AFC Norton

This revival malarkey is tougher than it looks.

Anyone got a pitch for us? 🙋🏻‍♂️😅

So far we've received about 20 responses in the negative... 😬

Yes, AFC Norton are thinking of a return for the 2023/24 season...

However, this will depend largely on a number of factors, with the biggest concern being finances.

If you have, or know of, a local business - small or large - that could be interested in partnering up for sponsorship, please contact the page or Oliver Jones.

Thank you!

AFC Norton's Worst Dive of the Season 2021/22:

Jordan V-k Henry

AFC Norton's Worst Goalkeeper of the Season 2021/22:

Jordan V-k Henry

AFC Norton's Player of the Season 2021/22:

Nathan Hancock
• 28 Goal Involvements
• 7 'Player of the Match' Awards
• 3 Outside of the Box Worldies (probably) (at least)
• Involved in 4 of the 5 'Best Partnerships'
• Didn't miss a single game
• DIDN'T GET SENT OFF ONCE 🤯
• Best Dad-Bod

Mr Consistent

AFC Norton's Top Playmakers for 2021/22:
1. Jason Timmington - 14 assists in 22 games
2. Nathan Hancock - 12 assists in 23 games
3. Oliver Jones - 7 assists in 22 games
4. Matthew Albutt - 6 assists in 15 games
5. Shane Obodo - 5 assists in 23 games

AFC Norton's Top Goalscorers for 2021/22:
1. Shane Obodo - 19 goals in 23 games
2. Nathan Hancock - 16 goals in 23 games
3. Oliver Jones - 9 goals in 22 games
4. Tristen Obodo - 8 goals in 21 games
5. Matthew Albutt - 4 goals in 15 games

Remember the 2021/22 season in the Bromsgrove League Division 2???
AFC Norton remembers...

About time we posted the end of season stats? 😂😂😂

MATCH REPORT 17/04/2022

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* Centenary Cup Semi-Final*
AFC Norton 5 - 5 Real Norton
M. Albutt ⚽️
S. Obodo ⚽️
O. Jones ⚽️
J. Timmington ⚽️
M. Mitchell ⚽️

Assists; T. Obodo x3, M. Albutt, S. Obodo

(Real Norton win 6-5 on penalties):
N. Hancock: 1-0 ✅️
Real Norton: 1-1 ✅️
S. Obodo: 1-1 ❎️
Real Norton: 1-1 ❎️ (save from Callum Rollins 😿)
O. Jones: 2-1 ✅️
Real Norton: 2-2 ✅️
M. Cummings: 3-2 ✅️
Real Norton: 3-3 ✅️
R. Burden: 4-3 ✅️
Real Norton: 4-4 ✅️
T. Obodo: 5-4 ✅️
Real Norton: 5-5 ✅️
M. Albutt: 5-5 ❎️
Real Norton: 5-6 ✅️

No Easter miracle for AFC Norton this weekend, as an absolute spectacle was played out versus Real this Sunday morning featuring 10 goals, a red card, two (2!) last minute goals and a penalty shootout that ended in heartbreak for AFC and victory for the visitors, who go through to the final.

Glorious sunshine greeted the players this morning and conditions couldn’t be better for a spring time game of ball. AFC were missing their 3 usual starting central defenders, including their talismanic captain Craig “Happy Slapper” Williams, and Real had several players missing too, which made it a difficult game to call.

AFC did well to begin with, making better use of the wings than usual, using a 4-5-1 formation for only the second time this season, and benefitting accordingly. With 15 minutes on the clock, AFC took the lead with a dangerous ball falling to Tristen “Easter Bunny” Obodo to deliver a gift to Matty “Jesus” Albutt to slam home unmarked for 1-0.

Real looked shell-shocked and AFC took full advantage as within three minutes, they doubled their lead through Shane “Spring Chicken” Obodo, provided once more by Trigg, breaking rapidly on the counter and rolling into the corner for 2-0.

As always, AFC just fully hate giving themselves breathing room, and immediately conceded on the 20 minute mark. Real won a free kick in the final third and fired in the set-piece to be headed in for 2-1.

