‘There’s no place like home’ and it was a welcome return to Latimer Park for the Poppies faithful on Tuesday to witness the valedictory victory over Stratford Town with two goals, a clean sheet and a superb twelfth man display from the fans. We are looking to repeat this outcome on Saturday as we are at home again for the Southern League Premier Central fixture against Bromsgrove Sporting, kick off at 15:00.

Bromsgrove, a historic market town in Worcestershire, England, is most famous for its 19th-century nail-making industry, the world-renowned Bromsgrove Guild of artists—responsible for the Buckingham Palace gates and Titanic details as well as its proximity to the scenic Clent and Lickey Hills. Mark Williams (actor Arthur Weasley from Harry Potter, The Fast Show) and Trudie Styler (actress/producer, wife of Sting) are prominent figures born in Bromsgrove, alongside influential alumni of Bromsgrove School like Dire Straits bassist John Illsley, musician Arthur Darvill, and model Iskra Lawrence, with the area also linked to author J.R.R. Tolkien

The Rouslers, a term is commonly used to describe a “rowdy” or “rousting” person, which was historically adopted to reflect a lively, fighting spirit, a common theme in old English football team nicknames, had a resounding home win on Saturday beating lowly AFC Sudbury 5-3, despite going down to ten men in the first half with ex Poppy Tyrone Lewthwaite scoring twice. This victory, coming against only two wins in their last ten games illustrated the Jekyll and Hyde season that The Rouslers are experiencing this season. With one win in five, Bromsgrove have achieved two draws (1-1 away to Leiston; 2-2 away at Stamford) and two defeats both the West Midlands rivals (1-4 versus Alvechurch and 0-1 at home to Worcester City). This leaves The Rouslers, managed by the evergreen Tim Flowers, four places below KTFC in fifteenth place only two points above the relegation zone, with eleven points separating the teams with the former having played three games more. In the form league, they reside in sixteenth place with five points from their previous five games. However, they are in nineteenth place in the comparative away standings having achieved eleven points from fifteen games with only one away win at Barwell back in September 2025.

For the Poppies, the welcome news that Lewis Coyle has been retained for the rest of the season, Paul White’s return between the posts together with a clean sheet and Tuesday’s impressive debut for new recruit William van Lier bodes well for Saturday’s game.

KTFC are unbeaten in our past five games (2-0 at home against Stratford Town; an away 1-1 draw versus Stourbridge; 1-3 away against St Ives; 1-3 away against Needham Market and 0-2 away at Bishop’s Stortford) scoring eleven and conceding three. The Poppies have only lost twice in our past ten games.

Kettering are a creditable second in the form table taking thirteen points from a possible fifteen in our past five matches with only Spalding in front of us but are fourteenth in the overall away home table securing twenty-one points from twelve games. The Club’s recent form leaves the club residing in eleventh place with forty-five points, seven points off the playoff places with three games in hand on current fifth placed Redditch United.   

At the top of the table, round thirty-four sees League leaders, Spalding United travel to promotion chasing seventh placed Needham Market, The Bees, who lost last week at Banbury, host in form Worcester City, its third versus fourth as Quorn entertain Real Bedford and Redditch play St Ives at the Valley Stadium. At the bottom, its the battle of the AFC’s as Sudbury has a must win game away at Stamford.

Bromsgrove comprehensively beat KTFC 3-0 in the corresponding away fixture earlier in the season, However, with twelve games left to play, eight at home, if we are to entertain any hope of securing a playoff place, Latimer Park has to become the Alamo for the Poppies so let’s get behind Liam and the team on Saturday.

Enjoy the game.

BROMSGROVE SPORTING

Season        V        Comp           F-A     Att:    Poppies Scorers

2023-24        H        PISLPC        1-1     541     Jarvis

                     A        PISLPC        2-1     774     Lewthwaite, Langmead

2024-25        H        PISLPC        1-2     1114   Hart

                     A        PISLPC        2-1     571     Ranger, Edwards (p)

2025-26        A        PISLPC        0-3     560

POPPIES WINS:     2                                       GOALS FOR:                      6

ROUSLERS WINS: 2                                        GOALS AGAINST:              8

DRAWS                  1

Managers (2)

Thomas Baillie, Mike McGrath (P/M)

Played for both clubs (12)

Kyle Perry, Luke Ward, Jordan Wilson, Matthew Barnes-Homer, Mike McGrath, Joe Curtis, Mo Sebbeh, George Forsyth, Kieron Dawes, Jack Kelly, Aksum White, Tyrone Lewthwaite.

League debuts (6)

Theo Robinson        2025-26 (a)

Harrison Iwunze      2025-26 (a)

Jonny Edwards        2024-25 (a) scored on debut

Josh Blunkell           2023-24 (a)

Luca Purse              2023-24 (a)

O’Shane Stewart     2023-24 (a)

BROMSGROVE SPORTING

Manager                           Tim Flowers

Ground                             The UK Electrical Stadium

Nickname                         The Rouslers

Position in League           15^th – 34pts from 32 games

Top League scorer           7 – Luke Benbow

FORM
POPPIES                WWWDW     13pts
ROUSLERS            DDLLW          5pts

THE ROUSLERS SO FAR….