Introducing the new member clubs: Dawley Town
Thu 23rd July 2026 | Dawley Town | By Jay Cooper
With the 2026/27 NWCFL campaign fast approaching, now is the perfect time to introduce the new member clubs to their respective divisions.
Or perhaps better – to let the new member clubs introduce themselves.
Last week, I spoke to Paul Sankey – chairman and secretary at Dawley Town, who will take their place in the NWCFL First Division South this season following promotion from the Salop Leisure League after the end of the 2025/26 season.
Dawley Town Football Club is not a name that goes back very far when discussing the history of this team. In 1970, the club that would eventually become the Jockeys were founded as Telford Juniors, and they initially focused solely on football at a youth level.
Telford Juniors were members of the Oakengates League, the Wrekin Minor League, the Wellington League and the Shropshire County League throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s.
Throughout their time spent at Step Seven and below of the non-league system, both before and after the turn of the millennium, they have played their football at the fantastically named Theatre of Jockeys, which, for sponsorship purposes, is currently named the Hamer Leisure Theatre of Jockeys.
After an uneventful two decades between 1990 and 2010, Telford Juniors, still under that moniker, achieved promotion from the Mercian Regional League as champions in the 2014/15 campaign, and joined the West Midlands (Regional) League Division Two.
Just two seasons of Division Two football was all the Jockeys needed to win the league in 2017, scoring 100 goals in the process to pip West Bromwich United to the post on goal difference, and earn promotion to Division One.
After two seasons at that level, relegation came calling, and the club dropped back into Division Two ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the early curtailments of the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons.
It was halfway through this nightmarish time for non-league football that Telford Juniors finally adopted the name that they are known by today – Dawley Town Football Club. Calling themselves a “re-boot” of Telford Juniors, they quickly became a fixture of the Shropshire County League, now known as the Salop Leisure League.
Ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, the club hired former player Tom White as first team manager, and he guided the Jockeys to the Premier Division title unbeaten, with just one draw to their name from the campaign itself. Promotion was earned, but not awarded, due to the Theatre of Jockeys failing to meet Step Six ground grading requirements at the time.
To avoid something like this happening a second time, in June 2024, the club received planning permission from the local council to have floodlights installed, that would help them meet promotion requirements – all they had to do was earn it once again on the pitch.
The 2025/26 campaign would see Dawley Town reach that goal. Having only lost twice in all competitions all season, they battled their way to the Salop Leisure League Premier Division title again, edging out Church Stretton Town by two points. With no more admin to hold them back, their application for promotion to Step Six was granted, and they will play NWCFL football for the first time in 2026/27.
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Paul Sankey
1. How would you describe Dawley Town to someone who had never heard of the club?
a. We are a local community run club, solely operated by volunteers. Everyone involved behind the scenes at the club are all Dawley born and bred, and they are very proud of their roots.
2. What does the club mean to the area and community that you represent?
a. Most of the Dawley community all come down and support their local football team, which is great to see.
For a lot of supporters, their family and friends are playing for their Town team, so the club and the community go hand in hand.
3. Tell me about the manager.
a. Tom White is the current manager of Dawley Town. This coming season will be his fifth in charge of the club.
Tom has previously played for Dawley, and he is a local Dawley Jockey who his very passionate about the club and the town at large.
4. Tell me a bit about last season – your last one in the Salop Leisure League (Shropshire County League). Was promotion a definite goal, or a happy accident?
a. It was an unapologetically great season for us! We won the league title, and the Shropshire County Challenge Cup, whilst only losing two games in all competitions – couldn’t ask for more!
5. How well have you been getting along with your pre-season prep? New signings, friendlies, etc?
a. Preseason has been a bit up and down for us, as it will have been with everyone - the World Cup and the weather have been very distracting.
But we have a good set of local lads at this club, and we’ve made a couple of exciting new additions. We know that they will be ready for a challenging season in the NWCFL.
6. What are your ambitions for the upcoming 2026/27 season in the NWCFL?
a. Plain and simple - to become an established Step Six team. That can be a great start, and we can build from there, one step at a time.
----------
We wish everyone at Dawley Town all the best for the 2026/27 season!