Fair play to Real for not letting their heads drop, and they came back level five minutes later to make it 2-2 because we just hate ourselves.

Unusually for AFC, rather than bitch at each other like the world was about to end, they continued to hustle and create chances, showing a real desire to stay in control, battling for everything: typified by no one more than when Nathan "Eggstravagant" Hancock sprinted half the length of the pitch towards his own goal, past his own backline, to both block a player’s 1-on-1 shot and disposses them. And then, around half an hour into the game, the impressive Ryan “Mini Egg” Burden fizzed a dangerous ball past the far post to signal AFC’s intent.

On the 34 minute mark, Matty Albutt roamed down the left-wing and, appropriately for Easter, nailed the cross which Oliver “Lindt Bunny” Jones hopped highest to nut into the net for 3-2.

Shortly after the goal, AFC had to make changes to their already makeshift backline; with Denniel "Blister-ing Pace" George making way for the not quite 100% Timmington.

Tails up, and keen to restore their two goal lead, AFC surged forward on the break again and by 40 minutes had their wish, Shane turning creator this time to set the recently introduced Jason “Fasting for Lent” Timmington free down the left to curl a shot over the goalkeeper, just minutes after coming on as a sub.

It will come as no surprise to discover that the comfortable lead didn’t last - two minutes later Real took advantage of poor marking in the box to power a volley in for 4-3 going into the break.

The drama carried on into half-time, as the Real players continued to give verbals to the referee for perceived slights, one of whom ended up with a red card for his efforts. AFC just needed to keep their heads and not do any calamitous defending in the second half (HAHAHA).

Barely five minutes had gone in the second half when AFC had the ball in the net again courtesy of Trigg - however the goal was ruled out due to the linesman making decisions 🙃

Thanks to their man advantage, AFC managed to create and waste approximately 400 chances, slipping into a far too casual stroll when attacking that belied their effort and intensity of the first half - CB Craig "Egghead" Reeves had a 20-yard shot palmed out for a corner, the almost faultless Trigg failed to tap-in to an open goal at full-stretch at the back-post, top-scorer Shane side-footed a tame effort unchalleneged straight at the keeper from inside the box, Jason almost recreated his first-half goal but couldnt acheive the same curl, and the Ego himself, Jones, had another headed effort, but this time saw his attempt bounce back off the post (these were butba few).

Despite that, in the 75th minute, assist-maker extraordinaire Trigg Obodo slipped Mal “Teaser” Mitchell through to finish and make it 5-3.

Which takes us to the 89th minute. Of course a two goal lead against 9/10 men (sin-bin) means that AFC Norton saw out the win calmly and made it to the final…

Hehehe. Not at all. With a minute and a half remaining, the otherwise imperious Matt “Sups from his own cup” Cummings made an absolute crucifixion of a clearance to allow the Real forward to score and make it 5-4.

That’s okay. Don’t panic. Only 30 seconds to - oh wait they have a set-piece. That’s fine, we’ll just clear it. Or miss the header. Or let the striker volley it. Whatever. 5-5. Real have risen from the dead. It is Easter Sunday I suppose.

Well-played to Real for fighting back with 9/10 men. It must have been a great game for the neutral to watch. Good luck for the final and I’m sure some of us will be there to heckle. Meanwhile AFC continue the struggle to make something of the league season when those fixtures resume.

MotM: Ryan Burden

MATCH REPORT 13/03/2022

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Chaddesley Corbett 2 - 2 AFC Norton
C. Williams ⚽️
M. Albutt ⚽️

Assists; O. Jones, J. Timmington

AFC Norton headed to Chaddesley Corbett for a Centenary Cup tie this morning. The game’s momentum swung back and forth but in the end both sides had to settle for a draw which not many could argue with after all was said and done.

Chaddesley definitely edged the first half, showing way more fight and urgency in the attacking third. In truth there were few clear chances, although Callum “Topcat” Rollins was forced into a smart one-on-one stop with his feet, Shane “Escape Bag” Obodo hit the side-netting from a tight angle and Ryan “Fresh Trim” Burden also tickling the outside of the net with a free-kick up the other end.

