Halesowen Town Football Club is a
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ca ...
club based in
Halesowen
Halesowen ( ) is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the county of West Midlands, England.
Historically an exclave of Shropshire and, from 1844, in Worcestershire, the town is around from Birmingham city centre, and f ...
,
West Midlands, England. They are currently members of the and play at the
Grove Recreation Ground.
History
The club was believed to have been established around 1873, but recent research has suggested it was probably formed in 1877 under the name Halesowen Football Club.
They played on three different pitches before moving to their present home, the Grove, ca. 1881. The team joined the
Birmingham & District League in 1892, finishing bottom in their first season.
They finished bottom of the league again in 1904–05 and were relegated to the
Walsall & District League. After only one season, they returned to the Birmingham & District League in 1906.
[ Another last-place finish in 1910–11 saw the club transfer to the ]Birmingham Combination
The Birmingham Combination was an English football competition for teams in Birmingham and the surrounding areas, which was active from 1892 until 1954. It was founded as the Birmingham & District Junior League, and changed its name in 1908. The ...
. They finished bottom of the new league for the next two seasons and left after finishing second-from-bottom in 1913–14. The team then moved into the Birmingham Youth & Old Boys Football Association Suburban League Division One, an amateur league where youth football continued through the war.
Halesowen rejoined the Birmingham Combination in 1919 and were incorporated under the name Halesowen Town around 1926. They finished bottom of the league in 1926–27 but remained members of the competition until 1939.[Birmingham Combination 1919–1954]
Non-League Matters In 1946 they rejoined the Birmingham & District League and won their first-ever league title in 1946–47.
Non-League Matters In 1954 the league split into Northern and Southern divisions, with Halesowen placed in the Southern section. Further league reorganisation saw them become members of Division One the following season. In 1955–56 the club reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 4–2 at home to Hendon
Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Gre ...
in front of a record crowd of 5,000.[ However, after finishing in the bottom three the following season, they were relegated to Division Two.][
A third-place finish in 1957–58 saw Halesowen promoted back to Division One. In 1960 the league reverted to a single division and in 1962 it was renamed the ]West Midlands (Regional) League
The West Midlands (Regional) League is an English association football competition for semi-professional and amateur teams based in the West Midlands county, Shropshire, Worcestershire, southern Staffordshire and northern Herefordshire. It has tw ...
.[ The club were runners-up in 1964–65, and were placed in the Premier Division when the league gained a second tier at the end of the season.] In 1982–83 they were Premier Division champions, also reaching the FA Vase
The Football Association Challenge Vase, usually referred to as the FA Vase, is an annual football competition for teams playing in Steps 5 and 6 of the English National League System (or equivalently, tier 9 or 10 of the overall English football ...
final, losing 1–0 to VS Rugby at Wembley
Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...
. They went on to retain the title for the next three seasons,[ and reached the final of the FA Vase again in 1985 and 1986, winning on both occasions; in the 1984–85 final they beat ]Fleetwood Town
Fleetwood Town Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Fleetwood, Lancashire. Established in 1997, the current Fleetwood Town F.C. is the fourth incarnation of the club; it was originally formed i ...
3–1 and in 1985–86 they won 3–0 against Southall
Southall () is a large suburban county of West London, England, part of the London Borough of Ealing and is one of its seven major towns. It is situated west of Charing Cross and had a population of 69,857 as of 2011. It is generally divided ...
.[ The 1985–86 season also saw the club reach the first round of the FA Cup for the second time, eventually losing 3–1 to ]Frickley Athletic
Frickley Athletic Football Club is a football club based in South Elmsall, West Yorkshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Westfield Lane.
History
Although the club itself claims it was formed in 1910, the team was activ ...
in a replay.[ After their fourth consecutive title in 1985–86 the club moved up to the Midland Division of the Southern League.
Halesowen made further appearances in the first round of the FA Cup in 1987–88 and again in 1988–89 when they played ]Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
opposition for the first time, losing 2–0 at Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross.
Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings which ...
. They won the Midland Division in 1989–90, earning promotion to the Premier Division,[ with another FA Cup first round appearance ending in a 1–0 defeat at ]Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...
.[ They went on to meet ]Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they ado ...
in the first round in 1990–91, losing 2–1, and Farnborough Town in 1991–92, losing 4–0 in a replay.[
Halesowen were Premier Division runners-up in 1995–96, missing out on the title and promotion to the ]Football Conference
The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in Football in England, England consisting of three divisions, the National League (division), National League, National League Nor ...
by three points. However, the early 2000s saw the club yo-yo
A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a spool. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 500 BCE. The yo-yo was also called a bandalore in ...
between the divisions; in 2000–01 they finished bottom of the Premier Division and were relegated to the Western Division. The following season saw them return to the Premier Division as the first opportunity as they won the Western Division. An immediate relegation back to the Western Division at the end of the 2002–03 season was followed by another immediate promotion back to the Premier Division.[ In 2004–05 another FA Cup first round appearance ended with a 2–1 defeat at ]Yeading
Yeading ( ) is a settlement in west London, forming part of the London Borough of Hillingdon, having been developed after the Second World War.
