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DUDLEY Sports & DUDLEY TOWN FC
Ground: Dudley Sports & Social Club, Hillcrest Avenue, Brierley Hill DY5 3QJ
Ground Telephone: 01384 826420
Dudley Employees Sports + Social Club was founded
in June 1979 from the demise of The Marsh + Baxter’s
Company. Over 20 years on people still refer to our club
as “The Old Marsh’s Club”.
The football section of our club is very strong boasting 3 teams. Our first team plays in the West Midland Premier League. Our Sunday section play in the Kidderminster and District Premier League and our youth team play in the Midland Floodlit League. Other sporting sections in our club include Bowls, Darts, Runners and Pigeon Flyers, all of who have played a prominent part in our success story over the years. With our excellent grounds and
facilities here at High Ercal we hope the our success will Continue for many years to come.
Before entering the Midland Combination the club played in the Birmingham Works as Marsh + Baxter’s for many years. In the final year they were league champions and winners of the Bass Cup, Prudential Cup and the Paddy Mason Shield. The club started life in the Midland Combination in Division
Two, moving to division one 3 years later. They are twice winners of the Presidents cup in 1989/90 and 2002/3 also winners of the Worcester Junior Cup 1998.
Whilst receiving one of the lottery grants in 1995, they were one of the first to have floodlights. However as the league has progressed the need for upgrade was necessary and the club have just spent £38,000 on new floodlights and are now looking to start work soon on upgrading the changing facilities.
DUDLEY TOWN FC
STOURBRIDGE F.C. WAR MEMORIAL GROUND, HIGH STREET, STOURBRIDGE 01384 394040
Dudley Town Football Club was founded in 1888 by a group of gentleman from Dudley St John's and members of the disbanded rugby club. The club had a very chequered begining playing friendly and West Midland Amateur League Matches. In June 1898it was decided that Dudley should have a Birmingham League team, made up from both Dudley Town and Dudley St John's and that they should play on the latter's ground at Shavers End, playing there until 1911/1912 when they moved on to the Birmingham Road Cricket Ground where they remained until the onset of the First World War.The Club was reformed in 1928/29 and entered the Cradley Heath and District League taking over the fixtures of Dudley West End. A red letter day in the clubs history was in September 1932 with the opening of the Sports Centre. During this era Dudley Town won the Worcestershire Combination in 1931/32 and the Birmingham Combination in 1933/34, becoming succumbing to financial problems in 1938. The end of the Second World War again saw the resurrection of the club, this time in the Birmingham Combination. The Club rejoined the Birmingham League in 1953/54 but suffered their worse spell of results and were unable to finish outside the bottom three until 1963.
From this time the clubs playing position and financial situation improved, joining the Southern Premier League for the 1981/82 season, winning the Midland Division in 1984/85. Sadly in the May of 1985 disaster struck when the lime stone caverns under the nearby County Cricket Ground collapsed and without any warning the council closed the 30,000 capacity ground, which was destined never to be opened again.The club took the decision to purchase the Round Oak Stadium in Brierley Hill after a long battle with the council and local residents. Unfortunately, the enforced ground share for two years prior to this took it's toll financially forcing the club to look for a major sponsor, even after this, large debts and excessive rate demands forced the closure of the club at the end of the 1996/97 season.
In late 1997, Dudley Club President Nevil Jeynes reformed the club and with a new committee now in place, applied for and were accepted into The West Midlands (Regional) League, (Formly the Birmingham League), exactly 100 years after joining it. The 'Robins' were enrolledinto The Premier Division for thestart of the 1998/99 season. After two years ground sharing with Gornal Athletic, the club left the Borough Of Dudley to move to The Beeches, home of Tividale FC. However after a four year exile, Dudley are back in the Borough and for the next five years, will play at The War Memorial Ground, Amblecote, Stourbridge.
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