Highgate United Football Club is a football club based in the Shirley district of Solihull, having relocated from their original home in Highgate, Birmingham. They are currently members of the and play at the Coppice.
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 initially 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 1966âÂÂ67 the club reached the quarter-finals of the FA Amateur Cup. During the match against Enfield, several players collapsed after a lightning strike, and Highgate's Tony Allden died the following day. The game was abandoned and replayed at Villa Park, where a crowd of over 31,000 watched Enfield win 6âÂÂ0.
The 1970s was the most successful era in Highgate United's history; in 1972âÂÂ73 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 4âÂÂ0 in a replay to Walton & Hersham at Selhurst Park after the first match at Highfield Road had ended 0âÂÂ0. They retained the league title and the League Cup the following season, also winning the Birmingham Senior Cup with a 3âÂÂ2 win over Darlaston. The club won a third consecutive Midland Combination title in 1974âÂÂ75 and went on to win the League Cup in 1975âÂÂ76 and 1976âÂÂ77.
Highgate were Division One runners-up in 1981âÂÂ82 and League Cup winners in 1984âÂÂ85. They finished bottom of the (renamed) Premier Division in 1994âÂÂ95, but avoided being relegated as the division was expanded from 18 to 20 clubs. The club won the Coventry Evening Telegraph Cup win 2006âÂÂ07, and were Premier Division runners-up the following season, earning promotion to the Midland Alliance.
In 2014 the Midland Combination and Midland League merged to form the Midland League; despite finishing third in the Alliance the previous season, Highgate were placed in Division One of the new league, a level below their previous position. However, they went on to win Division One in the Midland League's inaugural season and were promoted to the Premier Division. In 2023âÂÂ24 they finished fifth in the Premier Division, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, in which they lost 3âÂÂ1 to Lichfield City in the semi-finals.
The club initially played at Billesley Common. By the 1960s they had relocated to their current ground on Tythe Barn Lane. In July 1996 a covered stand, partially seated and partially standing, was constructed on one side of the pitch and later named the Patrick & Philomena Meade Stand. Floodlights were installed the following year. On 25 February 2017 a was renamed the 'Tony Allden Stand'.