Darlaston Town campaigners take to Facebook
Campaigners fighting to restore a football team in Darlaston have launched a Facebook group to drum up support, as scores of people are expected at a public meeting tomorrow.
Darlaston Town FC, which was believed to be the second oldest non-league team in the country, has folded and been pulled from the league after almost 140 years in existence.
Campaigners are now looking to revive the name, or start a replacement club, and a page has been set up on the social networking site.
The meeting is taking place at Darlaston All Active Centre from 7.30pm to discuss the best option to keep a senior football team in the town.
Messages of support have already been added to the new Darlaston Town Facebook page. The club was formed in 1874 and was a founder member of the Midlands league in 1962.
Campaigner Nicola Jane Waite said: "For too long the club has been heading in the wrong direction.
"We need people who care and have a passion involved in the grass roots running of the club and build from that.
"The people of Darlaston will come together, as its that kind of community, and lets make our football club a place to be proud of once again."
Fellow poster on the Facebook page, Harry Barfield, said: "If the club is going to survive then it needs to put on more events, run tournaments for the kids, inspire the next generation."
The team has played at the Waverley Road ground since 1899 and only during the war years has a Darlaston team not been competing in a regional league.
Neil Chambers, a chairman of the club in the 1990s and club historian, who is leading the campaign for a club in Darlaston, said the response has so far been good.
