Scratching for omens

[andy]

33 years ago yesterday Wednesday the 25th of April the car was fired up for an away trip. Not just any away trip mind, a victory would seal promotion for the mighty Yeltz. That night we raced into a 3 goal lead, then were pegged back to 3-2, but clung desperately on till the final whistle. We'd done it.
Oh, the opponent's that night.....Spalding.

[Rich]

Both away teams in last season's play off games won and this followed into the final with an away win

This season both home teams won the first game so should follow the home team wins the final??

As title says ..... Scratching for Omens

[DJ]

It's now almost a third of a century since another big game against Spalding away on 25th April 1990 where victory secured promotion to Halesowen's highest ever level - effectively just two steps below the Football League. The game started comfortably but ended with totally shredded nerves and I recall H and several committee members pacing up and down the long open side of the ground in those agonising final minutes, hardly able to watch. Here's my report:

Beazer Homes Midland Division - Wednesday 25th April 1990

Spalding United 2 Halesowen Town 3

Yeltz beat Spalding 3-2 to clinch promotion to the Beazer Premier for the first time in the club’s history. Club Secretary Harry Rudge said “There was euphoria on the bus back. It is the highest the club has ever been.”

No-one deserves this success more than Rudge who has been the club’s inspiration for the last 50 years. Yeltz now travel to Willenhall on Monday night needing only one point to take the championship. The Yeltz philosophy throughout the season has been to ignore what the other teams are doing and keep on winning and they deserve nothing less than that crowning glory.

Yeltz took the lead at Spalding through new boy Timmy Langford. Andy Pearce scored from the penalty spot to put Yeltz two up and Paul Hunter scored a brilliant individual goal to give the visitors a 3-0 cushion at half-time.

Spalding launched a determined fightback after the break and pulled back two goals with high balls and long throw-ins bombarding the Yeltz goal in the final minutes, led by the huge Kevin Topliss. But Halesowen’s nerve held and they left with three valuable points. The pressure was starting to get to some of the players. Even veteran Malcolm Hazelwood showed signs of nerves, missing a second half penalty. Nuneaton’s chance of catching Yeltz evaporated when they dropped two points at Grantham.

The quality of the squad John Morris has built up this season is reflected in the number of scouts from league clubs seen buzzing around the Grove on Saturday. Morris says: “People tell me Derby, West Ham, Sheffield United and Wolves were all here.” Several players have already been linked with league clubs - centre half Andy Pearce played for Coventry reserves against Blackburn. Lightning forward Paul Hunter has also attracted league interest and played for Sheffield United reserves against Nottingham Forest.

Yeltz play their remaining two games at Willenhall on Monday (30th) and finish the season with a difficult game at Grantham on May 5th.

Halesowen Town: Tim Clarke; Mark Penn, Stuart Edwards, Eric Smith, Andy Pearce, Leroy Hemans, Malcolm Hazelwood, Sean Flynn, Tim Langford, Paul Joinson, Paul Hunter. Subs: Lee Joinson, Graham Price.

Spalding United squad: Billy Miller; Andrew Ryder, Clive Worthington, John Humphreys, Ian Ladd, Martin Henderson, Martyn Boyers, Fergus Rushe, Albert Hunter, Lee Rippin, Paul Langford, Mark Waite, Kevin Topliss.

Referee: Mr J.M. Lee (Corby)

Attendance: 417

[old git]

It's now almost a third of a century since another big game against Spalding away on 25th April 1990 where victory secured promotion to Halesowen's highest ever level - effectively just two steps below the Football League. The game started comfortably but ended with totally shredded nerves and I recall H and several committee members pacing up and down the long open side of the ground in those agonising final minutes, hardly able to watch. Here's my report:

Beazer Homes Midland Division - Wednesday 25th April 1990

Spalding United 2 Halesowen Town 3

Yeltz beat Spalding 3-2 to clinch promotion to the Beazer Premier for the first time in the club’s history. Club Secretary Harry Rudge said “There was euphoria on the bus back. It is the highest the club has ever been.”

