Success is the perfect way to honour Oliver

Founded and named in honour of murdered friend Oliver James Mee in 2007, OJM are heading to the highest level in their short history.

But as they prepare to embark on their first season of step five football in the Midland League Premier Division, Mee continues to guide them.

“We stick to the same principles going forward," said manager Adam Younis, who was part of the original team who founded OJM in 2007. "Regardless of if we’re relegated or promoted, the feel will still be the same.

“He lived and breathed football. Until he was brutally killed, he played every week. The only way we could move his name forward was naming the club after him. We wanted a way to honour him, and it was the best way we could’ve done it.

“The good thing about us is we are family club. The players we bring in have to be the right fit – no ‘big time Charlies’ or people coming for money and going home. It’s about Oliver and how he would run the club.”

OJM carried on playing on Sundays while Younis joined Saturday side Black Country Rangers. The two clubs would merge in 2020 and be renamed OJM Black Country.

They played in the FA Cup that year and are set to return to the competition next season.

“I’d like a big team for the club and atmosphere," added Younis. "We played Matlock away in my first year and the atmosphere was electric, so we’re hoping for same this year. A decent atmosphere for the players with no pressure.”

It is five years since OJM were a Sunday league side, but Younis said loyalty remains key to how the club operates.

“Players have to match that family feel, that environment," he said. "They have to be the right fit. The players feel the same, it’s why they don’t want to leave.

“Steve Leslie [player coach] and Marco Adagio [assistant] were ex-pros at Shrewsbury. They’re a big part of the club and where we want to be – by playing football the right way and not with clichéd non-league long-ball football. It makes it enjoyable for the players and fans.”

Players like Jordon Sangha and Callum Nimmo are sought after by teams as high as step three. Unfortunately, their play-off final victory over Droitwich Spa on penalties did not quite avoid the classic non-league cliché.

“It was a cagey game for both teams," said Younis. "When there’s so much on the line, no-one wants to make a mistake. Both teams did try to play football, but there wasn’t a lot of football played.

“Sometimes you have to go route one. If they’re sitting deeper, it’s harder to find spaces and pockets for midfielders and forwards.”

Younis says clashes with Northwich Victoria and Shifnal Town are the big games to watch out for next season in the Midland Premier.

“Lichfield are up there too – they just missed out on promotion in the play-offs," he added. “When you play a big team, you’re the underdog and you have nothing to lose.

"There’s not much difference between step six and step five. Teams below ninth are similar to the top half of step six.

“We had a three-year plan to get promoted, but we missed out in the play-off final last season. This year promotion was more realistic.”