So far this season the club has been in and around the play-off places after the first month of the season, and despite only playing one league game since Boxing Day, Darlaston are in seventh, 4 points out of the play-off spots with as many as three games in hand over some of the clubs above them.

In a move to finish the season in the best way possible Dean has added current Solihull Moors Elite Academy Manager Mike Fowler to his management team. Mike has had huge success since joining Solihull Moors in 2021, under his guidance more than 12 youngsters have signed professional contracts for Moors, these include players who have already played for Darlaston including Jack Myatt, current first team squad members Tyler Bruck, Joel Shambrook, along with current Darlaston squad members Harry Chesterton and Leo Wood.

Mike and his coaching team have won several titles including, National League Academy North, Floodlit Southern Division, Floodlit Southern Premier, the SCL Development League and the Joel Richards Memorial Cup which they retailed the following season.

On securing Mike’s services Dean said “I’m extremely happy Mike has agreed to join us until the end of the season.

Mike is a first class coach whose record the last five years of developing young players at Solihull Moors Academy stands up to anyone anywhere. He always puts the players needs front and centre in my experience - a value I’ve long admired and is a rarity in a world where most people just feather their own nest.

Mike has high standards and is extremely passionate, as a management team we need to keep finding extra within us and I expect Mike to help us with that.

He joins effective immediately”.

And on joining Darlaston Mike said “I’m delighted to join Darlaston to help Dean and the team for the remainder of the season. They have both been hugely successful over the past couple of seasons and that is down to diligence, hard work and determination whilst remaining humble. All qualities that I can relate to and ultimately want to be part of. I have a fantastic relationship with Dean that has grown both personally and professionally over the past few years and look forward to getting started and being part of their fantastic journey.

But the good news does not end there, coach Ian Homer who joined Darlaston two years ago from Halesowen Town has been promoted to Assistant Manager, Dean said on Ian’s promotion “With Mike’s arrival it’s the perfect opportunity to announce Ian Homer’s new role as Assistant Manager. Over the last two years Ian has filled the role I lost when Stewart Baker emigrated in 2021, he is instrumental in everything we do and offers a good check and balance to my logic.

Grant Winwood continues his valuable coaching role with us, his love for the game and his influence on match days are essential in what we do.

All appointments and positions become effective immediately in time to give ethe squad a big boost going into a period of busy important games, the next 4 – 5 weeks will go a long way in deciding Darlaston’s season

The photograph used in this article was taken by and used by Solihull Moors in a website