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After over ninety years at the Cross Keys ground, Hednesford Town announced in 1994 that they would be moving to an all-purpose stadium 300 yards from their current home, on the site of a disused brickworks. At a cost of £1.3 million, the Pitmen were to construct a 3,500 capacity ground, that allowed them entry to the Vauxhall Conference after winning promotion in 1994-1995

The stadium was finished on the eve of the 1995-1996 season; a smart main stand, seating 750, also hosted social facilities, club offices and changing rooms. Opposite, on the Wimblebury side, a shallow, uncovered terrace was erected. The two ends were shallow covered terraces. The first game played at Keys Park was against a full strength Walsall side, before Wolves visited the ground to officially open it, with the late Sir Stanley Matthews doing the honours

The first ground record was set in September 1995, when Telford United visited in the Vauxhall Conference. 2,480 watched the Pitmen beat their local rivals 4-0. This was beaten in January 1997, when over 3,200 squeezed into the ground to watch the Pitmen beat York City 1-0 in the F.A. Cup Third Round

With Hednesford riding high at the top of the Conference, the club revealed plans for the expansion of Keys Park to bring it up to Football League standard. During the early part of the 1997-1998 season, work started on three sides of the ground; the Heath Hayes end and the Wimblebury terrace were both cleared, and deeper, uncovered terracing erected. the Hednesford end was seated, giving the Pitmen the minimum 1,000 seats needed and a final capacity of just over 6,000. It was given a grade 'A' rating by the Football Association

Problems on the pitch saw Hednesford's form dip, and in 2001 they were relegated from the Nationwide Conference. However, they persevered with plans to cover both terraces in the summer of that year, making Keys Park covered on all four sides for the first time ever

The ground has only changed cosmetically in recent years, with additional facilities and improvements made to the terracing and social facilities. The ground now holds a 'B' grade rating from the FA

If you are visiting Hednesford for the first time, we hope you enjoy your stay in South Staffs. If you are looking for some decent food and drink, as many away fans are, you will find a handful of places in Hednesford to visit. Hednesford Town have their own social facilities at Keys Park, with the Strikers Bar open for business on matchdays before and after the game. 300 yards down the road is the Cross Keys hotel, which is a natural stop for any away fan - a place that was formerly the headquarters of the Pitmen (see above), and is now a regular meeting spot for the regulars at Keys Park. It is run by Hednesford legend (and now manager of 'them' across the Chase!) Chris Brindley, and is a favourite with many visitors

An alternative to Hednesford would be a stop in Cannock, which is five minutes drive from Keys Park. A busy, thriving town, Cannock has recently seen an upsurge in investment in the last decade, with businesses moving to the town to take advantage of the new units being built out of town and the M6 Toll Road that opened a few years ago two miles from the centre of town. The town centre has pubs and food outlets aplenty; At the top of town, you'll find the Royal Oak, with Bar Sport, The Park and the Linford Arms Wetherspoon across the way. At the bottom end of town, there's the lively Stones, which serves excellent food all through the day. There are three McDonalds around the town, plus a number of chip shops and sandwich shops

For directions to Hednesford, click here

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