Our Bumper Pre-Seaon Preview – all you need to know!
The Yeltz begin the 2026/27 season with a seven game pre-season schedule.
Filled with four home games, as well as away trips to Lye, Wolverhampton & Malvern, and we have you covered with team/ticket information ahead of our pre-season contests taking place across the next month
Lye Town
Our first pre-season game pits the Yeltz up against local step 5 side Lye Town. The Flyers finished 9th last season in The Capelli Sport MFL Premier Division. Their first season at the level since 2022/23 after being relegated in 2025.
The two sides haven’t met in a friendly since the Yeltz went to The Sports Ground on 23rd July 2019, where we played out a 1-1 draw shortly before we started our season, having been relegated the season prior. The last meeting was in the Birmingham Senior Cup Third Round. Again away from home, we fell to a 2-1 defeat in November 2023 under the management of Paul Smith.
The Black County side had just one player feature in all 34 of their league games last season. That man, striker Alfie Steward, scored nine goals in the process. Fellow striker Alfie Didlock missed just one league game, and was their top scorer throughout the league campaign with 12 goals. Midfielders Nat Dixon & Danny Cartwright were key to the middle of the park, making 33 & 31 league appearances respectively, while attacking midfielder Elliott Ball made 31 and scored eight times. All five have stayed with the club for the 26/27 campaign.
Our very own teenage keeper Gael Mfuamba was the key man in net for the Flyers for the majority of the season, having played 24 league matches. He kept six clean sheets. Richard Ball has retained a total of 12 players for the upcoming season. The five detailed above, alongside: defenders Sam Hall, Ewan Edwards & Martin Slevin, midfielder Callum McKenna, and forwards Tyler Smith, Lewis Collins & Jack Till. The latter is a former Yeltzman.
Lye have made two signings for the new season. Well known non-league goalkeeper Reece Francis signed for the club from fellow step 5 side Gornal Athletic. The other new signing, Harry Higginson, was a key and versatile defender for another fellow step 5 side Stourport Swifts.
🎟️ Admission Information
Entry – £5
U16’s – Free (must be accompanied by an adult)
AFC Wolverhampton City
Our second opponents during our seven game pre-season schedule is AFC Wolverhampton City. Like Lye, the side formed from the old A.F.C. Wulfrunians, compete in The Capelli Sport MFL Premier Division. They finished the regular league season in 5th, and contested a play-off semi-final. They lost it on penalties after a 1-1 draw to Northwich Victoria.
The Black County side contested the JW Hunt Cup last month at Molineux, but lost 2-1 to reigning champions Dudley Town. The club also went six games unbeaten at the start of last season, a huge help to their eventual play-off run, although the defeat wasn’t helped by their 3-0 final day loss to Stone Old Alleynians.
We know John Griffiths side quite well, having played them in the Third Round of the Birmingham Senior Cup last December. The Yeltz won 3-1, after going a goal down on 37 minutes to Tom Poole. An equaliser five minutes later from academy striker Luke Postle, a beautiful backheel, set us up to a comfortable win in the second half thanks to goals from fellow teenagers Fin Holmes & Charlie Wragg.
Nobody played all 34 league games for Griffiths side last season, but goalkeeper Sam Arnold made the next best, 33. Midfielders Joe Clarke & Jake Lloyd were key men in the middle with 30 & 27 league appearances respectively, but it was announced in May that the latter would be leaving. Their top scorer was Daniel Munday, who scored 14 goals in 27 league matches, while forward thinking midfielder Carlo Franco scored five in 26 league matches – both players have been retained. Rounding up their top six most prominent players from last season is central defender Jacob Wedderburn, who made 27 league appearances. Not to forget tricky winger Tim Oyanda who scored seven league goals and caused us a lot of issues in the first half of our meeting last season.
AFC Wolverhampton City haven’t announced any new signings yet, but have retained 12 players. Arnold, Clarke, Munday, Franco, Wedderburn & Oyanda all listed above have decided to stay. Six others players have put pen to paper for another year at The Castlecroft Stadium. Defenders Alex Ryder & Sam Smith, midfielders Olly West, Kie Houlihan & Joel Omorodion, and forward Jay Holdcroft.
🎟️ Admission Information
Adults – £5
Concessions & U16’s – £3
Kidderminster Harriers
Our first game at The Grove sees us welcome Yeltz boss Russ Penn’s former club Kidderminster Harriers. Formed in 1886, they secured a second promotion to the National League in the last three years, having beaten Macclesfield Town at home in the semi-final and South Shields away in the final, following a third placed finish in the regular season. Kiddy, nicknamed the Carpetmen, suffered the blow of manager Adam Murray leaving for fellow step 1 side Barrow FC, following the latter’s relegation from the Football League. New man in the dugout, Paul Wotton, most recently manager of National League South Torquay United, will be hoping for a good start in what will be his just his second game as Kiddy boss.
