Darlo Uncovered

Well this should start something off. I expect most will go for the Wembley final v Mansfield but I'd go further back to a League Cup match against Everton in 1969. Everton were currently leading the First Division, they had world cup winner Alan Ball in their side and Gordon West in goal. (We had Tony Moor so that levelled things out).
Anyway, I've never seen a Darlington side so up for it, and some of our tackling was so good it was reminiscent of England v Brazil 1970. The scoreline was similar too; 1-0 to them but what a glorious failure. Does anyone else remember that night?
If you weren't even born then, what match remains unforgettable for you?

I only started going in 1991, but for some reason I always remember an early game from the penney erase, away at Lincoln when we won 3-1. We were so unlike league era darlo that day, we absolutely turned them over, and I think at that point I really felt like we were going into a new phase in the club's history. We were absolutely tremendous in that match, even before we brought in most of penney'so own players.

tdk1 wrote:I only started going in 1991, but for some reason I always remember an early game from the penney erase, away at Lincoln when we won 3-1. We were so unlike league era darlo that day, we absolutely turned them over, and I think at that point I really felt like we were going into a new phase in the club's history. We were absolutely tremendous in that match, even before we brought in most of penney'so own players.

I bought a DVD of that match and I've never sat down and watched it. But I agree in that first half we were as dominant as our first half at Whitby.

I hate to be predictable, but the Whitby game fits the bill for best performance.

We were first to every ball and played out of our skins - and let's not forget, there was a lot riding on the result of this match.

Feethams 1966 wrote:Well this should start something off. I expect most will go for the Wembley final v Mansfield but I'd go further back to a League Cup match against Everton in 1969. Everton were currently leading the First Division, they had world cup winner Alan Ball in their side and Gordon West in goal. (We had Tony Moor so that levelled things out).
Anyway, I've never seen a Darlington side so up for it, and some of our tackling was so good it was reminiscent of England v Brazil 1970. The scoreline was similar too; 1-0 to them but what a glorious failure. Does anyone else remember that night?
If you weren't even born then, what match remains unforgettable for you?

Now I'm showing my age. I was there as a 13 year old. My recollection was that we dominated the game and deserved better. Lance Robson, who happened to have been my dentist at the time , had decided to come out of retirement from the previous season and missed a sitter from 6 yards that could have earned a replay. Everton went on to win the League that season.

I was 13 at the time too. I remember an early scare when an Everton header smashed against the bar, but I remember too that Everton could only score after they had concussed our goalkeeper - play was held up for quite a time due to this. Tackles from behind were permitted back then and we were very effective with them that night. We did them just as well as bobby Moore.

Feethams 1966 wrote:Well this should start something off. I expect most will go for the Wembley final v Mansfield but I'd go further back to a League Cup match against Everton in 1969. Everton were currently leading the First Division, they had world cup winner Alan Ball in their side and Gordon West in goal. (We had Tony Moor so that levelled things out).
Anyway, I've never seen a Darlington side so up for it, and some of our tackling was so good it was reminiscent of England v Brazil 1970. The scoreline was similar too; 1-0 to them but what a glorious failure. Does anyone else remember that night?
If you weren't even born then, what match remains unforgettable for you?

The Mansfield final was a pretty dull watch in hindsight. Far from a classic performance.

I remember the 3-1 at Lincoln under Penny. I think it was just before Xmas?

There was also a game away at Wycombe which we drew 1-1. I think they were top at the time but we absolutely dominated and then conceded in the last minute.

There was also a home game the same season, possibly also Lincoln, where Foster was sent off early on but we put in a storming performance and won comfortably against a good side.

The 3-0 away to Northampton during Christmas 99 was as dominant a performance as I've seen from any Darlo era. Absolutely blew them (who ended up nabbing promotion from us, and Marco) away - we were totally unplayable that day.

Otherwise, current era aside, the 3-1 away to Ebbsfleet in 2011 under such different circumstances was right up there with the best.

Probably one that wont spring to mind for many, but for me - the opening day of the 1991/2 season at Bournemouth.

2 consecutive promotions from us and playing with largely the same side went up against a Bournemouth team that had invested heavily and had the likes of Quinn, O'Driscoll, Ekoku etc.. i thought we'd get hammered.

A glorious warm summers day, plenty of Darlo there given the distance and a 2-1 victory !

Mullet69 wrote:The 3-0 away to Northampton during Christmas 99 was as dominant a performance as I've seen from any Darlo era. Absolutely blew them (who ended up nabbing promotion from us, and Marco) away - we were totally unplayable that day.

Otherwise, current era aside, the 3-1 away to Ebbsfleet in 2011 under such different circumstances was right up there with the best.

If memory serves me correctly, Jesper Hjorth had a blinder in the Northampton game

tdk1

Just checked and the Lincoln match was the 18 November 2006 in front of 5292 at Sincil Bank. With the exception of our last game, that has to be the best performance that I have ever witnessed by Darlington. You are only as good as your last game!

7-2 win v Colchester ('97 I think) we were bottom and couldn't buy a win at the time.

derbyshire exile wrote:tdk1

Just checked and the Lincoln match was the 18 November 2006 in front of 5292 at Sincil Bank. With the exception of our last game, that has to be the best performance that I have ever witnessed by Darlington. You are only as good as your last game!

Er, in our last game we were beaten 1-0 away at Rushall...

