Full name | Darlaston Town Football Club |
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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.
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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]
In March 2009 Darlaston's home stadium, the City Ground, was attacked by vandals, who damaged the pitch and floodlights.[3]
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