Darlington F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Darlington Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | The Quakers, Darlo | |||
| Founded | 1883 | |||
| Ground | Blackwell Meadows, Darlington | |||
| Capacity | 3,300 | |||
| Coordinates | 54°30′34″N 1°33′51″W / 54.50944°N 1.56417°W | |||
| Major shareholder | Darlington FC Supporters Group | |||
| Manager | Steve Watson | |||
| League | National League North | |||
| 2018–19 | National League North, 16th of 22 | |||
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Darlington Football Club is a football team from Darlington, County Durham, England. They are often called "The Quakers" or "Darlo". As of the 2023–24 season, they play in the National League North. This is the sixth level of English football.
The club started in 1883 and played at Feethams. They joined the Northern League in 1889. In 1921, they became part of the Football League. They won the Third Division North title in 1925. Their highest league finish ever was 15th place in the Second Division in 1926.
Darlington won the Football League Third Division North Cup in 1934. This was their first national cup win. They reached the last 16 of the FA Cup twice. They also made it to the quarter-finals of the League Cup in 1968. In the early 1990s, they won two titles in a row. They won the Conference National in 1990 and the Fourth Division in 1991. In 2011, they won the FA Trophy at Wembley Stadium. They beat Mansfield Town 1–0.
In 2003, Darlington moved to a new stadium, The Darlington Arena. It had 25,000 seats. The high cost of this stadium caused the club to face financial problems many times. In 2012, the club had to restart as a new team. It was called Darlington 1883. They started in the ninth tier of English football. They won three promotions in four seasons. Then, they were allowed to change their name back to Darlington FC.
The team usually wears black and white shirts, black shorts, and black and white socks. Their club badge shows Locomotion No. 1, which is a famous train. This shows the town's railway history. It also has a Quaker hat, which refers to the religious group that influenced the town. This is where their nickname, "The Quakers", comes from. Their main rivals are Hartlepool United.
Contents
Club History
Early Days and First Successes
In July 1883, people in Darlington decided to start a new football club. They wanted a strong team to represent the town. Charles Samuel Craven, an engineer, helped form the club. Darlington Football Club quickly joined the Durham Challenge Cup. They reached the final in their first year. In 1885, they won the trophy. The next year, they played in the FA Cup for the first time. They lost 8–0 to Grimsby Town.
Craven also helped start the Northern League in 1889. Darlington was one of the first teams in this league. They won the league title in 1896 and 1900. They also reached the semi-finals of the FA Amateur Cup in those same years.
The club became professional in 1908. They joined the North Eastern League. In the 1910–11 season, Darlington had a great FA Cup run. They reached the last 16, but lost to Swindon Town. Two years later, they won the North Eastern League. After World War I, Darlington finished second in the North Eastern League. The next year, they were champions again. This win came at a good time. The Northern Section of the Football League's Third Division was forming. Darlington was invited to join.
Their first season in the Third Division was very good. They finished in second place. Three years later, in 1924–25, they won the championship. This meant they were promoted to the Football League Second Division. In 1926, they finished 15th. This is still Darlington's best-ever league position. But they were sent back down to the Third Division in 1927. They stayed there until World War II. In 1934, they won their first national cup. They beat Stockport County 4–3 to win the Football League Third Division North Cup.
Post-War Years and Wembley Dreams
After World War II, Darlington played in the first FA Cup match under floodlights. This was in 1955. In the 1957–58 season, they had another great FA Cup run. They beat Chelsea, who were champions just three years before. Darlington won the replay 4–1 after extra time.
The Supporters' Club helped raise money for ground improvements. They paid for a roof and floodlights at Feethams. The floodlights were first used in September 1960. Later that night, the West Stand burned down due to an electrical problem. It had to be rebuilt. Darlington's record attendance was 21,023. This was for a League Cup match against Bolton Wanderers in 1960.
Under manager Lol Morgan, Darlington won promotion to the Third Division in 1966. They finished as runners-up. But they were relegated the very next year. In 1968, Darlington reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup. They lost a close game 5–4 to Derby County.
During the 1970s, the club faced financial struggles. They almost left the League many times. But fans in the town raised money to save the club. Three years later, in 1985, they won promotion again. They finished third in the league. They spent two seasons in the Third Division. In 1986, they reached their highest position since 1958. But they were relegated again the next season.
Brian Little became manager in 1989. He couldn't stop them from being relegated to the Conference. But he then led them to two promotions in a row! They returned to the Football League as Conference champions. Then, they won the Fourth Division title in 1990–91. After Little left, the club struggled. In 1996, they almost returned to the Third Division. They played at Wembley for the first time in the play-off final. But they lost 1–0 to Plymouth Argyle.
