Key Match Info: Moors vs Southend

It was an incredibly proud day for Solihull Moors Walking Football Club on Sunday 16th August 2026, as five members of our highly successful Over 65s squad represented their respective countries in the Walking Football Masters World Cup in South Wales. And what better stage could there be than an England versus Ireland World Cup Final ? Solihull Moors were remarkably well represented on both sides. Ken Dyas and Over 65s captain Graham Liddiard represented England , while Martin Sharkey, John McGinnell and Mick O’Dwyer represented Ireland . For five players from the same club squad to be involved at international level is an achievement in itself. For all five to be part of the two teams competing for a world title is something everyone connected with Solihull Moors Walking Football Club can be immensely proud of. With international honours at stake, the final proved every bit as competitive as expected. There was very little separating England and Ireland throughout the contest, with both teams producing some excellent walking football and opportunities at either end. Remarkably, the decisive moment came from a player very familiar to everyone at Solihull Moors. Just a couple of minutes into the game, Graham Liddiard struck for England , scoring what would ultimately prove to be the only goal of the World Cup Final. The Solihull Moors Over 65s captain has enjoyed another tremendous season at club level and once again demonstrated his goalscoring ability, this time on the international stage when it mattered most. Ireland refused to allow the early setback to dictate the game and pushed hard in search of an equaliser. They came agonisingly close when a superb effort struck the woodwork, while both goalkeepers were called upon to make excellent saves as the final remained finely balanced. The longer the match continued, the more important Liddiard’s early strike became. Ireland continued to press, but England held firm and eventually secured a narrow 1-0 victory , with Graham’s goal proving enough to decide the destination of the Masters World Cup trophy. While there could ultimately only be one winning team, from a Solihull Moors perspective the occasion was about much more than the final result. Seeing Martin Sharkey, John McGinnell, Mick O’Dwyer, Ken Dyas and Graham Liddiard representing their countries on such a prestigious stage was a tremendous moment for the club. These are five players who regularly train, compete and share a dressing room together for Solihull Moors. On this occasion, however, they found themselves pulling on different international shirts and competing against one another for a world title. It is difficult to think of a better demonstration of the standard that the Solihull Moors Over 65s squad has reached. Congratulations go to Graham and Ken on England’s World Cup victory, and equally to Martin, John and Mick for their achievement in helping Ireland reach the final and pushing England all the way. When the final whistle sounded, the result may have divided the five players temporarily, but they will soon be back together wearing the yellow and blue of Solihull Moors. There will not be much time for our international players to put their feet up. Attention will now return to club football as the Solihull Moors Over 65s prepare for another major challenge — the National Cup Finals at Nottingham University on Sunday 6th September 2026 . Six teams will compete in the Over 65s age group in a final round-robin competition to determine the 2026 National Cup champions. Solihull Moors will travel to Nottingham full of confidence following another remarkable season, and having five members of the squad return from representing England and Ireland in a Masters World Cup Final only underlines the quality and experience available within the team. It promises to be another special occasion for a group of players who have already achieved so much together. Whatever happens at Nottingham, having five Solihull Moors Walking Football players involved in an England versus Ireland World Cup Final is an achievement the entire club can celebrate. Five players. Two countries. One club. A fantastic achievement for Solihull Moors Walking Football Club — and further evidence of the remarkable strength of our Over 65s squad.

