Top status sees cup kings soar

The Glassboys – who’ve made headlines around the world this season for their history-making run to the third round of the Emirates FA Cup – are celebrating again after the FA confirmed they’d maintained their FA Charter Standard Community Club status following the club’s annual health check.

The highest rung on the benchmark FA progamme’s ladder, the EVO-STIK NPL Premier Division club was first awarded the status at the War Memorial Ground in 2010 before it was renewed last week following weeks of work by officials and volunteers.

The Glassboys say the status has helped the club to “explode” in size and contributed to the success of events like last season’s Stourbridge Legends versus West Bromwich Albion Legends charity fundraising match and fun day for the Mary Stevens Hospice which attracted more than 2,000 fans and is set to be repeated again this season on Sunday 2 April.

Stourbridge secretary Clive Eades said: “Thanks to everyone for the hard work that went into our annual heath check to ensure we maintained the FA’s Community Club Status that we are so proud of.

“Since I’ve been involved from 2011, the club has ‘exploded’ in size from the first team and the youth team only to now having 28 teams playing as Stourbridge FC, including both boys and girls teams from under 8s upwards, two ladies sides, the youth team in the Midland Floodlit Youth League Team and the first team in the EVO-STIK NPL, plus plans to expand even further for the 2017-18 season.

“Obviously, our successful FA Cup runs over recent seasons have increased our club's profile and helped showcase the NPL as well and we are receiving more and more enquiries to the club from players of all ages, genders and abilities looking at becoming part of the Stourbridge FC ‘family’.

“We are also seeing more general interest in the club, merchandise sales have increased this season and attendances at our first team home games are increasing year on year to our current league average of 800, and whilst we try and promote our town in the best possible manner, the support we are receiving back from everyone in the town is absolutely brilliant to see.”

He added: “To see supporters of all ages, both the young and the older generation, all wearing home and away replica shirts, polo shirts, hoodies, coats, scarves, hats etc around the town and at home and at away fixtures is fantastic to see; long may it continue!”

The Glassboys, who will also collect two sets of free kit and balls from the FA for maintaining their status, are looking for 11 mascots, up to 100 pitch side mascots and four “extra special young people” to act as flag-bearers at April’s charity fundraising day which is expected to attract a host of top stars and celebrities again and will also include a sporting memorabilia auction.

To nominate a child to be involved, email Amanda Bowen on amanda@mshfundraising.co.uk.

For more information on the Mary Stevens Hospice visit:
www.marystevenshospice.co.uk

For more information on the FA Charter Standard Programme visit: www.thefa.com/charterstandard.

Images courtesy of theFA.com & www.stourbridgefc.com

Follow us: @evostikleague on Twitter | Facebook www.facebook.com/evostikleague