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

AFC Coventry Rangers

​Last Season: 2nd  

AFC Coventry Rangers had an excellent season competing in MFL Division Two last term and narrowly missed out on the league title to Sutton United on the final game of the season. The club have retained key players from last season’s title push such as Connoll Farrell and Jordan Powell and will be challenging again. The club’s form was incredible last term and they only lost two matches in the league.   

First six fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Lane Head (H)
08/08/23: Alcester Town (H) (6:30pm KO)
12/08/23: Birmingham United (H)
19/08/23: Knowle (A)
26/08/23: Cadbury Athletic (H) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Littleton (H)

Alcester Town

Last Season: 5th

Alcester had a good season competing in MFL Division two and went under the radar due to the gripping title race at the end of the season. They have retained Ricardo Richards from last season who scored 11 goals for the Warwickshire Club. They have also kept promising players such as Tom Walker, and Aaron Blackwood returns as manager. The club lost once at home in the league all season.  

First six fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Knowle (A)
08/08/23: AFC Coventry Rangers (A) (6:30pm KO)
12/08/23: Cadbury Athletic (H)
19/08/23: Bolehall Swifts (H)
26/08/23: Continental Star (H) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Redditch Borough (H)

Birmingham United

Last Season: 14th

Birmingham United have a positive outlook going into this season and are playing their homes games at the Trico Stadium. They have a sense of continuity from retaining Joe Sims as their first team manager from last season. The club have also signed striker Jay Higgins-Pugsley who was prolific for Inkberrow. He scored 16 goals last term and is one of the notable signings in the division.  

First six fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Inkberrow (H)
08/08/23: Central Ajax (A) (6:30pm KO)
12/08/23: AFC Coventry Rangers (A)
19/08/23: Cadbury Athletic (H)
26/08/23: Meadow Park (A) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Lane Head (A)

Bolehall Swifts

Last Season: 9th

Bolehall had a steady season in MFL Division Two and finished comfortably mid table. A noticeable signing by the club this summer has been getting Ben Minshull in from Ingles who had a good season at the Leicestershire club and scored 14 goals in helping them secure a mid-table position. They have also retained players such as Ash Brown and Joe Edwards for the forthcoming season.      

First five fixtures of the season:

08/08/23: Earlswood Town (A) (6:30pm KO)
12/08/23: Central Ajax (A)
19/08/23: Alcester Town (A)
26/08/23: Balsall and Berkswell (H) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Inkberrow (H)

Cadbury Athletic

Last Season: 4th

Cadbury had a really good season last term competing in MFL Division Two and scored the second highest total of goals in the division with 76. The club appointed Daniel Moses as their new manager near the end of last season who has previous experience with continental star. The squad this season is a mixture of youth and experience with key players such as defender Stuart Cooke being retained.   

First six fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Redditch Borough (A)
08/08/23: Coventry Alvis (A) (7:45pm KO)
12/08/23: Alcester Town (A)
19/08/23: Birmingham United (A)
26/08/23: AFC Coventry Rangers (A) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Knowle (A)

Central Ajax

Last Season: 2nd (MFL Division Three)

Central Ajax had a brilliant season competing in MFL Division Three and were promoted alongside Coventrians into division two. The club only lost three league matches last season. They have kept key players such as Shaye Eden and Adam Taylor who scored 40 goals combined for the club last season. It should be an exciting campaign ahead for the Warwickshire club in division two. 

First six fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Hampton (H)
08/08/23: Birmingham United (H) (6:30pm KO)
12/08/23: Bolehall Swifts (H)
19/08/23: Lane Head (H)
26/08/23: BNJS (H) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Earlswood Town (A)

Coventrians

Last Season: 1st (MFL Division Three)

Coventrians had an excellent season in MFL Division three and were promoted as league winners with a total of 52 points and 17 wins from 22 matches. Last season’s top goal scorer in division three Nathan McGarrity has gone to Nuneaton Griff and Sean Kavanagh has left so it’s a case of finding a reliable goal scorer and establishing the club in division two this season. The club have also announced a new management team with Matthew Breeze becoming the new first team manager.  

First five fixtures of the season:

09/08/23: Knowle (A) (6:30pm KO)
12/08/23: Earlswood Town (A)
19/08/23: Redditch Borough (A)
26/08/23: Fairfield Villa (A) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Fairfield Villa (A)

Coventry Alvis

Last Season: 10th

Coventry Alvis had a reliably good season competing in MFL Division Two and finished in mid-table. They have recruited a new manager with Martin Ascroft joining and recruiting a fresh squad of players for the new campaign. Players signed include forward Jag Aujla, defender Joe Wright, defender Danny Cairns and midfielder Reid Kearns to boost the squad.   
First six fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Littleton (A)
08/08/23: Cadbury Athletic (H) (6:30pm KO)
12/08/23: Fairfield Villa (A)
19/08/23: Inkberrow (H)
26/08/23: Feckenham (A) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Hampton (H)

Earlswood Town

Last Season: 12th

Earlswood finished comfortably in mid-table last season and want to push on this campaign and finish higher up the table. They have appointed Joel Hughes as their new first team manager and retained key players from last season such as Louis Bridges who scored 11 goals for the Earls. They have also retained John Palmer and signed promising players such as Vincent Record.

