Match Preview: Moors v Blues (Pre-Season)
After two winless matches thus far, Solihull Moors are back on home soil on Wednesday evening as we welcome Championship side Birmingham City for the fifth annual Arthur Cup contest at Damson Park.
The Moors were held by Alvechurch on Saturday, shortly after they were beaten in a narrow defeat to Knowle, ensuring Chris Millington’s side will be targeting a win this week.
Due to England’s advancement to the FIFA World Cup Semi-Final, the kick-off for Wednesday’s game has been brought forward to 5:30pm – with the bar open after the game for supporters to stay and watch the match against Argentina.
If the game finishes level after 90 minutes, it will go straight to a penalty shootout rather than extra time. This is to ensure that the game is completed before England face Argentina at 8pm.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of our clash against Birmingham City.
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An overview of Birmingham City:
Chris Davies’ side finished 10th in the Championship last season, seven points shy of the play-off places in what was their debut campaign back in the second tier – following a record-breaking promotion prior.
Blues have already begun their own respective pre-season preparations with a 3-1 victory against League One side Huddersfield Town, with goals from Demarai Gray and a brace from Kyogo Furahashi.
They did end the campaign with a five-match unbeaten run, though had lost three straight games which saw their late play-off push come to an end before it could really get going.
It has been a quiet summer transfer window for the Blues thus far; however, the night is still very much young.
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Head-to-head:
Wednesday’s game between the two sides will be the fifth instalment of the Arthur Cup, with the clubs continuing to raise money for both the NSPCC as well as the Solihull Moors Foundation.
Last summer, the match was won by the visitors after the game was relocated to St. Andrews Stadium. A goal from Alfons Sampsted was enough to secure the victory for Birmingham, in what was a tightly battled affair.
2024 saw Birmingham run riot at Damson Park with a 3-0 victory, with 2023 also ending in the visitors ' favour – though this was another 1-0 scoreline.
However, 2022 was the inaugural Arthur Cup – which was lifted by Solihull Moors, following a header from Callum Howe that made the difference between the two clubs.
This means that Birmingham have won three of the last four matches in normal time and Solihull have been winless against their opposition since 2022, a point Chris Millington will be aiming to correct on Wednesday.
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Tickets:
Tickets for Wednesday’s clash against Birmingham are available to purchase online right now and are available on the gate.
The prices are as follows;
Adults (18-64): £12.50
Senior Concessions (65+): £8.00
Under 18s: £6.00
There are no booking fees to pay when purchasing your tickets.
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Getting to the Stadium:
Wednesday’s game will be live at Damson Park, kicking off at the earlier time of 5:30pm as agreed between the two clubs.
Damson Park is located just three miles (ten minutes) south of Solihull train station or 4.8 miles (13 minutes) from Birmingham International train station.
Similarly, taxi services are available with parking also available. The x12 bus service either from Solihull Station or Birmingham International is available and will be running for the game.
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In the dugout – Chris Davies
The man in the hot seat for Birmingham City is Chris Davies, in what will be his third season in charge of the Championship side.
Davies arrived from Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur, and guided the club to a record-breaking points total as the club sealed an immediate return to the second tier.
Last season was a tough affair for Birmingham, struggling to maintain their play-off run and ultimately fell short with matches to spare.
The 41-year-old has managed 110 matches for the Blues so far, earning a PPG (points per game) of 1.92.
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Familiar faces:
Last season saw Solihull Moors welcome young goalkeeper Will O’Sullivan on a youth loan from Birmingham City.
The 20-year-old was limited to a single appearance, which came on the final day of the season during a 4-1 victory over Yeovil Town at Huish Park.
O’Sullivan was a second-half substitute, making three saves as well as keeping a clean sheet.
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We hope to see as many of you as possible at Damson Park on Wednesday, as we continue our pre-season preparations ahead of the 2026/27 National League campaign in the Arthur Cup.
Match preview written by Callum Moseley
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