MATCH PREVIEW: GLADES FC v CLAVERDON FC...

 Preview: Glades FC v Claverdon FC…

25th April 2024…

Setting the scene…

This Birmingham & District Football League Division 1 clash might well decide which team finishes as champions, with league leaders Glades in a strong position, needing only a point to pip second placed visitors Claverdon to the title.

Each team plays 14 matches during the season and this contest is Glades’ last, having won 10 of 13 games so far. A pair of draws and a loss means a total of 32 points and a goal-difference of +34.

Claverdon have won 8 of 12 games, so they have to beat Glades to stand any chance of snatching the title. A pair of draws and 2 losses have helped them to amass 26 points but their goal difference is their real problem, even if they win at Glades. It stands at +23 at present and so the target for them this week must be two wins and a glut of goals…

However, Claverdon won the Senior Cup on Tuesday evening, beating Kingston Alliance 0-1 at Boldmere St Michaels, courtesy of a Tommy Williams goal.

League form…  

Both teams have won their last three league matches but in the previous game between the two clubs on 16th September they drew 3-3 at Claverdon’s ground.

On 30th March Glades won 2-5 at Hall Green Sports Club with a brace of goals by Brad Barclay and a Cam Ford hat-trick, before visiting Kingshurst Pavilions on April 6th, where they were successful by 3-5. Another Ford hat-trick, a goal for Barclay and an 89th minute strike by Josh Parkinson did the trick.  

Last time out on 20th April saw a 2-0 home win v Benson Cresconians, where once again Barclay and Ford netted. 

According to the Full-Time website, Ford currently leads the scorers with 23 for the season, whilst Barclay has notched 17.

Claverdon won 2-4 at Hall Green Sports Club on 23rd March, where the team’s MVP Harry Bedford netted a brace, added to by goals from Jamie Robinson and Dan Sill. Next came a 4-0 home success v Village B on 13th April, the goals being notched by Owen Bennett, Alex Litwinko, Rory Nicholson and Sill, whilst Josh Farr was nominated the team’s MVP.

Their most recent league outing on 20th April was the return fixture at Village B, where Claverdon won 1-3, courtesy of goals by Farr, Nicholson and substitute Williams.

Leading goalscorer according to the FullTime website is currently Sill with 17, followed by Jamie Robinson with 10.

Returning to Glades…

Having watched matches involving Hampton FC and Leamington Hibs in Field Lane, Solihull during past seasons, I always wondered whether I would make a return to Glades…

The only time I have seen Glades play at their Lugtrout Lane base was as ‘FC Glades Sporting' in the MCL Division 1 in April 2013, a 1-4 loss to Alvis Sporting Club. However I did see FC Glades Sporting lose 0-6 to Coventry United in 2015, a match played at Earlswood Town’s ground. 

The image shows Rowe scoring a consolation headed goal for Glades v Alvis…

I saw Claverdon win a cup-tie 1-4 at Kingshurst Pavilions in February this year and the image below shows Sill netting his team’s third goal from a Jamie Robinson assist.

The Glades view…

Glades Chairman & Manager Paul Donlon jotted a few words down about the club and has given me permission to reproduce them here. He and Secretary Mark Finnegan have been at the club for 16 years…

“I’m expecting and hoping for a tight game (that goes in our favour of course!)

This is our second season since we committed to Saturdays and we won Division 4 last season. We were then promoted to Division 1 and next season it will be the Premier Division for us, so I’m proud of the players. 

I’m the Manager of the open-age team, and the Chairman of the club (a case of sticking my hand up years ago when we formed the committee.) We have teams from the under 7s age group upwards, with around 300 players in all.”  

Images below are from my 2013 visit...

The final words…

The encounter should be a decent watch this evening and coverage, as ever, will be found on my blog at themowdog.blogspot.com from tomorrow morning…

Pete Ray...