Dudley Town F.C. are a football club based in Dudley, West Midlands, England. The club is one of the oldest non-league teams in the Midlands region, having been established in 1893. For the 2007-08 season, they are members of the West Midlands Regional League Premier Division, although they have reached as high as the Premier Division of the Southern League, and in 1976 reached the first round proper of the FA Cup, when a crowd of over 5,000 saw them take Second Division York City to a replay. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The War Memorial Athletic Ground, often referred to as simply the War Memorial Ground, is a sports ground in the Amblecote region of Stourbridge, West Midlands, England. ... Amblecote and the neighbouring village of Wordsley were two villages in Staffordshire near the River Stour which formed the border with the county of Worcestershire. ... , Stourbridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. ... The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the Midlands. ... Rungnado May Day Stadium is the worlds largest football stadium. ... West Mids Regional League logo The West Midlands Regional League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ... West Mids Regional League logo The West Midlands Regional League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ... The West Midlands (Regional) League is a football competition based in England, covering the West Midlands, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and South Staffordshire. ... West Mids Regional League logo The West Midlands Regional League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ... Image File history File links left arm of kit template File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... body of kit template File links The following pages link to this file: Arsenal F.C. Ajax Amsterdam AZ Alkmaar A.S. Roma Torino Calcio A.C. Milan ACF Fiorentina Bristol City F.C. Charlton Athletic F.C. Chievo Verona Chelsea F.C. England national football team Wikipedia:WikiProject Football... rightarm of kit template File links The following pages link to this file: Arsenal F.C. Ajax Amsterdam AZ Alkmaar A.S. Roma Torino Calcio A.C. Milan ACF Fiorentina Bristol City F.C. Charlton Athletic F.C. Chievo Verona Chelsea F.C. England national football team Wikipedia:WikiProject Football... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... socks of kit template File links The following pages link to this file: Arsenal F.C. Ajax Amsterdam AZ Alkmaar A.S. Roma Torino Calcio A.C. Milan ACF Fiorentina Bristol City F.C. Charlton Athletic F.C. Chievo Verona Chelsea F.C. England national football team Wikipedia:WikiProject Football... Image File history File links left arm of kit template File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links unknown soccer jersey pattern File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... rightarm of kit template File links The following pages link to this file: Arsenal F.C. Ajax Amsterdam AZ Alkmaar A.S. Roma Torino Calcio A.C. Milan ACF Fiorentina Bristol City F.C. Charlton Athletic F.C. Chievo Verona Chelsea F.C. England national football team Wikipedia:WikiProject Football... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... socks of kit template File links The following pages link to this file: Arsenal F.C. Ajax Amsterdam AZ Alkmaar A.S. Roma Torino Calcio A.C. Milan ACF Fiorentina Bristol City F.C. Charlton Athletic F.C. Chievo Verona Chelsea F.C. England national football team Wikipedia:WikiProject Football... Map sources for Dudley at grid reference SO9390 Dudley is a town in the West Midlands, England. ... The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the Midlands. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... West Mids Regional League logo The West Midlands Regional League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ... The Southern League is an English football league for semi-professional and amateur teams. ... This article is about the English FA Cup. ... York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. ...

History

Dudley Town FC was founded in 1893, and in 1898 incorporated another club from the town, Dudley St Johns, moving onto the latter's ground at Shavers End and entering the Birmingham League. After World War I the club was dormant for a number of years, but in 1928 it was re-formed and entered the Cradley Heath and District League, before moving on to the Worcestershire Combination.

In 1932 the club moved into the Sports Ground, which had been built as part of a project to provide work for the large number of unemployed men in the borough in the inter-war years. Over 16,000 people attended the opening match at what was to remain the Robins' home for fifty years.

