THE SAINTS AND VILLAGERS

 

Known as The Saints, founded in 1897 and reformed 1945, they play at Ground Hall Park, a stadium with 5,000 seats! Darren Wildman is the 5th manager this season and with 219 goals against and a heavy defeat of 0-18 (a half time of 0-12) recently, there is much to impove.  I couldn't find any junior sides or female teams. Maybe that's the problem.

Through this season, the club has gone through 5 managers and 90 players. They have played in front of over 900 spectators, so there is some money to help?

Finances have been affected by Covid and hiring the New Saints Stadium in Oswestry, so there is little money around to attract better players!

The club was established in the 19th century and were playing in the Oswestry & District League by 1897. They were league champions in 1919–20 and won the Village Cup in 1930–31. The club was renamed St Martins United in the early 1930s, before becoming Greyhound Rangers in 1935 when playing at a field next to the Greyhound Inn pub. They moved across the border and joined the Cefn & District League. However, despite winning the League Cup in 1936–37, the club did not play again until 1939. War??

In 2017-18 the club entered the FA Vase for the first time. St Martins finished in 4th position in Div 1, following a 21-game unbeaten run. During this successful spell under manager Dan Stevens, Saints lifted the Div 1 League Cup to earn their first silverware in the West Midlands Regional League. St Martins FC progressed to step 6 football after being accepted into the North West Counties Division One South for the 2018-19 season, joining other local teams Oswestry Town and Ellesmere Rangers in making the move to North West Football. The 2021–22 season however saw the team finish bottom of the table and relegated.

This season is the club's 125th year, so there is hope for something special to happen. The committee is happy that there is a positive feeling in the club despite the dreadful results and there is a mentality of "togetherness", which is helping the club fulfil its fixtures and show off their sporty kit!

The last fixture was against the Isle of Man at The Bowl (below), Douglas,  a 9-0 win.

Next fixture? A league game versus Barnton, The Villagers, a busy club near Northwich, Cheshire, with 16 teams from adult to junior boys and girls.