We look at who The Yeltz will be taking on in the 2023/24 season, Next up is Stratford Town

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Full name: Stratford Town Football Club

Nickname: The Bards

Website: Stratford Town

Founded: 1941 as Stratford Rangers

Stadium: Knights Lane

Surface: Grass

Distance from the Grove: 40 Miles

2022/23 finish: 14th in the Southern League Central Premier

Manager: Gavin Hurren

Head to Head: We have played Stratford Town many times in the past, with the last time being in the Southern League Cup back in 2019, with Halesowen seeing them off and progressing to the next round. 

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Their History

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The club was formed in 1941 as Stratford Rangers, changing their name in 1949. After playing in various local leagues they joined the Worcestershire Combination (which later became the Midland Football Combination) in 1954. In 1957 they switched to the Birmingham and District League, which became the West Midlands (Regional) League in 1962, but rejoined the Combination in 1970. In 1975 they took the unusual step of joining the Hellenic League, which does not normally include teams from Warwickshire. After two unsuccessful seasons they rejoined the Midland Combination once again, where they remained until becoming founder members of the Midland Football Alliance in 1994.

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The club entered financial difficulty in 1998 and were reformed to become Stratford Town F.C.