It’s deja vu for the two of us, as we met in a friendly last season. This one though was at Aggborough on 29th July, where we came away with a cruel 1-0 defeat, despite playing well for the majority of the contest. Our last game at home against the Reds was in July 2023, where we suffered a 3-0 defeat just before the start of our first step 3 season for four years. Our last win against Kiddy was in July 2019, another friendly – a 4-1 win. The most memorable recent game between the two was a 2-1 FA Trophy defeat in November 2024, where we took almost 1.500 away fans to their Worcestershire home.
It’s looking like a season of transition for the National League North play-off winners, with not just manager Murray departing, but also six key men. Tall centre half, and the only man to feature in all 46 of their league games last season, Emeka Obi departed late last week for fellow National League side Forest Green Rovers. Midfielder and top scorer Ryley Reynolds and striker Amari Morgan-Smith also departed having made over 40 league appearances last season, while first choice keeper Christian Dibble, midfielder Kam Kandola and wing back Joe Foulkes left having made 39, 39 & 37 appearances respectively in the league last term. Not to forget former Yeltzman Kieren Donnelly, who scored eight league goals in a wonderful six month loan spell this year from Boston United.
In brighter news, fullback Reece Devine, who missed just one league game last season has stayed, after scoring seven goals a piece from the defence. Key midfielder David Davis has also committed to the club after making 37 league appearances, the most of any of their midfielders. Amongst the other nine retained players, are goalkeeper Josh Bishop, defenders Louis Francis, Richard Faakye & Reece Hall, midfielders Arthur Squire & Samson Hewett, and forwards Bruce Minaker, Layton Love & exciting winger Seb Thompson.
The Carpetmen have made a total of seven summer signings so far. Attacking midfielder Callum Dolan joins from NL South Torquay United, as well as right back Ben Crompton from Scottish League One side Ross County, central midfielder Max Brogan from NL North Scunthorpe United, prolific striker Lewis Walker from NL South Braintree Town, central midfielder Zak Brown from NL North Brackley Town, central defender Cian Harries from NL Forest Green & defensive midfielder Olly Tipton from NL Solihull Moors.
🎟️ Admission Information
Adults – £9
Concessions – £6
U18’s – £4
U12’s – £2
Online Tickets – https://ht-fc.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/kidderminster
Malvern Town
Our third and final away day this pre-season is another trip to the picturesque Malvern Town. One of two sides from step 3 that we will be competing against over the next four weeks, Malvern won promotion to the Southern Premier Division South last season, having won their step 4 play-off campaign. They even turned around a 2-1 deficit in the final to win 3-2 with a 79th minute winner. Malvern went on an astonishing 14 league game unbeaten run from late January to early April – so there form will make them a very stern opponent.
We have only had the one meeting in recent years against the Hillsiders, a 3-1 win in last season’s friendly at The Langland Stadium. Lee Hooper’s side were defeated in our first game of the 2025/26 season, as Jason Cowley scored his first of many Yeltz goals, and academy midfielder Mason Heather added a third in the 80th minute, following former Yeltzman McKauley Manning scoring the second.
When we head to the Malvern Hills district on the 21st, we will have to watch out for prolific striker Harry Clark, who scored 20 league goals last season, their top scorer throughout the campaign. Their other in form striker Piers Walton, who scored 14 league goals last season departed the club early last month. Centre half Charlie Johnson played the most for the Hillsiders last season, having featured in all 42 league games. Midfielders Levi Francis & 11 goal man Joe Tumelty featured 40 & 39 times last season, the latter who scored their consolation goal in our friendly this time last year.
Malvern have made just the one summer signing so far, as winger Jay Malshanskyj signs from step 4 side Bishops Cleeve. In terms of retained players, Johnson, Clark, Francis & Tumelty have decided to stay, as well as another 11 players. Defenders Matt Fulloway, Ben Baxter, Dion Molyneux, Lewis Platt & Luke Payne, midfielders Reece King, Joe Bullock & Matt McDonald, and forwards Ryan Brunt & Harry Clark.
🎟️ Admission Information
TBC
Tamworth
Our second home game of pre-season sees us welcome National League and the reigning Birmingham Senior Cup Champions, Tamworth. The Lambs will head into this game looking for good form ahead of their third successive season in the top tier of non-league football
The two sides are well-reversed in pre-season encounters, having met two times previously in the last past five years – a 2-2 home draw and 1-1 away draw in July 2024 & July 2021 respectively. The last time we beat the Staffordshire side was in a Birmingham Senior Cup win on penalties in November 2018 – four matches have occurred since.
