Midland Football League (Division Three) season preview for 23/24

AFC Birmingham

Last season: 7th

AFC Birmingham have appointed Ryan Faulkner as their new manager for the season competing in MFL Division three. They have retained key players from last season such as Louis Jones who scored 16 goals for the club last season. The club will have ambitions of pushing up the table and competing for the promotion places.   

First five fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: AFC Solihull (A)
12/08/23: Leamington Hibernian (H)
19/08/23: Balsall and Berkswell (H)
26/08/23: Boldmere Sports and Social Falcons (A) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Silhill (A)

AFC Solihull

Last season: 3rd

AFC Solihull have had a busy off-season since finishing 3rd in MFL Division three at the end of last season. Joe Ballinger left the club to join Neil Tooth’s coaching staff at Romulus and the club have appointed Dean Newman as their new first team manager for the upcoming season who joins from Silhill FC. The club will look to push on and get promoted out of MFL Division three this season. 

First four fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: AFC Birmingham (H)
12/08/23: DSC United (H)
19/08/23: Leamington Hibernian (A)
28/08/23: Gornal (A)

BNJS

Last season: 9th (Birmingham and District Football League, Premier)

BNJS are entering their debut season competing in the MFL and will be looking at establishing themselves in the division for the long-term. The club play their home games at the Hadley Stadium in Smethwick and open their campaign with a home game against DSC United. The opportunity to play Central Ajax away in the Les James Challenge Cup is a standout fixture and a good test for the squad.

First five fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: DSC United (H)
08/08/23: Wake Green Amateur (H) (6:30pm KO)
12/08/23: Meadow Park (A)
26/08/23: Central Ajax (A) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Boldmere Sports and Social Falcons (A)

Balsall and Berkswell

Last season: 4th

Balsall and Berkswell had a positive season and won 7 out of their 11 home games to finish 4th in MFL Division Three. The club will be looking to aim for the promotion places this season and push on as a club. They lost only 5 out of 22 league matches and have also retained George Cane who started 20 league matches last term.    

First five fixtures of the season:

09/08/23: Boldmere Sport and Social Falcons (A) (6:30pm, KO)
12/08/23: Feckenham (A)
19/08/23: AFC Birmingham (A)
26/08/23: Bolehall Swifts (A) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Wake Green Amateur (A)

Birmingham Tigers

Last season: 12th

After finishing bottom of the division last term, Birmingham Tigers will be looking to compete in the division and push on into a mid-table position. They have retained Bilal Ibrahim who scored 6 goals last season in a squad that struggled for goals and scored 18 throughout the campaign. The defence is a big area for improvement as the squad conceded 120 goals last term.     

First five fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Boldmere Sports and Social Falcons (A)
12/08/23: Wake Green Amateur (A)
19/08/23: Feckenham (A)
26/08/23: Redditch Borough (H) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Solihull Sporting (A)

Boldmere Sports and Social Falcons

Last season: 16th (MFL Division Two)

Boldmere Sports and Social Falcons had a challenging season in MFL Division Two and finished 16th at the end of the season. The club is looking to establish and rebuild in MFL Division three this season and have appointed Callum Lee as their new first team manager. The club struggled with conceding goals last season and shipped 102 goals in total which is an area that needs strengthening for the upcoming season.  

First five fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Birmingham Tigers (H)
09/08/23: Balsall and Berkswell (H) (6:30pm KO)
19/08/23: DSC United (H)
26/08/23: AFC Birmingham (H) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: BNJS (H)

Castle Vale Town

Last season: 10th

Castle Vale Town go into the season with a positive outlook following last season’s encouraging 10th place finish.  They have retained prolific striker Jordan McKenzie who scored 24 goals last season from 26 matches started. The club have also signed promising Paget Rangers goalkeeper Alex Bowen. The signs are looking good for Castle Vale Town to make a genuine push up the table.

First five fixtures of the season:

08/08/23: Continental Star (A) (6:30pm, KO)
12/08/23: Silhill (A)
19/08/23: Meadow Park (A)
26/08/23: Littleton (A) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Feckenham (A)

Continental Star

Last season: 11th

The Perry Barr based club go into the season looking to compete in the division and finish mid table. They have retained players such as Charles Weston-Hales and Odane Opoku Campbell who scored 8 goals combined in a squad that struggled for goals and had 29 in total. Similar to Boldmere, the defence needs to improve to climb up the table with 79 goals conceded last term.    

First five fixtures of the season:

08/08/23: Castle Vale Town (H) (6:30pm, KO)
12/08/23: Gornal (A)
19/08/23: Silhill (A)
26/08/23: Alcester Town (A) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Northfield Town (H)

DSC United

Last season: 6th

DSC United had a good season competing in MFL Division Three last season and were a formidable side. They won or drew 16 of their 22 league games and finished comfortably in mid table. The club will be looking to build on last season’s finish and push for a top five finish. They have retained key players such as striker Jahvan Howell who scored 10 goals for DSC United last campaign.