No-one deserves this success more than Rudge who has been the club’s inspiration for the last 50 years. Yeltz now travel to Willenhall on Monday night needing only one point to take the championship. The Yeltz philosophy throughout the season has been to ignore what the other teams are doing and keep on winning and they deserve nothing less than that crowning glory.

Yeltz took the lead at Spalding through new boy Timmy Langford. Andy Pearce scored from the penalty spot to put Yeltz two up and Paul Hunter scored a brilliant individual goal to give the visitors a 3-0 cushion at half-time.

Spalding launched a determined fightback after the break and pulled back two goals with high balls and long throw-ins bombarding the Yeltz goal in the final minutes, led by the huge Kevin Topliss. But Halesowen’s nerve held and they left with three valuable points. The pressure was starting to get to some of the players. Even veteran Malcolm Hazelwood showed signs of nerves, missing a second half penalty. Nuneaton’s chance of catching Yeltz evaporated when they dropped two points at Grantham.

The quality of the squad John Morris has built up this season is reflected in the number of scouts from league clubs seen buzzing around the Grove on Saturday. Morris says: “People tell me Derby, West Ham, Sheffield United and Wolves were all here.” Several players have already been linked with league clubs - centre half Andy Pearce played for Coventry reserves against Blackburn. Lightning forward Paul Hunter has also attracted league interest and played for Sheffield United reserves against Nottingham Forest.

Yeltz play their remaining two games at Willenhall on Monday (30th) and finish the season with a difficult game at Grantham on May 5th.

Halesowen Town: Tim Clarke; Mark Penn, Stuart Edwards, Eric Smith, Andy Pearce, Leroy Hemans, Malcolm Hazelwood, Sean Flynn, Tim Langford, Paul Joinson, Paul Hunter. Subs: Lee Joinson, Graham Price.

Spalding United squad: Billy Miller; Andrew Ryder, Clive Worthington, John Humphreys, Ian Ladd, Martin Henderson, Martyn Boyers, Fergus Rushe, Albert Hunter, Lee Rippin, Paul Langford, Mark Waite, Kevin Topliss.

Referee: Mr J.M. Lee (Corby)

Attendance: 417

How times change. 417 crowd. I reckon we would take that many for a game like that even though it was a Tuesday night.
I recall there were hurdles for athletics stacked in the shed behind the goal, and I and a few others spent the last 10 minutes crouching behind them every time the ball went into their half.

[andy]

Both away teams in last season's play off games won and this followed into the final with an away win

This season both home teams won the first game so should follow the home team wins the final??

As title says ..... Scratching for Omens

Like it. More please.

[lutleyyeltz]

My ticket number is 0339.
My month and year of birth 03/39.
Anything to cling to!

[Westyeltz]

I didn't have my Crooki inspired half time cob purchased from the pre-match pub in my pocket on Tuesday (Yeltzdoc ate it, greedy b##locks, 'im ). Instead I had the rather more healthy option of a banana and it's the best I've seen us play for some time. I'm taking one along on Saturday. I hope that's a good omen.
Half time fruit. it's the future. Just ask Nice Derek.

How's that Brother Avery?

[andy]

I didn't have my Crooki inspired half time cob purchased from the pre-match pub in my pocket on Tuesday (Yeltzdoc ate it, greedy b##locks, 'im ). Instead I had the rather more healthy option of a banana and it's the best I've seen us play for some time. I'm taking one along on Saturday. I hope that's a good omen.
Half time fruit. it's the future. Just ask Nice Derek.

How's that Brother Avery?

Best yet. We all need to take banana. Sad though that we won't all be able to feed Doc a cob due to his work related absence.

[andy]

So, let me get this right. We've beaten Spalding before, both home teams have won thus far, Lutley's ticket was born on the same day as him and Westys bringing a banana. This isn't making me feel any better.

