That Day at Darlington

[SouthEssexBlade]

And I remember listening to Radio Sheff as United won 4-0 away at Peterborough in an April midweek game that really killed off their chance and put us into pole position. That and KE’s near last minute goal v Wigan the same season. What a season that was.

I was at Peterborough as well. Amazing following for a midweek game.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

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I got 10 for Sir Walter. There was a park near the ground, and a woman pulled up to walk her yapping dogs through the park. Small puddle in the entrance, so the gallant Sir Walter removed his cloak to cover the puddle. Poor woman scampered away with the dogs sharpish.

 

[GV Blade]

We took a mini bus from Gleadless Valley, obviously had a great day like everyone else.
However, it was only a fortnight ago that i was reminded that some Darlington fans had sawn our mini bus exhaust in two whilst we were in the ground.
Apparently, our driver mended it by using a beer can with both ends chopped off, put over the exhaust and tightened over the sawn exhaust with two jubilee clips !
Happy times
UTB

 

[TJ blade]

I was there but I don’t lord it over winning a 4th division title it’s embarrassing really- how sad for a club with our history and size that this and a third division title is it for a hundred years almost

Couldn't agree more in fact for those who have owned the club in all those years it's fucking embarrassing

 

[ucandomagic]

Dont know how you lot remember it all ,my memory of that day is my mate falling in a hole after the game ,cant recall the game at all.

You and me both Sitwell. I remember going into a pub that resembled a zoo and then later I was apparently dropped off at my Mum’s house 16 miles from Darlington by a gorilla driving a white transit! The whole game is a complete blank.

 

[Rufus Smalls]

Quality day out.

Got into Darlo early doors, plenty of Blades and loads of booze, it was a glorious sunny day if I remember. Ended up walking to the ground and just seeing loads of mates all happily mingling and having a laugh.

Started off in the little stand where the players came out down the side of the pitch for the first half. Ended up on the pitch during half time and then towards the end of the game I somehow found myself sat on the pitch just behind the byline between the goal post and corner flag just before the final whistle blew. Cue carnage of happy Blades all converging on the turf and surrounding the players as they tried to leave the field.

To this day I still can’t remember the journey home - must have been high on adrenaline !

UTB !

 

[Boro blade]

First game age 12 , jumped on train from boro to get a game in, hooked from that day ⚔

 

[John Street West Terrace]

Incredible day , scenes like that will never be repeated nowadays, I was sat on the pitch next to the post asking Keith Waugh for his keepers gloves for 45 mins & been told to shut up I’m concentrating lol .
Was 14 years old went on the football special &nothing could prepare you for the scenes that day at Feethams .
Don’t think I saw a Darlington fan all day ? At the time they were in the shit with the money & the ground had s capacity of 20k .. all 4 sides were packed with Blades and all around the pitch & crowd was reported as 12k !!!! If you could get another 8000 in there without filling them,saying area then good luck lol . If I remember right Reg Brearley had given them the gate receipts from the game at the Lane earlier in the season .
For Blades of around my age it will always be very special as it was the first time we’d seen us win anything , for me it was like winning the World Cup & Champions League all in one go ... I remember it like yesterday & a day I will never forget .... UTB

 

[Silent Blade]

I wasnt there, I was at S6 watching Wendy playing Norwich with my mate (from school) who is a big Norwich fan. Norwich lost but still went up thanks to Shrewsbury drawing at Leicester. A Wendy fan in the North stand didnt like it when my mate celebrated Norwich's equaliser and came towards him giving threats so I pushed the Wendy fan away. It was planned for some time that my mate would be staying at my house for the weekend so I think I might have gone to Darlington if Norwich werent playing in Sheffield on the same weekend. That season I went to less than half of the home league games (I did go to the Arsenal LC game) and only two away (York and Peterborough)

I was playing football regularly on Saturday afternoons between 1979 and 1984 so the home games I went to were usually midweek ones. I was delighted that we lasted only one season in the 4th division but it was easy for us to beat the small clubs and I didnt feel the same pride as I did when we beat the likes of Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool etc

 

[Dongivensmademecry]

At 15 was first taste of success.... loved it , impressionable age and all that , my mates brother took us to a few in back of an escort van , Peterborough , crewe , bury and Darlo that I remember... sir Keith’s shot towards the covered end shows me and two mates hanging on to the rafters at the back of stand .... we’ve since done and will continue to do so until our dying days thousands of miles watching the ups and downs of our beloved club , probably struggle to pull myself up in rafters these days .... Happy days

 

[ancientblade]