In the early 1930s Dudley dominated the Worcestershire Combination and soon moved up to the more prestigious Birmingham League, unfortunately the club could not bear the increased financial strain and folded shortly before World War II. After the war the club was resurrected and progressed via the Birmingham Combination to rejoin the Birmingham League, which in 1962 was re-named the West Midlands Regional League. This was the heyday of the club, with a number of successful League campaigns, leading to admission to the Southern League, as well as a memorable run to the first round of the FA Cup, where they were drawn against York City and held them to a draw at The Sports Ground before losing 4-1 in a replay. There was also substantial re-development of the ground during this period, including the installation of floodlights which were switched on by local hero Billy Wright. Reportedly Wolves even turned down a prestigious close season tour to allow Billy to perform the ceremony. Unfortunately, shortly after the club won promotion to the Southern League Premier Division in 1984, the collapse of mine workings under the adjacent cricket ground saw their stadium closed down and condemned, forcing the club to ground share with a number of different local clubs. The Birmingham Combination was an English football (soccer) competition for teams in Birmingham and the surrounding areas. ... The Southern League is an English football league for semi-professional and amateur teams. ... Billy Wright, CBE (6 February 1924 – 3 September 1994) was an English footballer for Wolverhampton Wanderers. ... Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. are an English football club playing at Molineux Stadium. ...

In 1988 the club moved to a new permanent home at the Round Oak Stadium in Brierley Hill, where they celebrated a successful centenary year, however by 1996 the costs of the ground were spiralling. The club officially moved out in 1996, to a groundshare arrangement at the home of Halesowen Town, with plans to sell Round Oak. However, the proposed sale dragged on, and in 1997, facing increasing financial difficulties, the club was forced to resign its place in the Southern League and close down. Map sources for Brierley Hill at grid reference SO9286 Brierley Hill is a town in Dudley Metropolitan Borough, West Midlands, England. ... Halesowen Town are an English association football club formed in 1873, currently playing in the Southern League Premier Division. ...

In late 1997, club president Nevil Jeynes reformed the club and they were accepted into the West Midlands (Regional) League, exactly 100 years after they had first joined its predecessor, the Birmingham League. After two years ground sharing with local rivals Gornal Athletic, the decision was taken to leave the borough of Dudley and play at The Beeches, home of Tividale, situated just over the border since border changes in 1966. However, after a four year exile, Town returned to the borough in 2003, having signed a deal to play for the next five years at The War Memorial Athletic Ground in Amblecote. Nonetheless, the club still plans to eventually return to a ground in the heart of Dudley itself, and hopes to challenge for an eventual return to the Southern League. Their fifth place finish in the 2006-07 West Midlands Regional League was their biggest achievement in a decade, and they are currently just one promotion away from achieving their target of a return to the Southern League. Gornal Athletic F.C. is a football club based in Dudley, West Midlands, England. ... Tividale F.C. is a football club based in West Midlands, England. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... The War Memorial Athletic Ground, often referred to as simply the War Memorial Ground, is a sports ground in the Amblecote region of Stourbridge, West Midlands, England. ... Amblecote and the neighbouring village of Wordsley were two villages in Staffordshire near the River Stour which formed the border with the county of Worcestershire. ... The new Wembley Stadium was completed in time for the 2006-07 seasons FA Cup Final. ... For other uses, see Southern Football League (disambiguation). ...

Honours

• Southern League
  • Midland Division champions, 1984/85

The Southern League is an English football league for semi-professional and amateur teams. ...

Club records

• Best league performance: 12th in Southern League Premier Division, 1985/86
• Best FA Cup performance: 1st round proper, 1976/77
• Best FA Trophy performance: 2nd round, 1984/85 and 1995/96
• Best FA Vase performance: 1st round on three occasions, most recently in 2005/06

• Biggest win: 8-0 v Banbury Spence, April 1965
• Most goals in a game: 6, Bobby Watson v Tamworth, April 1967
• Most goals in a season: 56, Frank Treagust, 1947/48

For other uses, see Southern Football League (disambiguation). ... This article is about the English FA Cup. ... The Football Association Challenge Trophy is an English football competition for clubs playing in the Football Conference, Southern League, Isthmian League, and Northern Premier League. ... The Football Association Challenge Vase is an annual football competition for teams playing in the lower regional leagues of England. ...

Sources

• Dudley Town at the Football Club History Database

External links

• [http://www.dudleytownfc.org.uk Official website

Email Programme Editor - Dudleytownfc@aol.com