First five fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: BNJS (A)
12/08/23: AFC Solihull (A)
19/08/23: Boldmere Sports and Social Falcons (A)
26/08/23: Earlswood Town (A) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Leamington Hibernian (A)

Feckenham

Last season: 1st (Hellenic League, Division Two West)

Feckenham had an excellent season competing in Division Two West of the Hellenic League and finished as league champions with 61 points and 19 wins out of 24 games. The Worcestershire club will be aiming to carry that momentum into their upcoming season in division three of the MFL. The club have retained key players such as striker William Skelton who scored 33 goals in 28 appearances.

First five fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Gornal (H)
12/08/23: Balsall and Berkswell (H)
19/08/23: Birmingham Tigers (H)
26/08/23: Coventry Alvis (H) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Castle Vale Town (H)

Gornal

Last season: N/A

Gornal are entering their debut season in the MFL and were established as recently as 2020. Their currently based at the Womborne Leisure Centre in Wolverhampton and are going to be competing in Division Three and the Les James Challenge Cup this season. It’s going to be a great learning experience for the club and competing in senior men’s football should serve them in good stead. 

First five fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Feckenham (A)
12/08/23: Continental Star (H)
19/08/23: Solihull Sporting (A)
26/08/23: Inkberrow (H) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: AFC Solihull (H)

Leamington Hibernian

Last season: 9th

Leamington Hibernian had a competitive season in MFL Division Three which included notable wins over Coventrians and DSC United. The club will want to build on that and start challenging for a top 10 place within the newly expanded 17 team division. The club has also retained Jordan Featherstone who scored 9 goals and Zack Featherstone who started 29 games last season.

First five fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Wake Green Amateur (H)
12/08/23: AFC Birmingham (A)
19/08/23: AFC Solihull (H)
26/08/23: Knowle (A) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Leamington Hibernian (H)

Meadow Park

Last season: 5th (Hellenic League, Division Two West)

Meadow Park will want to establish themselves in MFL Division three this season coming from the Hellenic League. The club have retained key players from last season such as striker Connor Powell who scored 16 goals last term. It should be an interesting season for the club in their debut season at MFL level.   

First four fixtures of the season:

09/08/23: Northfield Town (H) (6:30pm, KO)
12/08/23: BNJS (H)
19/08/23: Castle Vale Town (H)
26/08/23: Birmingham United (H) (Les James Challenge Cup)

Northfield Town

Last season: 1st (Birmingham and District league, Division One)

Northfield had an excellent season in the Birmingham and District League. They won the division one title with a total of 52 points and went undefeated throughout the league season. The club have retained key players from their league title win such as Patrick Behan who scored 22 goals and skipper Josh Westwood who had 16 assists last season.

First five fixtures of the season:

09/08/23: Meadow Park (A) (6:30pm, KO)
12/08/23: Solihull Sporting (A)
19/09/23: Wake Green Amateur (A)
26/08/23: Hampton (A) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Continental Star (A)

Silhill

Last season: 1st (Birmingham and District League, Premier)

Silhill are entering the MFL having won the premier division of the Birmingham and District league last season. The club from Solihull finished last season with 49 points and lost only five matches of their 24 league games. Silhill have also retained Tom Cherry and skipper Jamie O’Neill for the upcoming season who were part of their league title triumph last term.  

First four fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Solihull Sporting (A) (Les James Challenge Cup)
12/08/23: Castle Vale Town (H)
19/08/23: Continental Star (H)
28/08/23: AFC Birmingham (H)

Solihull Sporting

Last season: 8th

Solihull Sporting had a competitive season in MFL Division Three and had notable wins over the likes of Central Ajax and AFC Birmingham at home. The club are similar to Leamington Hibernian and have the aim of establishing themselves in the division and competing for a top 10 finish in a 17-team division. They have retained key players such as Louis Buck who scored 13 goals last season.  

First four fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Silhill (H) (Les James Challenge Cup)
12/08/23: Northfield Town (H)
19/08/23: Gornal (H)
28/08/23: Birmingham Tigers (H)

Wake Green Amateur

Last season: 5th

Wake Green had a positive campaign competing in MFL Division three last season and had notable wins over AFC Solihull where they completed the league double. The aim this season will be challenging for the promotion places with the likes of AFC Solihull and Balsall and Berkswell. They have retained key players including striker Ashley Smith who scored 16 goals last season.     

First six fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Leamington Hibernian (A)
08/08/23: BNJS (A) (6:30pm, KO)
12/08/23: Birmingham Tigers (H)
19/08/23: Northfield Town (H)
26/08/23: Lane Head (A) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Balsall and Berkswell (H)