What a day for our mascots on Saturday! They kicked things off with an amazing meet & greet with the players, autograph cards in hand, questions ready, and plenty of photo moments with the squad. The smiles said it all. From there, they headed into the media room, where Mark, our stadium announcer, gave them the full experience. Each mascot took the mic and spoke to the fans across the ground. A huge confidence boost and a moment they’ll never forget. Next stop: the 3G pitch, where former Moors player Tyrone Williams delivered an energetic and exciting coaching session. The mascots absolutely loved it. At half‑time, they were invited back onto the 3G to enjoy sandwiches and snacks prepared by the Foundation Team, giving them a chance to refuel and chat about their favourite moments of the day. And to top it all off, here’s what one parent had to say: “ Thank you to H and the Foundation for a fantastic experience for our kids and our friends’ children on Saturday, being mascots at the Moors game. Getting a tour, meeting the players and even speaking on the Tanoy, to coaching on the astro turf, then mascots for the walk out and finally having some half-time refreshments, it was a fantastic day….. the kids will never forget it!”  Hearing feedback like this means everything and we hope it inspires even more young people to come forward and enjoy the mascot experience with us. 💛💙

TICKETS Season Tickets Season tickets are not valid for this fixture. All tickets can be claimed here Opening times and turnstile access The car park will open at 5:00 pm The box office for ticket collection will be open from 5:30 pm The turnstiles will be open from 5:30pm for home and away supporters to gain entry into the stadium. When you purchase a match ticket, you must sit or stand in the area where you bought your ticket. The main bar and the Trevor Stevens Bar will be open at 5:30 pm. Hospitality/Executive Boxes Hospitality doors for this fixture will open at 5:30 pm. Junior Tickets 14-year-olds and under must be accompanied by a full-paying adult on the day of the match; otherwise, U14 ticket holders may be refused entry to the venue: to turn up to the match without a full-paying adult is a safeguarding issue. SAFEGUARDING RE ADMISSION: Note for reference, those supporters aged 14 and under MUST be accompanied by an adult to enter the ground, i.e. individual must be 14 or over. REFRESHMENTS Supporters can purchase alcohol and refreshments from the Main Bar and the Trevor Stevens Suite. There will be food available at: Hot Food Bar in the old reception GETTING HERE PARKING The Car Park is open from 5.00 pm Please do not park on the Damson Parkway dual carriageway – this is a red route and parking here is strictly prohibited. Supporters will receive tickets for parking illegally, so we stress the importance of utilising the NCP Car Park and planning your journey well in advance. If fans forget to pay before leaving, they will still be able to pay via Post Pay within 24 hours of exiting the car park however this will charge them the original tariff. Failure to pay will result in a Parking Charge. To learn more, including tariffs and PostPay, please visit: https://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/parking/freeport-car-park . Any supporters' coaches must drop fans off at the NCP parking point, as the Damson Parkway dual carriageway is a red route. It is at the coach driver’s discretion to drop supporters off on the red route; supporters must then walk from the NCP Car Park to the stadium. Travel by Bus The X12 bus runs to the ground every 15/20 minutes from Solihull Town Centre, the NCP and Birmingham International. In night matches, this increases to every 30 minutes. Click here to view the X12 bus route, stops and full timetable . Travel by Train Solihull Railway Station is served by trains from Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone. The ground is situated two and a half miles away from the station in a roughly north-easterly direction. Birmingham International Station is roughly one and a half miles from the ground and is on the Euston to Birmingham New Street line. Kick It Out You can report an incident of discrimination via the Kick It Out App, which can be used on iPhone and Android devices. Phone – 0800 169 9414 Twitter - @kickitout , or by contacting the organisation’s Reporting Officers on @kickitoutreport. Solihull Moors Supporters Association Click here to find out more about the Solihull Moors Supporters Association.

Opposition Overview Chris Millington’s Solihull Moors are set to take a break from league action, with the Moors set to face Middlesbrough’s Under 21s side, who are managed by Lead Coach Mark Tinkler. This National League Cup fixture is set to be played at Damson Park on the evening of Tuesday 18th August. Boro’s most recent game saw them take on Hartlepool United in the same competition away from home at Victoria Park. It was a ruthless and clinical display from Tinkler’s outfit, who won 10 -0 in the end, with his side also dominating possession. There were four goals for Frankie Coulson, whilst the likes of Layton Campbell, Ezra Tika-Lemba, Dan James, Lucca Kakai, and Lucas Harrison also scored. Last season they finished in 16th place in the Premier League 2 with 27 points from 20 games before then being knocked out at the Round of 16 stage thanks to what was a narrow 1 – 0 defeat against Chelsea even after the Blues went down to ten men. Middlesbrough Football Club were founded all the way back in 1876 by members of the local Middlesbrough Cricket Club during a meeting that took place at the Albert Park Hotel. Their first officially recorded game took place a year later against Teesside Wanderers in 1877, which ended in a 1 – 1 draw at the Archery Ground in Albert Park. The honour of the club’s first goal goes to Jackson Ewbank. In 