Les James Challenge Cup Round One
Cadbury Recreation Ground, Birmingham
Admission: £5.00
Programme: £1.50
Attendance: 78
It has long been on my "bucket list" to pay a visit to the rather unique venue that is the Cadbury Recreation Ground, but it has not been easy in recent years. With the ground not satisfying ground grading to host football within the National League System, the first team were compelled to groundshare at alternative venues in order to play at that level, and Birmingham would have been a long way indeed for me to travel to watch reserve team football. Prior to last season, the club requested voluntary demotion for their first team to Step 7, thereby enabling their first team to play again at the Cadbury Recreation Ground, only for lingering COVID restrictions meaning that it was soon deemed unsuitable to host games even at Step 7 and once again had to play at an alternative venue again after all last season. But with those issues satisfactorily resolved for this season, the Cadbury Recreation Ground is now able to host first team games once more, and I was delighted to book my ticket to Birmingham to finally pay a visit today.
After arriving at Birmingham Coach Station, I then walked to Birmingham New Street station, for a 15 minute train ride south to Bournville, from which the Cadbury Recreation Ground is about a ten minute walk. Entrance to the ground is immediately beyond an expanse of Cadbury factory and office buildings, down a short path from the passing road, shared with the route to the Cadbury World visitor attraction, until football spectators stop off at a wooden hut to pay for admission to the Recreation Ground and optionally for a programme. The setting of the Recreation Ground is serene and beautiful, particularly now in the autumn with the perimeter lined by colourful trees, but there is no doubt what the stand-out feature is - the imposing, immaculate and picturesque half timbered pavilion. Located behind one end, it dates way back to 1902, as part of the extensive facilities within the model village provided by Cadbury for their workers, with the pavilion constructed to celebrate the coronation of Edward VII. A tea bar operates from a ground floor window, next to the main doors leading to the changing rooms. An excellent elevated view of the action can be enjoyed up a flight of steps on a covered balcony, with several wooden benches available. Immediately next to the pavilion is a large uncovered terrace, to the same height as the first floor of the pavilion. Further, but much shallower, uncovered terracing stretches along most of one length, set some way back from the pitchside railing, and smart Cadbury buildings line this length. There is just hard standing, closely lined by trees, behind the end opposite the pavilion, while the remaining length is just grass, as the ground is shared with cricket. With no floodlights nor sufficient covered seating, there remains very little prospect of these grounds ever being in a position to host National League System football, and the first team would have to lead a nomadic existence once more should they decide to move back up to Step 6. But in many ways, the basic, traditional nature of the ground untainted by modern additions to tick ground grading boxes is exactly what makes the ground so appealing.
Cadbury Athletic had a very impressive season indeed in 2021-22, going unbeaten throughout their campaign in the Midland League Division Two, winning 19 of their 28 league games, and won the Birmingham Saturday Vase. Despite remaining in the same division, this season hasn't been quite such plain sailing for them though, coming into this game in sixth place, having won five, drawn three and lost two of their ten games played so far, and have not win in the league since early September, drawing three and losing the other of their last four league games. Coventry Alvis also play in the Midland League Division Two but were down in 13th place in the 16 club division, following two wins and two draws from their opening nine league games, and their last league win stretches back even further, to late August. In a quirk of fate, today's two clubs met in another cup competition just last Saturday, in the Birmingham Saturday Vase, with Coventry Alvis winning at home on penalties after a 3-3 draw, thereby dumping the holders Cadbury Athletic out of this year's competition.
On a mostly cloudy day, but with bright sunshine breaking through regularly, this was a game which the home side mostly dominated, with it always looking likely that Cadbury would gain some revenge for last week's reverse. And on 31 minutes, they took the lead when a Coventry defender slipped and allowed a Cadbury player to gain possession, before a lovely low shot from the edge of the area went beyond the keepers dive and inside the far post. The visitors did come close to equalising within a minute, when a gentle cross came in from the left, the keeper seemed to have trouble judging the flight of the ball, and was relieved to see it hit the crossbar. But on 41 minutes, Cadbury doubled their lead when the ball was passed forward into the box to an unmarked team mate eight yards out, and he had the simple of task of slotting the ball past the keeper.
Last Saturday, Coventry Alvis came back from two goals down to eventually win the tie on penalties, but that never looked likely to happen again today. Cadbury looked comfortable in their lead, a saw a curling shot from the edge of the area come back off the bar on 63 minutes, but after a couple of other near misses, the home side put the outcome beyond all realistic doubt in the 77th minute when, following a jinking run into the box, a shot was parried by the keeper, only to bounce to the feet of another Cadbury player, who steered the ball home, to seal Cadbury’s progress to the next round.
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