Hopes for campaign to bring Dudley Football Club back home
There's nothing like playing in front of a home crowd – but for Dudley Football Club, it hasn't happened for 40 years.Club directors say finding a permanent home in the borough is "vital", while Dudley Council leader Patrick Harley said a potential site for the club has been identified. The team last played in the borough in 1985 but had to move out when a crater appeared on the pitch at Dudley Sports Centre. They now play seven miles (11.2km) away at Sporting Khalsa's ground in Willenhall.Dudley FC, a non-league team also known as the Robbins, was founded in 1888 and plays in the Midland Premier League.
'We could easily give up'
Stephen Austin, one of the club's directors, said there have been many failed attempts over the years to move the club back to Dudley. "A return to Dudley is something we all want and need," he said."We've been in discussions for 40 years. We've been close on a number of occasions and not managed to get over the line so cautious is where we are."We have to remain optimistic because if not, we could easily give up."Dudley's connection to the sport is strong with footballer Duncan Edwards represented with a statue in the town centre.Edwards was from Dudley and went on to play for Manchester United and England before his death in the Munich air disaster, aged just 21.
Harley, leader of the Conservative-run council, said its officers were in talks with the club – and a potential site for the team has been identified."I think we're way closer now than we have been for many years," he said."There are lots of hurdles to overcome and we have to make sure that the council is not financially threatened by any proposed deal."It'll bring a sense of purpose to the area, it would bring a good morale boost."
Former Dudley MP Marco Longhi raised the campaign in the House of Commons last year where it got the backing of the then Conservative culture secretary Lucy Frazer.Now, Sonia Kumar, the town's Labour MP, has started a petition to bring Dudley FC home."I'm very positive, we've got some things coming up in the pipeline and hopefully there is a place for Dudley to come back to," she said."It's not just about going to see the game for it's spirit, but what it will do for the economy."
The club finished sixth place in the Midland Football League and is currently gearing up for the JW hunt charity cup on 5 June. Matty Lovatt, first team manager, said being back in Dudley would help with extra funding for the club's youth development."Having been here seven years, I feel like an adopted Dudley man," he said. "I feel attached to the club and I feel their pain. It's only right for the people that they've got a ground back in their own town."
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