Steve B the Groundhopper

10.30am 29 November  2025 West Midlands Christian League LBC 2 Excel NIS 9 (att 20) Back in May I watched as Excel NIS won the West Midlands Christian League with a narrow away win . This season they're once again title contenders, as one of two sides with 100% winning records so far. Their perfect record was never really threatened by league newcomers LBC - who take their name from the Birmingham-based Londonderry Baptist Church - although the hosts got off to a dream start with a very early goal. On a muddy pitch it took Excel time to get into their stride, but they were level after 10 minutes and had built an unassailable 4-1 advantage by half time. More goals followed after the break. The away side had extended their lead to 7-1 before LBC pulled one back. Credit to the home team as they continued to attack and might easily have scored again, but two late goals rounded off another three points for Excel. LBC play home games at the Coneygre Arts Centre in Tipton. The solitary fo...

10.30am 24 May  2025 West Midlands Christian League Dudley Lions 1 Excel NIS 2 (att 30) After I saw them at home a few weeks ago I wrote that Excel NIS were favourites for the title thanks to their games in hand. Ahead of this, their penultimate fixture, by my reckoning they needed two more points to finish top. In the end they got three, but it took two late goals to come from behind against a Dudley Lions side who were chasing a win to finish third. The opening period was well contested but for the most part there was little more than half chances for either side. The deadlock was broken by a Dudley Lions goal in stoppage time. After the break the home side protected their lead while also threatening on the break. Excel kept pressing for an equaliser, but it looked like being a frustrating morning for them. The pressure on the Dudley Lions defence increased as the half went on. After a few near misses Excel finally equalised with 87 minutes played. They didn’t settle for a draw ...

10.30am 12 April  2025 West Midlands Christian League, Challenge Cup, Semi Final, Second Leg Excel NIS 5 Young Boyz 1 (6-3 on aggregate) (att 14) This was one of two possible morning games when I left home to head south towards Birmingham. My first stop was Warley Rugby Club, where Excel NIS usually play home games, to see which pitch groundsharers West Bromwich Elim were using. As I suspected, they were warming up on the same pitch where I'd seen Albright and Wilson in the West Midlands Regional League more than 30 years ago. Had it been a different pitch I might have stayed, but I knew I had this game just a short drive away in West Smethwick Park. And being a cup semi final it also looked a better fixture. Although they're several places off the top, Excel NIS - whose unusual name reflects both their affiliated church and their sponsors - have enough games in hand to be favourites for the title. But they'd lost the first leg of this semi final 2-1, and Young Boyz, second...