Darlaston Town tomorrow play their first of two games in three days when they welcome Nuneaton Griff to The Paycare Stadium for a Midland Football League Division One game.

The teams have met in recent years in the quarter-final stage of the County F.A. Mid-Week Floodlit Challenge Cup when Darlaston travelled to The Pringle Stadium and after a disastrous start going behind in the 1st minute but went into the half-time interval level at 2-2 with goals from Dan Cresswell and Lucas Hough The second half saw Darlaston score two further unanswered goals, Leon Taylor and Zico Agyemang putting Darlaston through to the semi-final stage with a 4-2 win.

Nuneaton Griff was founded in 1972 as Nuneaton Amateurs when a dispute at the Co-Op Sports Football Club led to many members moving to Nuneaton Griff and Cotton Miners Welfare Ground, nine players and officials paid £1 each to start the new club. The club was successful in the first two seasons playing in the Coventry & North Warwickshire and Coventry & Alliance Suburban League’s in their early years and also won the Coventry Telegraph Cup for the first time.

After initial success in the late ’70s, the club was relegated and when the current Chairman John Gore took charge of team affairs, he was successful in turning the club around into a powerful Coventry Alliance outfit. Gore retired in 1996 and persuaded the then 34-year-old Mark Green to come out of retirement who transformed the club as Nuneaton Griff swept all before them in the Coventry Alliance. At the end of the 1998/99, the club applied to move to the Midland Football Combination and was controversially placed into the Premier Division which they won in their first and second seasons after joining the league. They also added the Endersley Challenge Cup. In the process, they made history by winning the latter at Villa Park and then the following night winning The Coventry Telegraph Cup at Highfield Road, Coventry to become the only club to play two finals on two consecutive days in two different Premiership Grounds and win both finals.

Since then, the club has consolidated in the Premier Division and enjoyed a period of growth on and off the field. A series of managers have come and gone and most have left their mark as the Club has given local players from their successful youth section their first steps on the football ladder.

After finishing third in the final season of The Midland Combination the club joined the newly formed Midland League as founder members in 2014/15 and was placed in Division One where they have remained until today.

Nuneaton Griff are currently in 11th place in the League having played six games, winning two, drawing one and losing three.

On opening day Nuneaton travelled to Wolverhampton Sporting, winning 3-1, Roberto Effah and Joe Miles scoring along with an own goal. In mid-week they travelled again this time more locally to Atherstone Town, unfortunately, they were soundly beaten 4-1, Joe Miles once again getting on the score sheet.

Their first home game of the season saw the visit of Dudley Town who beat their hosts 6-0, this was the first of two heavy losses. Next up was a trip to Ashby Ivanhoe the young Nuneaton side was on the end of a resounding 7-0 loss.

Last Saturday Nuneaton travelled into the Black Country for the first of many times this season to play Cradley Town. Goals from Samuel Belcher, Chanda Mulenga, Rhys Williams and substitute Archie Bales gave them a second win of the season winning 4-0.

On Wednesday evening Nuneaton entertained Heath Hayes which ended in a 1-1 draw, Ross Proudlock scoring for Nuneaton.

Darlaston meanwhile after their record-breaking 7-0 win last Saturday against Khalsa Football Federation, travelled just over 4 miles for their first local derby of the season. An extremely hard game, a typical full-bloodied affair at Wednesfield saw Darlaston win 1-0 win, putting them back on top of Division One with five wins in six games.

Manager Dean Gill has a fully fit squad available for Saturday’s fixture with the exception of long-term injury victims Matt Pinder and Leon Taylor, who seem to be progressing well.

As usual gates open at 1.30 p.m. along with the bar which will be serving its usual pre-match food, both hot and cold together with the “world’s best cobs”.

Entrance – Adults £5.00, Concessions £3.00, Children Under 10 Free

Kick-off 3.00 p.m.