1899, Boro were officially elected to the English Football League via Division Two. Following an opening defeat against Lincoln City and a maiden victory against Grimsby Town at home, Middlesbrough went on to eventually achieve promotion to Division One in 1902, whilst only conceding 24 goals in the process over the course of the season. This remains a club record. A year later, they moved to Ayresome Park, beating Celtic in a pre-season game in what was their first match there. Then, in 1914, they achieved their best ever league position by coming third in the First Division. During the 1966 FIFA World Cup, Boro’s home hosted several matches during the tournament, including fixtures that involved nations like Russia, Italy, North Korea, and Chile. In 1974, Jack Charlton took charge of Boro in his first-ever season in management, leading his side to become title winners in the Second Division with what was a record number of points at the time, 65. We then fast forward to 1988; Middlesbrough were then in the middle of a revival, achieving what would be a second consecutive promotion, which saw them make their return to Division One, doing so with wins in the play-offs against teams like Bradford City and Chelsea. Following his appointment back in 1994, Bryan Robson led Boro to the Division One title, then the second tier. They also said a fond farewell to Ayresome Park before moving to their current home, the Riverside Stadium. They would go on to sign Juninho, as well as the likes of Fabrizio Ravanelli and Nick Barmby for fees of £7 million and £5.75 million respectively. Moving on to 2004, it was a tremendous year for the club’s academy, with the club’s youngsters lifting that season’s FA Youth Cup. That year was also highly successful for the first team as well, with the club securing its first piece of silverware in the form of the Carling Cup, now the League Cup, at the Millennium Stadium. They had beaten Bolton Wanderers 2 – 1 in the Welsh Capital of Cardiff. Then, in 2005, they played their first games in Europe via the UEFA Cup, where they faced teams like the Czech Republic’s Banik Ostrava, winning 3 – 0. That season’s Premiership saw Boro finish 7th, their highest finish to date, whilst also securing a place in the UEFA Cup for the second consecutive season. In the 2006/07 UEFA Cup, Middlesbrough were able to beat the likes of Roma, Stuttgart, Basel, and Romanian outfit Steaua Bucharest before getting to the final, where they would go on to lose 4 – 0 in the Dutch city of Eindhoven against Spanish outfit Sevilla. In 2009, Boro were relegated from the Premier League after an eleven year stay in England’s top flight. Middlesbrough did not secure their return to the Premier League until 2016 when they secured second place in the Championship under the stewardship of Spaniard Aitor Karanka. Their promotion was secured in the end via a 1 – 1 draw on the final day against Brighton. They were immediately relegated, with Karanka also being relieved of his duties and first team boss. In the years that have followed, Middlesbrough have come close on numerous occasions, but have yet to secure promotion from England’s second tier. Last season, under the stewardship of current First Team boss Kim Hellberg, they ended up finishing in 5th place with 80 points to their name after 46 matches. After securing passage to the Final at Wembley following controversy surrounding Southampton, they narrowly lost 1 – 0 in the capital against Sergej Jakirovic. The winning goal came from their Scottish striker Oliver McBurnie in second half stoppage time. In the opposition dugout – Mark Tinkler Mark Tinkler is the current Lead Coach of Middlesbrough’s Under 21s team, having been in charge ever since he was appointed back in December 2021. Before that, he had previously been in charge of Boro’s Under 18s, watching over the development of many of the club’s emerging talent in the academy. Some have since made it to the club’s first team. Tinkler is also a former professional footballer, having made more than 400 appearances over a period of 17 years, from 1993 to 2010. He represented the likes of Leeds United (1993 - 1997), York City (1997 - 1999), Southend United (1999 - 2000), Hartlepool United (2000 - 2007), Livingston (2007 - 2008), Whitby Town (2008), Shildon (2008 - 2009), Esh Winning (2009 - 2010), and finally Newton Aycliffe (2010). Key Player – Frankie Coulson Frankie Coulson is one of the standout players for the Middlesbrough Under 21s side, with the forward scoring as many as four goals in their recent 10 – 0 National League Cup game against Hartlepool United last time out. Born in Hartlepool, Coulson joined Middlesbrough at Under 10s level. For the Under 18s, he was able to score 7 goals in 18 games before then making his Under 21s debut against Aston Villa in the same year as he made the step up to the club’s Under 18s team. In the 2024/25 campaign, he was a standout player, scoring no less than 12 goals in his 14 appearances in the Premier League North; he also made 14 appearances in the Premier League 2 for the Under 21s side. He was awarded the club’s prestigious Academy Scholar of the Season award for his exceptional efforts in the 2024/25 campaign. During the recent 2025/26 season, he was sent out on loan to Morpeth Town of the Northern Premier League Premier Division. That season, his club got relegated down to the Northern Premier League Division One East following a 20th place finish. He only scored one goal, but only spent a month on loan at the club before returning to Middlesbrough’s Under 21s side. In 2025/26, he was able to score two goals whilst also getting 6 assists in 18 appearances in the Premier League 2. Opposition Preview written by Adam Holt

