Darlo Uncovered

David Currie always my favourite just because he score 2 on my first ever game and he was brilliant, wasn't too much later he was sold and replaced by Paul Clayton.

Gabbiadini was very similar and rated them both as the best strikers I have seen for Darlo. Loved David Cork for those two years he was excellent, Lee Ellison (first time) was fantastic and looked like his potential would see him play much higher and be successful.

Blake & Painter were excellent, didn't see much of Abbott as I couldn't make many games in those days.

Nobody has mentioned Colin Sinclair!!!

Been watching Darlo from the late 50's and as has been mentioned several times, David Currie had great balance, left footed , and regularly would curl the ball into the net from 25 yards.Him and Marco together up front would have been unplayable but also got to mention Robbie Blake not far behind those 2 with his close control.Interesting to name your best ever forward line, IMO Currie and Gabbas as strikers, Alan Walsh on the left wing with either McGeachie or Wainey on the right......what a thought.

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I liked watching Carl Airey & Gary Macdonald in partnership in the mid 80s and Alan Walsh was sublime before that.

The strange thing about David Currie was that the season before he turned it on, he was appallingly poor - ducking out of challenges and not contesting headers. I don't think I've ever seen a player turn it around so completely.

Gabbiadini was pure quality - the best for me.

Just wonder if many can remember Brian Conlon not Barry, we signed him from Shildon, a big strapping six footer who was useless at first but like David Currie the improvement in him almost overnight was incredible and subsequently sold to Millwall who were in the old 2nd division.Cracking CF.

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You could also perhaps lump Graeme Armstrong in there on the basis of the game at Whitby was the most accomplished performance by a Darlington Centre Forward I've ever seen in one match

wellingaway wrote:I liked watching Carl Airey & Gary Macdonald in partnership in the mid 80s and Alan Walsh was sublime before that.

The strange thing about David Currie was that the season before he turned it on, he was appallingly poor - ducking out of challenges and not contesting headers. I don't think I've ever seen a player turn it around so completely.

Gabbiadini was pure quality - the best for me.

Those are the memories I have of Currie, a poor first season to a revelation the next. He also outscored David Platt and in much fewer games who was at Crewe. Believe he went on to Aston Villa and Currie went to Barnsley.

Gabbiadini was the best striker and player I've seen at Darlo

Jimmy Lawton has been mentioned and was a prolific scorer for us including 29 goals in season 64/5 in what was basically a crap team. The following season he went to Swindon in exchange for Alan Sproats and some cash. His replacement was Bobby Cummings from Newcastle United who proved the catalyst for our promotion that season. One of the most technically gifted players I've seen playing in Darlington's No 9 shirt. Had to be really as he wasn't very tall.
Marco Gabbiadini though is for me the best.

Considering his height Cummings was amazing at getting up for a header and his heading technique was brilliant as well

QUAKERMAN2 wrote:Just wonder if many can remember Brian Conlon not Barry, we signed him from Shildon, a big strapping six footer who was useless at first but like David Currie the improvement in him almost overnight was incredible and subsequently sold to Millwall who were in the old 2nd division.Cracking CF.

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Ah, old jug ears

One for the historians out there.
Who was it we paid £100,000 for (even though we couldn't afford it), he stayed to short a time to get an opinion of him before we sold him on (I think to Oxford United) fot the same price.
He was supposed to be one of the best around at our level at the time but his name I can't remember.

Was that Nick Cusack?

Good quick answer.
Thanks Q

David Currie without a shadow of a doubt. Scored goals no-one else would have.

Quakerz wrote:Was that Nick Cusack?

He came from Motherwell. I remember when a coachload of Motherwell fans came down to watch him play for us at home.

Darlo_Pete wrote:

Quakerz wrote:Was that Nick Cusack?

He came from Motherwell. I remember when a coachload of Motherwell fans came down to watch him play for us at home.

How long ago was that?

I was going to say Tresor Kandol. Similar situation in that we had an option to sign him for a big fee but he didn't want to be here or something.

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lo36789 wrote:

Darlo_Pete wrote:

Quakerz wrote:Was that Nick Cusack?

He came from Motherwell. I remember when a coachload of Motherwell fans came down to watch him play for us at home.

How long ago was that?

I think about 20 years ago, we were trying to avoid relegation from Division 1, but we were more or less down by the time he came to us. Even after that game some of our fans went up to watch Motherwell and it wasn't unusual to see the odd Motherwell fan in the tinshed, rather bizarre.

Alan Harding and Peter Graham.
Allen Gauden?

Cusack came to us in 1992 - i thought he looked a class apart at times, but never really got going with Darlo.

Feethams 1966 wrote:Alan Harding and Peter Graham.
Allen Gauden?

Now you're talking!!
Quickly followed by Colin Sinclair

Feethams 1966 wrote:Alan Harding and Peter Graham.
Allen Gauden?

I was going to mention them - probably my favourite striking line-up. Peter Graham was a sort of Lineker type forward and the other two on each wing but capable of coming inside when the other was in possession. Seem to remember us beating poolies 5-2 at the Victoria ground with these three and Harding getting a hat trick. But may be wrong as it was a long time ago and my memory isn't great.

Marco Gabbiadini was probably best goal scorer, with Currie virtually his equal. Best all round forward was Alan Walsh. Great left foot, with the most powerful shot I've seen.
I remember a 20 yard free kick at York - was on the open terrace right behind it. A player needed lengthy treatment so keeper had time to line up his wall. He left a gap of no more than a foot on one side, and stood on his line behind that gap where he could see the ball placed for the kick. Walsh hammered it so hard and true that before the keeper could stick up a hand to deflect the ball, it had smashed into the roof of the net.
Didn't meet Walshie till the Farewell to Feethams book. A top bloke, who always returned calls, and was always helpful.

I remember Walshy scoring a goal at the Polam Lane end, where it was hit that hard that the ball got stuck in the stanchion at the back of the net.

D_F_C wrote:Gabbers was the most unstoppable striker that I've seen us have.

Abbott had the most class and was my favourite (although he didn't play as much as I would have liked)

Agree with this. One of my all time favourite goals was Abbott against Grimsby in a game when we recovered from 2-0 down to win 3-2. He beat a man on the edge of the box to go one on one with the keeper, as the keeper started to come out Pav stopped and chipped the ball towards the goal. Under no pressure at all, it'd have been way easier to just knock it on a couple of yards, set himself, and finish past the keeper. But he went for the audacious chip just because he could. And of course it dipped in just under the bar. That's the sort of thing you shouldn't see at that level. He was so good. Would have gone much further if he hadn't been plagued with injuries before and during his time with us I'm sure.