Club History
PARKDALE ROVERS F.C.
(Founded 1952)
Although the summer of 1952 saw the official commencement of Parkdale Rovers FC, the group of players who first formed the club had probably been brought together by various aspects of “Netherton life” in the early 40’s and 50’s. Growing up together and despite attending several different schools in the Dudley and Netherton area, many of the players met regularly in the evenings in the centre of Netherton. Everyone was football mad. Weekends and school holidays seemed to be largely spent “over the park” playing football from early morning until dusk.
On one damp late summer evening in 1952, a group of lads in Netherton Park, decided to form a football club. "What shal we call the team?", someone asked. "Well we play on a 'park' - the Netherton bottom pitch - "and our ground is in a 'dale' ", hence the name Parkdale Rovers FC was born. And so the very first unofficial meeting of Parkdale Rovers FC was probably held in the centre of Netherton, illuminated by the watery lights of Rhodes Fish & Chip shop.
At about this time several of the team members joined the Netherton Liberal Club – probably not so much a political persuasion but rather so they could make use of the four superb snooker tables at the club! And it has remained a base for Parkdale Rovers FC with various club functions, fund-raisers and A.G.M.’s etc. for just over the last 50 years.
The first two years 1952/53 and 1953/54 saw Parkdale competing in the Coseley Boys League – winning a Cup and League double in only their second season! In 1954-1956 they moved to Halesowen Youth League, before joining the Brierley Hill & District A.F.L. for the 1956/57 season. This organisation eventually changed its name to the Dudley Metropolitan League in 1978/79. Parkdale remained members until 1988, operating between one and three teams during an unbroken run of 30 years collecting the majority of honours on offer during that period.
Perhaps the recipe for Parkdale’s long lasting success has been the ability to attract members who have been prepared to devote huge amounts of their time and effort, some over a great many years, as players, then officials, committee members, fund raisers and general supporters.
Ron Barnett and John Hingley are both founder team members and are still active as Honorary Life-time Presidents of the club, but an amazing number of other “Parkdalians” with over 20 or 30 years service is still common place:- Cedric Welding (Chairman), Dave Marsh (Vice Chairman), John Green (former player and manager), Paul Coley, Phil Woodhouse, Neil Bohanna, Des Rolinson, and Barry Robson, all deserve special mention for their many years of faithful support and dedicated service.
In 1988 the club joined the Kidderminster & District A.F.L. and have operated a first team in the Premier Division and (usually) a reserve team in the First Division of this league up to the present time. Over the years, Parkdale Rovers FC have had the use of many home venues including - Netherton Park, Buffery Park, Tanfield Gift Ground (The Black Horse), Marlhole, Netherton, Hingleys Stadium, Old Hill, Level Street (now part of the Merry Hill complex), Saltwells, Netherton, Hagley School, Brown Westhead pitches at Wolverley and up until recently, at the King Edwards School pitches at Greenfields, Swinford Road, Stourbridge. The team also enjoys excellent training facilities under floodlights on the astro pitches at the Earls High School, Halesowen
[***This Club History is an extract from a much fuller article which was written for the local press on the occasion of club’s 50th Anniversary
- by Mr John Hingley, founder player and Club President ]
PARKDALE ROVERS F.C. 2005-2006
Back Row: Ed Uff, Dave Louden, Steve Westwood, Richard 'Itchy' Merker, Dan Lacey, Gavin Haynes, Billy Cridge, Dean Kavanagh, Nathan 'Tubbs' Pugh,
Front Row: Dave Collett, Blaine O'Reilly, Adam Tallack, Nigel Mayes, Sean Wright, Rhian O'Reilly
A very promising start to the 2006-07 season where Parkdale raced to the top of Division One with 7 straight wins - including inflicting some heavy defeats on teams who would eventually finish in the top three. Unfortunately injuries to key players, notably leading goalscorers Dave Louden, Ed Uff and Dean Kavanagh (who was also later called away on a tour of Iraq with his regiment) meant that a lot of points where dropped in the middle part of the season as our goal threat was greatly diminished and greater pressure was placed on the defence. However, the side rallied well in the final third of the season, but by this time a mid-table finish was inevitable and so it proved as the side finished in a disappointing 8th place.
By the end of the season, however, an exciting new development presented itself: former player Phil Woodhouse and his youth team were coming of age and looked to step up to all age football. Manager Martin Louden approached Phil and opened up discussions of a possible merger of the two sides with the obvious benefits of greatly strengthening the side with an influx of a group of highly talented young players AND opening up the potential to re-introduce a 1st team and a Reserves team. By the end of June, discussions and negotiations between both teams and the Kidderminster league were approved and passed at the the club's A.G.M. The newly structured club will commence the 2007/08 season with two teams again for the first time in nearly three years. The 1st team have been re-admiited to play in the Premier Division, managed by Phil Woodhouse (with Martin Louden stepping down to Assistant Manager), whilst Nigel Mayes will take responsibility as player manager with the Reserves who will play in the 1st Division.