In the first home game of the new season, 22nd place Solihull Moors welcomed the 19th placed Boston United to Damson Park, with 898 spectators in attendance. The first meaningful chance of the game happened on the 17th minute, when a fast counter attacking move resulted with a fantastic through ball to Joe Sbarra who was bearing down on goal, only to be denied from a superb save from Louis Chadwick, low to his right hand side. On the 28th minute, Boston United took the lead. A poor headed clearance on the right hand side dropped to Lennon Wheeldon, who advanced onto the edge of the box and curled it with his right foot, delightfully into the bottom left corner going in off the post. Solihull 0 - 1 Boston. Boston United doubled their lead on the 48th minute. After some great hold up play from Tom Cursons, the Boston forward played a cutting through ball in search of Kenneth Aboh. Aboh was one on one with the on rushing goalkeeper and slotted the ball into the right corner. Solihull 0- 2 Boston. After losing possession of the ball on the right hand side, Boston were awarded a penalty on the 80th minute. The referee judged Lennon Wheeldon was nudged in the back. The resulting penalty was taken by Tom Cursons and was saved brilliantly with his feet by Max Metcalfe who then instinctively reacted to stop the second effort off the line. The score remains Solihull 0 - 2 Boston This defeat means that The Moors have slipped to 23rd in the table after the back to back defeats and Boston United climbing to 10th. The Moors will face Middlesbrough Under 21s at Damson Park in their opening National League Cup group C fixture on Tuesday 18th August kicking off at 19:00. Middlesbrough currently sit top of the group after winning 10-0 in their first game of the tournament. Match report written by Bryan Connolly

We're delighted to welcome BPL Engineering Group as our Match Ball sponsors for tomorrow's match! BPL Engineering Group is a specialist engineering and manufacturing business in the metal presswork and assembly sector. Providing turnkey solutions from prototype to production BPL group produce precision parts to many markets supporting product development through to production manufacturing. #prototypetoproduction. BPL Group services include: Tool-Making, Simulation, Presswork, Assembly, Laser cutting, Welding / Fabrication and General Sheet metal work.

M42 Closed From 9pm on Friday 14 August until 5am Monday 17 August 2026. M42 between junctions 6 to 9 northbound and 9 to 6 southbound (including M6 J4a southbound link to M42 in both directions).  M6 northbound J3a link to M6toll T1 and M6 Toll southbound from T2.

TICKETS Season Tickets Season tickets are valid for this fixture. All tickets can be purchased here Opening times and turnstile access The car park will open at 12:30pm The box office for ticket collection will be open from 1pm The turnstiles will be open from 1pm for home and away supporters to gain entry into the stadium. When you purchase a match ticket, you must sit or stand in the area where you bought your ticket. The main and Trevor Stevens bars will open at 1pm. Hospitality/Executive Boxes Hospitality doors for this fixture will open at 12:30pm. Junior Tickets 15-year-olds and under must be accompanied by a full-paying adult on the day of the match; otherwise, U15 ticket holders may be refused entry to the venue: to turn up to the match without a full-paying adult is a safeguarding issue. SAFEGUARDING RE ADMISSION: Note for reference, those supporters aged 15 and under MUST be accompanied by an adult to enter the ground, i.e. individual must be 16 or over. To find out more information & how to organise your Youth Pass: 🔗 https://www.solihullmoorsfc.co.uk/solihull-moors-reduces-matchday-ticket-prices-for-young-supporters 3G ACTIVATIONS REFRESHMENTS Supporters can purchase alcohol and refreshments from the Main Bar/Trevor Stevens There will be food available at: Hot Food Bar in the old reception Terry's Burger Van PROGRAMME The matchday programme can be downloaded here GETTING HERE PARKING The Car Park is open from 12:30pm Please do not park on the Damson Parkway dual carriageway – this is a red route and parking here is strictly prohibited. Supporters will receive tickets for parking illegally, so we stress the importance of utilising the NCP Car Park and planning your journey well in advance. If fans forget to pay before leaving, they will still be able to pay via Post Pay within 24 hours of exiting the car park however this will charge them the original tariff. Failure to pay will result in a Parking Charge. To learn more, including tariffs and PostPay, please visit: https://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/parking/freeport-car-park . Any supporters' coaches must drop fans off at the NCP parking point, as the Damson Parkway dual carriageway is a red route. It is at the coach driver’s discretion to drop supporters off on the red route; supporters must then walk from the NCP Car Park to the stadium. Travel by Bus The X12 bus runs to the ground every 15/20 minutes from Solihull Town Centre, the NCP and Birmingham International. In night matches, this increases to every 30 minutes. Click here to view the X12 bus route, stops and full timetable . Travel by Train Solihull Railway Station is served by trains from Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone. The ground is situated two and a half miles away from the station in a roughly north-easterly direction. Birmingham International Station is roughly one and a half miles from the ground and is on the Euston to Birmingham New Street line. Kick It Out You can report an incident of discrimination via the Kick It Out App, which can be used on iPhone and Android devices. Phone – 0800 169 9414 Twitter - @kickitout , or by contacting the organisation’s Reporting Officers on @kickitoutreport. Solihull Moors Supporters Association Click here to find out more about the Solihull Moors Supporters Association.