Introducing the new member clubs: Dawley Town
Thu 23rd July 2026 | Dawley Town
By Jay Cooper
With the 2026/27 NWCFL campaign fast approaching, now is the perfect time to introduce the new member clubs to their respective divisions.
Or perhaps better – to let the new member clubs introduce themselves.
Last week, I spoke to Paul Sankey – chairman and secretary at Dawley Town, who will take their place in the NWCFL First Division South this season following promotion from the Salop Leisure League after the end of the 2025/26 season.
Dawley Town Football Club is not a name that goes back very far when discussing the history of this team. In 1970, the club that would eventually become the Jockeys were founded as Telford Juniors, and they initially focused solely on football at a youth level.
Telford Juniors were members of the Oakengates League, the Wrekin Minor League, the Wellington League and the Shropshire County League throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s.
Throughout their time spent at Step Seven and below of the non-league system, both before and after the turn of the millennium, they have played their football at the fantastically named Theatre of Jockeys, which, for sponsorship purposes, is currently named the Hamer Leisure Theatre of Jockeys.
After an uneventful two decades between 1990 and 2010, Telford Juniors, still under that moniker, achieved promotion from the Mercian Regional League as champions in the 2014/15 campaign, and joined the West Midlands (Regional) League Division Two.
Just two seasons of Division Two football was all the Jockeys needed to win the league in 2017, scoring 100 goals in the process to pip West Bromwich United to the post on goal difference, and earn promotion to Division One.
After two seasons at that level, relegation came calling, and the club dropped back into Division Two ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the early curtailments of the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons.
It was halfway through this nightmarish time for non-league football that Telford Juniors finally adopted the name that they are known by today – Dawley Town Football Club. Calling themselves a “re-boot” of Telford Juniors, they quickly became a fixture of the Shropshire County League, now known as the Salop Leisure League.
Ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, the club hired former player Tom White as first team manager, and he guided the Jockeys to the Premier Division title unbeaten, with just one draw to their name from the campaign itself. Promotion was earned, but not awarded, due to the Theatre of Jockeys failing to meet Step Six ground grading requirements at the time.
To avoid something like this happening a second time, in June 2024, the club received planning permission from the local council to have floodlights installed, that would help them meet promotion requirements – all they had to do was earn it once again on the pitch.
The 2025/26 campaign would see Dawley Town reach that goal. Having only lost twice in all competitions all season, they battled their way to the Salop Leisure League Premier Division title again, edging out Church Stretton Town by two points. With no more admin to hold them back, their application for promotion to Step Six was granted, and they will play NWCFL football for the first time in 2026/27.
----------
Paul Sankey
1. How would you describe Dawley Town to someone who had never heard of the club?
a. We are a local community run club, solely operated by volunteers. Everyone involved behind the scenes at the club are all Dawley born and bred, and they are very proud of their roots.
2. What does the club mean to the area and community that you represent?
a. Most of the Dawley community all come down and support their local football team, which is great to see.
For a lot of supporters, their family and friends are playing for their Town team, so the club and the community go hand in hand.
3. Tell me about the manager.
a. Tom White is the current manager of Dawley Town. This coming season will be his fifth in charge of the club.
Tom has previously played for Dawley, and he is a local Dawley Jockey who his very passionate about the club and the town at large.
4. Tell me a bit about last season – your last one in the Salop Leisure League (Shropshire County League). Was promotion a definite goal, or a happy accident?
a. It was an unapologetically great season for us! We won the league title, and the Shropshire County Challenge Cup, whilst only losing two games in all competitions – couldn’t ask for more!
5. How well have you been getting along with your pre-season prep? New signings, friendlies, etc?
a. Preseason has been a bit up and down for us, as it will have been with everyone - the World Cup and the weather have been very distracting.
But we have a good set of local lads at this club, and we’ve made a couple of exciting new additions. We know that they will be ready for a challenging season in the NWCFL.
6. What are your ambitions for the upcoming 2026/27 season in the NWCFL?
a. Plain and simple - to become an established Step Six team. That can be a great start, and we can build from there, one step at a time.
----------
We wish everyone at Dawley Town all the best for the 2026/27 season!