New Stadium and Club Challenges
The 1999–2000 season was special. Darlington became the first team to lose an FA Cup game but still go to the next round. This happened because Manchester United was busy with another tournament. So, a "lucky losers" draw was held. Darlington was chosen! They then lost to Aston Villa in the third round.
Later that season, Darlington went to Wembley again. They played Peterborough United in the play-off final. They had many chances to score but lost 1–0.
In 2003, Darlington moved into their new stadium, the Reynolds Arena. It cost a lot of money to build. This caused the club to have big financial problems. The club went into administration (a type of financial trouble) many times. In 2004, a special match was played to raise money. Famous footballers like Paul Gascoigne and Bryan Robson played. Over 14,000 fans came, raising £100,000 to help the club survive.
The club kept going despite the money problems. They finished in the top half of the table for four seasons. In 2008, they reached the play-off semi-final. But they lost to Rochdale on penalties. In 2009, Darlington went into administration again. This meant they lost 10 points automatically. Fans worked hard to raise money. The club was saved again.
They were eventually relegated to the Conference. In 2011, under manager Mark Cooper, they won the 2011 FA Trophy final at Wembley. They beat Mansfield Town 1–0 in the last minute of extra time! But soon after, the club faced more financial trouble. In 2012, they went into administration for the third time. Many players had to leave.
Darlington 1883 and Return to Name
On May 3, 2012, a new group took over the club. They wanted it to be owned by the community. Because of the financial issues, the club was removed from the Football Association. A new club was immediately formed. It was called Darlington 1883. They had to start in the Northern League Division One. This was the ninth tier of English football.
By February 2013, the club was fully owned by its fans and the community. This meant about 800 members owned the club. They worked to pay off old debts. On the field, Darlington 1883 had amazing success. They won the Northern League Division One in 2012–13. They scored 145 goals and got a club record 122 points! This earned them promotion.
They continued to climb the leagues. In 2014–15, they won the play-off final. This gave them another promotion. Then, in 2015–16, they won the Northern Premier League Premier Division title. This was their second promotion in a row! They aimed for a third promotion. But they couldn't play in the play-offs due to stadium rules.
In April 2017, the Football Association allowed the club to change its name back. They became Darlington F.C. again for the 2017–18 season. Work began to improve their new home, Blackwell Meadows.
In October 2017, manager Martin Gray left. Former player Tommy Wright took over. He led the team for two seasons. In May 2019, another former player, Alun Armstrong, became manager.
In Armstrong's first season, Darlington reached the first round of the FA Cup. This was the first time since the club reformed in 2012. They played League Two side Walsall. The game ended 2–2, with a last-minute goal from Joe Wheatley. The replay at Blackwell Meadows had a record crowd of 3,106 fans. Darlington lost 1–0.
The 2020-21 season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, Armstrong was replaced by Josh Gowling. He only lasted three months. Then, Steve Watson became manager. He helped Darlington avoid relegation. They won 10 of their last 15 games. This was called "The Great Escape"!
Team Colours and Badge
Darlington's kit in 1888 was a shirt with black and white stripes. They wore black shorts and black socks. Most of the time, their home kit has stayed black and white. The shirt design has changed over the years. Sometimes it had vertical stripes, sometimes hoops, and sometimes it was plain white. Sponsors' names have been on the shirts since the 1980s.
The club badge looks like a shield. It is split into two parts. The smaller part is white, and the larger part is red. Red is their traditional away colour. The white section has a Quaker hat. This shows the important role of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in the town's history. The larger red section shows George Stephenson's Locomotion No 1. This steam train was very important for the railway industry in the area. At the bottom of the shield, a ribbon says "The Quakers". Oak leaves are also on the badge, showing strength.
Home Stadiums
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Feethams Stadium
Feethams was Darlington F.C.'s home from 1883. It was also used by the cricket club. As more fans came, the stadium grew. New stands were built. In 1913, towers were added at the entrance. Floodlights were put in in 1960. But after their first use, a fire destroyed the West Stand. It had to be rebuilt. In 1997, the East Stand was rebuilt with all seats. But this cost a lot of money and caused financial problems for the club. The last game at Feethams was on May 3, 2003. The stadium was later taken down, and houses were built there.
The Darlington Arena
The 25,000-seat Reynolds Arena opened in 2003. It cost £18 million. The first game there was on August 16, 2003. The attendance was 11,600, which is still a record for the stadium. After George Reynolds left the club, the stadium had different names. It is now generally known as the Darlington Arena. The club left the Arena in May 2012. Later that year, a rugby club bought it.