Our Opponents Boston United are up next for The Moors, as we look to bounce back from last weekend's opening day defeat away to Harrogate Town. They are managed by Paul Hurst, who guided the club to a 12th-place finish last season, with Lenell John-Lewis finishing as Boston United's top goalscorer in the 25/26 National League with 11 goals. Moors fans may remember that Boston were our opponents in the bizarre final home game of last season, when Conor Wilkinson was wrongly sent off for an incident that he has now been fully cleared of. The manner in which Boston's players, management, coaching staff and fans handled the situation was impeccable, both during the suspended game, and afterwards, further adding to the mutual respect between the clubs. The away side ran out comfortable 3-0 winners in the end, with the scoreline at 0-0 before the sending-off. Left-back Matty Carson arrived in Solihull from Saturday's visitors, as he gets to welcome his former club in the early-season fixture. Boston also tasted defeat on the opening weekend, going down 1-0 at home to Aldershot. Pre-season Pre-season gave mixed results for our opponents, losing to Lincoln and Hednesford, drawing 0-0 with Grimsby, and beating Alfreton and Peterborough, 2-1 and 1-0 respectively. A history of Boston United Known as The Pilgrims, the name 'Boston United' was originally created in 1933. Football had been played locally since the 1800s, on the site of York Street Stadium. In 1887, the Lincolnshire side took part in their first ever FA Cup fixture, getting beat 7-0 against Gainsborough Trinity. Some even heavier defeats followed in the seasons after, including a 9-0 hammering by Lincoln City, and letting in double figures against Grimbsy Town in a 10-0 loss. Heading into the First World War, there were now two clubs in the area, Boston Town, and Boston Swifts. In the early 1990s a small stand was built on the pitch they both shared on Main Ridge. Due to its location, the pitch was named Main Ridge. Along this road were two pubs, The Coach and Horses, headquarters of Boston Town, and The Indian Queen, home of Boston Swifts. Players of both clubs used their 'home' pub to get changed for matches, as there were no changing facilities at Main Ridge. Both clubs played in the Lincoln and District League. When the war ended, one single team emerged, and were then known as Boston. The first spell of success for the Club came in the form of winning the Lincoln and District League in consecutive seasons, and as a result, the club went semi-professional, moving to the Midland League. 1925 saw them pull off their first giant killing in the FA Cup, beating Bradford Park Avenue in the second round, and in the same season, they finished 2nd in their league, also achieving 2nd place in the 1926/27 season. Dressing rooms and entrances to the ground were added to the ground, now known as 'Shodfriars Lane', before club directors decided to wind up the club by going into liquidation, following several years of financial struggles and lack of success. The idea of founding an amateur team to play in the Peterborough League was a possibility, until a group of Boston supporters held a meeting and decided to create a new club to replace the previous Boston in the Midlands League. This gained enough support from across the town, and the new club, Boston United was born in the summer of 1933. The new Boston United were granted permission to play their home games on the Shodfriars Lane ground, and wore the old blue kit from the previous Boston side, before changing to black shirts with a white v-neck, after the blue kits colour started to fade. In 1934, the club elected local businessman Ernest Malkinson onto the board, and for the next 70 years, the Malkinson family drove the club to establish itself as one of the major semi-professional sides in the country. The club's longest serving manager, Freddy Tunstall, in charge for 9 seasons, was also arguably the most famous player to pull on a Boston United shirt. Aside from his 7 England caps, the former winger was well known for scoring the winning goal for Sheffield United in the 1925 FA Cup Final against Cardiff. 1954 was the year the club appointed ex-Derby County goalkeeper Ray Middleton as player-manager. Middleton built a strong squad, filled with players from his former club, which they then drew to play away in the 1955/56 FA Cup. The result, a huge 6-1 victory for Boston, which to this day is still the biggest away win for a non-league team against a league side. They then went onto lose to Tottenham in the next round in a great season for Middleton's side, who also finished runners-up in the Midland League, their highest ever performance at the time. Boston were averaging around 5,000 fans for league games, but when they installed floodlights in 1955, over 9000 spectators piled in to watch them ay Corby Town United joined the Southern League in the 58/59 season as they set their sights in a place in the Football League, they finished third in the North Western Zone. Two seasons