COLESHILL POST No2 - CTFC HISTORY PART 1.

[Alan Beckett]

COLESHILL POST No2

Wrote:

Coleshill Town Football Club History

In 1994 Percy Hastings, a stalwart of the football club for many years, was invited to Aston Villa's training ground at Bodymoor Heath to receive a certificate from Paul McGrath. The certificate was from the Football Association recognizing 100 years of affiliation to the FA and was signed by the chairman at the time Bert Millichip. This is where the club believed it all began and even had on it’s club badge “Established 1894” but recent research has revealed that football was being played in the town some nine years previous.

The first ever recorded game was in November 1885 against Acocks Green. The Chairman was Mr E. Watson and the uniform of dark navy blue jerseys, white knickerbockers and blue and white caps, was supplied by local tailor Alfred Dabbs. In those days the games were friendlies or “challenge” matches but the rules of “Rugby Football” and “Association Football” weren’t too dissimilar. It wasn’t uncommon for teams to play “ Rugby ” rules in one half and “Soccer” (a shortening of association) in the other. In an attempt to clarify the rules, the FA discouraged teams from playing unless they were affiliated and so Coleshill joined the FA in 1894.

In those early years Coleshill entered many local cup competitions and made four semi finals before eventually making their first final, the Edgbaston Challenge Cup, in 1898, unfortunately losing to Cambridge Rovers. One of the oldest challenge cups, which still runs today, is the “Fazeley Charity Cup” first played for in 1896. The Coleshill committee liked the idea of a charity cup and so the Coleshill Charity Cup was commissioned in 1905 at a cost of 50 guineas and first played for in 1909. Played on Easter Bank Holiday Monday, on "Swan's Field" (now the Memorial Park), it became an important event in the Coleshill calendar. Crowds of up to 2500 were not unusual.

At that time the club was known as Coleshill & District Football Club, the District was dropped a few years later and Town added in 1913 but the town of Coleshill has had a football team since that date except during the war years. 128 years of football in the town, a record to be truly proud of.

COLESHILL TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB 2013/14

Coleshill are looking forward to the new season which starts on Saturday 3rd August, after a positive pre-season. Manager Paul Casey has signed up the players he wanted to keep from last years squad including, Paul Hathaway, Chris Lloyd, Chris Gumery, Luke Edwards, Jon Powis, Jack Mullin, Leon Weller, Barry Fitzharris and Connor Leek and has added a few players who have played at Midland Alliance level including Neil Kitching, Rob Ellis, Danny Tymon, Jordan Archer, Danny Douglas, Danny Charlton and Dan Dineen.

Results in pre-season were as follows: Atherstone Town won 3-0 (Charlton, Leek, Tymon), Coventry Copsewood won 3-0 (Edwards, Powis, Kitchen), Blackwood won 5-2 (Powis, Kitchen 2, Lloyd, Weller), Bolehall Swifts won 2-1 (Chris Lloyd, Leon Weller), Stratford Town won 2-0 (Gumery, Archer) and Romulus lost 0-2. Atherstone, Coventry Copsewood, Blackwood and Bolehall are all one level below Coleshill and Stratford and Romulus are one level above.

Coleshill start their season away to Gornal Athletic but then have two home games on Tuesday 6th August to Alvechurch and Saturday 10th August to Heath Hayes. Town then concentrate on the FA competitions. The FA Cup final may not be until May 2014 but Coleshill start their campaign on Saturday 17th August in the Extra Preliminary Round away to Stourport Swifts. Coleshill of course are not expected to win it but it can be the life blood of a non-league team as the prize money on offer can be substantial and the publicity a good cup run can bring is priceless! Should Coleshill be successful they are due to meet either Old Wulfrunians or Earlswood in the next round. Coleshill’s best run in the FA Cup came in 2010/11 when they got to the 3rd Qualifying Round after beating Heather St Johns, Evesham and Lincoln United before losing to Nuneaton Town infront of a crowd of 900. The FA Vase is Coleshill’s best bet of reaching Wembley as this competition is only open to teams up to Level 5 on the non-league pyramid system. Teams above that level and up to Conference enter the FA Trophy but both finals are at Wembley. Coleshill are away to Malvern Town in the First Qualifying Round of the Vase on Saturday 7th September. Success would then see them face Coventry Copsewood or Nuneaton Griff on September 21st.

There are several ways you can keep up with Coleshill's progress this coming season:

Read the "Coleshill Post".
CTFC's Official web site is www.pitchero.com/clubs/coleshilltown This should have up to date fixtures and results.
CTFC's History web site is http://www.coleshilltownfc.co.uk/ This site is mainly concerned with the clubs history but results/fixtures and some match reports of the current season are available but not necessarily up to date.
The League web site is http://www.midlandalliance.pitchero.com/ This is the main site for clubs in the league but to be honest it isn't the best and is often well behind with results and fixtures.
The Sunday Mercury has results and league tables.

Or you just come along and support your local team!

If you've never been before, Pack Meadow (Packington Lane) is a lovely place to watch non-league football. There's a bar for the adults and a play area for the kids. Everyone is welcome! Whether you support Villa, Blues or any other pro-team, if you live in Coleshill you should support your local team!

August Fixtures:

Season Starts Saturday 3rd August Away to Gornal Athletic 3.00pm kick off.

Tues 6th August Home to Alvechurch. 7.45pm

Sat 10th August Home to Heath Hayes. 3.00pm

Wed 14th August Away to Continental Star 7.45pm

Sat 17th August Away to Stourport Swifts FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round 3.00pm

Sat 24th August Home to Westfields. 3.00pm

Mon 26th August Away to Boldmere St Michaels. 3.00pm

Sat 7th Sept Away to Malvern Town FA Vase First Qualifying Round. 3.00pm.