Shropshire Star

Hodnet Football Club are thriving after Sunday league switch

Football is back in Hodnet and the village club are thriving.

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Thanks to the Shrewsbury Sunday League, Hodnet FC have rediscovered their passion for amateur local football.

The football club sadly folded in 2017, 10 years after forming, due to players retiring and others leaving the decreasing numbers of the Shropshire Premier League.

But in early 2018, under former player-turned-boss Matt Allen, 33, Hodnet reformed and entered Sunday football – and haven’t looked back since.

The curtain has just fallen on their first season back and Hodnet have secured promotion as runners-up from Shrewsbury Sunday League’s Division Four and lifted the Jason Bramall Cup – Connor Dunne and James Billington scoring in the final.

But Allen believes one of the biggest success stories this season is the strength of the league, which is ran by Dave Sandles, Tony Davies and Reg Morris, thanks to its committed volunteers.

“We have found the Shrewsbury Sunday League system an absolute joy to be a part of,” said Allen, from Hodnet. “With five leagues and 40 teams in total the league is thriving and well run by an established and tireless committee.

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“They know what they’re doing. They’re very stubborn and stuck in their ways but it works for them and everybody appreciates what they’re doing.”

Allen highlighted the number of clubs dropping out of Hodnet’s former league, the Saturday Shropshire Premier, as another example of how local Sunday football is succeeding.

Hodnet were one of 37 clubs across three leagues just five years ago in the county’s main league, but the manager reckons the lure of other regional leagues – and the West Midlands divisions – is appealing to a lot of clubs.

But Allen’s side, who finished second on goal difference to Coracle Colts but beat White Horse 2-1 in the Division Three and Four Consolation Cup competition, have grown ever since reforming.

Although the boss admits it was a slightly tricky start. Allen, who is taking his Level One coaching badges this summer, said: “I wanted to carry on playing but it was hard work getting anybody interested and it naturally fell to me to carry it on.

“We started training in February at indoor at the Maurice Chandler Centre, at first we were struggling for enough to get a session.

“Eventually through word of mouth lads brought their mates and enjoyed it. In pre-season we had a half-decent team. We went from a ‘hobby team’ to quite a good team.

“They’re all from Market Drayton. They have a good youth set-up at Market Drayton Tigers but nowhere to go after. Market Drayton Town have players from all over in the Evo-Stik and the other Tigers team play in the Staffordshire leagues with players from there.”

Hodnet are a Standard Chartered club with an established committee.

Neil Morris and Angela Heath are two of their hard-working volunteers who help run the social club where the pitch is located in the village. They also teamed up with local businesses AR Richards and Oruna Cuisine to help fund kit and equipment.

“It’s been really good and it’s surprised me how much I’ve enjoyed it given all I wanted to do was play,” added Allen.

“It’s really positive seeing young lads and a good atmosphere.

“The committee were down in the dumps but it’s had a new lease of life. The ultimate goal is to go back to Saturday leagues but it’s nothing like the standard it used to be sadly.

“We want to be in Division One and the Premier and then see what the next options are. There are some really good sides, Instones, Snailbeach, that’s a good level and as good as any local leagues.”