later, they finished bottom and left the league, joining the Central Alliance League in 1961, before winning a league and cup double. The following season, the joined the new Midland League, but were again hit by financial difficulties shortly after, been forced to leave the league. To keep the club name alive, they made an amateur team and played in the Boston and District League for the 64/65 season. The following year saw them begin their journey back into non-league football, winning a United Counties double, before been denied re-entry to the Midlands League and been forced to join the West Midlands League. This made them the only East Coast club to play in that league, move that worked well for them, as they won the League Title two years in a row, and also the League's Cup competition in the second year. 1968 saw Boston become founder members of the newly formed Northern Premier League and the start of an 11 year period in which multiple honours were won and records were set. In nine of these seasons, they were involved in title races, winning four of them, Boston were the first club ever to win a treble of league, cup and shield at this level. They won the League Cup twice, the Northern Premier League Shield four times and the non-league Champions of Champions Trophy twice. They also hold records of conceding only three goals at home in league games in a whole season, 51 consecutive home and away league games without a defeat, and 64 home league games without a defeat. During this period a number of FA Cup triumphs over Football League opposition were gained and, notably, a return to the Baseball Ground in 1974 when they held Derby County, the team which would finish in third place in the league that season and win it the following season, to a 0-0 draw. The replay saw 11,000 spectators at York Street by which name the ground was now known and Derby through with few problems. A promotion to the Football League was excruciatingly taken away from the club in 1977, when their ground was deemed unsuitable by Football League inspectors. Second-placed Wigan Athletic were instead given promotion, with Boston's board agreeing never to be in that situation again. A huge rebuild began, with most of the York Street Ground been knocked down and started again from scratch, backed in part by fundraising schemes. The locals pumped money and time into the build, funding the new stands, toilets, floodlights, turnstiles, terracing and snackbars that are still seen today. With the clubs priorities been geared more towards the infrastructure and facilities, the football was put aside, which led to less success on the pitch. They joined the Alliance Premier League as founding members in 1979, finishing third in the league standings. The Pilgrims celebrared their 50th anniversary by reaching Wembley in the FA Trophy final. They eventually lost 2-1 to Gola League Champions Wealdstone, infront of over 12,000 Boston supporters out of a total crowd of just shy of 21,000. Around 5,000 of them welcomed the team back to Boston the following day to celebrate their performance in the final. An unsuccessful 1992-93 season saw the club finish bottom of the Conference and they were relegated to the Northern Premier League. They did however also reintroduce a reserve side, playing in the TSW Printers Lincolnshire League, which consisted mainly of local players. In the 1995-96 season, United finished as runners-up in the UniBond League but an admin error meant that they were unable to take the promotion spot and return to the Conference. At the end of the season, long serving chairman, Pat Malkinson stepped down, due to other business commitments. Vice-chairman Sydney Burgess stepped up to take the reins and immediately introduced a new youth development scheme at York Street. The 96/97 season saw United enjoy a good cup run for the first time in ten years, losing out to Chester City by a 1-0 margin in the second round proper. They also reached the UniBond League Challenge Cup final, losing 1-0 to rivals Gainsborough Trinity at Sincil Bank The 1997-98 season saw the Pilgrims pick up the runners-up trophy again in the UniBond League. For the 1998-99 season, the Pilgrims moved sideways from the UniBond League into the Dr Martens League. After a poor start which saw them drop into a relegation spot, manager Greg Fee resigned and was replaced by the manager of Stamford AFC, Steve Evans. The turnaround in the club's fortunes was quite dramatic. Although it was always unlikely that Boston would catch up with runaway leaders Nuneaton Borough, they eventually claimed the runners-up spot. The club also had their best run in the FA Trophy since 1993, reaching the quarter-finals before being knocked out by St Albans City. The Pilgrims were promoted back to the Conference in 99/00. They won the Dr Martens League after dominating and sitting top for most of the season. They confirmed the league title at York Street with a win against local rivals Grantham Town, much to the delight of the 4000+ Boston supporters. A slow