The West Midlands (Regional) League have awarded the Club their January Division One Team of the Month. The plaque was presented to Manager Andy Parkes at the Gornal game.

In January Manager Andy Parkes and his squad went unbeaten in the League, all three home games were at home where wins against Bustleholme 6-1, Bromyard Town 4-3 and Telford Juniors 5-0. Three wins secured 12 points giving the team a great start to the year in the quest to earn automatic promotion into the Premier League. In addition to the points haul our goal difference received a boost of plus 11 for the games.

Usually an award such as this the team and management receive all of the praise, BUT on this occasion may I suggest that is not entirely the case. Without the invaluable work of Mr Darlaston Gil Preece and his assistants of Dave Steventon, George Hancocks on the pitch week by week ably assisted by Mark James and Anton Allen for the Bromyard game, two of the three games would not have been played. If that was the case, we wouldn’t have won the award.

You see at Darlaston, we have no stars on or off the pitch, we have a tremendously committed and talented group of people whose common goal is to see the Club succeed in everything it does.

Everyone is happy to roll up their sleeves at any time and get stuck in to help the Club move forward, without praise or thanks. That’s why it’s so nice when the Club is rewarded for its achievements.

That’s why I would suggest on this occasion the recognition for the “Team of the Month” should go jointly to Managers Parkes’ team and Gil Preece’s team