I wasnt there, I was at S6 watching Wendy playing Norwich with my mate (from school) who is a big Norwich fan. Norwich lost but still went up thanks to Shrewsbury drawing at Leicester. A Wendy fan in the North stand didnt like it when my mate celebrated Norwich's equaliser and came towards him giving threats so I pushed the Wendy fan away. It was planned for some time that my mate would be staying at my house for the weekend so I think I might have gone to Darlington if Norwich werent playing in Sheffield on the same weekend. That season I went to less than half of the home league games (I did go to the Arsenal LC game) and only two away (York and Peterborough)

I was playing football regularly on Saturday afternoons between 1979 and 1984 so the home games I went to were usually midweek ones. I was delighted that we lasted only one season in the 4th division but it was easy for us to beat the small clubs and I didnt feel the same pride as I did when we beat the likes of Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool etc

you dont know what you missed that day silent missed leicester through working but that was the craziest daftest stupidest day in 60 years of following the blades

 

[Silent Blade]

you dont know what you missed that day silent missed leicester through working but that was the craziest daftest stupidest day in 60 years of following the blades

I was at Leicester. Missed only Plymouth (a) and Watford (a) in the league throughout the 1989-90 season

 

[rosy red]

One of the best away days ever, remember bloke dressed in kit kicking at goal before match plus bloke dressed as referee on pitch with teams. Oh and a bloke limping on with a crutch then dropping it and running off when stewards went for him.

 

[Kevin Arnott]

I was at Peterborough as well. Amazing following for a midweek gag

I was at Peterborough as well. Amazing following for a midweek game.

Vying with Bobby Davison's debut but that Peterborough game is my absolute favourite away game. Home from work, early bar,. In a mates van and as I remember 3-0 up in about 15 minutes it seemed. Very decent drink in Stamford afterwards.

 

[Brewster Cost Millions]

Just for the record darlos biggest derby isn't Boro it's 100% hartlepool it's one of those little derbys that you don't realise the pure hatred.

 

[sitwell]

I was at Leicester. Missed only Plymouth (a) and Watford (a) in the league throughout the 1989-90 season

Call yourself a Blade ?

 

[ancientblade]

it was such a hectic pub crawl that day that our coach party was spread out over 3 pubs all afternoon stragglers in first boozer were being passed by our first lot in that had supped up and were on their way to next one mind that first boozer wasnt short of incident landlord fell down drayhole reminiscent of uncle albert in only fools and horses lol

 

[bypassblade]

OMG 39 years ago we set off for Darlo in a beat up old transit van with a mattress in back and 2 massive crates of Stones, courtesy of my late mate Tim who saved his allowance at Stones. We would stop every so often on way push all empties out and go for a piss, we got there and went to this pub it was on 3 levels.

The bouncer said sorry lads no more in the landlord flew upstairs and set let them in I've never made so much money we owned the town that day as I said before the crowd was 11,101 and the 101 were Darlo fans. There was so much fancy dress pitch invasions every 2 minutes lol, I was at Leicester and that was special but Darlington was the culmination of coming back after 6 horrible years and all those relegations.

It was a magical day and will live long in my memory (while I have one) lol, it was a perfect season only blot losing 5-2 at Colchester & being on MoD. I think back in those days everyone had a Darlo story as here is showing.

 

[Blade59]

Like a lot of others have said it was special and sadly something that could never be repeated these days. Some of the locals described it like a carnival and the town probably had never experienced anything like it before or since. Traveling up the A1 it seemed every vehicle that day were Blades. It is close which was better, Darlington or Leicester but for me Darlington just edges it. It was the first time we had achieved anything since the promotion to the first division in 71. It had been a slow downward spiral since then and it felt so good to finally be moving in an upward direction.

 

[Brewster Cost Millions]

Boro blade Boroblade1889 Boroblades Northyorksblade any idea where this is

 

[Northyorksblade]

Boro blade Boroblade1889 Boroblades Northyorksblade any idea where this is
View attachment 111253

Only because I've googled it

 

[Brewster Cost Millions]

Only because I've googled it

2 mins away from me not that far from you either

 

[Canterbury Blade]

 

[MobileBlade]

I never missed a game that season. Thought it was a one-off chance to visit grounds I may never get to again (was right). Some memorable away trips - some with fantastic results (bunking off school for Peterborough), some not so good (the old Scunthorpe ground) and Darlington, of course. Darlington and Scunthorpe just two of the grounds that don't exist anymore.

 

[Northyorksblade]

2 mins away from me not that far from you either

Looks a lovely area

 

[Brewster Cost Millions]

Looks a lovely area

It is