West Men Preview | Dudley Town (H)

 

West vs Dudley Town

• Saturday 22nd August 2026
• 3pm kick-off
• Midland Football League Premier Division
• Matchday 5
• Brookburn Road, M21 8DP for parking - note there is no parking at Brookburn Road or the nearby Chorltonville Estate, see our Matchday page for further detail.
• Admission, pay on the gate with card or cash
  • £8 Adults
  • £6 Concessions (16-17, over 60s)
  • £2 Under 16s
  • Free for Under 5s

On Tuesday night, West built on the better parts of the Stone Old Alleynians victory to put together an opening half hour that was too much for Stockport Georgians and won the game. A long-range effort from Joe Berks within 3 minutes seemed to shock the visitors, with Victor Abadaki converting a well worked goal 5 minutes later, and West were well worth a three goal lead when an unavoidable Georgians own goal from a corner came on the 21st minute. 

Despite a late first half reply on the counter and a second yellow for Brandon Dawson with 30 minutes left, this was as comfortable of a victory as we could've hoped.

It was a special night, as Billy Matthews became our leading appearance maker since we joined the pyramid. With the 500-strong crowd singing his name, he was subbed on as we looked to see out the game. This was the 228th time he'd pulled on a West shirt since joining in 2019 - and you can read more about his stats here. Having taken a well-deserved ovation after the full time whistle, Billy will be hoping to add another West cap this weekend.

Founded in 1888, Dudley Town have a rich history in the semi-professional and amateur game. Most famously, as a West Midlands league side they reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup in 1976/76, taking Division Three (now known as League One) side York City to a replay - one they lost 4-1 at Bootham Crescent. They’ve played as high as step 3 (tier 7), but started the decade in the regional leagues.

Under the stewardship of Matty Lovatt, the club rejoined the pyramid and enjoyed a renaissance. They had a 100 point season to win step 6 at a canter, then bothered the upper echelons of the Midland Premier for three consecutive seasons - with a points deduction being the only thing stopping them earning a playoff spot last time out.

The summer saw change in the dugout, with Nathan Lamey appointed manager. His announcement promised a 'modern, data-led approach', learned from several years working as part of Port Vale’s academy structure. He was joined by assistants Justin Richards and former Walsall, Leicester City, and Hull hotshot Matty Fryatt.

With new faces both on the bench and in the starting XI, the transition between regimes hasn’t been as smooth as Robins fans would’ve hoped. Similar to West, they opened the season with back to back league defeats and an exit from the FA Cup, though a 3-0 Vase win against Alsager Town showed green shoots of recovery. Midweek, however, brought another loss for Dudley, unable to stop Abbey Hulton United continuing on their 100% start and falling 2-1 away from home.

Their current top scorer is summer signing Charlie Muir, who has the club in his DNA. His father, John Muir, played for the Dudley Town until his mid-20s before being plucked out of non-league by Doncaster Rovers manager Billy Bremner in 1990. He would lead their scoring charts in the Fourth Division for the 1991/92 season before spells with Stockport County and Torquay, as well as in Malta and Hong Kong. He ended his career back in the non-league scene of the West Midlands.

Travelling to Brookburn Road

We strongly recommend that, where possible, visitors walk, cycle or use public transport when travelling to our stadium.

Car parking at the stadium itself is strictly restricted to players and officials. If you're a supporter and you require a parking space for accessibility reasons, please contact ollie@wdcfc.co.uk.

If you are driving to the match, please use our car park at Hardy Farm M21 8DP or alternatively the car park opposite the Bowling Green pub M21 9ES.

Please note that there is NO PARKING allowed in the Chorltonville area adjacent to the ground, which is private. 

For further details of how to get to Brookburn Road, please head to the MATCHDAY page.