Highgate United F.C.

Highgate United Football Club is a football club based in the Shirley district of Solihull, having relocated from their original location of Highgate in Birmingham. They are currently members of the and play at the Coppice. History The club was established in 1948 by a group of former residents of the St Vincent's Home for Working Boys, run by Father Hudson's Society. They joined the South Birmingham League, before moving up to Division Two of the Worcestershire Combination in 1964. After finishing fourth in their first season in Division Two, the club were promoted to Division One. In 1966–67 they reached the quarter-finals of the FA Amateur Cup; during the game against Enfield, several players collapsed after a lightning strike, and Highgate's Tony Allden died the next day. The game was abandoned and replayed at Villa Park, where a crowd of over 31,000 saw Enfield win 6–0. The 1970s was the most successful era in Highgate United's history; in 1972–73 the club were champions of the renamed Midland Combination, also winning the League Cup and reaching the semi-finals of the FA Amateur Cup, losing 4–0 in a replay to Walton & Hersham at Selhurst Park after the first match at Highfield Road had ended 0–0. They retained the league title and the League Cup the following season, also winning the Birmingham Senior Cup with a 3–2 win over Darlaston. The club won a third consecutive Midland Combination title in 1974–75 and went on to win the League Cup in 1975–76 and 1976–77.