Etymology
Yeading is very early Saxon and was originally ''Geddingas'' or ''Geddinges'', meaning "the ...
. In 2007–08 the club finished third in the Premier Division, qualifying for the promotion play-offs; after beating Chippenham Town 2–1 in the semi-finals, they lost 2–1 to Team Bath in the final.
The 2010–11 season saw Halesowen finish bottom of the Premier Division, resulting in relegation to Division One South & West. In 2012 they were transferred to Division One South of the Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Division ...
, which they won in 2013–14, earning promotion to the league's Premier Division.[ The club were transferred to the Premier Central division of the Southern League at the end of the 2017–18 season as part of the restructuring of the non-League pyramid. At the end of the 2020–21 season they were transferred to Division One Midlands of the Northern Premier League.
]
Ground
Halesowen played on at least three different grounds in the late 1870s before moving to the Stourbridge Road Ground, now known as the Grove, around 1881. The ground was used for cricket and was three-sided for many years. A small stand behind the top goals and a cricket pavilion were built in the 1920s. Before this, the players would change in the Waggon & Horses pub on Stourbridge Road. In 1934 another small wooden stand was constructed along the perimeter of the James Grove Button Factory. During the 1950s, the Shed end was constructed along with changing rooms, built on the site of the old cricket pavilion.
In the 1980s, the three sided ground was converted to four with the addition of uncovered terracing along the Recreation Park side. In 1987, the 420-seat Harry Rudge Stand was completed on the site of the 1930s wooden stand; it was extended in 1998 and again in 2000.
The floodlights which the club won in 1983 lasted until 2001, when a new set were installed and officially inaugurated at a friendly match against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club ...
.
Current squad
Honours
*Southern League
**Midland Division champions 1989–90
**Western Division champions 2001–02
*Northern Premier League
**Division One South champions 2013–14
*West Midlands (Regional) League
**Champions 1946–47, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86
*FA Vase
**Winners 1984–85, 1985–86
*Birmingham Senior Cup
The Birmingham Senior Cup is a football competition for Birmingham County FA club teams, organised by the Birmingham County Football Association. It began in 1876 and is the oldest county cup competition still active.
The Birmingham Senior Cup ...
**Winners 1983–84, 1997–98
*Staffordshire Senior Cup
The Staffordshire Senior Challenge Cup is a football cup tournament based in the county of Staffordshire in England first competed for in 1877–78. Organised by the Staffordshire Football Association, it is competed for by a mix of clubs from S ...
**Winners 1988–89
* Worcestershire Senior Cup
**Winners 1951–52, 1961–62, 2001–02, 2003–04
*Kidderminster & District Football Association Cup
**Winners 1885–86, 1886–87
*Dudley Guest Cup
**Joint winners 1892–93
Records
*Best FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competit ...
performance: First round, 1955–56, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1898–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 2004–05[
*Best ]FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The compet ...
performance: Semi-finals, 2019–20[
*Best ]FA Vase
The Football Association Challenge Vase, usually referred to as the FA Vase, is an annual football competition for teams playing in Steps 5 and 6 of the English National League System (or equivalently, tier 9 or 10 of the overall English football ...
performance: Winners, 1984–85, 1985–86[
*Record attendance: 5,000 vs ]Hendon
Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Gre ...
, FA Cup first round, 1954[
*Biggest win: 13–1 vs Coventry Amateurs, Birmingham Senior Cup, 1956][
*Heaviest defeat: 13–0 vs ]Darlaston
Darlaston is an industrial town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall in the West Midlands of England. It is located near Wednesbury and Willenhall.
Topography
Darlaston is situated between Wednesbury and Walsall in the valley of the River ...
, Birmingham Combination, 12 November 1938[Bullock & Ponter, p28]
*Most appearances: Paul Joinson, 658[Paul Joinson]
Yeltz Archive
*Most goals: Paul Joinson, 368[
*Record transfer fee paid: £7,250 to Gresley Rovers for Stuart Evans][
*Record transfer fee received: £40,000 from ]Rushden & Diamonds
Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Nicknamed "The Diamonds", the club played at Nene Park. The club's main rivals were county neighbours Kettering Town.
The ...
for Jim Rodwell[
]
See also
* Halesowen Town F.C. players
* Halesowen Town F.C. managers
References
External links
Official website
{{coord, 52, 27, 13.83, N, 2, 03, 27.76, W, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title
Football clubs in England
Football clubs in the West Midlands (county)
1870s establishments in England
Sport in Dudley
Halesowen
West Midlands (Regional) League
Staffordshire County League (South)
Birmingham Combination
Southern Football League clubs
Northern Premier League clubs