BIGGEST EVER CROWD TO WATCH DARLINGTON?

[Rufusuk]

Are these the 3 biggest ever crowds ?

Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) 55,778 ~ FA Cup 1958
Chelsea (A) 40,750 ~ FA Cup 1958
Peterborough (Wembley) 33,383 ~ Play off final 2000

[quakerste]

Play off final 1996 against Plymouth 43,431.

Great day out apart from the result with around 30,000 Plymouth fans and 13,000 darlo. I travelled overnight from southern Germany and remember Wembley way awash with green and white.

[bertbanger]

wot about home

[lo36789]

Bolton Wanderers at home not the one we drew is our record home attendance isn't it? 21,000 odd at Feethams.

[spen666]

On a related question was the Sheffield United following in around 1983 the biggest away following at Darlington?

[oldboyaughton]

On a related question was the Sheffield United following in around 1983 the biggest away following at Darlington?

15/05/82. Football League Division 4. Score: 0-2 Attd: 12557.

Probably the most famous away game in Sheffield Utd's history. Over 11000 travelling Blades fans saw their team win 2-0 to confirm themselves as the 81/82 Division 4 champions.

[Makka Pakka]

16/10/48 Hull away in 3rd Division North, 43801

Also we played at Stamford Bridge in the league 20/02/26 in front of 34422

The Carlisle cup replay at Newcastle in 1955 attracted 34257. Note this game was NOT the first FA cup tie under floodlights.

Numerous other 20000+ crowds at teams such as Boro, Brighton, Man City, Liverpool, Hull, Wolves, Oldham, Norwich, Derby, Villa etc etc. And of course Wembley 2011.

[dfclincolnshire]

16/10/48 Hull away in 3rd Division North, 43801

Also we played at Stamford Bridge in the league 20/02/26 in front of 34422

The Carlisle cup replay at Newcastle in 1955 attracted 34257. Note this game was NOT the first FA cup tie under floodlights.

Numerous other 20000+ crowds at teams such as Boro, Brighton, Man City, Liverpool, Hull, Wolves, Oldham, Norwich, Derby, Villa etc etc. And of course Wembley 2011.

We have never played Liverpool in any competition

[princes town]

At Feethams, I recollect a midweek crowd of 8k+ for an FA Cup game. i think it was against Cambridge United.

[spen666]

At Feethams, I recollect a midweek crowd of 8k+ for an FA Cup game. i think it was against Cambridge United.

Was the Man City cup tie not also around this figure?

[Yackley_Quaker]

Don't forget the 14327 the night we beat Boro in the cup.
Apart from the Trophy win probably my greatest moment
as a Darlo fan

[Neil Johnson]

Best normal league turnout - Brighton Away 64/65 - making them champions - 31481

[Mr_Tibbs]

At Feethams, I recollect a midweek crowd of 8k+ for an FA Cup game. i think it was against Cambridge United.

While no-where near the biggest crowd I remember a similar (8k+) figure for a night match at home to Hartlepool in the early 70s. I think we got beat 2-1 - "we've got Willie, Willie, Willie, Willie Waddle - on the wing, on the wing" rung in my ears that night. I think he scored the winner.

[Feethams 1966]

16,000 for 0-0- draw at Feethams V Torquay, last match of promotion winning season 66/67. I was only 10 years old, couldn't see a thing; ridiculously crowded. no elf & safety then. Even my mother went and she never went to a match before or after.

[davidcorks 40yard OG]

At Feethams, I recollect a midweek crowd of 8k+ for an FA Cup game. i think it was against Cambridge United.

9000ish If I remember rightly , first season in conference , we
Got beat 3-1 in a replay

[lo36789]

Did we win any of these games except Wembley 2011?

I suppose correlation is generally that the higher attendance the better the opposition. So excluding cup games I am interested to know what are our top 10 home league attendances and how many games did we win?

[roadrunner]

remember the torquay game 65/66 as if it was yesterday 4,000 torquay fans in the market place carnival atmosphere red hot day, we needed to win to win the league torquay needed at least a draw to win promotion ended 0-0 both teams promoted doncaster pipped us to the league.
bradford city in 1968 was a big crowd 11,000 last match of the season winner won promotion and we lost 3-1 the barrier collapsed in front of the tin shed.
went to the doncaster away game the same season 22,000

[ashkat]

16/10/48 Hull away in 3rd Division North, 43801

Also we played at Stamford Bridge in the league 20/02/26 in front of 34422

The Carlisle cup replay at Newcastle in 1955 attracted 34257. Note this game was NOT the first FA cup tie under floodlights.

