Rushall Olympic

Club Overview

Rushall Olympic Football Club, known as the Pics, represent Rushall, a village in the northern part of Walsall in the West Midlands. Their story combines deep local roots, a post-war revival, decades of progress through regional football and a modern rise into the National League North. For 2026/27, the club are back in the Southern League Premier Division Central at Step 3.

The club’s official historical research has traced match reports for the original Olympic side to the 1893–94 season. Although the organisation later disbanded before the Second World War, local football people re-established Rushall Olympic in 1951, creating the foundation for the modern club.

Quick Facts

  • Club: Rushall Olympic Football Club
  • Nickname: The Pics
  • Origins: 1893–94; re-formed in 1951
  • Home ground: Dales Lane
  • Address: Dales Lane, Daw End, Rushall, Walsall, West Midlands WS4 1LJ
  • 2026/27 league: Southern League Premier Division Central
  • Step: 3
  • Official website: Rushall Olympic FC

Stadium Guide: Dales Lane

Dales Lane has been Rushall Olympic’s home since it officially opened on 14 August 1977. The club had moved away from the village in 1975 to the Aston University Sports Ground while seeking to progress, before securing land at Daw End and returning to Rushall. The ground is therefore an important part of the club’s identity as well as its matchday base.

The club lists a private car park, with disabled parking available by prior arrangement. Its clubhouse welcomes home and away supporters, while the Pics Pantry serves hot food, snacks and refreshments. A printed matchday programme is also available. The nearest railway station is Walsall, around 3.4 miles away; the club notes that the 997 bus between Walsall and Birmingham passes the ground.

Admission and travel: Prices, online discounts, kick-off times, parking arrangements and accessibility details can change by fixture. Check the club’s current Dales Lane stadium and admission information before travelling.

Club History

Early football and the original Olympic

The club’s historical archive has found local newspaper reports from the 1893–94 season. Rushall joined the Cannock & District League for 1895–96 and finished as runners-up. The team subsequently competed in sections of the Walsall & District League, winning the Junior Championship in 1903–04. Football in Rushall itself has even earlier roots: the club’s research describes a Rushall side playing Walsall Town in October 1874.

During the years after the First World War, the team included many local colliery workers and played on a field behind the Miners Arms public house, where players also changed. Honours included the Lichfield & District League championship in 1919–20 and several Walsall Charity Cup successes. The original club eventually disbanded before the Second World War.

Re-formation and local dominance

In 1951, local footballers including John Edwards, Des Hyde and Graham Wiggin brought the club back. With help from local businessman George Hunt, Rowley Place became the team’s first ground after re-formation. The revived side entered the Walsall & District Amateur League, winning its Second Division in 1952–53 and First Division in 1955–56.

Rushall then moved into the Staffordshire County League (South), winning its Second Division at the first attempt. The club became a major force in the competition, claiming several First Division championships between 1960 and 1965. The 1964–65 campaign was especially successful, bringing the league title alongside the Lichfield Charity Cup, Sporting Star Cup and Walsall Senior Cup.

The move to Dales Lane and the climb up the pyramid

In 1975, the club temporarily left Rushall for Aston University Sports Ground in pursuit of a higher league status. A group of committed club figures then helped secure land at Daw End, and Dales Lane opened in August 1977. Rushall joined the West Midlands (Regional) League in 1978 and won its Division One championship in 1979–80, earning promotion to the Premier Division.

The Pics became founder members of the Midland Football Alliance in 1994. They won that competition in 2004–05, a key step towards the Southern League. League reorganisations subsequently took them into the Northern Premier League, where promotion to its Premier Division followed through the play-offs in 2010–11.

Step 2 and a landmark promotion

Rushall returned to the Southern League in 2018 and continued to pursue promotion. After missing out in the 2021–22 play-offs, the club won promotion to the National League North in 2022–23. Their route included a semi-final penalty shoot-out win over Coalville Town and a final decided on penalties against Nuneaton Borough. Reaching Step 2 represented a major milestone for a club built around its local community.

After competing at Step 2, the Pics returned to the Northern Premier League for 2025–26 and are allocated to the Southern League Premier Division Central for 2026–27. League placements can change with annual allocations, so this profile reflects the current season rather than treating any division as permanent.

Honours and Milestones

  • Midland Football Alliance champions: 2004–05.
  • West Midlands (Regional) League Division One champions: 1979–80.
  • Promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division: 2010–11, via the play-offs.
  • Promotion to the National League North: 2022–23, via the play-offs.
  • Staffordshire County League (South) First Division: multiple championship seasons in the early 1960s, including 1964–65.
  • Walsall Senior Cup: among the club’s historic local cup successes, including the 1964–65 campaign and a 2000 final win.

For a complete season-by-season league record, see the Football Club History Database entry for Rushall Olympic. Older local honours are recorded in the club’s own history and should be distinguished from later national-pyramid titles.

Club Records and Notable Achievements

  • FA Cup: the club’s best modern run reached the First Round Proper in 2024–25, according to historical competition summaries.
  • Highest modern league level: the National League North, reached after the 2022–23 play-offs.
  • Ground milestone: Dales Lane opened on 14 August 1977 and has remained central to the club’s identity.
  • Club scoring record: historical reporting identifies Graham Wiggin, one of the re-formation era’s key figures, as the club’s record goalscorer with 445 goals in 546 appearances. This statistic is reported in historical coverage and should be read in that context rather than as a current season record.

Famous Players and Club Figures

Graham Wiggin is one of the most significant names in the club’s story. A member of the group involved in bringing Rushall Olympic back in 1951, he also became a prolific goalscorer and is credited in historical coverage with 445 goals in 546 appearances. The club’s history also remembers the local volunteers and organisers who secured Dales Lane, including the group known as the “Magnificent Seven” who helped return football to Rushall in the 1970s.

Rather than listing former players without reliable confirmation of their contribution, this profile focuses on figures whose role is documented in the club’s historical account. The club’s official channels and matchday archive are the best starting points for further research into players, managers and teams from individual eras.

Rivalries and Regional Context

Rushall Olympic’s football identity is rooted in the Walsall and wider Black Country area. Their changing league allocations have also brought regular fixtures against clubs from Staffordshire, the West Midlands and neighbouring parts of the Midlands. The importance of particular rivalries varies by era and competition, so supporters should treat the current fixture list as the best guide to the season’s key local match-ups rather than assume one permanent rival.

Matchday Guide

For a visit to Dales Lane, check the club website before setting off for the latest fixture confirmation, admission prices and travel guidance. The club advises that disabled parking should be arranged in advance. Supporters can use the clubhouse, buy hot food and refreshments at the Pics Pantry and look for the printed programme and merchandise at the ground.

Official visitor information: Dales Lane – admission prices and facilities and club contact and address details.

NonLeagueReview

NonLeagueReview covers the clubs, grounds, people and matchday experiences that make non-league football distinctive. Follow our coverage for ground reviews, attendance features, cup stories, interviews and updates from across Steps 1–7. Rushall Olympic’s journey—from a village club revived in 1951 to a side that reached Step 2—is a reminder of the commitment and community work behind the non-league pyramid.

Sources and Further Information

League allocation and practical visitor information checked for the 2026–27 season. Historical records are attributed to the club’s own archive or the specialist historical database where possible; confirm matchday details with the club before travel.