This article is part of the ‘League Preview’ series, in which every day we take a detailed look at one of Aldershot Town’s 23 prospective opponents for the upcoming National League season.
Founded in their current identity in 2007, today’s focus is the second-youngest side in the division. 2023/24 play-off finalists, Solihull Moors.
Formed as a merger of Solihull Borough and Moor Green, ‘the Moors’ are now entering their tenth-successive season at step-one, and having lost two of the last four play-off finals by the narrowest of margins, their intentions of becoming a Football League club within 20 years of inception are no secret.
Tasked with achieving this is former Portsmouth, West Ham United and Bolton midfielder, Matty Taylor. The 43-year-old joined the Moors from Wealdstone in January, and despite somewhat disappointing with a mere 21% win ratio, joining the club amid turbulent times, he will ask to be judged on his first full season in charge.
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Where is Solihull?
The market town of Solihull is situated in the southern reaches of the West Midlands, roughly 7 miles below Birmingham. With a population of roughly 124,000, it is the fourth-largest settlement in the county. Approximately 118 miles from the EBB Stadium, this 2h 16m journey will mark Aldershot’s eleventh-closest away trip of the upcoming league season.
The Iron are one of seven professional teams in the West Midlands, alongside the likes of Birmingham City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Coventry and last year’s Champions League quarter-finalists, Aston Villa. Their closest rival in this season’s Enterprise National League hails from nearby Staffordshire, in the form of Tamworth, just 17 miles away. Outside of the town itself, Solihull currently serves as the closest place to see fifth-tier football in much of neighboring Warwickshire and Worcestershire, including the towns of Alcester (~7,000 pop), Stratford-upon-Avon (31,000), and most notably, Redditch (87,000).
Scunthorpe play their home matches at the ARMCO Arena, otherwise known as Damson Park. Built in 1999, the ground was first used by Solihull Borough before their 2007 merger, and has since been the uninterrupted home of the Moors throughout their modern existence, as well as hosting many Birmingham City youth and women’s matches, too. With a capacity of 5,500, it is the 10th smallest ground in this season’s National League.
The ground’s record attendance was set on the penultimate matchday of the 2018/19 season, where 3,681 watched a crucial ‘first versus second’ National League tie against Leyton Orient. The game finished 0-0, with the O’s going on to clinch promotion by a mere three points.
Solihull finished the 2024/25 season with an average league attendance of 1,298, the 4th lowest among teams in this season’s competition.
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Recent history and club highlights
Since the club’s promotion as National League North champions in 2016, it is safe to say that the Moors have been perhaps the most unpredictable team across their nine years at step-one. Three convincing play-off finishes sandwiched by mid-to-lower table obscurity means that their 2025/26 prospects are anyone’s guess.
2024/25 – National League (14th)
2023/24 – National League (5th)
2022/23 – National League (15th)
2021/22 – National League (3rd)
2020/21 – National League (11th)
2019/20 – National League (9th)
2018/19 – National League (2nd)
2017/18 – National League (18th)
2016/17 – National League (16th)
2015/16 – NL North (1st, Promoted)
Their aforementioned title heartbreak in 2019 remains the club’s highest ever league placement in their short history thus far. However, losing their subsequent semi-final against AFC Fylde, this by no means represents their closest attempt at Football League promotion.
The Moors have been losing play-off finalists in two of the last four fifth-tier campaigns. In 2022, despite taking a one goal lead into half-time courtesy of 6ft 9” striker Kyle Hudlin, they would eventually lose 2-1 in extra time at the London Stadium in front of 22,897 spectators. Though it was perhaps their recent trip down Wembley way that proved most agonising, losing 4-3 on penalties to Bromley.
To add insult to injury, they would suffer the exact same fate a mere six days later, missing four spotkicks out of eight as Gateshead claimed the FA Trophy under the arches, becoming just the third team to lose two Wembley finals in a single season, after Shrewsbury Town (2017/18) and Chelsea (2021/22).
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Pre-season, incoming transfers and other news
At time of writing, Solihull have made 8 first team signings.
| Player | Pos. | Age | Arriving from… | Highest level played |
| Tyler French | CB | 26 | Sutton United | League Two (Bradford) |
| Ben Worman | CM | 23 | Gateshead | League One (Cambridge) |
| Dan Creaney | CF | 30 | Tamworth | National League (Tamworth) |
| Brad Nicholson | CB | 26 | Boston United | National League (Boston) |
| Cameroon Green | LB | 26 | Boston United | National League (Boston) |
| Callum McFarlane | CF | 21 | Fulham U21 | National League (Wealdstone) |
| Oscar Rutherford | RB | 21 | Dag & Red | National League (Dag & Red) |
| Darius Lipsiuc (loan) | CM | 19 | Stoke U21 | N/A |
With a reputation of uncovering undervalued quantities, the Moors have continued to exercise their typical approach of making several intra-divisional signings. Aside from 19-year-old Republic of Ireland U21 international Darius Lipsiuc, all of the above signings have previous experience at National League level, with a combined 398 appearances at step-one.
Solihull’s current pre-season schedule, which has so far seen two respectable performances against Championship opposition, is as follows:
Stratford 2-1 Solihull Moors (12/07)
Solihull Moors 0-1 Birmingham City (13/07)
Banbury United 0-4 Solihull Moors (26/07)
Bromsgrove 4-1 Solihull Moors (29/07)
Solihull Moors 2-4 Derby County (29/07)
Kidderminster Harriers vs Solihull Moors (02/08)
After preparations conclude with a trip to Worcestershire, Solihull are scheduled to begin their league campaign with a home tie against Forest Green Rovers on Saturday, 9th August.
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When will Aldershot and Solihull play each other?
Following the release of the National League fixture list, the Shots won’t have to wait long to travel to the West Midlands, as they visit the ARMCO Arena on Saturday, 23th August. Bringing in the new year, Tommy Widdrington’s men will host the Moors on Saturday, 3rd January.
Following Solihull’s promotion to the National League, the sides first met in October 2016. The Shots would have the early rub of the green in this matchup, winning thrice in succession without conceding. However, they would also lose eight league matches in a row between 2018 and 2023, with the pendulum only just beginning to swing back in the Hampshire side’s favour.
Games played: 18
Aldershot wins: 7
Solihull wins: 2
Draws: 9
Aggregate score: 21-25
Record Shots victory: 3-1 (2025)
Record Solihull victory: 4-1 (2022)
Last time out saw the Shots win 3-1 at the EBB Stadium in February, after a breathless first-half performance saw the hosts three to the good before half-time. A Cameron Hargreaves stunner was followed by goals from Jones’, Ryan and Aaron. Fletcher Holman got one back in the 76th minute, though any threat of a comeback was soon extinguished, with forward Conor Wilkinson receiving a second yellow just 60-seconds after.