Norton paid the price for slack concentration right at the end of the first half, caught flat-footed playing out from the back and Chaddesley were on it like a flash and dinked a cross from the left that was headed in to take a 1-0 lead into the break.

Harsh truths were said at half-time and Norton certainly upped their game in the second half, creating more and seeming a little more solid at the back (maybe because Jordan “Wooden Legs” Henry went off injured, we’ll never know).

The front line looked more fluid at least, probing the Chaddesley backline with more regularity. Norton’s equaliser came on one such occasion after Nathan "The Vision" Hancock slammed a free-kick low and hard under the wall, to see it richochet and land at Ollie "Snow" Jones' feet. Jones saw his opportunity to make it 4 goals in 4 games and struck towards goal, only to see his effort bounce back out off the far post, where predator centre-back Craig "Elastilegs" Williams poked it into the roof of the net from close range.

Norton played with their tails up for a while and flashed a couple of decent chances over the bar courtesy of Tristan “Pull the Trigger” Obodo from outside the box and brother Shane from 10-yards out, before eventually taking the lead through a freak cross flung in from Matty “Ambulance Driver” Albutt after he charged down the left flank. The cross looped dangerously towards the goal and could only be flapped into the net by the Chaddesley goalkeeper.

AFC Norton couldn’t hang on for the win, however, and credit to the bare eleven of Chaddesley for coming back into it, winning a penalty for handball 10 minutes from time and converting coolly for 2-2.

Despite the draw, Norton qualify from the group stage of the Centenary Cup and remain in the mix for silverware this season. Big thanks to Chaddesley for the game and good luck for the final stretch of the season.

MotM: T.B.C

MATCH REPORT 06/03/2022

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AFC Norton 2 – 1 AFC Blackwell
T. Obodo ⚽️
O. Jones ⚽️

Assists; S. Obodo x2

*** Yesterday marked AFC Norton's 100th competitive game as a club since their inception in June 2017 🙌🏻⚽️🥳🎉 ***

A 100th game in managament for Oliver "The Ego" Jones saw an inconsistent AFC Norton battle their way back into the game at Four Dwellings after going a goal down in the first five minutes against fellow Division Two AFC-ers, AFC Blackwell, to run out 2-1 winners. It was quite an action-packed, fast-paced game, and Norton will be grateful their hard work paid off, earning their first league win in 3 months, and keeping the pressure up on the league leaders by remaining 1 point behind with 4 games to go.

The game started for Norton in typical Sunday League fashion; having an 11th man only turn up just 10 minutes before kick-off, with their one substitute arriving just in time for the whistle. Some chopping and changing to the planned starting XI was needed, but fortunately it did not force anything drastic, and everyone seemed raring to go and put an end to our recent bad form.

Unfortunately for AFC Norton, the game started exactly the same way as it has for the 3rd league game in a row; conceding a close-range free-kick early doors, before the resulting free-kick being spilled out to an onrushing attacker to poke home from 2-yards out. Not the ideal start. Norton heads did not drop, however, and in a change of mental fortitude compared to recent times, the game-plan was stuck to and Norton continued to try and play ball the way they wanted to, refusing to panic and rush things.

A questionable moment came early on when a Blackwell player seemed to come off the ground when making a sliding-tackle attempt on a Norton player, and many players were incensed that a red card wasn’t produced, or even a foul given, but play-on was the decision, and so play-on they all did.

The AFCN defence coped well with the AFC Blackwell pressing, playing out from the back, and the team soon began to threaten the opposition goal, having not even mustered a shot on target before going 1-0 down. Both of the Obodo brothers would have felt as though they could have clawed Norton’s way back into the game themselves with opportunities just going begging at the crucial moment. All-round-threat Nathan Hancock had a couple of early chances to level things for Norton; a shot blocked off the line (or close enough) from Blackwell defenders following a cross from ‘Back-at-Wingback’ Jones, and then had a header find the set netting following a delicious corner from Ryan Burden, playing on the other wing. But then all 3 players made up for it around 25 minutes into the game, starting with a Norton throw deep into the opposition half – Nathan ‘The Salmon’ Hancock beginning the move by leaping up and flicking a header behind himself for Shane ‘Provider’ Obodo to run onto, calmly squaring across the box to Tristen “The Midfield Dyanmo” Obodo to tuck away his 7th for the season.

