beautician !) it's on to the roadworks at Knutsford,
promising 11 more months of misery. THE PIES graffiti is back on the motorway
bridge just before Sandbach, and in the opposite direction it's SMOKE PIES...
Then I am assaulted by an array of advertising hoardings in farmers' fields - Cheeky Bathrooms, PartySwan (best present ever - apparently) and 'Are You Pregnant ?' (I sincerely hope not...) And a van with numberplate JU55 MUK and livery of 'Wot The Muck', then a car showboating a plate of G4SPS (yes really !!)
To the Smart Motorway, 18 miles and 18 months of motorway horror due to 'overnight technology'. Most of the red motorway bridge signs have disappeared, but there is a new one at Ash Flats Lane. I depart at junction 10 on to Neachells Lane and then turn right into Watery Lane just after Wags Pet Spa and before the Planetary Industrial Estate.
Beyond Edward Howell Galvanizers (part of the legendary B.E. Wedge Group !! - nostalgia trip.....) and then left into Noose Lane brings me to the vast complex that comprises the Aspray Arena, the 442 bar and Black Country Performance Hub, a community sports facility. Across the way is the Aspray Logistics warehouse.
Inside the £1m revamp has provided a tidy, but soulless, stadium which does not extend to dugouts (just an extra row of seats) or comprehensible tannoy. Surrounded by trees on three sides, the ground is reached via a small ginnel adjacent to the many 5 a side pitches. Inside there are two covered all blue and yellow seater stands, one covering half the pitch and, opposite, the main extending to two thirds. A raised walkway is to the left end, and ducks down to pitch level, incorporating the changing rooms, on the right with a food kiosk and the bar in the right hand corner.
Sporting are in yellow and blue, the Academicals in white and black. Inexplicably the match kicks off three and a half minutes late, but there is the ubiquitous tubby linesman - tubby is being kind, given the expanse of his obesity.
90 seconds in and Khalsa lead - Josh McKenzie afforded huge amounts of space in the penalty area to steer his header into the left hand top corner. Thereafter the Lions roar, dominating possession and creating chances, the closest of which sees a mazy run, beating 5 Acamedicals' players, end with the ball striking the post, and Matt Fletcher's absurd clearance goes horribly wrong. An inevitable own goal is prevented by an astonishing Sam Jones save.
Mond take heart from this and start to grow into the game; captain Jack Griffiths has their best opportunity, but inexplicably cushions his volley into the side netting when facing an open goal. Sporting respond and marauding right back Carlo Franco powerfully heads in another delicious cross on 36 minutes to make it 2-0 at the break.
The second half meanders along, Sporting's Sean Williams going close twice and horribly high, wide and distinctly unhandsome with his third shot. 74 minutes and for all the world a comfortable 2-0 home win is on the cards.... but then all hell breaks loose.
A short corner causes pandemonium in the Academicals' box and Michael Perks is credited with the final touch. A minute later and Williams' cross is diverted by the unfortunate Griffiths into the far corner, followed by the third goal in three minutes as a fabulous, slick team move sees Gurjit (Gaz) Singh sidefoot home - and suddenly it's 5-0.
All too much for one of the several Haughmond supporters who nipped away for a crafty fag: 'That was an interesting roll up - three goals and two substitutions'.... He and his party leave, but loiter by the exit gates, just in time to see another short corner in the final minute ending with another superb half volleyed finish from the Lions' Singh.
6-0 at the death, and well as Khalsa played you can't help thinking that Haughmond hung themselves at the Noose (Lane) ....
