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Football club makes a difference


On the ball: Arthur Dawes (left) and Joan Smith with Moors’ players Victoria Grieve and Oladapo Afolayan


By Philip Parkin


A Midlands soccer club founded just ten years ago – and which is just one step away from the football league – has become the latest patron of Solihull Chamber. Solihull Moors FC is a merger between the


former Solihull Borough and Moor Green football clubs, both of which have lengthy – and sometimes linked – histories. Borough was formed in 1953 but 46 years


later the club was forced to sell its Widney Lane ground to property developers and moved in with neighbours Moor Green, until the purchase of its current home, Damson Park, in 1999. Moor Green was formed in 1901 and worked


its way up the football ladder to the-then Conference North, the league below what is today the National League, the unofficial fifth tier of English football. Moor Green suffered two devastating arson


attacks at their Moorlands ground in Hall Green in 2005, which left the club homeless. They became tenants of Solihull Borough at Damson Park, but with each club struggling to secure gates big enough to survive, a merger seemed the obvious solution. Thus, in the summer of 2007, Solihull Moors


Football Club was born, and in 2016 the new club won promotion to the National League. Moors’ marketing manager Arthur Dawes said:


“Along the way, the Moors have become more than just a football club. The club focuses not just on football but all aspects of well-being for


34 CHAMBERLINK February 2018


the residents of the borough. “We realised that we were in a privileged


position as a football club to make a difference and to engage the community through football. “Community Moors was born in 2013 and its


off the field activities are now as important as the success of the senior team. We started by bringing football to all the children who wanted to be involved and now have over 50 junior teams for girls and boys, we run summer football camps and its trained staff work in local schools to promote healthy life styles and combat obesity


‘The club focuses not just on football but all aspects of well-being for the residents of the borough’


“Simultaneously, we partnered the council and


the local police to introduce our social inclusion policy to the poorer parts of the borough. Every person who wants to be involved in the game – but was denied the chance for whatever reason – can now realise their dream. “Last year Moors hosted the first ever


‘Community Moors Tournament’ with the social inclusion sections of professional clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Everton – it was a big success. “The disabled section boasts five teams and


has been invited to participate in the prestigious George Best Community Cup in Belfast – a tournament attracting all the major clubs for disabled players. Moors players will gain many


skills – social, independence and football.” Among those travelling to Belfast will be the


club’s first disability manager, Charlie Fogarty, who has just become one of the youngest ever recipients of the MBE at 21 years of age. The award was made to him for services to young people in the Midlands. Charlie is the son of the club’s sporting


director, Mark Fogarty, and as a teenager was a promising player at the Blues academy. However, his career was cut short by a devastating car accident, which nearly killed him and left him with debilitating injuries. With his football career over, Mark is not only


the Moors’ disability manager, but travels around the country giving motivational speeches at football academies. Arthur said: “He epitomises everything this


club is about. It is hard to believe that Moors Football Academy is only two years old – it has been an ‘unprecedented success’ within its plan to develop and progress the most talented young players in the region. Five players have already been snapped up by football league clubs.” Solihull Chamber director Joan Smith said: “I


am delighted to welcome Solihull Moors on board as a patron of Solihull Chamber. I think it is fantastic for us to work together to promote the club to families and local businesses. “It will be a great opportunity to bring the


community together, not only for their league matches but also for local schools and youth groups and businesses, to avail of the facilities for training, fun days and corporate events.”


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