Numerous other 20000+ crowds at teams such as Boro, Brighton, Man City, Liverpool, Hull, Wolves, Oldham, Norwich, Derby, Villa etc etc. And of course Wembley 2011.

We have never played Liverpool in any competition

We have played liverpool 1928 we lost 1 0 at liverpool

[BaronsCourtQuaker]

At Feethams, I recollect a midweek crowd of 8k+ for an FA Cup game. i think it was against Cambridge United.

Year was 1990 and attendance was 9003, I remember it as was there with my dad and friend and for some reason as a kid presumed we were the 3. Im 95% sure Dion Dublin got a hatrick that night.

I actually think this may be the biggest home attendance I have been to at Feethams. My first game was in the 88/89 season

I can't think how many were there v Rochdale.

[lo36789]

We have played liverpool 1928 we lost 1 0 at liverpool

Oh now I remember it...

[Makka Pakka]

Top ten Feethams attendances:

• Date Opponents F A Attendance
  14/11/60 Bolton 1 2 21023
  09/01/65 Arsenal 0 2 19717
  14/01/1925 Cardiff 0 0 18808
  26/12/66 Middlesbrough 0 3 18144
  12/03/49 Hull City 0 1 17978
  30/10/1926 Middlesbrough 1 4 17625
  27/12/54 Hartlepools Utd 0 1 17576
  24/10/60 West Ham Utd 3 2 17057
  10/10/1925 Chelsea 1 1 16897
  21/05/66 Torquay 0 0 16489

[banktopp]

36,247 at St James' Park. Newcastle United v Darlington in a wartime league game 1944
Was at the Torquay match ,in tin shed behind the goal and as roadrunner said it was very crowded. Felt a lot worse than at the record crowd for Bolton.
Other notable crowds of that era were against Stockport in FA cup 1st round 9720, not forgetting the Hartlepools match prior to Arsenal with 14,566.
In the league opening game of 66/67 drew in 9,564 for the visit of Watford, same season saw 18,144 for Middlesborough on Boxing day, with the return fixture a day later drawing in 25,213 to Ayresome Park. For Q.P.R we had 9,914.
The year before in our promotion season, we got 12,181 for the visit of Doncaster and the final three games all in May drew 10,923 for Newport's visit ,12,474 for Colchester's visit culminating with 16,469 for Torquay.
That season saw 182,658 through the turnstiles, with an average gate of 7,941

[Rufusuk]

Regarding the matches vs Cardiff City
F A Cup Round 1
10th Jan 1925 Away Drew 0-0 Crowd 21,125
14th Jan 1925 Home Drew 0-0 Crowd 18,808 (1st replay)
19th Jan 1925 At Anfield Lost 2-0 Crowd 22,465

In the Cup Final, Cardiff lost to Sheffield United!

[The Quaker]

Not including wembley what is the biggest following darlo have taken away i remember a big following at villa the year we where lucky losers in fa cup

[roadrunner]

We took 10,000 to wolves after beating chelsea in the fa cup in 58, special trains took fans down factory,s and schools shut for the day in darlington will we ever see that again ?

[davidcorks 40yard OG]

Biggest ones ive been at at feethams 14000ish vs the Boro 1985 fa cup
9000 ish v Boro division 3 1987 ( bout 6000 boro fans who ended upon the pitch half the game)
9000ish v Rochdale 1991 division 4 title game
and 10000 odd at the arena vs the hangers

[Darlo_Pete]

We had a great following for our league cup game at Everton. Not sure what the crowd was that night.

[Feethams 1966]

What's clear from this is that before elf & safety rules limited attendances, the old Feethams ground certainly had the capacity to get them in, even if it was uncomfortable. Secondly the club must have generated sufficient interest in the town and its surroundings to get those kind of numbers through the turnstiles, not sure whether similar size crowds would be as attracted at the prospect of giant killing potential today.
This set me wondering what size crowd we got for the league cup encounter with Everton in 1969. I mention this because it was, for me, the finest performance I ever saw from a Darlington team. For those not as old as me, Everton at that time were top of the First Division and we had a glorious 1-0 defeat. Every man played as if his life depended on it.

[darlo reborn]

if I remember somewhere near 13,000 remember it well crushed in the tinshed at 14yrs old

[Mr_Tibbs]

Some interesting Feethams crowd facts and figures here, and a great photo pf a packed South Terrace. Anyone recognise any of the faces (there's a grid marked out you can use to help pinpoint people)?

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/histor ... 523.print/