The Black Country outfit have been crowned Midland League Division One champions at Step 6. It follows years in the doldrums for a team that maintained firmly established Southern League membership through the 1980's and 1990's. Matters weren't helped by losing two home grounds in a steady decline.
I went to watch their final league game of the 2022/23 campaign away to Stapenhill where a 4-1 victory took Dudley to 100 points and 101 goals scored in 40 fixtures.
It was great fun to stand among vociferous old-school away fans as I chatted to club director Jon Edwards about the new-found renaissance.
"We are absolutely ecstatic to clinch our division," he told said.
"The team just doesn't know when to lie down. It is very much an attitude spread throughout our club and has kept us alive all these years.
"We're immensely proud of our management and players. They exude the Dudley Town survival spirit. Promotion is one foot back on the path to our former higher status, although it has felt an unbelievably long time in arriving.
"Our previous title success came in 1985 when we claimed the Southern League Midland Division. In that era, it elevated us to what would be considered Step 2 now." Whilst admiring Dudley Town's renewed good fortunes, I also recall major problems the club encountered prior to dropping out of Southern League football in 1997 after 15 seasons of tenure. Edwards filled me in on what happened.
Denne historien er fra May 07, 2023-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
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Denne historien er fra May 07, 2023-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
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WRAGGY WILL BE SORELY MISSED
MACCLESFIELD FC have led the tributes to “colossal” former manager Peter Wragg, who has passed away.
BURY & RAMMY HIT BIG STAGE!
BRYANLY’S late penalty kept Bury top of the tree in front of another record-breaking crowd at Gigg Lane on Boxing Day.
BRAVE BERKO ARE ON TRACK
Ducks demolition maintains title tilt
OWLS THAT! CLEE GLEE ON TOP OF THE TREE
CLEETHORPES Town maintained their four-point lead at the top of NPL East with a hard-fought 2-1 derby win over North Ferriby at the Myenergi Stadium.
HAWKS SWOOP IN FOR DERBY GLORY
REUBEN AUSTIN hailed Havant & Waterlooville teammate Leon Maloney’s wonder goal as ‘a hell of a strike’ as the Hawks continued their promotion push with a 3-1 local derby success over Gosport Borough.
JULIUS DICTATES - BUT FANS MIST IT
JULUS Ndene handed Leek Town a famous victory in the mist – not that any of the fans got to see it!
GOLDEN BROWN BACK AT THE TOP
PHIL Brown gave his Kidderminster Harriers players Christmas off – and was rewarded with a climb to the top of the tree.
BRENNAN'S BOYS SALVAGED IN 'KAMIKAZE' YEAR END
STRAIGHT talking Dean Brennan lamented ‘kamikaze’ defending despite seeing his Barnet nick a dramatic late point to end 2024 at the National League summit.
FIVE-STAR PIRATES PUMMEL ROVERS
IN the final game of the year at the Ledger Stadium, second-placed Real Bedford faced off against fourth-placed Barton Rovers, who arrived as the league’s in-form side.
MOORE'S LATE GOAL SEALS BIG REDS WIN
GEORGE Moore was the hero grabbing a stoppage-time winner to sink Kingstonian and take Uxbridge to third in the table in what is becoming a fascinating promotion race in the Pitching-In Isthmian South Central.
