With thanks to the Darlo Uncovered Forum, I just stumbled across this, highlights of the final game that clinched the title. The first goal wasn't exactly as I remembered, I think in my head that goal and the early chance where Cork hit the bar had got mixed up.
But just look at the crowd in the south stand, absolutely packed, and the celebratory pitch invasion? Gold.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Sweet FA Trophy. The final
With the non league season now over bar the playoffs, there's just time for the showcase fixture of the FA Trophy final, a chance for two tiny non-league teams to give their fans the game of a lifetime and a trip to Wembley.
That romantic narrative is spoiled somewhat by the fact that the two teams playing are traditional football league teams only recently entering the non-league abyss, both of whom have played in Wembley finals previously (and that was old Wembley, which is clearly a much bigger deal). Mansfield Town won the 1987 Freight Rover trophy, the first Wembley final to go to penalties, and their opponents have two losing playoff final appearances to their name. That name gives the tie all the romance and interest I need though, that's right, it's everyone's favourite non-league team Darlington.
You can check out how we got to this point by clicking here for my round by round preview/review, or for a more just the facts breakdown of all the results, go here to the magnificently thorough Soccerway.com.
Every Cup final needs an excruciating team song, so to get you in the mood, here's a Darlo one by the Speed Dinosaurs.
We once beat Mansfield in a friendly, now we're gonna beat them......at We-em-bley. genius!
For the sake of fairness, here's an equally bad one for Mansfield. Blue and Yellow, apparently a remake of some rap song. Becasue nothing says rap like Mansfield Town in the FA Trophy final! Still, better than Anfield Rap, I'll give it that.
As for the game itself, you can check out all the preview pieces from the proper media in the local rag here, and get a good preview as well as see all the different things the supporter's are talking about in the forum at Darlo Uncovered.
The Quakers are definitely on form, winning 5 of their last 7 games and riding a very good second half to the season to 7th place in the Conference, just outside the playoffs, but a very good stabilising season after all the financial problems and uncertainty that continues to hang over the club. Injury and eligibility problems mean top scorer Liam Hatch will probably have to play in defence, but Mansfield have similar issues of their own, to a worse extent and have had a poor run of form to finish the season, dropping down to 13th spot, so Darlo will be favourites going in to the game. Darlington's history in this sort of thing would suggest a 1-0 defeat, but I'll predict a glorious 2-0 win.
It'll be a nice day out, one that I'm gutted to have to miss, and another trophy for the cabinet would definitely be a good thing, but the main benefit could well be what it means to the long term future for Darlington. Ticket sales to Darlington fans are currently at about 9,000, way more than the average attendance this year of 2,051. Obviously there's a lot of people for whom it will definitely be just a one-off thing, but hopefully some of those will enjoy the experience enough to start attending games on a regular basis, or to get back into the habit of doing that.
Who knows exactly what crowds would be needed to make the club profitable at the ridiculous white elephant stadium, but with the ground up for sale and the Chairman Raj Singh making pleas for an increase in the season ticket base, hopefully this appearance will galvanize support and help get the club back on an even footing to support a push for promotion back to the Football league next year. After all, the FA Trophy's nice but given the choice of that, or the League Cup and Paint Pot, I know which I'd rather have Darlo regularly compete for.
That romantic narrative is spoiled somewhat by the fact that the two teams playing are traditional football league teams only recently entering the non-league abyss, both of whom have played in Wembley finals previously (and that was old Wembley, which is clearly a much bigger deal). Mansfield Town won the 1987 Freight Rover trophy, the first Wembley final to go to penalties, and their opponents have two losing playoff final appearances to their name. That name gives the tie all the romance and interest I need though, that's right, it's everyone's favourite non-league team Darlington.
You can check out how we got to this point by clicking here for my round by round preview/review, or for a more just the facts breakdown of all the results, go here to the magnificently thorough Soccerway.com.
Every Cup final needs an excruciating team song, so to get you in the mood, here's a Darlo one by the Speed Dinosaurs.
We once beat Mansfield in a friendly, now we're gonna beat them......at We-em-bley. genius!
For the sake of fairness, here's an equally bad one for Mansfield. Blue and Yellow, apparently a remake of some rap song. Becasue nothing says rap like Mansfield Town in the FA Trophy final! Still, better than Anfield Rap, I'll give it that.
As for the game itself, you can check out all the preview pieces from the proper media in the local rag here, and get a good preview as well as see all the different things the supporter's are talking about in the forum at Darlo Uncovered.
The Quakers are definitely on form, winning 5 of their last 7 games and riding a very good second half to the season to 7th place in the Conference, just outside the playoffs, but a very good stabilising season after all the financial problems and uncertainty that continues to hang over the club. Injury and eligibility problems mean top scorer Liam Hatch will probably have to play in defence, but Mansfield have similar issues of their own, to a worse extent and have had a poor run of form to finish the season, dropping down to 13th spot, so Darlo will be favourites going in to the game. Darlington's history in this sort of thing would suggest a 1-0 defeat, but I'll predict a glorious 2-0 win.
It'll be a nice day out, one that I'm gutted to have to miss, and another trophy for the cabinet would definitely be a good thing, but the main benefit could well be what it means to the long term future for Darlington. Ticket sales to Darlington fans are currently at about 9,000, way more than the average attendance this year of 2,051. Obviously there's a lot of people for whom it will definitely be just a one-off thing, but hopefully some of those will enjoy the experience enough to start attending games on a regular basis, or to get back into the habit of doing that.
