PILKINGTON XXX (Triplex Sports Association Ground)

MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE, PILKINGTON XXX 0-5 BROMSGROVE SPORTING, ATTENDANCE: 139

For the first leg of my bank holiday double I found myself in Kings Norton, at the Triplex Sports Association Ground, the home of Pilkington XXX. I have to confess that this was not my original choice for my first game but a combination of an FA Cup replay and appalling Bank Hoilday traffic put paid to plans A, B and C. 

However fate certainly smiled on me as I landed at a great little ground and watched a fine entertaining game. Sadly, for them, the home side were on the wrong end of a five goal beating.

Goals from Craig Jones (6 & 34) and Dale Edwards (11) put Bromsgrove Sporting in a commanding position at the half time interval. If I am being honest it could easily have been double that but for some great saves in The Pilks goal by Reece Francis.

Naturally Bromsgrove took their foot off the gas in the second period and only added the gloss to the scoreline late on, after Francis had been sent off on 78 minutes for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

With no replacement goalie on the bench, Matthew Stirzaker went between the sticks and although he got hands to Reece Hewitt's penalty, the power of the kick saw the ball spin agonisingly into the net. Ollie Gibson (86) completed the scoring for Sporting.

The Pilks were formed in 2002 when Burman Hi-Ton changed their name to Pilkington XXX. The forerunners of the club were the Triplex Safety Glass works team who, in 1984, as Triplex FC, joined the Midland Combination before folding in 1993. Burman Hi-Ton were also a works team and they took over the sports ground after the demise of Triplex FC and another local team, Richmond Swifts, who ironically had developed the ground before they folded.