Tuesday 13th March 2013 ko 19.45

Midland Combination Division Two

KENILWORTH TOWN KH 0

COVENTRY SPIRES 2 (Mwackukwo 3 74)

Att 13 (h/c)

Entry FREE

No Programme

Can of Coke 70p

The Warwickshire town of Kenilworth is probably best known for its 12th century castle, once owned by Simon de Montford. Its genteel market town air seems light years from the urbanised sprawl of Coventry, a mere 6 miles away. Its very much a commuter town these days with the smart rows of semi-detached houses give an unsubtle view of the wealth here.

As is ever the case, a genteel town leads to a football team that struggles to make much of an impact. You turn left from Rouncil Road, into Gypsy Lane and the whole feel changes. The wide tarmacked avenue changes to a potholed track, with a group of allotments at its end, who take exception to football traffic parking there. The ground is just before, with parking at a premium even with the tiny attendance present, but the welcome was fulsome.

Its not often I wax lyrical about a ground that features two sets of prefabricated stands, but there’s so much more to the place than that. The jewel is undoubtedly the clubhouse which manages to bow both at the roof and bulge at the walls. It has the feel of a village hall, but with photos of successful Kenilworth Town sides of the past and a huge tin trophy in one window. The other window has been broken, but fixed in a way you’ll only find in non-league- with the tactics board! The committee were keen to tell me about the history of the club, and I look forward to reading the leaflet they’ll be posting to me. It’s clear that the club has fallen to a low ebb, but having regained league membership, they’re looking to progress again. Incidentally the KH stands for Kings Heath who the club swallowed up in 2005, and whose influence has been completely lost.

A new set of changing rooms have been built, and a new clubhouse next door to the current one. That clubhouse isn’t ready yet, but when time and finances allow, that will be fitted out, the memorabilia will move and a quirkly part of the club will be demolished. I do wonder when this can happen though. The club don’t charge for entry, and there’s little or nothing in the way of sponsorship. I saw how much it cost for the referee and two linesmen, and its clear that expenditure must exceed income, and I do wonder why linesmen are necessary at such a low level (level 8 of non-league).

The game was entertaining on a cold evening. There wasn’t much to seperate the two sides, both teams at the margins of Midland Combination membership. Ultimately two good strikes from Jhoe Mwakchukwo was enough to swing the tie in Spires’ favour but the home officials didn’t seem too concerned. Perhaps when you’ve been to hell and back small things like home defeats don’t matter too much.