Darlo's atmosphere against Sutton Coldfield was good, the rest of the time it feels Middle Class and What I mean is no chanting, no consistent support like even a shout of come on Darlo, the football we play to quote my Albion season ticket mate is quicker than Albion and it is still possesion based but when Darlo enter a flow we work it around find a man quickly who has made the run he either has a shot or quick one two with team mate before having a shot or works it back to a player in the box in a better area who has a shot. You get a beer pitchside, abuse is generally low, if a player has wound us up ie Harborough or the Ref is poor he gets stick but nothing bad unless like Harborough they give us vile abuse the old Black Country ways of taking it and dishing it.
There is a little click of people who want to try and control things but the Chairman is sound to me and two of my mates plus a few others maybe young uns who try and get an atmosphere, my mate who has been going longer than me reckons the Click have caused Darlo's drop in attendances despite us being promoted and playing Brilliant football, I still go despite sometimes feeling a sense of dread at the click or other people like one bloke the other week, who after Harborough rightly didn't know what had happened so thought I caused it so said he didn't want me standing by me. My mate who I was defending basically said it wasn't my fault and that the Chairman has dealt with it and he seemed OK only for the game against Corby for him to have a go at me again, despite him saying he understand swearing at Football which my Mate even heard as he swore and didn't realise the bloke's daughter was behind him and the bloke said no it's fine it's the Football on a bus yeah I would moan.
But I keep going because I like the Football the other people are sound, I have a laugh with my mates, drink my week's stress away, the players and manager are all lovely blokes stuck up for me and my mates several times my mate mostly and they deserve the support. Darlo I conclude ay got the support Stourbridge or Halesowen do our largest crowd was for a FA Cup 1st/2nd Qualifying Round Replay last season against Khalsa where 1,150 saw us the day before the kids went back after Summer, before that we have has crowds have 786 against Dudley in the Midland Premier Play Off Semi Final and 501 against Stapenhill in the final. We did send about 200 or 300 by mixture of Coach about 30 not including the players and coaching staff and there family From Darlo to Lichfield and the others making there way by Car, Train or Bus from Darlo, Brum, Aldridge and Walsall to Lichfield for the Play Off Final last season. We probably have got 200-400 against Albion and Wolves in the senior Cup last season and this season our largest crowd has been about 300 I think but before that was average we averaged 250 in lower leagues.
Darlaston does have two teams one managed by a former Darlaston Town (The team I follow and phoenix club of the original) manager who I think took us from the Regional League to the lower Midland Leagues he Manages FC Darlaston who play in Darlaston in Rough Hay, Darlaston Town Play in Bentley, Darlaston Town wanted to use the Rec where FC Darlaston play but Walsall Council said no we don't it used for Football. FC Darlaston played in Bilston at Bilston's ground and then moved last season or maybe before to the Rec. I think Neil Chambers who owns Darlaston Town and founded them wrote a book On the original club known to many for having a sloping pitch Darlo usually attacked down Hill second half. If Darlo had still existed they Couldn't play where they are now with that ground. I think he and a few others founded Darlaston Town along with some people who would go on to found FC Darlaston, FC Darlaston was created I believe by some people who fell out or left Darlo Town's board before it was taken over by someone else as the people now involved with FC Darlo are relatives to the family who own the Pub I drink at who support both clubs in the town, hence I know it wasn't them who originally founded it as I believe there was some animosity between the original founders and Neil and Co and the two teams didn't like each other mostly FC were jealous of how Darlaston were doing. I didn't know FC Darlo existed when I did my project on Non League football. Now the two Darlo's do get on a lot of fans Town who live in Darlaston always want FC to do well and they are 3rd or 4th in there League they play teams like Tipton
I believe Darlo's planned development team would have played FC Darlaston but we put those plans on hold when we got promoted.
This is what I love about Darlo we aren't a big club in terms of resources teams like Stourport who we played last season have a development side in the same league as FC Darlaston, I believe Bwedley who got releagted with something silly like minus 100 odd or 200 goal difference have/had one, our current manager Dean Gill wanted one to put our Younger Signings in so if they were good enough he could play them when we needed them then put them back so they had game time and then if they impressed him we would sign them. But due to Promotion and needing to improve the ground we didn't do this many fans were disappointed it meant basically every Saturday those of us who didn't go away could still watch football and it also meant some of us who wanted to help could help with the development side ie someone Do the gates/tickets, Bar Staff, Kitchen Staff, Announcer for the team, photographer maybe as our Club photographer travels away with the main team, car park staff it would have meant more of us felt more involved but alas it has been put on a back burner, but despite this we are punching above our weight I don't think however we could go any higher than we are as it would be a step to far.
