Darlaston Town F.C.

Darlaston Town

Full name	Darlaston Town Football Club
Nickname(s)	Darlo
Founded	1874 (as Darlaston)
Ground	The City Ground Darlaston
Chairman	Paul Tonks
Manager	Paul Tonks, Raj Singh, Craig Love
League	West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division
2010–11	West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division, 16th

Darlaston Town F.C. are a football club based in Darlaston, West Midlands, England. For the 2011-12 season, they are members of the West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division.

History

Formed in 1874, Darlaston are one of the oldest non league clubs in the country. They played their early football locally in the Wednesbury Junior League and Walsall District League.^[1]

In 1897/98 the Birmingham County Junior Cup was won 1-0 beating Hoobrook Olympic in the final. In the 1907/08 season Darlaston were members of the Birmingham Junior League which they won. The 1908/09 season saw Darlaston one of the founder members of the Birmingham Combination, winning it in season 1910/11. In the 1911/12 season Darlaston were promoted to the senior Birmingham & District League. Darlaston remained members of the District League until the end of the 1927/28 season when they returned to the Birmingham Combination.^[2]

During the Second World War the Combination ceased to run but on the return to normal Combination Football in season 1945/46, Darlaston were Champions. Darlaston remained in the Birmingham Combination until the end of the 1953/54 season when the league folded. With other clubs they then moved to the reorganised Birmingham & District League playing in Division One North.^[2]

The Birmingham & District League became the West Midlands (Regional) League in the 1962/63 season and Darlaston played in the Premier Division until 1981/82 when they were demoted. From the 1982/83 season they were members of Division One winning the division and promotion in 1989/90. The following season 1990/91 they finished 4th in the Premier Division.^[2] They also became the first side to win the Birmingham County FA Vase back to back in seasons 1990/91 and 1991/92.^[1]

Darlaston FC added Town to its name at the beginning of the 1996/97 season.^[2]

At the end of the 2001/02 season Darlaston had the misfortune to be relegated to Division One after finishing 19th out of 24 clubs^[2].

In 2005 Paul Tonks took over the running of the club and is now Chairman, as well as being one of the managers, alongside Raj Singh and Craig Love.^[1]

Stadium

In March 2009 Darlaston's home stadium, the City Ground, was attacked by vandals, who damaged the pitch and floodlights.^[3]

Honours

• BCFA Senior Cup
  • 1938/39 Runners Up 0-1 Redditch
  • 1972/73 Winners 2-1 AP Leamington
  • 1973/74 Runners Up 2-3 Highgate United

• BCFA Vase
  • 1990/91 Winners 6-2 Chelmsley Town
  • 1991/92 Winners 1-0 Gornal Ath AET

• BCFA Junior Cup
  • 1897/98 Winners 4-2 Hoobrook Olympic

• Birmingham Combination Champions 1910/11, 1945/46
• West Midland Regional League Division 1 North 1989/90, 2006/07

• Wednesbury Charity Cup
  • Record 18 wins and 3 shared in 32 finals

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "History". Darlaston Town FC Website. http://www.darlastontownfc.co.uk/. Retrieved 27 April 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Darlaston Town at the Football Club History Database
3. ^ "Vandal attack puts pitch out of action". Express & Star. 6 March 2009. http://www.expressandstar.com/2009/03/06/vandal-attack-puts-pitch-out-of-action/. Retrieved 9 March 2009.