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With the teams now confirmed in the Southern Premier League Central, we’re taking a whistle stop tour of all of the clubs who we’ll be playing next season with our bite sized info packs! The As have been covered, now onto the next letter of the alphabet - B is for Barwell!

Name: Barwell FC
Founded: 1992
Nickname: The Canaries
Stadium: Kirkby Road

Another village side, Barwell represent the Leicestershire village of the same name - just north of Hinckley. They were founded due to a merger of Barwell Athletic and Hinckley FC in 1992 and took Hinckley’s place in the Midland Combination Premier.

This will be their thirteenth straight season at Step 3 having switched between the Northern and Southern Premier Leagues between 2011 and present. Last season they finished a respectable 8th after being reprieved from relegation the season before.

They play at Kirkby Road, where they are also landlords to Midland League side Hinckley AFC. It has a capacity of 2,500 with 256 seats and has recently seen an artificial pitch put in, lifting the level of the ground so the old covered terracing is in fact under the level of the pitch.

Barwell manager Ian King is a former Brake, having made three appearances in 2012 but also rejoined the club in the 2015/16 season to be part of Paul Holleran’s coaching staff.

Have we met before?

Once again, Barwell a side that we’ve met on numerous occasions, but you’d have to rewind to over a decade for our last league meeting.

The last meeting was in 2015 as Southern League Brakes blew apart their Northern Premier League opponents in the FA Trophy, winning 6-1. On the scoresheet for the Brakes was Jack Edwards against his old club, Lee Chiltern and Ben Mackey both with a brace and Will Green to put the icing on the cake.

Distance - 28 miles
Travel Time - 47 minutes

Give them a follow…

You can find them on Twitter @BarwellFC1992, Facebook /Barwell Football Club and Instagram @barwellfc!

With the teams now confirmed in the Southern Premier League Central, we’re taking a whistle stop tour of all of the clubs who we’ll be playing next season with our bite sized info packs! Third up we make the short hop over to Alvechurch!

Name: Alvechurch FC
Founded: 1929
Nickname: The Church
Stadium: Lye Meadow

Hailing from the quaint Worcestershire village of the same name, Alvechurch are gearing up for their fifth straight season in the Southern Premier League Central but made their name big last season due to an FA Cup run.

The Church were the lowest ranked side left in the competition after beating Cheltenham Town in the First Round Proper, narrowly losing out to League One Forest Green Rovers in the second.

They play at the 3,000 capacity Lye Meadow, with stunning views over the forest covering the River Arrow. There is a 200 seated stand and a covered terrace behind one goal.

Have we met before?

On numerous occasions, but not in a league match since a 2-1 win at home on New Years Day 2007! On the scoresheet that day were Ben Mackey and Jamie Towers.

Fast forward 13 years to our last meeting in a pre-season friendly… watch the highlights below!