South-Asian community club Sporting Khalsa soar to non-league Step 4
28.04.2021
Sporting Khalsa benefit from a historic league restructuring, as results from their null and voided season propel them into non-league football's new Step 4. The club, founded by Punjabi Sikhs from Haverhill in 1991, played in the Midland Football League. When COVID restrictions halted their 20/21 the club expected their league dominance to go to waste.
However, these restrictions coincided with a radical non-league restructuring. This restructuring creates a new competition at Step 4, administered by the Northern Premier League, and two new feeder competitions at Step 5. To create a smooth transition, authorities decided to use points per game (PPG) from the recent interrupted season to determine promotions. The FA’s decision to push the restructure through on PPG puts Khalsa’s great run of form to good use. The club leave the Midland Football League Premier Division as champions, to brighter things in the new Step 4.
Sporting Khalsa earned their place as a leading light in West Midlands grassroots football, beginning as a humble Sunday League club in recent memory. Their vision to “tackle social exclusion and provide football opportunities for all members of the community” harnesses the incredible potential of community cohesion. Since becoming the first British-Asian semi-professional club to own their own ground in 2005, the club backed their idealism with success after success on the pitch.
Working their way through the Midland League ranks, Sporting excel in the competition’s top flight. In the brief time before COVID cancelled the season, Khalsa achieved a 2.19 PPG, propelled by a solid defence and a ruthless front line. Many of Khalsa’s goalscorers chalked up unbelievable numbers, with Rikardo Reid scoring four in four league starts, Josh McKenzie bagging six in six, and Jake Gosling achieving a full ten in ten starts. With cup competitions taken into account, Gosling scored 16 goals in 15 starts, in undeniable promotion form.
With Khalsa’s team effort taken into account, fans rejoice at their unprecedented success. One long term fan in a particularly high place is Preet Kaur-Gill, who also serves as Shadow Secretary of State for International Development. The Labour MP for Birmingham and Edgebaston tweeted that “this is great news for the club and fans” in light of Khalsa’s promotion.
In Punjabi, Khalsa means purity, denoting a Sikh concept of religious faith and maturity. This promotion following Sporting’s thirtieth anniversary marks a new era of footballing maturity for the club. In the face of great adversity, their achievement offers fans hope, and high-quality football, going forward.
