It was an incredibly proud day for Solihull Moors Walking Football Club on Sunday 16th August 2026, as five members of our highly successful Over 65s squad represented their respective countries in the Walking Football Masters World Cup in South Wales. And what better stage could there be than an England versus Ireland World Cup Final ? Solihull Moors were remarkably well represented on both sides. Ken Dyas and Over 65s captain Graham Liddiard represented England , while Martin Sharkey, John McGinnell and Mick O’Dwyer represented Ireland . For five players from the same club squad to be involved at international level is an achievement in itself. For all five to be part of the two teams competing for a world title is something everyone connected with Solihull Moors Walking Football Club can be immensely proud of. With international honours at stake, the final proved every bit as competitive as expected. There was very little separating England and Ireland throughout the contest, with both teams producing some excellent walking football and opportunities at either end. Remarkably, the decisive moment came from a player very familiar to everyone at Solihull Moors. Just a couple of minutes into the game, Graham Liddiard struck for England , scoring what would ultimately prove to be the only goal of the World Cup Final. The Solihull Moors Over 65s captain has enjoyed another tremendous season at club level and once again demonstrated his goalscoring ability, this time on the international stage when it mattered most. Ireland refused to allow the early setback to dictate the game and pushed hard in search of an equaliser. They came agonisingly close when a superb effort struck the woodwork, while both goalkeepers were called upon to make excellent saves as the final remained finely balanced. The longer the match continued, the more important Liddiard’s early strike became. Ireland continued to press, but England held firm and eventually secured a narrow 1-0 victory , with Graham’s goal proving enough to decide the destination of the Masters World Cup trophy. While there could ultimately only be one winning team, from a Solihull Moors perspective the occasion was about much more than the final result. Seeing Martin Sharkey, John McGinnell, Mick O’Dwyer, Ken Dyas and Graham Liddiard representing their countries on such a prestigious stage was a tremendous moment for the club. These are five players who regularly train, compete and share a dressing room together for Solihull Moors. On this occasion, however, they found themselves pulling on different international shirts and competing against one another for a world title. It is difficult to think of a better demonstration of the standard that the Solihull Moors Over 65s squad has reached. Congratulations go to Graham and Ken on England’s World Cup victory, and equally to Martin, John and Mick for their achievement in helping Ireland reach the final and pushing England all the way. When the final whistle sounded, the result may have divided the five players temporarily, but they will soon be back together wearing the yellow and blue of Solihull Moors. There will not be much time for our international players to put their feet up. Attention will now return to club football as the Solihull Moors Over 65s prepare for another major challenge — the National Cup Finals at Nottingham University on Sunday 6th September 2026 . Six teams will compete in the Over 65s age group in a final round-robin competition to determine the 2026 National Cup champions. Solihull Moors will travel to Nottingham full of confidence following another remarkable season, and having five members of the squad return from representing England and Ireland in a Masters World Cup Final only underlines the quality and experience available within the team. It promises to be another special occasion for a group of players who have already achieved so much together. Whatever happens at Nottingham, having five Solihull Moors Walking Football players involved in an England versus Ireland World Cup Final is an achievement the entire club can celebrate. Five players. Two countries. One club. A fantastic achievement for Solihull Moors Walking Football Club — and further evidence of the remarkable strength of our Over 65s squad.
What a day for our mascots on Saturday! They kicked things off with an amazing meet & greet with the players, autograph cards in hand, questions ready, and plenty of photo moments with the squad. The smiles said it all. From there, they headed into the media room, where Mark, our stadium announcer, gave them the full experience. Each mascot took the mic and spoke to the fans across the ground. A huge confidence boost and a moment they’ll never forget. Next stop: the 3G pitch, where former Moors player Tyrone Williams delivered an energetic and exciting coaching session. The mascots absolutely loved it. At half‑time, they were invited back onto the 3G to enjoy sandwiches and snacks prepared by the Foundation Team, giving them a chance to refuel and chat about their favourite moments of the day. And to top it all off, here’s what one parent had to say: “ Thank you to H and the Foundation for a fantastic experience for our kids and our friends’ children on Saturday, being mascots at the Moors game. Getting a tour, meeting the players and even speaking on the Tanoy, to coaching on the astro turf, then mascots for the walk out and finally having some half-time refreshments, it was a fantastic day….. the kids will never forget it!” Hearing feedback like this means everything and we hope it inspires even more young people to come forward and enjoy the mascot experience with us. 💛💙