AFC Norton continued to patiently attack Blackwell, who did not learn from Nathan Hancock’s earlier warning header from a corner. Finding himself the target of another Ryan “Pinpoint” Burden corner at the back post, he instead opted to selflessly head back across the goal to his strike-partner Shane, who kept the ball up, flicking another header to player/manager Jones, who, with his back to goal, showed why you should never skip ‘Neck Day’ at the gym and flung a headed attempt backwards towards goal and past the Blackwell keeper. Jones scored in AFC Norton's first ever game, and he fittingly scored in their 100th competitive game too. Norton found themselves leading a game for the first time since January, and they loved it.

Half-time 2-1.

The second half saw Norton probably create more chances than they did in the first half, but were unable to add to their lead. Credit to the Blackwell defence who seemed to block and head about 3 goalbound attempts off their line in the second half too.

Blackwell also probably carved out a few more opportunities for themselves than they did in the first half, the most notable being a free-kick searching for a final touch from an attacker, sailing past everyone and drifting just wide of the back post. Another being a mistake of Norton’s own making, where Callum ‘The Cat’ Rollins blasted a ball at an attacker just 5-yards in front of him, before breathing a huge sigh of relief when the resulting attempt couldn’t find the target. However, apart from these half-chances, the Norton defence never looked too panicked or too under pressure for the second 45.

Some tasty deliveries from set-pieces from both Jason “No End Product” Timmington and Ryan “Dead Trim” Burden found AFCN players on a number of occasions, but the attacking players were unable to increase the team’s lead. The whole team were convinced they should have been awarded a penalty deep into the second half too, after Nathan Hancock had the beating of a defender for pace, knocking the ball around him, only to have his arm grabbed and be pulled to the ground to prevent him from getting a shot off, but it was not to be.

Great work yesterday from our own backline for preventing any true, clear-cut chances, shout-out to Callum in goal who clearly applied some super-glue to his gloves after his first fumble in the opening minutes, Jason “A Whinge Per Minute” Timmington for constantly claimed he had nothing left in the tank before sprinting down one of the wings and taking on 3 opposition players, Tristen “Trigg” Obodo for being the embodiment of a Box-To-Box player, and for the whole team for really putting the maximum levels of effort into the game and throwing their bodies at absolutely everything for the full 90 minutes.

Thanks to AFC Blackwell for a tightly-contested game, we look forward to the reverse fixture which will come soon.

MotM: Tristen Obodo



p.s Jordan Henry didn’t pull his groin.

Any referees available for a game on Sunday 20th between ourselves and Edith FC of the Festival League; 10am kick-off at Four Dwellings Academy, Quinton, B32 1RJ - please drop the page a message and get in touch.

Drop the page a message if you're a Birmingham/West Midlands Sunday team looking for a friendly this Sunday, 20th Feb.

We have our home pitch booked at Four Dwellings Academy, Quinton. B32 1RJ, for 10am kick-off.
And we are in need of opposition.

Play in Division Two of the Bromsgrove League.

MATCH REPORT 13/02/2022

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Real Norton 7 - 2 AFC Norton
O. Jones ⚽️
N. Hancock ⚽️

Assists; R. Burden, J. Timmington

By Ian Cooper...

Valentine’s weekend rolled around for this Sunday and featured a match with no love lost between the two teams and Real manager Ian Gallagher blowing me kisses before the game, the sweetheart.
With a lot of affectionate tackles and plenty of gifts being given to the strikers, unfortunately it was AFC who left with broken hearts this week.

