Shock as two-time Darlaston Town promotion-winning boss resigns with club 'reluctant'
Two-time promotion-winning boss Dean Gill has confirmed his resignation from Darlaston Town.
Gill, the former Wolverhampton Casuals and Bilston Town boss, has presided over the most successful period in Darlo's history with two promotions via the play-offs.
Having been appointed in March 2021 at step six of the non-league pyramid, Gill led the club to step five football for the first time in their 150-year history, before doing the same with promotion to step four, the current level.
His final game at the helm was a 3-1 defeat away to Stafford Rangers on Tuesday night. Town are third-bottom and in a relegation place in Northern Premier's West Division and were leapfrogged by rivals Stafford.
A Darlaston statement said they "reluctantly" accepted Gill's resignation before thanking the outgoing boss for his historic achievements.
Interim chairman Anthony Follows said: "It is with great unwillingness that we have this morning accepted the resignation of first team manager Dean Gill.
"Dean has done a fantastic job and taken the club to unthinkable levels in a relatively short period of time.
"His contribution to the club both on and off the field has been remarkable and has never received the plaudits it so rightly deserves. We wish Dean nothing but the best for the future whatever that may be."
Two seasons ago Gill's troops ended the Midland Premier campaign with a stunning nine-match winning run that culminated in play-off success over Lichfield City.
Gill led the club to a remarkable finish of seventh in the Northern Midland's last season, the first at the level for Darlo, before this season a restructure shifted the club into the West Division.
Only last month they earned a creditable point in front of more than 3,000 supporters at the division's big-hitters Bury, the former Football League outfit. There was controversy after the draw, with post-match red cards issued to players and backroom staff members, as Gill had drawn the ire of home fans both at Gigg Lane and on social media.
