Future looks bright as league expands
A successful Sunday afternoon football league is set to expand later this month.
The popular Beacon League is ready to kick off its first ever group for over-30 footballers, so realising a dream for co-founder and general secretary David Clinton, writes Dave McLean.
“We recently held a meeting with interested teams to discuss a format and the way forward and received a very positive response,” said Clinton.
“We definitely have four (two others are also showing interest) teams signed up and they will take part in a series of friendly matches between now and the end of this season.
“After which we would hope to move into next season with some six to eight teams and introduce a competitive league commencing in late August.
“We may then go with one or two groups, depending on numbers, and they will definitely compete for an end-of-season cup final at AFC Wulfrunians’ ground.
“Our aim is to give players and teams who may have left football for whatever reason the opportunity to play the game they love once again and they have jumped at it.”
Clinton confirmed that monthly games would be played either on a Sunday afternoon or midweek, using grass or 4G pitches, between now and April as a ‘starter programme’.
“As a league we’ve wanted this so much to happen. We set out with the idea some 12 months ago and now we are going to realise the dream,” added Clinton, who confirmed the league had received full backing from Birmingham County FA for the initiative.
Operating under the Beacon Sunday League banner, the new over-30s set-up will, next season, see teams playing for the new Roger Brindley Memorial Trophy in memory of the long-serving stalwart, who died in 2017.
Several former Beacon players are expected to make up the teams who have already committed themselves to this new section which will be run on a more flexible basis than the league’s established Redbox Signmakers Championship and Paycare Development Division.
In training for their opening fixtures are the players of Orton Vale FC, The Sportsman, AFC Bradmore and Barley Mow Wanderers.
Other teams interested in joining the new over-30s, or indeed next season’s Redbox Championship or Development Division, should contact Clinton on 07964 730275.