First six fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Fairfield Villa (A)
08/08/23: Bolehall Swifts (H) (6:30pm KO)
12/08/23: Coventrians (H)
19/08/23: Littleton (A)
26/08/23: DSC United (H) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Central Ajax (H)

Fairfield Villa

Last season: 8th

The Swans had a good season competing in MFL Division two and finished higher mid table. The club have signed a few players in the build up to the new campaign, bringing in Luke Oakley and Shaquille Rowe and are looking to push on from last season’s 8th place finish. Another signing for the club this summer has been Shane Doyle with GJ Singh returning as first-team manager.   

First six fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Earlswood Town (H)
08/08/23: Lane Head (A) (6:30pm, KO)
12/08/23: Coventry Alvis (H)
19/08/23: Hampton (H)
26/08/23: Coventrians (H) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Coventrians (H)

Hampton

Last season: 7th

Another club that goes under the radar within the division is Hampton who had a solid and comfortable mid-table season. The Solihull club’s home and away record was identical last season with six wins, three draws and six loses. They have retained key striker Cameron Seivwright for the upcoming season who scored 16 goals from 28 matches started last term.

First six fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Central Ajax (A)
08/08/23: Littleton (A) (7:45pm KO)
12/08/23: Inkberrow (H)
19/08/23: Fairfield Villa (A)
26/08/23: Northfield Town (H) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Coventry Alvis (A)

Inkberrow

Last season: 11th

Inkberrow are looking to push on for the upcoming season and have retained key players from last season such as George Thomas who scored 8 goals and assisted 5. With Jay Higgins-Pugsley leaving for Birmingham United and George Robbins departing, the season will be about finding a reliable goal scorer to replace the goals.   

First six fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Birmingham United (A)
09/08/23: Redditch Borough (A) (6:30pm KO)
12/08/23: Hampton (A)
19/08/23: Coventry Alvis (A)
26/08/23: Gornal (A) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Bolehall Swifts (A)

Knowle

Last season: 3rd

Knowle had an excellent season competing in MFL Division Two last term and were part of a thrilling title race with Sutton United and AFC Coventry Rangers that came down to 2 points between 1st-3rd on the final day. They also won the Les James Challenge Cup at the Bescot Stadium, beating Hampton 3-1. The Robins have strengthened throughout the summer and brought in former Cadbury Athletic striker Tom Crane who scored 15 goals and retained Jack Mullen. 

First six fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Alcester Town (H)
09/08/23: Coventrians (H) (6:30pm KO)
12/08/23: Lane Head (A)
19/08/23: AFC Coventry Rangers (H)
26/08/23: Leamington Hibernian (H) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Cadbury Athletic (H)

Lane Head

Last season: 15th

Lane Head have brought in Marting Davies and Ronnie Kyle Edward as their new coaching staff to lead the team this season. They have brought in a new squad and signed a number of players such as Jordan Sedgwick, Adam Shorto and Eustace Pond. They have also signed Jack Nixon to give the squad versatility throughout the campaign.  

First six fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: AFC Coventry Rangers (A)
08/08/23: Fairfield Villa (H) (6:30pm KO)
12/08/23: Knowle (H)
19/08/23: Central Ajax (A)
26/08/23: Wake Green Amateur (H) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Birmingham United (H)

Littleton

Last season: N/A

Littleton enter the MFL from previously competing in the Hellenic League. They are based in Worcestershire and play their home games at Five Acres. They are in for an interesting season competing in division two. They have retained manager Gavin Heath, signed goalkeeper Josh Meynell and signed former Redditch United winger Mason Boyce for the upcoming season.   

First six fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Coventry Alvis (H)
08/08/23: Hampton (H) (7:45pm KO)
12/08/23: Redditch Borough (H)
19/08/23: Earlswood Town (H)
26/08/23: Castle Vale Town (H) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: AFC Coventry Rangers (A)

Redditch Borough

Last season: 13th

It’s been a significant off-season for Redditch Borough following last season’s lower mid-table finish. Julian Workman has departed as first team manager after 20 years and moved into a secretary role with the club with former Studley manager John Edwards coming in to replace him. They have also recruited striker James Ward from Alcester Town who scored 13 goals last season, midfielder Jack McGinn from Cadbury Athletic and former Tividale defender Ben Birch.   

First six fixtures of the season:

05/08/23: Cadbury Athletic (H)
09/08/23: Inkberrow (H) (6:30pm KO)
12/08/23: Littleton (A)
19/08/23: Coventrians (H)
26/08/23: Birmingham Tigers (A) (Les James Challenge Cup)
28/08/23: Alcester Town (A)