by Peter Scherer
This is the final part of our six part series looking at teams new to the NPL Division One South.
Barwell have been well-known to us in recent years from our time in the Southern Premier League and in various cup ties.
Founded in 1992 originally as a merger of Barwell Athletic and Hinckley, they were founder members of the Midlands Alliance in 1994.
In 2009/10 they won promotion to the NPL Division One South and won that title too at their first attempt. They then moved into the Southern Premier League, but like Mickleover geographically, they have spent time in both the Northern and Southern Premier Leagues.
They reached the first round proper of the FA Cup in 2015/16 and their Kirkby Road ground has a capacity of 2,500.
They were eighth in the table the year Sports made the Southern Premier Midlands Division play-offs, but having struggled since, they were relegated last season having finished in 20th place.
Damian Beckford-Quailey is their current manager and he has made a number of new acquisitions for the coming season
In 23/24 we beat then 2-1 away and 2-0 at home in the league and won 4-2 on penalties in the FA Trophy too. In the previous year too we were 5-2 victors away, but lost the return 2-3.
Just to add to the interest, we are drawn against them again in this years FA Cup, provided we see off Winsford Town.
We look forward to welcoming players and officials of the club back to Mickleover in the coming season.
Honours
• Northern Premier League
• Division One South champions 2010–11
• Midland Alliance
• Champions 2009–10
• League Cup winners 2005–06
• Leicestershire and Rutland Senior Cup
• Winners 1996–97
• Leicestershire and Rutland Challenge Cup
• Winners 2016–17