Pelsall Cricket & Sports Club

Story

Pelsall Villa F.C. are a football club based in the village of Pelsall, near Walsall, West Midlands, England, currently playing in the. They are nicknamed The Villains and play at The Bush Ground. The team kit consists of black and red striped shirts, black shorts and black socks.HistoryRecords from the Walsall Observer show that football was played in Pelsall as long ago as 1898. The two World Wars caused a temporary halt to proceedings, but in 1961 the club reformed and this heralded the beginning of Pelsall Villa as it is known today. Using changing facilities in the nearby Red Cow public house was never a satisfactory situation and in 1978 a liaison was formed by then Chairman, Vic Dolphin with Pelsall Cricket & Sports Club. As a result of the link-up, Villa not only gained improved dressing rooms, but also real headquarters.In 1982 the club left the Staffordshire County League having been accepted into the West Midlands (Regional) League Division Two. Promotion was secured after two seasons at that level, but it was obvious that a number of improvements were needed at The Bush ground to bring it up to the required standard for an assault on the Premier Division.During the summer of 1991 floodlights were installed and Aston Villa provided the opposition as they were officially switched on in front of a crowd of 2,000 in November 1991. Manager Reg Priest set about the task of strengthening the playing squad and success soon followed in both the FA Cup and FA Vase competitions. In fact, Villa were within three games of making it to Wembley Stadium in the FA Vase in 1992–93 before narrowly losing out to an extra-time own goal at the hands of Buckingham Town. The next stage of the club’s ongoing development saw hard-standing laid all around the perimeter and a 500-seater stand erected at The Bush end of the ground.