[DJ]

Andy, be prepared, they say anything can happen in the playoffs, but no-one expected this one - it'll be exactly 15 years on Saturday since this happened to us:

Play-Off Semi-Final - BGB Football League Premier Division – Tuesday, 29th April 2008

Halesowen Town 2 Chippenham Town 3 – Match Abandoned after 35 minutes

Halesowen’s vital play-off game with Chippenham was abandoned after a bizarre 35 minutes of splashing around in atrocious conditions saw five goals and enough controversial talking points to last a whole season.

The pre-match nervous appreciation gradually gave way to real meteorological concern as a predicted belt of heavy rain duly arrived in Halesowen just an hour before kick-off and poured down relentlessly throughout the game, turning a perfectly playable surface into one not befitting a play-off showpiece.

In an explosive but the worst imaginable start for Halesowen, Mark Osborn collected the ball just seconds after kick-off but then slid like ‘Bambi on Ice’ outside his penalty area with the ball still in his possession to concede a free-kick. Maybe the omens should have been recognised with the referee reconsidering whether the game should go ahead with the ball clearly failing to run smoothly. Sensibly, Osborn escaped without any caution for his ‘offence’ but Kye Holly floated in the resulting free-kick and the ball was met by a stooping header from Aaron CORNWALL to give the Bluebirds the lead after just 45 seconds.

Massive controversy then followed in the 3rd minute when Darren Caskey’s corner was met by a goal-bound header by Stuart Pierpoint, only for a Chippenham hand to be raised on the goal-line to keep the ball out of the net. Ross Adams (who later scored for Chippenham) was generally considered to be the guilty party, but in total mayhem, the referee firstly duly awarded the penalty but then lost the identity of the culprit, despite consulting his assistant. After failing to caution any Chippenham player, Yeltz captain Caskey correctly pointed out to the referee the huge disadvantage of not dismissing any visiting player in contravention of F.A. directives in such situations. After almost four minutes of confusion and delay, Dean BRENNAN stepped up to hit home straight down the centre from the penalty spot to equalise and record his 21st goal of the season.

Goals looked likely with every attack and with the home defence looking fragile, a 12th minute free-kick from Holly was cleared for a corner. However, Halesowen went ahead in the 14th minute when Brennan floated the ball into the penalty area and with goalkeeper Chris Snoddy slow off his line, Andy Hall nipped in to strike the post and Eldon MAQUEMBA was on hand to convert the rebound. Alex Cowley made a fine tackle to deny David Pratt on a long run into the Halesowen area in the 19th minute before Chippenham drew level in the 20th minute when another Holly free-kick was headed home firmly by ADAMS.

As the farce continued, Chippenham took a 22nd minute lead when defender Dennis Pearce was bogged down and muscled out allowing Luke Gullick to cross from the right for the ball to be turned over his own line by Stuart Pierpoint under attention from PRATT, who claimed the goal. Further goals seemed likely at every attempt and Brennan went close twice before Snoddy managed to hold onto Caskey’s 29th minute free-kick as Halesowen sought an equaliser.

Referee Martin finally called it a day after a ridiculous waterlogged midfield challenge involving Cowley in the 35th minute with standing surface water all over the Grove surface.

Abandonment before half-time meant free tickets had to be organised for the re-arranged game on Thursday, 1st May with the ultimate winners meeting Team Bath at Twerton Park in the play-off final. Four ducks settled on the pitch shortly after the final spectators had finally departed and summed up a very strange evening in a game that everyone - except the elements - thought must be decided on the night.

Halesowen Town: Osborn; Cowley, Hamilton, Pearce, Pierpoint, Denny, Hall, Caskey, Brennan, Maquemba, Anya. Unused Subs: Abbey, Hicks, Maynard, Waite, Dormand.

Chippenham Town: Snoddy; Adams, Halliday, Price, McEntegart, Harvey, Lye, Holly, Pratt, Cornwall, Gullick. Unused Subs: Seavill, Allison, Badman, Metitiri, Carr.

Referee: R. J. Martin (Weston-Super-Mare) Attendance: 739
Booked: Cowley (26)