First Yeltz Memories....

[RobYeltz]

Great thread Dale! My first Halesowen game was at York Road against Oldbury United. I was only about 9 year of age I guess. My dad wouldn't take me to Villa Park due to a combination of ill health, lack of money and the football hooliganism which was rife at the time. I had a pal whose Dad wrote for the Express and Star and he'd take us along to watch Oldbury United quite frequently. The games at York Road would regularly attract crowds of maybe 50-60 so when there was 400-500* against Halesowen I was amazed.
*It may or may not have been that many, but felt like it as a 9 year old.

My first game at The Grove was against Kidderminster Harriers in (I think) the FA Cup. I guess I was about 11 at the time and it was great. I'm sure folk will tell me exactly the crowd but I remember the shed being absolutely rammed and the Kiddy fans at the other end of the ground filling the 'away end'. If I remember rightly I think the game ended in a draw and replay was to be had a few days later.

I'd been back to the Grove on many other occasions, usually for Sunday League games or charity games but it wasn't until I moved to Halesowen that The Grove felt like home. My disillusionment with the Sky infested greed league made my interest in football slowly deteriorate, and the birth of my kids meant my coaching days were behind me apart from running the Year team at school. Halesowen Town really has made my interest in football return and I love it. I love the fact the players give so much on the pitch, I love the management teams attitude and desire. I love listening (with respect) to the older supporters who talk so passionately about the club in both good and bad times. I love the fact that when I also came to my first Yeltz game I knew absolutely nobody - now I feel firmly part of the Yeltz family

[wednesburystokie]

Fantastic post Dale.

...

#UpTheYeltz

Wow, great post Dave! Didn't realise you were a 'newbie' to the club. Thought you had been here a few years. I remember that game well, was an awful night on and off the pitch. Think I spent most of that game either in The Shed or the JG Lounge and even ended up the last part in the Harry Rudge stand!

Doing a fantastic job though with the pics, keep it up!

Cheers Dale, yes i'm a Yeltz newbie, but plan to be involved as long as i can.

Don't get to Stoke often now, mainly when they play on a Sunday, a bit like..... ok we wont go there but prefer to be doing something i really enjoy, and hopefully a few people appreciate.

[RaidenYeltz]

Fantastic post Dale.

...

#UpTheYeltz

Wow, great post Dave! Didn't realise you were a 'newbie' to the club. Thought you had been here a few years. I remember that game well, was an awful night on and off the pitch. Think I spent most of that game either in The Shed or the JG Lounge and even ended up the last part in the Harry Rudge stand!

Doing a fantastic job though with the pics, keep it up!

Cheers Dale, yes i'm a Yeltz newbie, but plan to be involved as long as i can.

Don't get to Stoke often now, mainly when they play on a Sunday, a bit like..... ok we wont go there but prefer to be doing something i really enjoy, and hopefully a few people appreciate.

Always appreciate the photos chap. More so than the photo shopped ones! ,)

[dalevillain]

Halesowen Town really has made my interest in football return and I love it. I love the fact the players give so much on the pitch, I love the management teams attitude and desire. I love listening (with respect) to the older supporters who talk so passionately about the club in both good and bad times. I love the fact that when I also came to my first Yeltz game I knew absolutely nobody - now I feel firmly part of the Yeltz family

Couldn't agree more Rob, it's a special club and as I mentioned in my original post from the first game I got that vibe and buzz about the place and the club that got me hooked.

I'm not going to hide from the fact that Villa are my first club and wouldn't pretend for one second that I was the biggest Yeltz fan going. But I think of them as my 2nd team. Like I said the 'dark days' circa. 2009/10 was a bad period and a time that I, perhaps like a lot of people neglected the club, and yes I admit the passion I had died, but I still hoped and prayed that the club would not die.

It's the fantastic people who are involved in the club now such as yourself who have made sure that hasn't happened and you deserve a tremendous amount of credit for that. Last season reignited my love again for the Yeltz and I aim to attend as many games as possible this season and beyond!

[swipey]

17/03/1990 vs Barry Town
3-3
Att: 1,059
Scorers: Hazelwood, Joinson P, Hunter

[Laurel Lane Lamper]

17/03/1990 vs Barry Town
3-3
Att: 1,059
Scorers: Hazelwood, Joinson P, Hunter

That was the brilliant Paul Hunter overhead bicycle kick!

[swipey]

17/03/1990 vs Barry Town
3-3
Att: 1,059
Scorers: Hazelwood, Joinson P, Hunter

That was the brilliant Paul Hunter overhead bicycle kick!

Doc still debates he fell over and the ball hit his toe...

If memory serves didn't Barry have a player sent off too?

[Magnus]

First Vase semi-final against Burnham 1983. Sat in the old wooden shed while wife was admiring Rob Shilvock's legs. Won 2-1? and went on to Wembley to lose to VS Rugby having beaten them 3?4? times already that season.
Sitting around mother-in-laws kitchen table a couple of weeks later deciding whether we would go as a family to see the final. Can't believe now that there was ever any doubt about it. Still here 31 years later.

[YeltzDoc]

Doc still debates he fell over and the ball hit his toe...

I remember it well, Shed End, from a cross or a corner from the town side. The thing that I was amazed by at the time was how high he'd got his foot, it seems to be level with the crossbar when he knocked it in.

Paul Hunter was still playing for Romulus until a couple of years ago as well - he must be older than God's dog.

[Pantverdant]

Earliest memory of The Grove was a charity game with some actor called Harry Fowler playing.

First game watching Yeltz was in the late seventies early eighties against Didcot in the F A Cup,can't
remember the result, but suspect it was a draw.Remember Graham Labrum,Stuart Edmonds and I
think Steve Rudge playing(son of the late great Harry!)

Best Yeltz moment forcing a draw at Frickley Athletic, in the F A Cup 1st round proper with striking
miners lobbing lumps of coal over the fence at sizeable Yeltz following.Glad to get out of South
Elmsall in one piece!