Results in the week saw Chris Wigger’s side slip down to 10th in the league table, but just nine points separate the Blues and league leaders Kettering Town. The Blues are only five points off the play-off standings.

Improving Bromsgrove are now seven games unbeaten in the league and haven’t lost in the league since they lost 2-0 at home to Alvechurch at the end of November. After being in the bottom four for a lot of the season, Sporting have improved significantly and have moved up up 15th in the league and four points off Leiston.

The Blues form, however, is also good, with the team losing just one of their last six games in all competitions. The one defeat in that run of games came against Harborough Town with the Leicestershire side another moving from inside the relegation zone up to sixth place in recent weeks.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

LEISTON didn’t play Bromsgrove in Worcestershire until the opening day of the 2021/2022 campaign.

The first-ever game between the two sides came in November 2019 at Victory Road, when Bromsgrove won 8-0, with six goals coming in the second half. The outbreak in COVID-19 meant Leiston didn’t travel to Bromsgrove for the return fixture that campaign and with the season curtailed early in 2020/2021, the Blues finally visited Bromsgrove the following season.

On that opening day, Will Davies (2), George Quantrell and Dylan Switters helped secure a 4-0 away win. In October 2022, Leiston won 7-1 at Bromsgrove. Finlay Barnes (2), Ben Fowkes (2), Adam Bailey-Dennis, Jake Hutchings and Will Davies grabbed the goals. Last season, in December 2023, saw a goalless draw played out in front of 458 spectators.

FORM GUIDE
(Most recent results first)
BROMSGROVE SPORTING: WDWDW
BLUES: WDLWW

BROMSGROVE FUN FACTS

BROMSGROVE had a population of just under 35,000 in the 2021 census. In the Middle Ages, it was a small market town, primarily producing cloth through the early modern period. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it became a major centre for nail making.

An average house price in Bromsgrove is £313,755 in the last year.

FAMOUS FACES FROM BROMSGROVE

Michael Ball - Singer and Actor. Played Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera while he got to number 2 in the charts in 1989 with 'Love Changes Everything'.
Alan Smith - Footballer for Arsenal. Scored 23 league goals for Arsenal in the 1988/1989 season, winning the Golden Boot before just missing out on a place at Italia 90.
Mark Williams - Actor. Played Horace in the film 101 Dalmatians and Arthur Weasley in Harry Potter.
Jude Bellingham - lived in Bromsgrove for a little while. Bellingham had played for Birmingham City before moving on the Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. The player has also played 40 times for England at the young age of 21, netting 6 times already.

COMING UP FOR BLUES

LEISTON host Hitchin Town next Saturday before heading to Biggleswade Town on Tuesday 28th January to see the month out. The side then host Redditch United (Saturday 1st February) before heading to Stamford a week later to begin the month of February.

MATCH INFORMATION

Bromsgrove Sporting v Blues
Pitching In Southern League Central Premier
Saturday, January 18, 3pm kick off
The UK Electrical Stadium, Birmingham Road, Bromsgrove, B61 0DR
Tel: 01527 876949

Admission Prices: Family Ticket £25 (2 adults & 3 children), Adults (18-65) £12, Seniors (over 65’s) £9, Disabled £10, 12-17 year olds £3, 3-11 year olds (with paying adult) £1.

Game 25/42