TICKETS Season Tickets Season tickets are not valid for this fixture. All tickets can be claimed here Opening times and turnstile access The car park will open at 5:00 pm The box office for ticket collection will be open from 5:30 pm The turnstiles will be open from 5:30pm for home and away supporters to gain entry into the stadium. When you purchase a match ticket, you must sit or stand in the area where you bought your ticket. The main bar and the Trevor Stevens Bar will be open at 5:30 pm. Hospitality/Executive Boxes Hospitality doors for this fixture will open at 5:30 pm. Junior Tickets 14-year-olds and under must be accompanied by a full-paying adult on the day of the match; otherwise, U14 ticket holders may be refused entry to the venue: to turn up to the match without a full-paying adult is a safeguarding issue. SAFEGUARDING RE ADMISSION: Note for reference, those supporters aged 14 and under MUST be accompanied by an adult to enter the ground, i.e. individual must be 14 or over. REFRESHMENTS Supporters can purchase alcohol and refreshments from the Main Bar and the Trevor Stevens Suite. There will be food available at: Hot Food Bar in the old reception GETTING HERE PARKING The Car Park is open from 5.00 pm Please do not park on the Damson Parkway dual carriageway – this is a red route and parking here is strictly prohibited. Supporters will receive tickets for parking illegally, so we stress the importance of utilising the NCP Car Park and planning your journey well in advance. If fans forget to pay before leaving, they will still be able to pay via Post Pay within 24 hours of exiting the car park however this will charge them the original tariff. Failure to pay will result in a Parking Charge. To learn more, including tariffs and PostPay, please visit: https://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/parking/freeport-car-park . Any supporters' coaches must drop fans off at the NCP parking point, as the Damson Parkway dual carriageway is a red route. It is at the coach driver’s discretion to drop supporters off on the red route; supporters must then walk from the NCP Car Park to the stadium. Travel by Bus The X12 bus runs to the ground every 15/20 minutes from Solihull Town Centre, the NCP and Birmingham International. In night matches, this increases to every 30 minutes. Click here to view the X12 bus route, stops and full timetable . Travel by Train Solihull Railway Station is served by trains from Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone. The ground is situated two and a half miles away from the station in a roughly north-easterly direction. Birmingham International Station is roughly one and a half miles from the ground and is on the Euston to Birmingham New Street line. Kick It Out You can report an incident of discrimination via the Kick It Out App, which can be used on iPhone and Android devices. Phone – 0800 169 9414 Twitter - @kickitout , or by contacting the organisation’s Reporting Officers on @kickitoutreport. Solihull Moors Supporters Association Click here to find out more about the Solihull Moors Supporters Association.
Opposition Overview Chris Millington’s Solihull Moors are set to take a break from league action, with the Moors set to face Middlesbrough’s Under 21s side, who are managed by Lead Coach Mark Tinkler. This National League Cup fixture is set to be played at Damson Park on the evening of Tuesday 18th August. Boro’s most recent game saw them take on Hartlepool United in the same competition away from home at Victoria Park. It was a ruthless and clinical display from Tinkler’s outfit, who won 10 -0 in the end, with his side also dominating possession. There were four goals for Frankie Coulson, whilst the likes of Layton Campbell, Ezra Tika-Lemba, Dan James, Lucca Kakai, and Lucas Harrison also scored. Last season they finished in 16th place in the Premier League 2 with 27 points from 20 games before then being knocked out at the Round of 16 stage thanks to what was a narrow 1 – 0 defeat against Chelsea even after the Blues went down to ten men. Middlesbrough Football Club were founded all the way back in 1876 by members of the local Middlesbrough Cricket Club during a meeting that took place at the Albert Park Hotel. Their first officially recorded game took place a year later against Teesside Wanderers in 1877, which ended in a 1 – 1 draw at the Archery Ground in Albert Park. The honour of the club’s first goal goes to Jackson Ewbank. In 1899, Boro were officially elected to the English Football League via Division Two. Following an opening defeat against Lincoln City and a maiden victory against Grimsby Town at home, Middlesbrough went on to eventually achieve promotion to Division One in 1902, whilst only conceding 24 goals in the process over the course of the season. This remains a club record. A year later, they moved to Ayresome Park, beating Celtic in a pre-season game in what was their first match there. Then, in 1914, they achieved their best ever league position by coming third in the First Division. During the 1966 FIFA World Cup, Boro’s home hosted several matches during the tournament, including fixtures that involved nations like Russia, Italy, North Korea, and Chile. In 1974, Jack Charlton took charge of Boro in his first-ever season in management, leading his side to become title winners in the Second Division with what was a record number of points at the time, 65. We then fast forward to 1988; Middlesbrough were then in the middle of a revival, achieving what would be a second consecutive promotion, which saw them make their return to Division One, doing so with wins in the play-offs against teams like Bradford City and Chelsea. Following his appointment back in 1994, Bryan Robson led Boro to the Division One title, then the second tier. They also said a fond farewell to Ayresome Park before moving to their current home, the Riverside Stadium. They would go on to sign Juninho, as well as the likes of Fabrizio Ravanelli and Nick Barmby for fees of £7 million and £5.75 million respectively. Moving on to 2004, it was a tremendous year for the club’s academy, with the club’s youngsters lifting that season’s FA Youth Cup. That year was also highly successful for the first team as well, with the club securing its first piece of