Tomorrow, Manager Andy Parkes faces his last new opposition of the season in Kington Town. Kington are one of the oldest clubs in Herefordshire and currently run three senior teams, the first team which is Saturday’s opposition managed by Sam Bowen, a reserve team run in conjunction with a Colts team that was started this season. Both the reserve and the Colts teams play within The Hereford Football Association County Leagues. The Club also runs a vibrant and successful youth section feeding the adult and senior youth teams, offering natural progression for youngsters.

The Club since 1990 has played in the Mid-Wales League until 1996, when they achieved their most successful finishing 5th in the Premier Division. At the start of the 1996/97 Kington Town decided a new challenge was needed at a higher standard and joined Division One South in the West Midlands (Regional) League. They finished top of the Division in their first season winning promotion to Premier Division for the beginning of the 1997/98 Season.

After another successful first season finishing fourth Kington pressed on winning the Premier League in 1998/99 scoring 120 goals in a 40 game season. They continued to be successful in following years with 2nd & 3rd place finish.

However, following a poor season in 2005/06 where they finished bottom but one in the relegation places, Kington Town decided they would return to The Hereford Premier Division to consolidate the Club and rely on locally based players, ensuring that there was confidence in progression through the teams within the Club into the first team.

In 2014 Kington felt that their Club was in a strong enough position to return to The West Midlands (Regional) League. In their inaugural season after being placed in Division Two they again finished champions losing four games and earning promotion into Division One where they have since remained, finishing 7th in 2015/16 and 15th last Season.

Kington Town enters the weekends fixtures in 15th place having played 22 games, won 5, drawn 1, lost 16 with a goal difference of minus 25 achieving 16 points.

The Season started for Kington Town with three home games on the trot beating Wrens Nest 5-3 in the opening game of the season but losing 4-1 to Newport and 2-1 to St.Martins in subsequent weeks. The last game of the month saw a 3-1 reversal at Team Dudley.

Travelling again to the Black Country in the first Saturday of September saw another loss at Tipton Town 4-2, defeats in the following three weeks against Telford Juniors 2-1, a long journey to Wem returning on the end of a 1-0 loss and 2-0 home defeat to Worcester Raiders.

The last Saturday in September saw Kington Town achieve their second win of the Season a 3-0 away win at Wyrley.

October was not a kind month to Kington, playing four games including a Hereford County Cup game and losing all four – 4-2 loss at home to Bromyard Town, 4-1 mid-week reversal to West Midlands Premier League Side Pegasus Juniors in the Hereford County Cup followed by a 3-0 loss at Gornal Athletic and by the same core the following week at Shropshire based Allscott.

November’s three games saw two more losses and their third win of the season. The win 3-0 achieved at home against bottom side Willenhall Town but losses at Bromyard 4-0 and a home defeat by Bustleholme 3-1.

December saw only two games mainly because of the weather. 3-1 away loss at Newport followed by the last game of 2017, a close 3-2 reversal at The Cottage when facing Willenhall Town.

2018 started brightly a great 3-2 win at home against Team Dudley, followed by a 3-0 away win at Telford Juniors. The run was sadly brought to an end the last weekend of January where Kington faced probably their largest journey of the year to St. Martins and returned home on the end of a 6-0 loss.

Two home games this month have resulted in a 4-2 loss to high flying Wem and a 0-0 draw last week against Wyrley.

Irrespective of any team’s performances so far in a Season and their League position it does not matter in this seasons’ Division One. It has become apparent as this season has unfolded that every single team, on their day, is more than capable of beating everyone in the Division.

Therefore, as always, Manager Parkes and his squad will need to have prepared correctly and be in the right frame of mind and switched on for the game tomorrow. Failure to be 100% at any of the former will result in a performance that we witnessed at Allscott two weeks ago.

We look forward to seeing you all at the Paycare Ground tomorrow, kick-off is 2.00 p.m. Do not forget that the bar is open late morning and will be serving hot food prior to the game.

Why not bring your friends and family down, have a lunch in pleasant warm surroundings before taking in the game.