Meet the Club: Darlaston Town

Club Fact File:

Founded: 1874

The Ground: Bentley Sports Pavilion holds a capacity of 1,000.

The Manager: Dean Gill has managed Darlaston Town since March 2021 and has previously managed Bilston and Wolverhampton Casuals.

History: Darlaston Town FC was originally founded in 1874 and became a prominent club in regional football, winning the Birmingham Combination in 1910–11, 1937–38, and 1945–46. Known as "The Citizens," they played at the City Ground from 1900 and enjoyed success with various cup wins, including back-to-back Birmingham County FA Vase titles in 1990–91 and 1991–92.

Following a name change in 1996, the club experienced relegations and instability before folding in 2013 due to financial difficulties and vandalism. In 2014, a phoenix club, Darlaston Town (1874) FC, was formed and began in the West Midlands Regional League Division Two. The new club quickly progressed, securing successive promotions, relocating to the Paycare Ground, and investing in facilities such as floodlights.

With a growing setup including youth and women’s teams, Darlaston Town (1874) continued their ascent and, after winning the play-off final in 2024, earned promotion to the Northern Premier League, marking a major revival for the historic club.

Recent Honours:

• West Midlands Premier Division Play Off Final Winners 2023/24