Darlington FC

Darlington 2 Doncaster Rovers 2 - Football League, Division Three

                                         

Darlington is a market town and the major settlement in the Borough of Darlington in the ceremonial county of County Durham in the North East of England. Historically part of County Durham, the town is now a separate unitary Borough and is part of the Tees Valley economic area. The town lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. The town owes much of its development to the influence of local Quaker families during the Victorian era, and it is famous as the terminus of the world's first passenger railway. The railway station is an important stop on the East Coast Main Line. Darlington started life as an Anglo-Saxon settlement. The name Darlington derives from the Anglo-Saxon Dearthington, which seemingly meant 'the settlement of Deornoth's people' but by Norman times the name had changed to Derlinton. During the 17th and 18th centuries the town was generally known by the name of Darnton. Darlington has an historic market area in the town centre. Built in 1183, the Grade I listed St Cuthbert's Church is one of the most important early English churches in the north of England.                                                                                                                               

Feethams

Darlington Football Club has played at Feethams since they were founded in 1883. The club originally played in regionally organised leagues, and were one of the founding members of the Northern League in 1889. They were first admitted to the Football League when the Third Division North was formed in 1921. They won the Third Division North title in 1925, and their 15th place in the Second Division in 1926 remained their highest ever league finish. After their admission to the League, they spent most of their history in the bottom tier. They won the Third Division North Cup in 1934; their first victory in nationally-organised cup competition.

This Pieman visited Feethams on a March Saturday. The journey by train from London Kings Cross took two and a half hours. After some liquid refreshment near the Market Square it was over to the ground for the match. Unusually to access the football ground you had to walk through the cricket ground. A very entertaining match saw visitors Doncaster Rovers take a point following a 2-2 draw.

Attendance: 1,559
Programme: 50p (20 pages)