Memories of Darlington

[1973Blade]

Just seen this post on a Facebook football site from a Darlington fan remembering the Feethams. He saw 1356 matches at the ground and there is one that stood out!

 

[Broomhall Blade]

Still my favourite match watching the Blades.
Blades on all four sides of the ground and sat around the pitch something you will never see again at a professional football match.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Was a young un then, remember it like yesterday sat on the touch line watching my heroes. I think only Leicester 5-2 away beats this day.

 

[WORKSOPBLADE]

Was a young un then, remember it like yesterday sat on the touch line watching my heroes. I think only Leicester 5-2 away beats this day.

Those two and now Northampton I'm so proud and happy to have been at.

 

[maidmarion]

Amazing day, amazing season.

 

[Kenilworth]

Was the favourite game of TheFlashingBlade too.
True - the likes of that we will never see again.

I still have my return coach ticket on the SUFC main branch supporters club. Couldn't think why I didn't have a match ticket until someone reminded me that you often paid cash on the turnstile when you got there.

Odd isn't it.
Paying cash for a football game

 

[Liverpool blade]

What a great day that was!!. I was only 11 years old and was allowed to go to the match with a school friend and his dad. Leicester will probably always be my favourite!( I went dressed as a gorilla). I count myself fortunate to have been at both!!.

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

Saw that on my FB earlier and thought to post it on here but didn't. Great that the guy remembers that day as his most abiding memory of his clubs life at Feethams.

 

[SW12 to S12 to S18]

Just seen this post on a Facebook football site from a Darlington fan remembering the Feethams. He saw 1356 matches at the ground and there is one that stood out! View attachment 28894

From my recollections there weren't many Darlo fans in the ground, it was spot the home fan. The ones that did go seemed to take in good spirit though. As said elsewhere, it would never be allowed happen these days.

 

[JJ Sefton]

 

[Snowman]

As I have no doubt reported before, I was a best man at a wedding that day and reported to the 33% Blades attendees the score from the radio during the speech. Unusual technology in those days consisting of a radio and a plug in earphone. Radio Pig was then not so pig as it has become. I was too drunk to become involved in what followed.

 

[Cheets]

Can't remember anything about the match other than we won 2-0. Remember being at the front of the stand behind the goal and it being boiling hot. Remember Darlo giving us a guard of honour. My mate's dad wouldn't let us invade the pitch as he had lost one of us v Peterborough the previous week!

 

[Sharrow Snuff Mill]

Lots of memories from that day. Two in particular stand out. On arrival we parked on a grass verge as near as we could to the ground. Next moment a huge removals van drew up on the opposite verge. The lads in front got out and opened the back up. out jumped/ staggered/ fell about 30 pissed up Blades blinking into the daylight and falling around all over the place. That and their subsequent antics was some of the best free entertainment I have seen. On a football level, I remember the Darlo no.6 as a stand out player; one David Speedie who not long after went to Chelsea and did well there.

 

[INTAKE BLADE]

I was sat on the grass by the net, was a great day definitely made up for the Walsall debacle, the police were advising locals to not bother turning up as we had took the town over. Happy days

 

[speedymcgeady]

My overriding memory of that day is Bri Smith running off at Scotch Corner services ,after being told we all had to chip in an extra 50p for diesel.
He set off running saying he wasn't paying no more,and "fuck your minibus".
Bri was a marathon runner,so we had no chance of catching him,and Guesty decided to continue home without him.
Imagine our shock to see him propping up the bar in the Southey Club when we arrived back..

 

[Dkc]

I went up in a removal van after the Limit turned out

 

[Welton Blade]

7 of us in a red Ford Cortina Estate hired from Godfrey Davis. What a day

 

[Darlington82]

Thanks for sharing, my first away match with my mates as a 14 year old. Got on the blades train special, which was more like a cattle cart. Lost by cherished free Junior blades scarf out the window. My dad had traveled separately with his mates and he was not worried about me travelling with my mate. He was sure we would meet up, as Darlington was only a small ground! Needless to say I did not see him, remember the first end of match pitch invasion and us opening our bottle of Pomagne and spraying it everywhere, for us only to find out it was not full time. I seem to remember Edward's playing the last minute only half dressed, after losing his shirt and boots, someone will correct me. I also remember a few Darlington supporters been escorted out at half time.

Also the official attendance is total inaccurate, as there was only two turn-styles at the cricket ground side. The exit gates were either open or the fence had come down, not sure which, but do not remember paying. As for security etc, it did not exist apart from the plod, who were too busy in the town, which was a bit overwhelmed by the experience.

Still my favorite match, followed by Leicester, Liverpool in the league cup when we beat the best in Europe (it was that match that got me hooked), the loudest the Lane has ever been when that goal went in, then Bobby Davision night, followed by Vila away the other year, as that is the match when my lad 'got it', same as me with Liverpool. Years of shit for the odd highlight, but god they are high. Hoping for more great memories Chris please.