Bury and Chester must be up there for me (1996).
Can't recall much about the Colchester (7-3 in 1993? I think) game as it was so long ago.
Whitby has to be the winner in terms of completely steamrollering a side, but I'm going to throw in Spenny away in 12/13 Northern League season. Everything about that night was brilliant.

Sorry, forgot about Rushall on the final day.

We put in 2 storming performances at Preston in 94/5 (won 3-1) and in 95/6 (1-1). I remember the Preston manager saying after in 95/6 that he was a very happy man because he'd taken 4 points off the best team in the division (they fluked a 2-1 at our place). Preston won the league that season.

derbyshire exile wrote:Sorry, forgot about Rushall on the final day.

Do games count if one team doesn't turn up for the game (mind over body...)

Makka Pakka wrote:We put in 2 storming performances at Preston in 94/5 (won 3-1) and in 95/6 (1-1). I remember the Preston manager saying after in 95/6 that he was a very happy man because he'd taken 4 points off the best team in the division (they fluked a 2-1 at our place). Preston won the league that season.

This 1-1 - how on earth we didnt win!!

https://youtu.be/m3T77oVi3Zg

Most memorable games for me were the two games against Middlesbrough in the 80's in the Fa cup. The 0-0 draw at Ayresome Park was an achievement then to beat them 2-1 in replay on the Tuesday night at Feethams in front of 15,000 was unbelievable.

That Bournemouth game went on forever maybe 8 minutes added on? We were travelling home from holiday and the lads were nippers. Roasting hot day open terrace, expensive drinks, loads of darlo, trouble in the corner. A win under our belts, thought we were big time but it wasn't to last!

That Bournemouth game went on forever maybe 8 minutes added on? We were travelling home from holiday and the lads were nippers. Roasting hot day open terrace, expensive drinks, loads of darlo, trouble in the corner. A win under our belts, thought we were big time but it wasn't to last!

haha yes, i think i missed their goal to catch the train to Waterloo - if i recall rightly they scored in the 94th/95th min ? remember a huge roar as i was walking away from the stadium.

I can't comment on the Whitby match as we listened to it on Darlo Radio in our room in the Dominican Republic so I would have to say that the best performance in my opinion was the six nil win away to Macclesfield in 2008 I think.
But the best game will always be the away game at Spennymoor in the Northern League, great atmosphere, great effort and the result that made us believe in the impossible

Once saw us win 4-5 at Aldershot. The ref played about 10 minutes injury time.

D_F_C wrote:

Mullet69 wrote:The 3-0 away to Northampton during Christmas 99 was as dominant a performance as I've seen from any Darlo era. Absolutely blew them (who ended up nabbing promotion from us, and Marco) away - we were totally unplayable that day.

Otherwise, current era aside, the 3-1 away to Ebbsfleet in 2011 under such different circumstances was right up there with the best.

If memory serves me correctly, Jesper Hjorth had a blinder in the Northampton game

One of my favourite games.

It was two top teams coming up against each other and we would have been expecting a very tough game. Jesper and Marco absolutely tortured them, the best display of a front 2 I have seen for Darlo that day. If I recall we were 3-0 inside about 25 minutes (which may be incorrect).

Anyone remember 2 league cup legs against Barnsley, one of the seasons we wore the bar code strips. 2-0 down at half time. Tremendous 2nd half saw us get it back to 2-2. We played them off the park at Oakwell in the 2nd leg but couldn't score. 0-0 after extra time and out on away goals.

beating Forest away in the cup with a crazy goal from the halfway line does it for me

13th October 1965 away at Blackpool League Cup 3rd round won 2-1 8000 + crowd plus my favourite Darlo' player (ever) George McGeachie scored! This was the year we also got promoted!

How about putting 4 past Chelsea in the replay or beating West Ham 3-2 in the League Cup?

Darlo_Pete wrote:Once saw us win 4-5 at Aldershot. The ref played about 10 minutes injury time.

4-3 Pete. John Hannah hat trick.

I would like to propose 3-0 v Halifax when we were in the Conference Season FA Cup 2nd round. They were 1 league higher, but we were ridiculously dominant. Think it made history as the pools panel had us down as a home win before the game, first time a non-league team had been officially made favourites against a league team.

Vodka_Vic wrote:

Darlo_Pete wrote:Once saw us win 4-5 at Aldershot. The ref played about 10 minutes injury time.

4-3 Pete. John Hannah hat trick.

I would like to propose 3-0 v Halifax when we were in the Conference Season FA Cup 2nd round. They were 1 league higher, but we were ridiculously dominant. Think it made history as the pools panel had us down as a home win before the game, first time a non-league team had been officially made favourites against a league team.

Ok thanks VV, I know it was a long way home, but very enjoyable. I seem to remember chatting to a bloke who had always lived on the South coast and I think he3 had the surname Cockerton and he had discovered that part of Darlington had an area called Cockerton, so he followed Darlo as a result. The bizarrest reason I've ever heard for following a football club!

I've got to split mine up into the first half at Whitby this year and the second half of a match against Hartlepool when we were 2-1 down at half time then Alan Walsh took over and we ended up winning 5-2. The atmosphere in the tin shed was amazing as in them days the opposing fans were separated by about 10 feet. The 5 second half goals against Doncaster runs it close but there was very little atmosphere that night!