start to the 00/01 season hindered any hopes of a high league position, finishing in 12th place in their first season back in the Conference. The Club made the decision to go fully professional in the 01/02 season, and went onto win the Conference title and finally, after suffering years of financial problems, heartbreak and unforseen circumstances, won promotion to the Football League. Theor dream was put into doubt, due to an FA investigation into the club during the summer of 2002. Despite the uncertainty they eventually took their place in the Football League, drawing 2-2 against Bournemouth at the York Street Stadium. Manager Steve Evans had left the club during that summer, having been banned from football for 20 months. However, new manager Neil Thompson performed absolute heroics to overcome the four point deduction that was given the club, and managed a very rrsoectable finish of 15th place. The 03/04 season was another unsettled one due to a takeover saga, a mid-season change of manager, and off-field issues. Steve Evans returned to the club and led them to 11th, the highest position in their Football League history, while the newly-formed Centre of Excellence also enjoyed a fine first season in existence, under the guidance of Daral Pugh and Neil Richardson. The 2004-2005 campaign saw the Pilgrims reach the third round of the FA Cup for the first time in over 30 years, while the youth team replicated this feat by reaching round three of the FA Youth Cup. The first team finished the season in 16th place in League Two and striker Andy Kirk became United's first ever current international, by playing for Northern Ireland during his time with the Pilgrims. The 05/06 season witnessed the Pilgrims claim 11th place in League Two. The Pilgrims recorded their bestever points tally in the Football League of 61, aswell as reaching the second round of the FA Cup The 06/07 campaign ended in relegation. Key player were sold and the rest of the squad members and staff went unpaid for the final two months of the season. The Pilgrims took their fight for survival to the last day at Wrexham, but after leading at half-time, lost 3-1 to lose the Football League status after 5 years. June 2007 brought worse news to the club, with demotion to 'Blue Square North' confirmed after the Pilgrims entered a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA). It meant that United would begin the 07/2008 season in the second tier of non-league football for the first time since 2000. David Newton and Neil Kempster assumed control of the club in July 2007 and tried to restore the reputation of a club in tatters. By May 2008 they brought the club out of CVA, two years ahead of schedule, showing positive financial progress 07/08 saw the Pilgrims finish 10th in Blue Square North, under the guidance of new manager Tommy Taylor. Paul Ellender, Stewart Talbot and David Galbraith were the only players to figure from the last seasons squad and Taylor guided his new-look side to a top half finish as Boston United finally started to show signs of recovery following a?m extremely tough spell in their history. They were again hit with another demotion in June 2008, when the club were removed from The Football Conference and placed in the UniBond Premier League, the third tier of non-league football. United struggled and only escaped relegation on the final day of the season by virtue of a 1-0 victory over Cammell Laird. Taylor and Steve Welsh had shared the managerial duties during the campaign, but the club appointed new joint first team managers ahead of the 09/10 season, Rob Scott and Paul Hurst who had guided Ilkeston Town to promotion via the play-offs just weeks earlier, took the reigns. The club's York Street ground was renamed "The Jakemans Stadium" in 2009 following a major sponsorship deal with Jakemans Confectioners. Scott and Hurst repeated their earlier promotion feat with Ilkeston by guiding Boston to promotion via the play-offs in 2010. The Pilgrims' 2-1 extra-time win at Bradford Park Avenue added to the Lincolnshire Senior Shield and UniBond League Challenge Cup already won during the season. The 10/11 season in Blue Square Bet North was another memorable one, finishing third and securing another spot in the play-offs. They trailed 1-0 to Guiseley after the first leg but won the second leg 3-2 after extra-time, only to be beaten on penalties. All of this was after Scott and Hurst moved to Grimsby in March 2011. Jason Lee and Lee Canoville assumed control and guided the Pilgrims safely into the top five and were handed the joint managerial duties on a permanent basis ahead of the 11/12 campaign. The Pilgrims took time to adjust following the loss of several key players during the summer months but a strong run post-Christmas run took United to the brink of the play-off positions, although a poor run towards the closing weeks of the season ensured an eventual 11th placed finish. Canoville departed ahead of 12/13, with Lee left to plot a sole route to success for the Pilgrims in a fiercely-competitive