Highgate United F.C.
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| Full name | Highgate United Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Gate | ||
| Founded | 1948[1] | ||
| Ground |
The Coppice Shirley Solihull | ||
| Capacity | 2,000 | ||
| Manager | Ashley Pulisciano | ||
| League | Midland League Premier Division | ||
| 2015–16 | Midland League Premier Division, 9th | ||
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Highgate United F.C. is an English football club that originated from the Highgate area of Birmingham and moved to the Shirley district of Solihull in the early 1960s. The club joined the Worcestershire Combination Division Two in 1964 and is now currently a member of the Midland League Premier Division at the ninth tier of English football.
History
Formed in 1948, Highgate joined the Worcestershire Combination in 1964, initially in Division Two, and gained promotion to Division One at the first attempt.
In 1967, Highgate played Enfield in the quarter-finals of the FA Amateur Cup. Midway through the first half, which was being played in heavy rain, a lightning strike saw several players collapse. One player, the Highgate centre half Tony Allden, did not recover consciousness and died the next day in hospital.[2] As a gesture of goodwill and sympathy, Aston Villa agreed to host the replay of the game concerned. They also donated a new set of Aston Villa kit to Highgate United to use in the match, which ended with a 6–0 victory for Enfield. The replayed game drew an attendance of over 30,000 at Villa Park.[3] He is commemorated by one of the Midland Combination's cup competitions, the Tony Allden Memorial Cup.[4]
The most successful period in the club's history was the mid-1970s. The club won the league championship (by now known as the Midland Combination for three consecutive seasons between 1972 and 1975 and also experienced its best runs in the FA Cup, FA Amateur Cup and FA Trophy within this three-year period.
Following a 25-year planning battle, in 1997 floodlights were eventually turned on at the club's Tythe Barn Lane ground.
More success came Gate's way in 2007, when they became the first team from the Birmingham and Solihull area to win the Coventry Evening Telegraph Cup. The following season the club were promoted to the Midland Football Alliance after finishing as runners-up in the Midland Combination Premier Division. Despite a promising first season in the MFA, the cash-strapped Gate have been involved in relegation battles, but under the guidance of Peter Frain, Mark Burge and Keith Checketts the club always managed to avoid relegation.
Following its near extinction the club was aided by volunteers who helped renovate the clubhouse and ex-Studley boss Lee Adams was appointed first team manager. Under Lee Adams, a rejuvenated Highgate finished 3rd in the Midland Football League Premier Division, which had replaced the Alliance. Despite their highest ever finish, Highgate United were relegated on ground grading issues. Lee Adams resigned and was replaced by former Solihull Moors player Gary Birch, however after 10 games Birch moved on to Lichfield City and Ashley Pulisciano was appointed manager, aided by assistant James Francis. In the 2014-15 season the Gate went on to have their most successful season for over 40 years, winning the Division One championship and the Smedley Crooke Memorial Cup and were also losing finalists in the Worcestershire Urn. Off the pitch vast improvements to the club's home ground by Chris Hughes and a team of volunteers got the facilities back up to standard and Highgate United were duly promoted back to the Midland Football League Premier Division.
Club records
- Best league performance: 3rd in the Midland Alliance 2013–14
- Best FA Cup performance: 4th qualifying round, 1973–74
- Best FA Amateur Cup performance: Semi-finals, 1972–73
- Best FA Trophy performance: 3rd round proper, 1974–75
- Best FA Vase performance: 2nd round proper, 2004–05
References
Coordinates: 52°23′20.52″N 1°50′45.01″W / 52.3890333°N 1.8458361°W