Moors, Boro' bid for merger

Jan 21 2007

MOOR Green and Solihull Borough have applied to the Football Association to merge.

The announcement was made by Moors' secretary Nigel Collins during a public meeting at Hall Green Baptist Church yesterday.

Should the FA give the merger the green light, then the newlyformed club will ply their trade in the Nationwide Conference North from Damson Park, currently the home of BGB Midlands Division outfit Solihull.

The plan is to sell off Moor Green's original home, the Moorlands, in Sherwood Road, Hall Green, to help pay off existing debts and finance the new club.

Moors have been sharing Damson Park with Boro for the last two years after their main stand was targeted by arsonists in January 2005.

Addressing a 100-strong audience, Mr Collins called the merger "a heaven-sent opportunity to put the football club on a sound financial basis".

He added: "We approached three clubs with a view to merging and all of them were keen.

"But there was unanimous support for the approach to Solihull Borough.

"An application has been made to the FA to continue to play in the Nationwide Conference North and we await their decision.

"The merger can only be achieved by the sale of Sherwood Road. This will be a win-win situation. Without this support the club will die."

Other options open to Moor Green included a move back to the Moorlands, financed by the part-sale of the ground, or the complete sale of their 106-year-old home to finance a new location.

However, Mr Collins insisted that both options were not financially viable.

It is still not clear which name the club will adopt should the FA give the proposal the thumbs-up.

The meeting had originally been organised by Councillor Paula Smith (Lib Dem, Hall Green) after residents, blighted by anti-social behaviour, had called for something to be done to the derelict Moorlands.

The ground is owned by Moor Green FC but the club are indebted to chairman Ian Childs who has already pumped over £1 million into the set-up.

While Moors have suffered a miserable struggle to attract fans, their performances on the pitch have raised eyebrows.

Last season Bob Faulkner's men finished in their highest ever league position and lifted the Worcestershire Senior Cup, while this campaign has seen the Moors make a play-off charge.

Meanwhile Solihull Borough, who have one of the lowest budgets in the BGB Midlands Division, are also vying for a play-off spot.