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

I went up in a removal van after the Limit turned out

I will know you from the Limit.

 

[John Street West Terrace]

Thanks for sharing, my first away match with my mates as a 14 year old. Got on the blades train special, which was more like a cattle cart. Lost by cherished free Junior blades scarf out the window. My dad had traveled separately with his mates and he was not worried about me travelling with my mate. He was sure we would meet up, as Darlington was only a small ground! Needless to say I did not see him, remember the first end of match pitch invasion and us opening our bottle of Pomagne and spraying it everywhere, for us only to find out it was not full time. I seem to remember Edward's playing the last minute only half dressed, after losing his shirt and boots, someone will correct me. I also remember a few Darlington supporters been escorted out at half time.

Also the official attendance is total inaccurate, as there was only two turn-styles at the cricket ground side. The exit gates were either open or the fence had come down, not sure which, but do not remember paying. As for security etc, it did not exist apart from the plod, who were too busy in the town, which was a bit overwhelmed by the experience.

Still my favorite match, followed by Leicester, Liverpool in the league cup when we beat the best in Europe (it was that match that got me hooked), the loudest the Lane has ever been when that goal went in, then Bobby Davision night, followed by Vila away the other year, as that is the match when my lad 'got it', same as me with Liverpool. Years of shit for the odd highlight, but god they are high. Hoping for more great memories Chris please.

Same age D82 I went on the special also & sat on pitch next to post trying to talk to Keith Waugh , yeh I think the official attendance was about 12000 , Feethams capacity was 21k & it was rammed beyond rafters never mind to it !!
Darlington were in deep shit financially at the time ,if I remember right Reg Brearley gave them the gate receipts from the match at the lane , they sent there thanks with the line Sheff Utd a club with a heart as big as its ground or such like , think the official attendance was probably for the VAT man . Was my first time of seeing win owt & a day I'll never forget .

 

[ghandi]

One of my memories from that match was that the police weren't allowing you to take alcohol into trhe ground (totally unheard of in those halycon days), so when 5 of us walked up to the cash turnstile each with a carrier bag full of tinnies the police said you can't take those in with you. I said what are we going to do with them tehn and the Bill said hide it behind these bricks here and pick it up after the game. My response was "fuck off we're not paying for your boozing tonight" so we drank upmteen cans of beer in about 15 mins. I never felt so gassed up in my life and I swearr if I'd farted and I would have been propelled all the way back to Sheffield!

 

[dublin 10 blade]

Went up dressed as Hitler ( well Freddie Starrs spoof version of him ) including big fucking wellies .
Was in the Bell then onto Limit the night before trying to cop off with an old girlfriend of mine ,
She wasn't having any of it though , so being well hammered decided I'll walk home ,
got to Manor Top and starting to sober up , said what the fuck where ya thinking Darren ,
tha's still to walk to Mosboro .
Anyway get in something o'clock , up 2 hours later in to town to meet the rest of the dressed up nutters .
Get into Darlo , just , as fucking brakes gave out on coach going up there ,
In some boozer , when Middelsboro came into town , but of a how are you with them then onto match .
copper stopped me going into ground , checked the Iron cross to see if it was metal ( was only cardboard covered in tin foil .)
Walking around the pitch , rest of game is a bit of a blur , drink , tiredness , and being over joyed we'd won summat .
Back on coach and Bunny , said there's a bit of a do on down Cliffe , ya going Beeffy only 50p ,
So went and had a few bite to eat ,
Home to mates gaff in S19 , wash brush up , then onto west street to Hallamshire .
Almost a 2 day session and worth every ache and pain of a hangover .

 

[TheFlashingBlade]

Was the favourite game of TheFlashingBlade too.

Did someone mention Darlington?

When my daughter was at primary school she was given some homework where the children had to interview one of their parents. One of the questions they were given to ask was "Where is your favourite place on Earth?". When all the homeworks were handed in, the answers ranged from "my ski chalet in Courchevel" to "my 500 acre Tuscan estate" to "Bora Bora (in July)" (did I mention that my daughter went to school in leafy North West London?). Apart from one that simply read, "Darlington".

 

[ShorehamRevolution]

Did someone mention Darlington?

When my daughter was at primary school she was given some homework where the children had to interview one of their parents. One of the questions they were given to ask was "Where is your favourite place on Earth?". When all the homeworks were handed in, the answers ranged from "my ski chalet in Courchevel" to "my 500 acre Tuscan estate" to "Bora Bora (in July)" (did I mention that my daughter went to school in leafy North West London?). Apart from one that simply read, "Darlington".

Brilliant!