Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: PeterWithesShin on March 31, 2011, 03:08:06 PM
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I just read in the Mail Extra paper that the council have granted permission for 80 houses to built on their old ground, The Moorlands. Another ground i've been to bites the dust, I remember going there in the mid 80s (prob around 85-87) with the mighty Rovers for a cup game (probably the WSC). We won 4-0 I think and a great day was had by the green and white army.
Must admit when our coach pulled up we immediately renamed the ground The Wastelands as it was a bit of a dump, but it did have character. For those sad like me into non league football, here is a site with some pics of the ground after the fire. I'm positive the terracing wasn't there when we played there, as I remember some nippers playing football there and i'm sure there was more of a grass bank. Happy memories of us bouncing up and down though on the steps of the main stand as we cruised to yet another cup win. Even then though I remember wondering if the stand would take the excitement of our coachload of thugs and miscreants celebrating!
Pics of ground.
http://tims92.webs.com/og030moorgreen.htm
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I'm sure they'll be lovely homes.
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I went to see Moor Green play a couple of times when i was a kid - wasn't the old ground somewhere down Highfield Road way?
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I grew up in Acocks Green and went there a few times - nice little old school terrace aswell as the main stand. Good photos.
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I just find it sad that approx 25 years on from Moor Green FC (founded 1901) vs Bromsgrove Rovers (founded 1885) playing at Moorlands (home of Moor Green since 1930) neither football club exists anymore and the ground will soon be gone. Modern football, it's great isn't it!
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I played there once or twice. meh. Since the merger the ground is more or less just wasting away.
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Many happy memories of the Moorlands, played four or five times for Moor Green in the eighties and played there in four cup finals, visited countless times.
Shame but it wasn't the first time the stand burned down and the plan to build homes on the site has been mooted for years, all a bit convenient methinks.
Went to Solihull Moors a few weeks ago, there are still a few old Moor Green fans there but the feeling isn't the same there.
The Moorlands was a Beazer Homes League ground when the stand last burned down, the pitch wasn't up to much but the club house was good, tiny dressing rooms too.
I think Moor Green were actually in Europe in the fifties, and they were always of Birmingham's Premier non-league club.
The ground was in Sherwood Road, Hall Green, in a residential area.
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I remember going there to support Allens Cross/Cross Castle/Northfield Town against Paget Rangers for a semi final in the late 60's. It was considerably superior to most Worcs/Midland Combination grounds at that time.
Did they ever get the alleged arsonists?
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I used to watch Moor Green quite a bit when i was younger spoke to Ian Taylor a few times when he was playing there.
Slept in the "press box" one night after me and mate got kicked out of a party.
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I've played there once in the early 90's in a cup final which we won. Kind of sad to see it go.
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Used to cycle up to the ground from my home in Hall Green (just off Baldwins Lane).
Recall watching the Moors play Merthr Tydfil with Gary Emmanual and Latchford - or am I talking bollox?
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A real home ground.
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PWS - the wooden terracing was added fairly recently. At one point the pitch was at 90 degrees to where it is (was!) now and the two stands were down the sides of the pitch, when they rotated it the fans still wanted to stand behind the goals and as they no longer had the grass banks to stand on there was limited views when any sort of crowd turned up so they added the wooden steps in front of the stand.
Another oddity at this ground was the wind-up floodlights which could be lowered after games so as to appease the NIMBY's who otherwise wouldn't let planning permission go through for permanent pylons.
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I tracked down when it was I was there for the Rovers game I have bored you all to death about. It was Tuesday 5th May 1987. It was the WSC final 1st leg and we did win 4-0. The second leg was played on the Friday and ended 0-0.
I'm convinced there was only the wooden main stand there at that time and it had a few steps at the bottom we were "bouncing" on during the 2nd half when we changed ends. We were well hard and full of shandy and no one messed with us!!
It was a grass bank behind the other goal where some locals nippers were having a kick around during the game.
Even though it was an evening game I don't remember the floodlights at all.
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I spent a few seasons watching Moor Green. If they were at home while the Villa were away me and a few mates would go and watch, take a radio with us and listen to the Villa on xtra am. We would also take a footy with us and had a kick about behind the stand at half time. Great times.
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Remember going to see an extrordinary early FA Cup game there with Solihull playing Highgate (I think) some years ago - Uriah Rennie was the referee and it finished 6-5 if memory serves.
Was also the place where I first saw a Villa game (of sorts) - a pre-season friendly of our reserves versus Moor Green. I met Ian Ormondroyd that day, still it didn't put me off.