Blue Square Bet North division. Lee also departed in December 2012 following a poor run of form and his replacement Graham Drury, the former Stamford AFC manager, lasted an even shorter period of time. He was in charge until March 2013, encompassing 79 days, and was sacked following a run of two wins from 13 matches. Dennis Greene arrived in March 2013 and a three-match winning run alleviated any growing relegation fears although the Pilgrims finished in 16th place. Greene was handed the managerial duties permanently ahead of the 13/14 season and responded by guiding the Pilgrims to a sixth place finish, only losing out on the play-offs on the final day of the campaign. United recorded 15 home victories out of 21, which was their best home record since 2000. Greene was awarded a new two-year contract, tying him to the club until the end of the 15/16 season. The 14/15 campaign was another of great excitement at The Jakemans Stadium, with the Pilgrims clinching a play-off place following more excellent home form, which included an unbeaten home run stretching from November until the end of the season. United were only denied a play-off final appearance by a sensational stoppage time leveller from Chorley’s Adam Roscoe — and subsequent penalty shootout elimination. United reached the play-offs again in 15/16 following a fifth place finish in the newly-branded National League North. The Pilgrims led 2-0 after the first leg of the play-off semi-final but suffered a 3-0 second leg defeat to suffer an agonising exit at the hands of North Ferriby United. Following a difficult start to the season in 16/17, Greene left the club by mutual consent and was replaced by former Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray in December 2016. Murray guided the Pilgrims to mid-table safety during the closing weeks of 16/17 but resigned at the end of October 2017 after a tough start to the 17/18 campaign, to be replaced by upcoming Shaw Lane manager Craig Elliott. Elliott masterminded a stunning turnaround of form to lift the Pilgrims from second-bottom in December to a final position of ninth in the National League North standings. Elliott's first full season in charge in 18/19 led to a mid-table finish but 19/20, the club's last at York Street, was memorable for a variety of reasons. United reached the second round of the FA Cup and hosted a televised replay against EFL League One side Rochdale, watched by a crowd of over 4,000. With the Pilgrims still aiming for the title, following a run of six successive league wins throughout January and February, the Coronavirus pandemic hit in March and forced the season into shutdown and subsequently saw the final table calculated on points-per-game. United returned from a four-month hiatus to defeat Gateshead in a play-off semi-final thriller in July 2020, but their fairytale farewell to York Street did not materialise as Altrincham secured a 1-0 win in Lincolnshire as the curtain fell on the Pilgrims' famous old stadium. The 20/21 campaign had barely got going by the time it was declared null and void in mid-February as the Covid-19 crisis continued to engulf the country. United played their opening fixtures at Gainsborough Trinity's Northolme, as works continued on the new Community Stadium at The Quadrant, before hosting Chorley in December 2020 in the first-ever competitive fixture played on Pilgrim Way. All matches, barring the FA Trophy victory at Evesham United, were played behind-closed-doors during another pandemic-curtailed season. Elliott and Paul Cox shared the managerial duties in 21/22, with United losing another National League North promotion final, this time to York City at the LNER Community Stadium. Memorable away wins over Kidderminster Harriers and AFC Fylde set up another one-off shot at promotion back to the National League, but the Minstermen won 2-0. Cox lasted only seven games of the 22/23 campaign, before being replaced by Ian Culverhouse. United flirted with relegation for large swathes of the season, but eventually climbed clear of danger in March and April. The 23/24 season was a successful one for the Pilgrims, ending their 14-year stay in National League North with a brilliant run leading up to, and through the play-offs. Penalty shootout wins over Alfreton Town and Scunthorpe United before a 2-1 comeback victory over Brackley in the promotion final, with Keaton Ward and Jimmy Knowles on target as Boston finally made their return to the National League at Step 1. Ticket details We look forward to seeing you on our league return to Damson Park on Saturday 15th August, 3pm. To purchase your tickets, please visit the link below - https://solihullmoorsfc.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/solihull_moors_v_boston_united26?version=m Or alternatively, take advantage of our superb three-game offer and back the Moors against Boston, Southend and AFC Fylde - https://solihullmoorsfc.ti cketco.events/uk/en/e/3_game_package_bostonsouthendfylde?version=m COYM💙💛 Opposition overview written by Scott Cattell