WE MEET AGAIN - Willenhall

[Alan Beckett]

WE MEET AGAIN - Willenhall

Coleshill travel to Noose Lane this week end to take on Willenhall for the first time in a League encounter.

The "Lockmen" were formed in 1953 when two local sides, Aston Road Villa and RAF Association, amalgamated. They played at the time in the Wolverhampton League but moved to the Staffordshire County League in 1968, and then to the West Midlands Regional League in 1975, which they won in 1979.

In 1981 the Lockmen reached the Final of the FA Vase at Wembley Stadium, but lost to Whickam. 1982 saw promotion to the Southern League, Midland Division and 1984 saw further promotion to the Southern League Premier.

Willenhall found themselves back in the West Midlands Regional League after a few difficult seasons but were in a position to be founder members of the Midland Alliance for the 1994/95 season.

In 2003/04 they finished in the runners up position and were promoted to the Northern Premier League Division 1. Being on the borders of the Southern and Northern league boundaries they have had to move several times between the two but at the same level in the pyramid (Level 4). Financial problems meant they went into receivership and were deducted 10 points at the start of the 2009/10 season, and after a campaign of struggle they finished bottom of the Evo-Stick First Division South and were relegated to the Midland Alliance.

All this means is that Coleshill and Willenhall have managed to avoid each other and have never met in a league match.

The only game I can find between the sides was in the Walsall Senior Cup on 25th October 1994 at Noose Lane, with the Lockmen coming out on top by two goals to nil. Unfortunately I can't find any details of the match other than the score.