MFL Weekly Round Up (Division Three)

​AFC Birmingham

AFC Birmingham have been building their squad in preparation for their upcoming season in MFL (Division Three). The Halesowen based club have managed to keep hold of their key players which should give them some continuity going into this season.

Rahiem Faulder has committed for another season and will be looking to continue his excellent form from last season where he scored 25 goals from 30 appearances in all competitions.

Drew Ricketts has also signed on for another season at AFC Birmingham who was one of the best defenders in the league last season. The skipper has started a total of 33 matches for AFC Birmingham over the last two seasons and has played a key part in their success at the back.

They have also re-signed Jahrome Faulder who impressed at the back last season and made a total of 13 starts.

A signing that might have gone under the radar is getting in Habil Darboe from Gornal who was excellent at this level last time out and emerged as one of the best strikers in the division. He scored a total of 20 goals from 31 starts in all competitions in 23/24 and should be an exciting addition. 

The main positive for AFC Birmingham is that there building on the positives of last season by keeping their key players who helped them achieve a top three finish. They were only five points off Northfield Town in 2nd and had the best defensive record in the division with just 32 goals conceded.

They will be looking to challenge for the top two this season and having that momentum from last season is going to be key.

​Boldmere Sports and Social Falcons

Boldmere Sports and Social Falcons have been busy over the last few weeks getting their squad together for the start of the season in MFL (Division Three). The Falcons will be looking to build on the positives of the second half of last season under manager Jordan Lengthorn and it will be interesting to see how they get on this season.

They had some brilliant moments over the last few months of the season such as beating Northfield Town at home which should give the squad some confidence.  

Key players from last season have re-signed for another season which is encouraging. Both Dale Huckfield and Ryan McFadden have stayed on which is huge as they scored a combined total of 15 goals in all competitions for the Falcons in 23/24.

The Falcons have also signed the likes of Liam Draper, Ryan Day and Nawahl Thompson over pre-season to strengthen the squad.

Bringing back Jimmy Griffiths on a dual registration with Coton Green is a smart move as he impressed in goal for the Falcons last season and made some excellent saves.

Alex Spencer has also committed for the new season which should give the squad that experience and leadership at the back.

It’s been an encouraging few weeks for Boldmere Falcons in terms of signings and they could be a dark horse at this level if it all clicks.    

Kenilworth Sporting

Kenilworth Sporting have been busy building their squad for their upcoming season back in the MFL and have made a few signings over the last few weeks.

They have retained a total of eight players so far in the build up to their season in MFL (Division Three) and have kept hold of their key players.

Gary Brook has committed to another season who was brilliant in his debut season for the club as captain. Danny Fagan has also re-signed for another season who impressed at the back for them last season. Both Jake and Luke Comasky have also re-signed for the upcoming season which should offer the squad some experience and continuity.

They have kept hold of experienced players such as Dave Allen in goal who has signed on for another season at the club. Brad Allibone has also committed for another season who showed potential last season before an unfortunate season ending injury.

It’s positive news for Kenilworth Sporting and having players that are hardworking and invested in the project can go a long way at this level.        

Solihull Sporting

Solihull Sporting have been one of the busiest teams in division three over the last few weeks and have signed numerous players in the build up to the upcoming season.

They have signed a total of twelve new players so far and have managed to re-sign a lot of key players from last season. Similar to Boldmere Falcons, there were a lot of positives at the back end of last season, and they will be looking to build on it this campaign.

They were an entertaining team to watch last season with a total of 69 goals scored across 32 league matches. The main problem was at the back with 93 goals conceded which stopped them challenging for a top half finish. If they can bring in some signings to strengthen the defence, they might be this season’s Castle Vale Town and achieve a top half finish.

Getting Gabe Harding back for another season is huge as he emerged as one of their key players last time out. He went on to score a total of 14 goals in all competitions for them in 23/24.

They have also brought in Jamie Santos to help strengthen the squad over the last few weeks and appointed him as club captain. His experience could prove vital and help them reach the next level.

Like a lot of teams at this level, Solihull Sporting have got the potential to push on this season and build on their 12th place finish last season.    

Round up feature written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League