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it seems the few weeks without a game has drained AFC players of their love for the game, or maybe they’re commitmentophobes. Either way, AFC managed to just about get a team together for the not-quite-away match.

The game didn’t quite go to plan for the title contenders, unluckily falling two goals behind in the first half to two goals which luckily were lucky, and featured some luck. I should know, I was there and saw it with my own two eyes 👀 I’m sure Dodge will say otherwise, so if you love bias-free, impartial reporting, please refer to his own well-versed, literate and grammatically correct match reports that he writes for every game, and not just the Norton derby 😅

The first was conceded in a matter of minutes after kick-off following a free-kick just outside the box, and the second on a counter attack around 25 minutes later. To make matters worse, the old Whinge-meister himself, Tiny-Weeny-Lean-Beef-Timmington, got sin-binned for his protests that there hadn't been a foul awarded in the build-up for the second.

Another questionable moment in the first half would undoubtedly be when an opposition player momentarily forgot it was a football game and not a cage match, swinging a kick at poor little Ryan Burden, but instead of a red, didn't even receive a caution. But let's be honest, this isn't why we conceded 7 goals today 😂

Second half some more goals happened from both teams, including two goal-of-the year contenders from AFC Norton and that’s all that matters in the end really, who really wants points on the board anyway? (Certainly not Real, judging from their league position).

One of the managers brought themselves on and scored with his athletic prowess and eye for goal. Guess which manager, I dare you 👀
The second was a well-taken shot from Nathan Hancock from outside the area. Unfortunately, they were nothing more than consolation goals.

In all seriousness, well-played to Real Norton, the better team wanted it more on the day and please don’t take this report too seriously, I can see the steam out your ears from here already. I’ll get you some flowers tomorrow, Mr Gallagher 😚

MotM: Dodge’s Keyboard

MATCH REPORT 09/01/2022

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AFC Norton 1 - 3 Real Norton
S. Obodo ⚽️

Assist; M. Cummings

New Year, New Norton! And by that, of course, I mean we’re no longer unbeaten. The first fixture of January 2022 for AFC Norton brought the Gallagher-Jones derby against Real Norton, and despite being at opposite ends of the table, you wouldn’t know it from the state of play. AFC’s new year resolution was apparently to barely turn up and play awful, so let’s hope it lasts about as long as my resolution to stop eating entire packets of biscuits when my wife has gone to bed (i.e not long at all).

The match was fairly even to begin with as neither team really grabbed a hold of the game. AFC began to take advantage of the low and blinding sun to send in balls behind the backline, and eventually it paid dividends.

With around 20 minutes on the clock, Matt “The Great Dane” Cummings, back from his sabbatical after not playing a game of football since last season, sent a ball through to Shane “Twinkletoes” Obodo who made a mockery of the goalkeeper’s decision to rush out by calmly rounding him and slotting into an empty net for 1-0. Special shoutout for bringing down the pass with his back 😅

Unfortunately that was about as good as it got for AFC, who inexplicably decided to stand off the Real players for the rest of the game and allow the away side to pile on the pressure.

AFC made it to half-time without conceding, somehow, but were fully aware that this was not their best performance by a long shot.

After the break it was much of the same, AFC could not get going and Real took full advantage.

As much as the performance warranted a loss, AFC were unfortunate for Real’s first goal, coming after a great save onto the crossbar by Ste “Confidence” Hatton. The ball ricocheted to a Real player and Hatton managed to recover to save again but could only slap the ball back to the striker who slammed the ball against his own player’s face/(the keeper once more?) on the line, but somehow a goal was awarded from 25 yards away. The protests were ignored however, and Real had the equaliser their play warranted.

The closest AFC came to regaining the lead was around 60 minutes in when there was almost an own goal scored by Real from a deep cross headed against their own crossbar, soon followed up with a point blank save from the Real keeper.

The game looked to be heading for a draw, but with 89 minutes on the clock AFC gave away the last of about 7 fouls on the edge of their own area, and law of averages suggests that one of them is going to go in. The Real forward made no bones about it and absolutely slammed a rocket into the back of the net, taking the lead with minutes to go.

