Stockingford AA

The AA stands for Allotment Association and visitors to the Pavilion will see the reason why the team are known as `The Cabbage'. After the war allotments in the Nuneaton were common, growing produce to compensate for rationing. The gardeners clubbed together, formed an Institution committee and bought the land which they were growing their vegetables on. A club called the Institute was built in Church Road, Nuneaton, later a small pavilion was erected and a football and cricket pitch constructed in view of the club house, with bowling greens to the side.

A team was formed to play in the now defunct Nuneaton and District Amateur League, the Cabbage were always knocking on the door of success and regularly won cups in local competitions. In 1989 Stockingford AA took out intermediate status, the result being that they were able to enter the prestigious BCFA Vase competition. This was won at the first attempt with the Cabbage side of that time under the management of John Douglas, scooping all cup finals entered and only losing one match all season.

These pictures show the clubhouse from the ground, left, and the dugouts, right.

In recent years the Cabbage have been Premier Division champions in the Coventry Alliance, (formerly the Coventry Works League), in 1995/6 and 1998/9, and runners-up in 1996/97 and 2000/1. The club has a great affinity with the Coventry Charity Cup, a major competition in the area with the final being played at Highfield Road, winning the final in 1996/7 and 1998/9, also being runners up twice.

View of the whole ground and right the impressive social club at the cabbage.

Jimmy Ginnelly, Stockingford AA manager for ten years pushed for better weekly football to keep his quality players, so a decision was made to move into the Midland Combination League. In April 2001 the major decision was made, and with help from the main club Cabbage Cabbages!

and a Football Association grant new changing rooms were built. Current manager Paul Wilson has steadily been building up his own squad, and has been particularly pleased with the attendance of players to the quality training he and assistant manager Adie Stephens provides each week. The quest for floodlights goes on and Stockingford AA are currently working on a scheme for a massive fence to protect the bungalows behind the goals.

Above a view of the allotments with the clubhouse in the background.

Stockingford AA have excellent facilities and pictured below is one of the two bowling greens.