A Look Into Histories

A LOOK INTO HISTORY TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY SEVEN

MOOR GREEN FC

Readers should be very familiar with the name of National League Solihull Moors but our story today is all about the “Moors” part of the name which derives from a merger of Solihull Borough and Moor Green FC in 2007.

Formed in 1901, Moor Green was a football club from the Hall Green area of Birmingham and moved into their former ground of Moorlands on October 18th 1930. It was a short walk south from Hall Green station whereas the Stadium that was the first used by Birmingham Speedway in 1938 being the same distance northwards. Speedway was halted by neighbours complaining and it became a dog track closing recently. After the War, although amateur Soccer was at its strength in the South of England and the coal mining towns of the North, Moor Green was the leading Amateur club in the Midlands after a particularly successful 1939 when they won the A F A Cup. Quarter Final appearances followed in the F A Amateur Cup just after hostilities ceased in 1945-4, losing 1-4 to Bishop Auckland and again in 1947-48 losing 0-1 to Boldmere St Michaels. In 1948-49 they lost 5-1 at Romford!
The club undertook five Continental tours over the years and appeared in the F A Cup every season since 1945-46 reaching Round One and defeat by Stafford Rangers in 1979-80 followed by same round 0-2 defeat at Barrow in 2002-3. Southern League status occurred in 1983 after years in the Midland Football Combination. In 2003-4 they secured a place in the Conference North.

Moor Green played at the iconic Moorlands with its huge historic stand until 2005 when it succumbed to an arson attack so the club first shared, then merged with Solihull Borough in 2007 and named Solihull Moors. Their old ground being unusable was eventually sold for housing in 2011.

Our Match Programme with the front page detail showing Moor Green FC is for a Birmingham Senior Cup tie on March 1st 2005 with Wolverhampton Wanderers and the third game played at Damson Park, home of Solihull Borough due to the arson fire at Moorlands after their league game with Bradford Park Avenue on 15th January. They then played Lancaster City and Vauxhall Motors at their new home losing 0-2 on both occasions. Ian Childs, the Chairman was upbeat in his editorial realising it was serious though no one was injured but in these early days the club had no idea that it would be the final season of Moor Green FC or that they would be unable to return to their natural home and ended up merging with Solihull Borough to eventually form Solihull Moors.
There was plenty to read about the Senior Cup and Wolves plus all the club statistics, pen pictures and full Conference North table and results.

To tie up the loose ends, Moor Green FC moved from their last game at Moorlands on April 30th 2005 v Hinckley United to Solihull and Damson Parkway Stadium in season 2005-06 where they shared with Solihull Borough then their last as Moor Green was at the close of season 2006/07 merging as Solihull Moors in time for season 2007-08. Solihull Moors are now National League members.