Who knows exactly what crowds would be needed to make the club profitable at the ridiculous white elephant stadium, but with the ground up for sale and the Chairman Raj Singh making pleas for an increase in the season ticket base, hopefully this appearance will galvanize support and help get the club back on an even footing to support a push for promotion back to the Football league next year. After all, the FA Trophy's nice but given the choice of that, or the League Cup and Paint Pot, I know which I'd rather have Darlo regularly compete for.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
It was 20 years ago today. May
The last instalment of my look back at Darlington's 1990/91 season. Click here for August, September, October, November, December January February March and April. Or for the whole season in one handy post, check out this at the superb The Two Unfortunates.
Last away game, penultimate game of the season, Scunthorpe away. The symmetry was perfect, two years after the exact same fixture had seen Darlington relegated to the Vauxhall Conference, we returned with the chance for the ultimate redemption of clinching promotion. The away end was now all seater and it was pretty much packed with Darlo fans. It didn't work out as they hoped, of course it didn't it was Scunthorpe away. Darlo went 1-0 down, pulled a goal back with a Frank Gray penalty, but ended up having a goal disallowed and losing 2-1, and with repeated pitch invasions causing problems as well.
It all set up a nervous last game at home to Rochdale, with 5 teams still in with a chance of finishing top, Darlo knew a win would clinch the title, but a loss could see them drop into the playoffs. There was of course a big crowd and I ended up at the front against the advertising boards rather than my usual spot half way up the tin shed terrace.
An early goal was what was needed to calm the nerves and it arrived within 10 minutes, David Cork getting his first goal in 7 games, finding space in the box from a Frank Gray free kick and volleying the ball home. Gray himself got the second with a penalty in front of the tin shed and from then the result was never in doubt. The message came over the tannoy to stay off the pitch and the team would do a lap of honour with the trophy, but that was laughed at, and towards the end people started going over the boards and creeping further and further on to the pitch.
The final whistle eventually blew and the inevitable full scale pitch invasion happened. I was part of that and ended up in front of the main stand, at one point sitting on the shoulders of a friend and picking out my sister and freind in the East stand. Eventually the players came up to the Director's box, Kevan Smith got to lift another trophy, Dick Corden rubbed his hand at the big novelty cheque. For the second straight year, fans honoured an injured defender, last year Jimmy Willis, this year David Corner, it was all very emotional. The next day, for the second straight year, Kevan Smith took the trophy to see Roger Tames on 'the Back Page'. Hartlepool also won promotion in 3rd place, but it was just sweeter than when they finally did something good, we went two better.
Brian Little went on to Leicester where he took a team that just avoided relegation and got them to the playoffs three straight years, finally winning promotion to the Premier league, Jimmy Willis went with him and won the Man of the Match award in that playoff final. Little then moved on to Aston Villa and took them to a 4th place finish and a League cup trophy, before for whatever reason it all started to go wrong, eventually being fired form Villa, and then taking other jobs further and further down the league's without ever recapturing the same success.
Frank Gray took over from Little, and most of the team stayed together but the third division was a step too far, it didn't work out and Gray was fired within his first year as Darlo finished last and were relegated back down. As at every other moment of success in Darlo's history, it proved fleeting and now we're right back where this great team started, in the Conference.
Last away game, penultimate game of the season, Scunthorpe away. The symmetry was perfect, two years after the exact same fixture had seen Darlington relegated to the Vauxhall Conference, we returned with the chance for the ultimate redemption of clinching promotion. The away end was now all seater and it was pretty much packed with Darlo fans. It didn't work out as they hoped, of course it didn't it was Scunthorpe away. Darlo went 1-0 down, pulled a goal back with a Frank Gray penalty, but ended up having a goal disallowed and losing 2-1, and with repeated pitch invasions causing problems as well.
It all set up a nervous last game at home to Rochdale, with 5 teams still in with a chance of finishing top, Darlo knew a win would clinch the title, but a loss could see them drop into the playoffs. There was of course a big crowd and I ended up at the front against the advertising boards rather than my usual spot half way up the tin shed terrace.
An early goal was what was needed to calm the nerves and it arrived within 10 minutes, David Cork getting his first goal in 7 games, finding space in the box from a Frank Gray free kick and volleying the ball home. Gray himself got the second with a penalty in front of the tin shed and from then the result was never in doubt. The message came over the tannoy to stay off the pitch and the team would do a lap of honour with the trophy, but that was laughed at, and towards the end people started going over the boards and creeping further and further on to the pitch.
The final whistle eventually blew and the inevitable full scale pitch invasion happened. I was part of that and ended up in front of the main stand, at one point sitting on the shoulders of a friend and picking out my sister and freind in the East stand. Eventually the players came up to the Director's box, Kevan Smith got to lift another trophy, Dick Corden rubbed his hand at the big novelty cheque. For the second straight year, fans honoured an injured defender, last year Jimmy Willis, this year David Corner, it was all very emotional. The next day, for the second straight year, Kevan Smith took the trophy to see Roger Tames on 'the Back Page'. Hartlepool also won promotion in 3rd place, but it was just sweeter than when they finally did something good, we went two better.
Brian Little went on to Leicester where he took a team that just avoided relegation and got them to the playoffs three straight years, finally winning promotion to the Premier league, Jimmy Willis went with him and won the Man of the Match award in that playoff final. Little then moved on to Aston Villa and took them to a 4th place finish and a League cup trophy, before for whatever reason it all started to go wrong, eventually being fired form Villa, and then taking other jobs further and further down the league's without ever recapturing the same success.
Frank Gray took over from Little, and most of the team stayed together but the third division was a step too far, it didn't work out and Gray was fired within his first year as Darlo finished last and were relegated back down. As at every other moment of success in Darlo's history, it proved fleeting and now we're right back where this great team started, in the Conference.
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