Next up: Hinckley United. Venue: Rivacre Park. Date: Saturday, March 12: HINCKLEY'S first ever visit to Rivacre Park will be a very special day for Motormen chairman Alan Bartlam.
The Vauxhall supremo was actually born in the Leicestershire town 52 years ago and lived there until he was 10.
While Bartlam has been a stalwart figure in non-league circles in this area for many years, Hinckley was his first football love, although he didn't have much say in it at the time.
He said: 'I've not been able to get to some of the longer midweek away matches this season but there was no way I was going to miss Hinckley. When we played there last month I
was able to stand on the same spot where my Dad had taken me to games when I was a small child. It was the old Hinckley Athletic back then but the ground is the same as it was then.
'It was also great to see some old friends and relatives come to the game too and show their support which I was ensured was for Vauxhall. To make things even better we won 4-1 with what was the best performance I've ever seen in non-league football. It made me so proud to hear comments from local spectators like 'Vauxhall? More like Rolls Royce.'
While the Vauxhall chairman concentrated on his own side's merits, angry home fans felt let down by Hinckley's display that evening.
On the club's independent website the game is described in a very brief but to the point manner by merely inserting the dictionary definition of the word 'embarrassing'.
Bartlam and the Motormen only just made it to Hinckley's old Middlefield Lane ground as the club had hoped to have already moved into their new Marston Stadium.
However, a series of planning problems forced the switch to be put back to last Saturday when Hinckley finally kicked off at their plush new home against Stalybridge Celtic.
The final game at their old ground was against Bradford Park Avenue a week earlier when chairman Kevin Downes admitted supporters for free. Form guide: March 8 W 3-1 v Ashton United (H); March 5 D 1-1 v Stalybridge Celtic (H); Feb 26 W 4-0 v Bradford Park Avenue (H); Feb 23 D 0-0 v Bradford Park Avenue (A); Feb 19 W 2-1 v Runcorn (A).
