No.40 – Sat. 13th January 2007; Midland Combination Football League Div 2    2.00 at the Pavilion, Coleshill Road, Marston Green, Solihull, West Midlands (att: 27; prog: 32 pp £1)  View matchday images  01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Chelmsley Town (2) 3  Droitwich Spa (1) 1              Town turn the heat on as Spa leak goals         This is definitely what hopping is all about!! Our journey up to the West Midlands on Saturday was quite simply one of the best trips we have made so far this season and a visit to Chelmsley Town Football Club comes highly recommended to all non-league fans and travellers alike. The Marston Green based club is extremely well organised both on and off the field as a result of the many hard-working committee members, ground staff and players who combine their efforts. Our short stay at the Pavilion was one to cherish. A mid-morning phone call to the helpful club secretary Jason Gibbons proved successful; thankfully he gave us the news we were hoping for and confirmed that the game was on and that a matchday programme would be issued. He also provided us with those all important directions in finding our way to the Birmingham suburbs. Upon arrival we were made to feel really welcome and were handed a copy of the excellent matchday programme. Spot on! The league fixture against high-flying Droitwich Spa was a superb advert for the Midland Combination Football League. Both teams showed great commitment and played some fast flowing football on a well grassed pitch which had been expertly prepared in the days leading up to the game. It was Town who took full control of the game and it was goals from the lively Mark Foster and exciting youngster Junior Brown who secured the points for the hosts. The captain gave the Spa defence a real headache throughout the afternoon and he could in fact have bagged himself a hat-trick had he not skied the penalty kick in the second half! The club, based in the Marston Geen area, is only about two miles away from  Chelmsley Wood and within a few minutes drive of the M6 and M42 motorway junctions. It is also very close to the prestigious National Exhibition Centre and the Birmingham International Airport. Indeed the roar of jet engines and the sight of planes climbing into the sky overhead can make it quite difficult at times to concentrate on the important business on the field of play!  The entrance on Coleshill Road leads to a large carpark and the main club buildings which have recently been refurbished. A modern bar/kitchen and changing rooms are situated directly behind the nearest goal and separated from the pitch by a section of high netting supported by high posts. The playing area is surrounded by a post and rail fence with team dug-outs to the right - unsurprisingly these display the all too familiar signs of local graffitti artists who have apparently left their mark!  To the left are several concrete foundations, the visible remains of a previous stand and cover beside the half-way line. Despite this a small walled patio and veranda provide hard standing and offer some shelter next to the pavilion where many of the home supporters decided to congregate during the game. A small training pitch is marked out on the grass beyond the goal at the far end.   The programme is quite magnificent. The 32 page issue comes complete with a blue and white glossy cover depicting the club crest and match details on the front and is packed with interesting reading material and statistics. The main content is devoted to to news; views; a profile on the visitors as well as team line ups; results; fixtures; tables and league directory. Notes on the players even come with a small thumbnail image of each club member. Terrific! Reference is also made to the excellent club website, details of which can be found by clicking on the link shown below. Our day was truly complete when Phil Brennan, the affable club director, approached us in the bar at half-time and proceeded to hang a club scarf around my daughter's neck; Steph was well chuffed with his generosity and has since promised to become a life-long member of the Chelmsley Town Supporters Group (East Anglian Branch)!! We also bought some hot drinks and snacks from the tea bar - again it wasn't too much trouble and the lady on duty served us with a cheerful smile. Larger clubs take note! Our visit had been a most enjoyable and rewarding experience. We had witnessed everything - a tidy ground; excellent matchday programme; exciting game of football but above all we had visited a truly friendly club run by some smashing people. Thankyou. Come on you Town!! FGIF Rating: 4*  Links - Map l CTFC Website