The Lambs have had a lot of change over the summer, and not just on the pitch – as they have recently had a takeover. Looking on the pitch, a handful have left and a handful have joined, but some key players have remained. First choice between the sticks, Jas Singh, didn’t miss a single league game last season, while left fullback Luke Fairlamb made 38 league appearances.
Their top scorer last season was Oliver Lynch, who scored 12 league goals, but left in the summer following the end of his season long loan from League One side Luton Town. Their second highest scorer was midfielder Stefan Mols, who scored 10, but left this summer to join League Two side Accrington Stanley. In search of goals, the new arrival of former Yeltzman Kieren Donnelly will no doubt help. As already mentioned, the 25 year old scored eight National League North goals for Kidderminster Harriers on loan from Boston United last season – also scoring in Kiddy’s play-off final.
Their new arrivals include 10 names, three of which from National League North side Brackley Town – attacking midfielder Morgan Roberts, right back Tyler Lyttle & central midfielder Ricky Calder. Other new signings include centre halves Tom Fogarty & Tom Parkes from Championship side Birmingham City & National League Hartlepool Town respectively, right back Tom Handley from National League North Merthyr Town, left back Josh Bailey from step 3 Worcester City, midfielders TJ Bramble & Oliver Dyson from National League North sides Maidstone United & Spennymoor Town respectively, and not to forget the former Yeltz favourite KD.
🎟️ Admission Information
Adults – £9
Concessions – £6
U18’s – £4
U12’s – £2
Online Tickets – https://ht-fc.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/tamworth
Stourbridge
Our penultimate game of pre-season is not just the number 9 derby, but also the Brookes Clarke Charity Shield. The Glassboys struggled last season, but had an incredible turnaround under Scott Adey-Linforth. A run that rivalled the top 5, as his side won the sixth most points in the second half of last season (21 games).
The derby has been played many times over the years, helped by the fact we’ve both been in the same league for the past three seasons, following our promotion in 2023. Our last meeting with the side from Amblecote was a 3-0 defeat at home, but we had won the three games against Stourbridge prior to that – a 3-1 league away win last November, a 2-0 pre-season win last July, and a 3-1 home league win in February last year.
The Glassboys have brought in six new faces so far this summer, but have retained plenty of key names as well. First choice keeper Charlie Price stays for another year, having featured 38 times last season in the league, the joint most with midfielder Dom Lewis who has also re-signed. Goalscoring midfielder/winger Jai Verma has also decided to stay after scoring six times in 37 league appearances last season.
Other retained players include defender and former Yeltz man Ash Carter, midfielders Tom Edge, Jack Fletcher & Nathan Hayward, as well as forward Toumani Sidibe. They will be looking for a replace the goals that top scorer Charlie Pavey got for them last season, after he returns to parent club Aston Villa following eight goals in 12 league appearances for Stourbridge last season.
In terms of new signings, many will know the name Josh Quaynor who joins the Glassboys after two years at Leamington, having played for the Yletz from 2020 to 2022. But also exciting young forward Charlie Wragg, who scored eight goals in 37 games for the Yeltz across the last two seasons, and joins Stour after being released by Walsall.
Other new arrivals for Adey-Linforth’s side include: wide men Dan Jarvis & Jack Tolley from Barwell & Sporting Club Inkberrow respectively, attacking midfielder Liam Brazier who spent time at the Glassboys on loan last season, as well as the return of their former midfielder Jourdain Masidi who recently spent a year at Stratford Town.
🎟️ Admission Information
Adults – £9
Concessions – £6
U18’s – £4
U12’s – £2
Online Tickets – https://ht-fc.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/stourbridgefriendly2026
West Brom XI
It’s rare to say, but we don’t much about our final pre-season opposition, as West Brom send over a team full of up and coming academy players for the afternoon action at The Grove, the weekend before we start our league season.
It’s unknown who will be featuring in this game for the opposition, but academy players in their Premier League 2 squad include goalkeepers Brian Okonkwo, Ben Cisse amongst others, defenders Alex Williams, Noah Dupont Abdul Abudu amongst others, midfielders Charlie Blackshields, Ryan Colesby & Cole Deeming amongst others & forwards Eseosa Sule, Souleyman Mandey & Jack Bray amongst others.
🎟️ Admission Information
Adults – £9
Concessions – £6
U18’s – £4
U12’s – £2
Online Tickets – https://ht-fc.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/wba