Stourbridge

Northern Premier League
Stourbridge 2 Frickley 1
Atten 306

Faggots, Mushy Peas, Chips & Gravy £2.50








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I really enjoyed The Amblecote. Despite sharing the facility with the local cricket club it did not detract from my enjoyment. The club has a decent family feel about it. The Club's staff and volunteers were all very welcoming, friendly and great to chat to. The bar was a hive of activity. On the adjoining mini-pitch the youngsters were honing their own skills wearing an ecclectic mix of replica shirts mainly Villa, Baggies,Wolves and Roma !. The tea bar was purveying some enjoyable food and beverages including a delicious Faggots,mushy peas, chips and gravy.I really liked the configuration of stands on the far side. Behind the far goal is a huge covered terrace. The only downside to my visit was the absence of the famous inflatable Llama from the Barmy Llamas !

The Glassboys were dominant in the first half and fully deserved their two goal lead.But in the second half Frickley fought back and the game turned when the dangerous Frickley forward Allott made a good run in behind to chest the ball past two defenders in the box. With the goal at his mercy he was brought down and the ref had no choice but to award a penalty and give the defender his marching orders. Allott got up to dispatch the spot kick himself and set up a frantic finale. Frickley had a strong shout for another penalty when the ball hit a defenders hand. However the lino was only ten yards away said it hit his Knee cap. He was incorrect !

Thoroughly enjoyed my day out in the West Midlands and a visit to the Glassboys comes highly recomended !

"The Glassboys" were founded in 1876 and were originally known as Stourbridge Standard. Top honours eluded the club until the 1887/88 season when they won the Kidderminster Cup and the Worcester Charity Cup. By that time, it is known that that they had changed the name to "Stourbridge" and competed in the Birmingham and District League, where reasonable success was achieved.

In 1971 they were elected to the expanding Southern League and met almost instant success under manager Alan Grundy in 1973/74 season, with the Division 1 (North) title and the Merit Cup (for the league's highest goalscorers) coming to Amblecote. Twin strikers, Ray Haywood and Chic Bates, each notched 50 goals that season and were transferred to Shrewsbury Town, where Bates served 13 years as both player and manager.

Another highlight in 1973/74 was a tremendous run in the Welsh Cup, in which we disposed of both Swansea and Wrexham on their own grounds and then faced Cardiff in a two leg final. A record crowd of 5,726 saw the Glassboys lose the home leg 1-0 and they also lost 1-0 at Ninian Park.

For a few seasons fortunes fluctuated but sadly in the '99-2000 season things got worse.Despite an influx of new players, continued poor results meant the bell finally tolled on Stourbridge's 29-year spell at Southern league level with defeat in the last game of the season at Hinckley United in May 2000. They were now forced to re-group in the Midland Alliance. In 2002-3 they got their highest league points total ever on 101 thus winning the Championship.

In 2004-5 Stour enjoyed a memorable run in the F.A. Vase, battling through six rounds to reach the last 8 of the competition. We put up a tremendous display at AFC Sudbury in the quarter-final before finally succumbing to a 4-1 defeat after extra time.

Today they find themselves in the Northern Premier League as a result of in 2012-3 just missing out in heart breaking fashion against Gosport for a place in the Conference North.