Hednesford Town FC was formed in 1880 following the merger of two local clubs, Red & Whites and Hill Top. The club is based in the former coal mining town in Staffordshire, north of Birmingham. The club started out playing in local league football before resigning from the Birmingham & District League during the 1937-38 season.
They soon reformed as Hednesford FC, playing their home games at the Cross Keys, which was behind the pub of the same name. They joined the West Midlands Regional League in the 1960’s before reverting to their present title in 1974. Around this time Brian Horton played for the club before he went on to a distinguished career as a player, manager and coach.
Keys Park from aboveIn 1984 progress was made as The Pitmen joined the Southern League. They progressed over the next decade before being crowned champions of their Premier League to join non league football’s elite in the Conference in 1996 to celebrate the opening of a brand new stadium called Keys Park, which was opened in 1995 at a cost of £1.3M. A couple of years previously the club competed in the Welsh FA Cup for some reason and ended up as runners up to Cardiff City at the National Stadium, Cardiff.
Relegation followed back into the Southern League in 2002, but the club became members of the newly formed Conference North after a play off win before being demoted once again into the Southern League after a short spell in the Northern Premier League. Perhaps the crowning glory in the clubs history was when they lifted the FA Trophy after a 3-2 win at Villa Park over Canvey Island.
In 2008 The Pitmen were once again placed in the Northern Premier League owing to the geography of member teams. They reached the play offs at the end of the 2011-12 season.
Hednesford Town FC will be competing in the Northern League Premier Division for the 2012-13 season.
My visit
Hednesford Town 0 Scarborough 3 (Saturday 8th January 2000) Football Conference (att: 1,057)
I travelled up to this game the cheapest way I could on the train to Birmingham, using my network rail card on the slow Silverlink system and then buying a separate ticket from Birmingham to Hednesford. This all worked OK and I arrived around 12.30 ready to find a decent pub before the match.
The first problem was to find the ground. I asked some locals and they helped in their rich Black Country accents. I went away from the High Street and up the hill, where I turned left. I seemed to be walking a long way without any sign of a stadium. I saw a pub and decided to pop in for a pint and get further directions.
The staff were friendly in the quiet Globe Inn. I was walking the wrong way and was heading back to Birmingham! After a beer I was on my way and soon realising my error. I should have gone straight over the roundabout and then make a turn! I was soon back on track and approaching another pub, The Cross Keys. This pub was a must as I’d been told I wasn’t far away when I reached there.
The wonderful Cross Keys pubI received a really warm welcome inside from the landlord who quickly realised I was there for the match. He really knew his football and non league in particular. He also knew his beer. The real ale was absolutely spot on. He then revealed himself as The Pitmen’s centre back Chris Brindley! He was going over the road to play in the match a little later. More fans came in and I had a good chat. I was most taken by the friendliness of everyone as they told me tales of the great times they’d had in there with visiting fans and the banter with the landlord before and after games. They showed me the new houses at the rear of the pub where Town once played.
I was told that it was unlikely that we’d get access into the clubhouse at the ground so I stayed with my new friends and we walked up to the ground together.
Keys Park was most impressive. There was no segregation enforced so we could walk around the ground as we pleased. The Main Stand was a single tiered construction fitted out witrh black seats with facilities to attract corporate fans at the back. Behind the Hednesford End goal was a small seated stand. We stood opposite the Main Stand on the open Wimblebury Terrace which offered a good view before moving behind the open Heath Hayes End terracing in the second half.
Boro were being looked after by youth team coach Ian Kerr as manager Colin Addison and his assistant Ray McHale were both at home suffering with flu. Boro took control of the game after a slow start. The forward trio of Darren Roberts, Chris Tate and Steve Brodie were causing mayhem. We went in to the break two goals ahead thanks to goals from Tate and skipper Gareth Stoker. Just as impressive were the defence, who were led commandingly by the signing from Altrincham, paul Ellender. Little did we realise we defaulted on our payment for him, ducking out of it in the end by entering into a CVA. We weren’t allowed into the clubhouse above the Main Stand at the break, so the travelling Seadogs (probably numbering around 200) occupied ourselves.
Boro continued to dominate in the second half. I had told my mates about the friendly landlord playing at the back and having a torrid afternoon for the home side and we gave him some light hearted stick, not that he seemed to be laughing too much. Brodie made it 3-0 and the home keeper Billy Stewart made many decent saves to keep the score respectable. Hednesford midfielder and future Boro player, Jimmy Kelly was sent off for collecting two yellow cards before full time.
We gathered in the clubhouse after the game as the players came in. I was convinced by the body language of the team and the performance I’d just witnessed that Boro were destined to reclaim their Football League place. We eventually ended up in fourth place but alas it was before the days of the play offs.
I got speaking to a young Seadog from Lincoln who was also travelling on the train. I ordered a taxi and we went back to the station for our homeward journeys in euphoric mood.
Since my visit
Keys Park has seen some development with roofs been erected over both the Wimblebury Terrace and the Heath Hayes End.
Many thanks to Chris from pitmenweb.com for his kind permission in allowing me the usage of pictures of Keys Park.
He also adds (this was on 24th June 2010), "I remember the game at Keys Park being about as one sided as you will get a game, and started the process that saw us relegated the following season. Mr. Brindley is most certainly still running the Keys, as has done now for twelve years. He's an absolute legend at the club - about as big as you can get really - but taking up the manager's role at Stafford as made the relationship with Hednesford supporters interesting to say the least!"
He also adds (this was on 24th June 2010), "I remember the game at Keys Park being about as one sided as you will get a game, and started the process that saw us relegated the following season. Mr. Brindley is most certainly still running the Keys, as has done now for twelve years. He's an absolute legend at the club - about as big as you can get really - but taking up the manager's role at Stafford as made the relationship with Hednesford supporters interesting to say the least!"
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