Midweek match: Moor Green. Venue: Damson Park (Solihull). Date: Tuesday, February 22: THE Motormen face their second trip beyond Birmingham in the space of four days but not to Moor Green's Moorlands home.
The main stand at their ground was severely damaged by fire on Tuesday, January 25, in what is believed to have been a deliberate attack.
Moor Green's players and staff were in the nearby dressing rooms at the time but managed to escape unhurt.
With their facilities gutted, Moor Green have been forced to move for the remainder of the season and are now playing their home fixtures at neighbouring Solihull Borough.
Formed in 1901, Moor Green had been at Moorlands since 1930 and in its heyday, the ground was one of the finest non-league venues in the Midlands. Major changes took place in the 1980s as safety regulations forced a demolition of several banks of terracing and the playing surface was adjusted by 90 degrees to enable increased car parking.
A record crowd of 5,000 saw Moor Green play Romford in the 1951 FA Amateur Cup but some of the club's most glorious moments came back in the 1930s when they faced top class continental opposition.
The club embarked on a series of European tours, the highlight of which was victory in the Verviers Trophy in 1933 and 1937. The competition pitted English amateur sides with professional outfits from Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands and was hosted by Ajax.
The biggest attendance ever for a match featuring Moor Green was at Amsterdam's Olympic Stadium when 15,000 saw them lose 3-1 to Ajax.
Famous alumni have included Ian Taylor and David Busst whose career was famously cut short by a horrific leg break at Old Trafford.
Form guide: Feb 12 L 0-2 Lancaster City (H); Feb 8 D 2-2 v Stalybridge Celtic (A); Feb 5 D 1-1 v Bradford (A); Jan 22 W 3-1 v Ashton United (A); Jan 15 W 1-0 v Bradford (H).