Blackwell Meadows
After leaving the Arena, Darlington shared Bishop Auckland's Heritage Park ground. In December 2013, a deal was made for Darlington to share Darlington RFC's ground at Blackwell Meadows. This meant the club could return to Darlington town. They played their first match at Blackwell Meadows on December 26, 2016. It was a 3–2 win against F.C. Halifax Town. 3,000 fans came to watch.
In 2018, Darlington added more seats to the stand at Blackwell Meadows. This was after fans helped raise money. This helped the club meet rules for promotion to the National League. The club keeps looking for ways to make Blackwell Meadows even better.
Fans and Rivalries
Darlington fans see Hartlepool United as their main rivals. Fans of both clubs feel this way. They have strong matches against each other. The two clubs are about 25 miles apart. They have played many times in the Football League.
When Darlington restarted as Darlington 1883, their main rivals became Spennymoor Town. This was because they fought for the Northern League title. Spennymoor had won the league for three years before Darlington joined. They were the only other club competing for the title. The rivalry with Spennymoor started again in 2017–18. Spennymoor joined the National League North.
The team has had fun mascots. These include Mr Q, Darlo Dog, and a panda named Feethams. Fans also created fanzines (fan magazines). These included Mission Impossible and Where's The Money Gone. Since 2013, fans have run an internet radio station called Darlo Fans Radio. They give live commentary on Darlington matches.
Darlington has an official supporters' club. There is also a group for away fans called Darlington Away Far Travelling Supporters (DAFTS). A supporters' trust was started in 2002. This trust helped fans and the club work together. They also helped raise money, especially when the club faced financial problems.
Players
Current squad
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Out on loan
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Club Staff
Boardroom
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman / CEO | David Johnston |
| Director / Company secretary | Jonathan Jowett |
| Director | John Vickerman |
| Director | Chris Stockdale |
| Director | Darlington 1883 Supporters Society Limited (Jon Saddington) |
Football Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Steve Watson |
| Assistant Manager | Terry Mitchell |
| Physiotherapist | Nathan Liddle |
| S&C Coach and Physiotherapist | Luke Roberts |
| Goalkeeping coach | Steven Rodden |
| Head Analyst | Alex Jenkins |
| Assistant Analyst | Jamie Lauder |
| Kit manager | Gary Smith |
| Assistant kit manager | Zak Dunne |
Reserve Team
In 2016, Horden Colliery Welfare became Darlington's reserve team. They moved to Darlington and changed their name to Darlington 1883 Reserves. They played in the Wearside League. In June 2024, Darlington announced they would form an Under 23s team. This team would continue the success of the U18s team.
Club Honours
Here are some of the trophies and titles Darlington has won:
League Titles
- Third Division North (level 3)
- Champions: 1924–25
- Fourth Division (level 4)
- Champions: 1990–91
- Football Conference (level 5)
- Champions: 1989–90
- Northern Premier League Premier Division (level 7)
- Champions: 2015–16
- Northern Premier League Division One North (level 8)
- Play-off winners: 2014–15
- Northern League
- Champions: 1895–96, 1899–1900, 2012–13
- North Eastern League
- Champions: 1912–13, 1920–21
Cup Wins
- FA Trophy
- Winners: 2010–11
- Football League Third Division North Cup
- Winners: 1933–34
- Durham Challenge Cup
- Winners: 1884–85, 1890–91, 1892–93, 1896–97, 1919–20, 1999–2000
Club Records
Darlington's highest league finish was 15th in the Football League Second Division in the 1925–26 season.
In the FA Cup, they reached the last 16 twice. The first time was in 1910–11. The second was in 1957–58, when they beat Chelsea 4–1.
Their best League Cup performance was reaching the quarter-finals in 1967–68.
The Quakers' biggest home win was 13–1 against Scarborough in the FA Cup in 1891. Their best away win in the Football League was 7–3 against Durham City in 1921.
The player with the most league games for Darlington is Ron Greener. He played 439 league games between 1955 and 1967. He played 490 senior games in total. Alan Walsh scored a club record 87 league goals. He scored 100 goals for Darlington overall. The most league goals scored by one player in a season is 39. This was by David Brown in the 1924–25 season.
Dream Team
As part of the "Farewell to Feethams" celebrations in 2003, fans voted for an all-time "Dream Team". The players chosen were: Mark Prudhoe, Ron Greener, Craig Liddle, Kevan Smith, John Peverell, Andy Toman, David McLean, Alan Sproates, Alan Walsh, Marco Gabbiadini and Colin Sinclair. Marco Gabbiadini was voted the greatest player ever. He scored 53 goals in his two seasons at Darlington.
Images for kids
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Darlington FC crest
See also
In Spanish: Darlington Football Club para niños
