TODAY’S VISITORS
REDDITCH UNITED
A special welcome to Redditch United our visitors today who finished tenth in the table last season – nine places higher than the previous season. However in February they were 17th in the table but in the last couple of months they dug out some improved form and results – despite losing at home our lads in the semi-final of the Red Insure Cup. At the time these notes were written Redditch had just completed their second home fixture of the season after their opening day defeat. They scored two early second half goals and then hung on to beat visiting Chippenham by two goals to one. Following that they were due on Saturday to follow in our lads footsteps to Chesham. Redditch have been in the Southern League for just three seasons following their relegation from the Conference North. Geographically located in the Midlands they are one of the ‘yo-yo’ clubs who have been shuttled
between the Northern and Southern pyramids but they will now be happy to settle to establish themselves in the Southern League – despite losing near neighbours Stourbridge who were moved north this season. So this will be a third visit to the Cozy Stadium for Redditch and they are one of the few teams that presently still have a 100% record on this ground but our lads will be happy to dent that record this evening. CLUB HISTORY Redditch Town was established in 1891 and immediately joined the Birmingham Combination, where they played for a single season. The club achieved its first success by winning the Worcestershire Senior Cup in 1894 and becoming
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runners-up in 1898. In 1914 they won the Birmingham Combination Championship for the first time and, finally, the Birmingham Senior Cup in 1925. The 1930s were a much more rewarding period for the club and its supporters, starting by winning the Worcestershire Senior Cup and the Birmingham Senior Cup in successive seasons. Reds almost achieved a notable double in 1932–33 when, having won the Combination, they were defeated in the Senior Cup Final. Apart from an unsuccessful appearance in the Birmingham Senior Cup final just before the World War, Reds moved into a fallow period. In 1953 Redditch regained the Combination Championship and was runners-up in the Worcestershire Senior Cup.