by Peter Scherer
Although the season is coming to a close, three postponements have meant we are yet to play Alvechurch in a league match.
Having lost out 2-3 in the FA Cup, we have been due to visit ‘church three times in the league, all have been postponed, the last of which was only minutes before kick off!!
With a lot of other postponements our visitors are still playing catch up, and are currently 16th with about five games in hand.
They lost 1-2 at home to Rushall Olympic on Tuesday night, but were 4-1 victors at St Ives last Saturday, with a Danny Waldron hattrick, their first win in six games.
Alvechurch manager Ian Long came back to the club in February 2020, having previously been there for four years, before joining Stourbridge.
First choice goalkeeper Dan Jezeph was a Walsall Junior, who was at Tamworth and Worcester City before joining Alvechurch in July 2021.
Reserve keeper Harvey Randle came from Derby County last July and has been out on loan at Coventry Utd too.
Ashley Carter is a centre back that came from Halesowen in May 2021. He was a Wolves Academy player and was loaned to Chesterfield and Tamworth before joining Kidderminster on his release.
He then came to Alvechurch in July 2017, joining Nuneaton a year later. November 2018 he was back at Alvechurch, before moves to Stourbridge and Halesowen preceded his third and current spell with our visitors. He is the current club captain.
Peter Taylor is a defensive midfielder, who started out at West Bromwich Albion. He was loaned to Stourbridge before coming on loan to our visitors in March 2020. But after four months back with the Baggies, he returned on a permanent basis.
Ex Aston Villa Junior right back Brad Burton has established himself in the starting line-up in the six months, after joining our visitors in October 2021.
Josh Dugmore is a young right back who was with the Walsall and Everton football Academies before joining Birmingham City on a scholarship. Following his release from the Blues he joined Bromsgrove for the start of last season and was a virtual ever present for them throughout the season, making a total of 47 appearances.
He then joined AFC Telford United last July, but moved to Banbury in September and signed for Alvechurch in January on a dual contract.
Jed Abbey can play midfield or right back and started his career with Wolves. He went to Telford after his release and came to Alvechurch pre-season.
Midfielder Tom Edge was a pre-season signing too. He played junior football at Telford and Walsall before heading for the US, where he had four years at Campbellsville University in Kentucky.
Jack Concannon was another one of the pre-season signings. An ex Birmingham City Junior, he was loaned to Sutton Coldfield and Tamworth, before going to Tamworth on his release.
Striker Leo Brown arrived in July last year too. He was picked up by Birmingham City from Crusaders FC, before returning to Northern Ireland with Ballymena and Ards after three years. He came back to England with Sutton Coldfield in September 2021.
Tyrell Skeen-Hamilton is a young striker in his third spell at the club. After being at Birmingham City, he had two years with Bournemouth, which included loans at Salisbury and Gosport.
He came to Alvechurch in July 2020 after his Bournemouth release, moving to Telford a year later. He was then loaned back to Alvechurch, before making his stay permanent earlier last year.
Former West Bromwich Albion defender Ben Cassidy holds the record of being the youngest Alvechurch debutant, when he first appeared for the first team in 2018 aged 16.
Striker Danny Waldron arrived from Leamington in July last 2021 and he’s also played for Rushall Olympic. He got a hattrick in their 4-1 win over St Ives last Saturday.
Former Coventry Academy defender or midfielder Jamie Spiers was signed at the end of last summer. He moved to Stratford Town at 14 and was at Shrewsbury Town until the end of last season.
Defender Harry Williams and midfielder Jack Hallahan both hit the headlines after being hospitalised following a clash of heads in the opening game of the season.
Both are former West Bromwich Albion Juniors. Williams then moved to Burnley for a year, before coming to Alvechurch last July.
Hallahan is a former Irish Under 19 midfielder, who who moved on to Hednesford and Bromsgrove, also having had a spell in Cyprus too.
Joining the plethora of ex West Brom Juniors is Angolan born midfielder Aurio Neto Teixeira. He joined our visitors last September, after a summer release from the Baggies.
Striker Manny Olakoko arrived last July from Leamington, but was almost immediately sent out on a three month loan to Heather St John.
Jeremy Abbey had made one appearance since his arrival. He has spent most of his career at Telford, with loans at Markey Drayton, Barwell and Rushall.
Left back Jamie Melbourne was a new year signing, after being released from Stoke City. He spent time at West Bromwich Albion too.
Midfielder Maxwell Ngbeken was a pre-season signing from Darlaston.
Midfielder Remi Walker is currently on loan until the end of March from Birmingham City. Similarly centre back Abel Alabi has been loaned by Coventry City, who signed him from Waterford in January 2022. He had a spell at Tamworth too at the end of last year.
Ben Beresford is another loanee, a striker from Birmingham City.
Finally Jamie Soule was signed only a couple of weeks ago from Dover Athletic. Yet another West Brom junior striker, he had loans at Barrow, Cheltenham and Lincoln before his release. He made his debut in the recent defeat at St Ives and is capped by England at Under 16 and 17 levels.
Kick off at the Don Amott as usual is 3pm.