AFC poured forward, but too little, too late and Real managed to breakaway on the counter and solidify the win with a solo run from the halfway line, sliding past the now injured keeper Hatton. Just so Jordan Henry’s mom is clear on this, it was 1-1 when he came on the pitch.

Poor from AFC, but full credit to Real who belied their low league position to fight harder and come away with a big win for them.

AFC Norton go again next week, this time in the cup away in the Centenary Cup to Bromsgrove Partisan.

Thank you Quinton Bar & Grill for the chips and chicken wings once again 🙌🏻

MotM: Steve “Swagger” Hatton

Just the 264 unedited photos from Nudel Photography from Sunday's BDFL Centenary Cup game between AFC Norton and Rubery memorial F.C. 😅

Match was played on 12/12/2021 at Four Dwellings Academy, and finished 2-0 to AFC Norton.

Home kit sponsors are DriveScape Midlands

Big thank you to Nudel Photography for taking some cracking photos at our game yesterday vs Rubery memorial F.C. It was our final game of 2021 and we won 2-0, with the lads getting a well-earned couple of weeks off.

Home kit sponsored by DriveScape Midlands

Unedited photos by Nudel Photography from a pre-season friendly between AFC Norton and Sheldon Rovers FC back on 1st August 2021, where we ran out as 8-0 winners.

Unedited photos taken by Nudel Photography, from a pre-season friendly between AFC Norton and Sheldon Rovers FC on 01/08/2021

Unedited photos taken by 'Nudel Photography' from a pre-season friendly between AFC Norton and Sheldon Rovers

MATCH REPORT 05/12/2021

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Rubery Memorial 2 – 5 AFC Norton
Opposition Own Goal ⚽️
S. Obodo ⚽️
N. Hancock ⚽️⚽️
J. Richards ⚽️

Assists; J. Timmington x3, D. Mitchell, S. Obodo

In what was only their second competitive fixture in 5 weeks, AFC Norton travelled away to face Rubery Memorial at Austin Sports & Social Club, a reverse of the opening game of the season which saw AFCN edge ahead as 4-3 winners in a tightly contested game. Once again, the majority of this game seemed pretty close, until Norton ran away with it in the last 15 minutes to a 5-2 victory, extending their unbeaten run in Division 2.

With one goalkeeper double-booking himself to referee this Sunday, one goalkeeper out with covid, another now signed up as a Coldstream FC player, and another perpetually serving pints down the Prince of Wales, AFC Norton found themselves having to use their 6th different man between the sticks this season – 5ft small topknot wingback Ryan “The Mouse” Burden volunteering his services as shot-stopper for the 90 minutes.

The freezing, wintery conditions meant that even after their infamous “duck walk” finish to their pre-match warm-up, many Norton players were still ice cold. None personified this more than Mal "Mildly Cold" Mitchell, shivering away under a padded gilet ans woolly hat right up until the ref's whistle at kick-off. Players were fighting over who would be substitutes just to gain shelter on the subs bench from the gusty weather.

You’d be a fool to think that this would lead to a slow start, however. Within the first minute of the game, Norton burst through down the right-hand side, with Nathan “All-Time Top Scorer” Hancock feeding Oliver “Only Scores Penalties” Jones a delicious through-ball, onto which he ran and whipped a ball across the 6-yard box, Shane “Usually Lethal” Obodo unable to connect on this occasion. An encouraging sign, nonetheless.

The opening 20 minutes were fairly end-to-end, but Norton will feel that they had the better of the chances, and certainly the better of possession. AFCN were patient in most of their attacking phases of play, forcing Memorial to create their own chances through counter-attacks only. A number of Norton players got some shots off, but a couple of the best early chances fell to the Obodo Brothers, with Trigg firing a shot just wide of the post and Shane seeing a close-range effort saved by the Rubery keeper.

The persistence paid off, however, when a Norton corner was drifted to the edge of the 6-yard area and, under pressure from Norton attackers, a Memorial player headed the ball back towards his own goal and over his keeper to give AFCN the lead.

