Hellenic Premier Division

Saturday 12th February 2022

Malvern Town 2-0 Westbury United

Admission: £7

Competition: Hellenic League Premier Division

Attendance: 233

Finally a free Saturday and the chance to get to a new non-league ground in daylight rather than floodlit. Malvern has been on my radar for a few years now and I have actually planned to visit here on numerous occasions but it has just never worked out. It worked out really well being a Saturday, as I was able to get over a few hours early and go for a hike over the hills in the morning before racing down to the game. Very windy but no rain luckily and a double definitely worth doing if you like the great outdoors like me.

Malvern Town were founded in 1946, under the name Barnards Green Football Club, playing in the Worcester League until 1955 when they moved up to the Worcestershire Combination which later became the Midland Combination. They switched across to the West Midlands (Regional) League in 1979, where they stayed until spending a few seasons at Step 4 and 5 between 2003 and 2009, competing in the Division One South of the Southern League at their highest point. They switched to the Hellenic League in 2019 and were promoted to the Premier Division based on the two Covid-annulled seasons.

Langland Stadium is a very tidy little set up, although it only has the one stand and the other three sides of the stadium are hard standing. It has a fantastic clubhouse and a 4G pitch. The reason I’d been so desperate to get over here was the picturesque setting behind the main stand and on that aspect it really didn’t let me down.

The stand is an original feature, with the front of it being some hard standing under the cover, you have to walk up some steps to get to the seats which are a mix of hard orange seats and old car seats. You get an elevated view of the pitch although the view can be restricted in some places.

The clubhouse was a real gem, with plenty of TV’s showing the Six Nations, at least 6 dartboards and a pool table. They had a good selection of drinks and even had custom made tables. I don’t usually tend to have a pint at non-league games, but it felt rude not to at such a great little bar.

Due to the fact that I’d just hiked 13km and climbed 600m leading up to the game, my first stop when I got into the stadium was the food bar. This is just the same building as the clubhouse and offered a decent range of food, I opted for a cheeseburger and chips. It wasn’t 10/10 but filled me up and did the job.

I was pleased to find a printed programme available, which cost £2, and had all the standard information you tend to find in. I was glad I picked it up and was a decent read.

The game had potential to be a good one, with both teams on the same amount of points and sitting in the top six of the league. Westbury did have four games in hand on Malvern. The game was not a classic by any means and the home side powered to a 2-0 lead and made it look extremely comfortable for the rest of the afternoon. The visitors never really looked like scoring or causing any problems and in the end it was an easy victory for the Hillsiders.

Glad to finally get this one off my list, and a great little ground with a solid following from the fans, plenty of Malvern hats and scarves on show really gave the impression of a community who buy into their local team. If you do visit, make sure to make the most of the clubhouse and the view.

Sunday 16th January 2022

Bishops Cleeve FC 2-0 Calne Town

Admission: £5

Competition: Hellenic League Premier Division

Attendance: circa 100 (rough headcount)

It is very rare that a non-league game crops up on a Sunday afternoon but when they do, it would be rude of me not to make the most of it and especially when it’s a new ground. A steady drive down the M5 to the town of Evesham, nestled in the hills of Worcestershire and I was at my destination. There is plenty of parking available at the stadium and it was free. I’d have preferred to visit the ground when Evesham were playing, so things like the club shop were open but beggars can’t be choosers and it was a great hop for a Sunday afternoon.

Back to Bishop’s Cleeve now, who are our hosts as they are ground sharing with Evesham United whilst their own ground is undergoing refurbishments. The club was formed in 1905, initially playing in the Cheltenham League and Gloucestershire League before making the move to the Hellenic League where they flitted between Step 5 and 6, before having a lengthy spell at Step 4 in the Division One Southern League South & West. I will make a note to get down to their home, Kayte Lane, once it is finished.

The Spiers & Hartwell Jubilee Stadium has a solid set up, and is really well looked after and tidy. It has hard standing available on all four sides, and there are a few structures that make up the ground. You enter through the turnstile which is attached to the side of the clubhouse and directly in front of you is the main stand. This provides the only seating in the ground.

Carrying on round, behind the far goal there is a temporary six-step terrace which runs across the width of the pitch. This is uncovered but offered the best views of the pitch if your preference is behind the goal.

The other side of the pitch is hard standing and the home of the dugouts, but there is nothing else. Behind the far goal, is a long stand with no seats or terracing but plenty of cover from the elements if needed. There is a club shop but unfortunately wasn’t open today (as it wasn’t an Evesham game) and then you are back to the clubhouse.

Food and drink was available from a window in the clubhouse, with a decent range of items at reasonable prices. I didn’t need to eat today so just had a cup of tea at £1.30. Unfortunately, there was no programme available today.

I’m pretty sure this was my first ever Hellenic League match, although I have visited a number of the grounds in Division One but this was when they were part of the former West Midlands (Regional) League. Judging by the table, the form books favoured Bishop’s Cleeve who have established themselves at the top of the table whilst the visitors, Calne Town were lingering down the foot of the table in 19th (second-bottom) although they still have a chance of survival being on similar points to a few of the teams above them. The Mitres had a six-point lead on second place with a dream of a Step 4 return very close to being realised. The reverse fixture finished 2-0 to Bishop’s Cleeve.

From the get-go, the hosts were on top and dominating possession. My man of the match, 16-year old Bailey Leech (Calne Town goalkeeper), was forced into early action and made a smart save from close range in the first 5 minutes. Without him, the afternoon may have ended a lot earlier for the travelling team. He was in fine form all afternoon making numerous saves and keeping his side in the game. His goal was peppered as Bishop’s Cleeve mustered up 36 shots on goal with 20 on target. It wasn’t until the 68th minute where something had to give, even then the keeper made a superb save and tipped it on to the bar but devastatingly there was nothing he could do as the rebound was nodded home to put the league leaders in front. Calne never really looked like scoring or even threatening the hosts and the three points were wrapped up in the 93rd minute with a tap-in following a nice move. A shame for the away side who defended valiantly and especially for the keeper who deserved a clean sheet.

A ground definitely worth visiting if you haven’t yet done so, good luck to Bishop’s Cleeve in their promotion push and title race. Hopefully next season I will be visiting Kayte Lane as a Step 4 ground hop.