As supporters know from the 2020/21 season the West Midlands Regional League Premier Division loses its Step 6 status which means that assuming we are not relegated we will move to another League.

What you may not know is that along with Bilston (now Bilston Town) we are the only two clubs still playing in the WMRL who were founder members of the league in 1962/63. For those of us that have supported and followed the club since the 1960s I have taken a nostalgic look back over our time in the WMRL.

We have played at 3 home venues. The first 51 seasons were at The City Ground (1962/63-2012/13), with one season at Bentley Road South (2014/15) and the last 5 seasons at The Paycare Ground (2015/16- 2019/20).

Our first game in the WMRL was at The City Ground on the 18th August 1962 when we beat Sutton Coldfield Town 2-1. Maurice Jones was our first ever goalscorer with Ken Thomas getting the winner. At that time there was only one division. Charlie Onions was manager in our first ever WMRL season.

With the exception of the 2013/14 season when the club folded for one season we have been ever present in the WMRL for 57 seasons. Of those 57 seasons (including the current season) we have played 37 seasons in the top or Premier Division, 17 in Division One, 2 (2002/03 and 2003/04) in Division One (North) and a solitary season in Division Two in 2014/15 after we were re-formed as Darlaston Town (1874). We have played 2068 WMRL games. More than any other club.

We have been relegated from the Premier Division on three occasions. The only relegation settled on the pitch was in 1981/82 when we finished bottom with just 20 points (at this time there were just 2 points for a win- not that 3 points for a win would have made any difference). Unbelievably two of those relegations were not settled on the pitch but were due to not meeting Ground Grading requirements (in 1990/91 and 2001/02). Even more unbelievable is that we are probably the only club, or one of very few clubs in the country, that have been relegated after finishing 4th (1990/91). That lofty position would get us promoted this season

During the 1976/77 season we had our biggest game during our time in the WMRL when on 6 November 1976 we played Southern League Kettering Town in the FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round in front of a home crowd of 1507. The game ended 1-1 with former Wolves and Northern Ireland legend Derek Dougan opening the scoring for Kettering before Benjy Blower equalised. Kettering won the replay 2-0 in front of a crowd of 2551.

During our stay in the WMRL one England International (Norman Deeley) one FA Cup winner (Deeley) , and one Wales International (Don Nardiello) have played for the club as have more than 20 players who have played for more than 30 Football League clubs. Those players have played more than 3050 Football League games and have played for such clubs as Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Wolves, Albion, Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Birmingham City, Coventry City, Bolton Wanderers and Walsall.

During our time in the WMRL we have also produced 3 players who moved to Football League Clubs, Kevin Lloyd (Cardiff City), Herbie Heath (Exeter City) and Netan Sansara (Walsall).

Our highest ever Premier Division finish was third in 1966/67 when the League was much stronger than it is now as we finished behind two clubs in Boston United and Kidderminster Harriers that went on to become Football League Clubs.

During our time in the WMRL we have also had cup success. We reached the final of the Birmingham Senior Cup twice, winning it in 1972/73, we won the Birmingham County FA Vase in consecutive seasons (1990/91 and 19991/92) and were Birmingham FA Midweek Cup finalists in 2008/09, Walsall Senior Cup Finalists in 1973 and JW Hunt Cup Finalists in 2006/07. We did the WMRL Division One League and Cup double twice in 1989/90 and 2006/07 as well as winning the Wednesbury Charity Cup on numerous occasions. Our best season in the FA Vase was in 1995/96 reaching the 2nd Round whilst we reached the 3rd Qualifying Round of FA Trophy twice in 1972/73 and 1973/74.

With 8 games of this season still to play when we play our final game of this season at Wolverhampton Sporting Community on 11 April 2020 it will be our 2076th WMRL League game and our 1422nd game in the top or Premier Division. Of the 2068 games we have played to date we have won 811, drawn 393 and lost 864.

Neil Chambers
Chairman
Darlaston Town (1874) FC