The remaining first half continued in this fashion; Norton with most of the possession, but both teams battling well and not really giving much away. The end of the half came, and the own goal was the only thing separating the sides. Norton were warned about being more clinical with chances, but to continue their impressive style of play.

If the first half of this game was a typically freezing December morning, then the second half was a hot summer’s day… on the sun. 6 goals, plenty of meaty tackles, last-ditch defending and some top-notch effort from both sets of players all over the pitch saw a much more exciting 45 minutes to finish the game.

Not long into the second half and Norton were punished for perhaps not being as clinical as they could have been in the first half, as a Rubery Memorial player was able to capitalise on a failed clearance from a corner to volley home from 10 yards and level the game. 1-1.

Sticking to what they know works, Norton continued to play out from their back three, and some tiki-taka play between the midfield and forwards led to Shane “Lethal Once More” Obodo putting Norton back in front, a smart side-foot curling finish after being laid off by Derel “The Mouth” Mitchell.

The Norton tails were back up, and they began to look confident and assured on the ball once more. Another clearance/counter-attack from Memorial sparked panic however, and with Craig “Gazelle” Williams caught higher up the pitch, the task to stop a defender from getting through one-on-one against our stand-in keeper fell to debutant Craig “Into the Thick of It” Reeves. It wasn’t the start to his AFCN career that he would have dreamed of, and Memorial equalised once more for 2-2.

This led to Big Bad Bobby promoting himself to player-manager for a few seconds as he substituted himself off for Craig “I am Groot” Jagger, who had only just come off the pitch himself as a sub 4 minutes prior to this. Was this the turning point? Had Bobby pulled off a feat of managerial genius? The new back three of Craig J, Craig R and Craig W, who will be forever known as “Craig Cubed”, banded together to stop Norton from conceding any more goals from here on out.

You’d be forgiven for thinking our Ryan Burden was a regular keeper as he produced a few smart saves throughout the game, none more important than the fingertip “television save” he made to stop Memorial taking the lead in the second half. Excellent stuff.

With Norton back to keeping the pressure up on Rubery, and trying to keep possession, something had to give. And in the end it was the Memorial defence that did just that. A beautifully floated free-kick from Jason “TAA” (Timmington-Actor-Adam) flew towards a number of targets at the backpost. Multiple Memorial defenders focused on big Craig “Nosferatu” Reeves as the danger man, leaving Nathan “Purple Patch” Hancock free to score his second header from a Jason set-piece in as many games, and put Norton back in front. 3-2.

A few Rubery heads seemed to drop a bit after that, being forced to try and equalise for a third time in the game. AFC Norton capitalised on this, bringing on two sets of fresh legs for the final 25 minutes to really try and push for more. It worked.

Freshly introduced Ben “The Orchestrator” Dugmore slipped straight into the midfield three effortlessly, taking the ball from the defence and producing silky footwork and cheeky one-twos across the pitch, combining well with the attacking players. During one such attack, at almost the 80-minute mark, great play between multiple Norton players resulted in Nathan “Sit Down” Hancock gliding into the box with the ball glued to his feet. He danced his way past defenders, feinting a shot on his right foot and sending one defender out for a hot-dog, before feinting a shot on his left – and the Memorial players must have been hungry because he sent another defender and the keeper out for a hot-dog - before bringing it back onto his right to tap home into the vacant net. Pure filth. 4-2.

The game was won by this point, but the Norton attacks did not stop. And heading into the final five minutes of the game, Timmington completed his hat-trick (of assists) by picking out Joel “The Goal” Richards, who leapt up at the back-post between two defenders to nod in his first for AFCN and their fifth of the game.

A very enjoyable game of football (apart from the temperature), with a very close first half. Many thanks to Rubery and to the referee.

7 goals in the first fixture against Rubery Memorial, 7 goals in the reverse fixture… How many next week then, when AFC Norton host Memorial once more in the Centenary Cup?

MotM: Nathan “Sent Him For A Hot Dog” Hancock



See you next week Quinton Bar & Grill