Nickname: The Yeltz
Directions to ground: Click here to open link
Website: https://www.ht-fc.co.uk/
Last meeting: Away 3-2 defeat; 2008/09 Southern League Premier
Previous meetings: External link to Fishponder’s site
History: (wikipedia)
The club was established in 1873 and joined the Birmingham & District League in 1892, finishing bottom of the league in their first season. They finished bottom of the league again in 1904–05 and dropped out of the league, before returning in 1906. After another last-place finish in 1910–11 the club transferred to the Birmingham Combination. They finished bottom of the new league for the next two seasons and left after finishing second-from-bottom in 1913–14.
Halesowen rejoined the Birmingham Combination in 1919 and were renamed Halesowen Town in 1926. They finished bottom of the league in 1926–27 but remained members of the competition until 1939. In 1946 they rejoined the Birmingham & District League and won their first-ever league title in 1946–47.In 1955–56 the club reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 4–2 at home to Hendon in front of a record crowd of 5,000. However, after finishing in the bottom three the following season, they were relegated to Division Two.
A third-place finish in 1957–58 saw Halesowen promoted back to Division One. In 1960 the league reverted to a single division and in 1962 it was renamed the West Midlands (Regional) League. The club were runners-up in 1964–65, and when the league gained a second division at the end of the season, they were placed in the Premier Division. In 1982–83 they were Premier Division champions, also reaching the FA Vase final, losing 1–0 to Rugby at Wembley. They went on to retain the title for the next three seasons, and reached the final of the FA Vase again in 1985 and 1986, winning on both occasions; in the 1984–85 final they beat Fleetwood Town 3–1 and in 1985–86 they won 3–0 against Southall. The 1985–86 season also saw the club reach the first round of the FA Cup for the second time, eventually losing 3–1 to Frickley Athletic in a replay. After their fourth consecutive title in 1985–86 the club moved up to the Midland Division of the Southern League.
Halesowen made further appearances in the first round of the FA Cup in 1987–88 and again in 1988–89 when they played Football League opposition for the first time, losing 2–0 at Brentford. They won the Midland Division in 1989–90, earning promotion to the Premier Division, with another FA Cup first round appearance ending in a 1–0 defeat at Cardiff City. They went on to meet Tranmere Rovers in the first round in 1990–91, losing 2–1, and Farnborough Town in 1991–92, losing 4–0 in a replay.
Halesowen were Premier Division runners-up in 1995–96, missing out on the title and promotion to the Football Conference by three points. However, the early 2000s saw the club yo-yo between the divisions. In 2004–05 another FA Cup first round appearance ended with a 2–1 defeat at Yeading. In 2007–08 the club finished third in the Premier Division, qualifying for the promotion play-offs; after beating Chippenham Town 2–1 in the semi-finals, they lost 2–1 to Team Bath in the final.
The 2010–11 season saw Halesowen finish bottom of the Premier Division, resulting in relegation to Division One South & West. In 2012 they were transferred to Division One South of the Northern Premier League, which they won in 2013–14, earning promotion to the league’s Premier Division. The club were transferred to the Premier Central division of the Southern League at the end of the 2017–18 season as part of the restructuring of the non-League pyramid.