silverware in the form of the Carling Cup, now the League Cup, at the Millennium Stadium. They had beaten Bolton Wanderers 2 – 1 in the Welsh Capital of Cardiff. Then, in 2005, they played their first games in Europe via the UEFA Cup, where they faced teams like the Czech Republic’s Banik Ostrava, winning 3 – 0. That season’s Premiership saw Boro finish 7th, their highest finish to date, whilst also securing a place in the UEFA Cup for the second consecutive season. In the 2006/07 UEFA Cup, Middlesbrough were able to beat the likes of Roma, Stuttgart, Basel, and Romanian outfit Steaua Bucharest before getting to the final, where they would go on to lose 4 – 0 in the Dutch city of Eindhoven against Spanish outfit Sevilla. In 2009, Boro were relegated from the Premier League after an eleven year stay in England’s top flight. Middlesbrough did not secure their return to the Premier League until 2016 when they secured second place in the Championship under the stewardship of Spaniard Aitor Karanka. Their promotion was secured in the end via a 1 – 1 draw on the final day against Brighton. They were immediately relegated, with Karanka also being relieved of his duties and first team boss. In the years that have followed, Middlesbrough have come close on numerous occasions, but have yet to secure promotion from England’s second tier. Last season, under the stewardship of current First Team boss Kim Hellberg, they ended up finishing in 5th place with 80 points to their name after 46 matches. After securing passage to the Final at Wembley following controversy surrounding Southampton, they narrowly lost 1 – 0 in the capital against Sergej Jakirovic. The winning goal came from their Scottish striker Oliver McBurnie in second half stoppage time. In the opposition dugout – Mark Tinkler Mark Tinkler is the current Lead Coach of Middlesbrough’s Under 21s team, having been in charge ever since he was appointed back in December 2021. Before that, he had previously been in charge of Boro’s Under 18s, watching over the development of many of the club’s emerging talent in the academy. Some have since made it to the club’s first team. Tinkler is also a former professional footballer, having made more than 400 appearances over a period of 17 years, from 1993 to 2010. He represented the likes of Leeds United (1993 - 1997), York City (1997 - 1999), Southend United (1999 - 2000), Hartlepool United (2000 - 2007), Livingston (2007 - 2008), Whitby Town (2008), Shildon (2008 - 2009), Esh Winning (2009 - 2010), and finally Newton Aycliffe (2010). Key Player – Frankie Coulson Frankie Coulson is one of the standout players for the Middlesbrough Under 21s side, with the forward scoring as many as four goals in their recent 10 – 0 National League Cup game against Hartlepool United last time out. Born in Hartlepool, Coulson joined Middlesbrough at Under 10s level. For the Under 18s, he was able to score 7 goals in 18 games before then making his Under 21s debut against Aston Villa in the same year as he made the step up to the club’s Under 18s team. In the 2024/25 campaign, he was a standout player, scoring no less than 12 goals in his 14 appearances in the Premier League North; he also made 14 appearances in the Premier League 2 for the Under 21s side. He was awarded the club’s prestigious Academy Scholar of the Season award for his exceptional efforts in the 2024/25 campaign. During the recent 2025/26 season, he was sent out on loan to Morpeth Town of the Northern Premier League Premier Division. That season, his club got relegated down to the Northern Premier League Division One East following a 20th place finish. He only scored one goal, but only spent a month on loan at the club before returning to Middlesbrough’s Under 21s side. In 2025/26, he was able to score two goals whilst also getting 6 assists in 18 appearances in the Premier League 2. Opposition Preview written by Adam Holt
In the first home game of the new season, 22nd place Solihull Moors welcomed the 19th placed Boston United to Damson Park, with 898 spectators in attendance. The first meaningful chance of the game happened on the 17th minute, when a fast counter attacking move resulted with a fantastic through ball to Joe Sbarra who was bearing down on goal, only to be denied from a superb save from Louis Chadwick, low to his right hand side. On the 28th minute, Boston United took the lead. A poor headed clearance on the right hand side dropped to Lennon Wheeldon, who advanced onto the edge of the box and curled it with his right foot, delightfully into the bottom left corner going in off the post. Solihull 0 - 1 Boston. Boston United doubled their lead on the 48th minute. After some great hold up play from Tom Cursons, the Boston forward played a cutting through ball in search of Kenneth Aboh. Aboh was one on one with the on rushing goalkeeper and slotted the ball into the right corner. Solihull 0- 2 Boston. After losing possession of the ball on the right hand side, Boston were awarded a penalty on the 80th minute. The referee judged Lennon Wheeldon was nudged in the back. The resulting penalty was taken by Tom Cursons and was saved brilliantly with his feet by Max Metcalfe who then instinctively reacted to stop the second effort off the line. The score remains Solihull 0 - 2 Boston This defeat means that The Moors have slipped to 23rd in the table after the back to back defeats and Boston United climbing to 10th. The Moors will face Middlesbrough Under 21s at Damson Park in their opening National League Cup group C fixture on Tuesday 18th August kicking off at 19:00. Middlesbrough currently sit top of the group after winning 10-0 in their first game of the tournament. Match report written by Bryan Connolly
M42 Closed From 9pm on Friday 14 August until 5am Monday 17 August 2026. M42 between junctions 6 to 9 northbound and 9 to 6 southbound (including M6 J4a southbound link to M42 in both directions). M6 northbound J3a link to M6toll T1 and M6 Toll southbound from T2.
