Your team A-Z

By Dan Simner (www.brightgoldenhaze.co.uk)

Halesowen Town were formed way back in 1873 and are generally accepted as being one of the oldest football clubs in the region and the country. Their nickname has confused many but its derivation seems to be no more complicated than the fact that Halesowen people are apparently referred to as Yeltz (not that I’ve heard it myself!)

The early years weren’t particularly auspicious. In fact the 1892/93 season must have seen many early Yeltz men and women throwing  their top hats and bonnets to the ground in despair, as the team conspired to draw two and lose sixteen of their eighteen league games. In fact the club enjoyed only limited league success until the 1980’s and what were undoubtedly Halesowen Town’s glory years.

Under the inspired leadership of manager Paddy Page the Yeltz won the West Midlands regional league for four consecutive seasons from 1982/83 to 1985/86 and were only denied promotion to the Southern League because of the infamous Grove sloping pitch. Topping even this achievement however was the glory of three Wembley finals in four years in the FA Vase.

The Grove pitch was finally levelled out and the club gained entry  to the Southern League where, despite one or two relegations to the regional leagues, they have been a mainstay in the Premier Division ever since.

Unfortunately, despite a couple of near misses, they haven’t been able to push on to the next level and Conference football,  but there is renewed optimism amongst Yeltz fans that the wait may soon be over.

Last season the promotion dream was almost realised. Despite taking over in October 2007 when the side were marooned in mid-table, new manager Morell Maison (with, for a brief spell, the assistance of suntan consultant Ron Atkinson) took the team to the brink of promotion playing attacking, fluent and incisive football. Unfortunately the Yeltz fall at the final hurdle when they were beaten 2-1 by the full time professionals, er sorry, students of Team Bath in the Premier Division play-off final.

Maison has brought a number of quality players to the club. Darren Caskey, one of a number of players with top flight experience, brings undoubted quality to the midfield and Dean Brennan and Eldon Maquemba (Halesowen’s first Angolan born player with Portuguese citizenship!) carry a constant goal threat.

Whilst the ever increasing merry go round of player transfers means there will be inevitable change in playing personnel and the resignation of long time chairman Nigel Pitt has created some uncertainty off the pitch there is no reason to expect anything other than another promotion push next season.