Steve StauntonChesterfield v Darlington, 2009
© Photos: Les Hodge

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DAFTS DIARY

Two steps forward...

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Some positive noises at the recent fans' forum at the club, in the absence of any football. Then after six weeks, with six team changes, it's back to action with a surprise but hard-earned win at Rotherham. Then another away match and more of a routine, a 3-0 defeat at Crewe. Game over in a 10 minute spell. Two steps forward, another quite large one back.

DAFTS are planning to meet up for the beer festival weekend in Darlo (March 19-20, to coincide with Barnet at home) and are planning a long weekend in Bournemouth already (April 16-18)

Here are a list of our forthcoming matches, including rearranged games:

Sat Jan 30: Cheltenham (A), POSTPONED, to be rearranged
Sat Feb 6: Rotherham (H) 3pm
Tues Feb 9: Lincoln City (H), 7.45pm
Sat Feb 13: Morecambe (A), 3pm
Sat Feb 20: Chesterfield (H), 3pm
Tues Feb 23: Notts County (H), 7.45pm
Sat Feb 27: Bradford City (A), 3pm
Tues March 2: Port Vale (H), 7.45pm
Sat March 6: Torquay Utd (H), 3pm
Tues March 9: Bury (a) 7.45pm

Torquay v Darlington, December 2009

Torquay v Darlington, December 2009
Photos: Courtesy of Les Hodge

Going meekly to the trapdoor

Mr Blobby was behind the goal at Torquay. Well, he may as well have been in the centre of defence and could probably have provided more level-headedness and a commanding presence. Darlo took another pounding, and those who bothered to go, especially those who bothered to dress up (do we have to go in disguise now?) deserve credit. Or their bumps felt. Perhaps the stewards at Rotherham can all wear white coats instead of reflective jackets and take the dwindling number into a quiet, padded area, for their own protection. Darlo fans with a long memory remember some dross, but the class of 2009 (many of the squad of 40 we've used so far at least) have reached a level of ineptitude which many younger fans won't recall. Never has so much been let in, by so many, in front to so few.

And we never quite made it...

Possibly our fault for lingering a little too long in the pre-match pub in Plaistow, but we never quite made it.

We got onto the platform at the Tube station just as the Barking train's doors closed, and we never quite made it.

Another one eventually came, and then we went in search of the replacement bus to Dagenham. It never quite made it.

Fifteen minutes later, the bus arrived and the 15 minute journey took 25 minutes. As we walked to the ground, the texts came in with news of the Daggers' two goals. Our defence, again, didn't quite make it.

We got to the away turnstiles (closed) and were directed around the ground to the only open turnstile. But the news didn't quite make it, and we were told by the stewards there to go back to the away turnstiles.

It was getting on for half time now, and frustrated and sensing it was not quite our day, we decided to go to the "away" pub up the road instead. We made it this time (as closing time was midnight, we had a chance), but lack of food and the proximity of a pie and mash shop was too good to resist. But sorry, they'd run out of pies. They obviously didn't quite make enough.

Back to central London for a pint or two. Guest ale was Brains. That's 250 miles for a pint I could get down my local! Still, despite the frustrations, the awful result, we saved the admission price and had a good day. And I just about made it back.

There have been at least visiting supporters since July 2001.
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    Darlo's 'winter break' is hard to take

    There was very little "Ho, ho, ho" around over Christmas; and absolutely no football if you were a Darlo fan, with six straight postponements. So instead, a few recent pics - including Brian in familiar repose and the guys outside the stadium.

    Is it that time of the season already? DAFTS' pub of the year


    Bob and Jim from the pub, pictured with DAFTS at the presentation.

    We've awarded the much-coveted DAFTS away pub of the year award. A piece of rough card, fashioned into a certificate and framed was presented to Bob, landlord of the Bulls Head at Burslem before the Port Vale match. This proved to be the highlight of our day, and hopefully Bob's too. The very supporter-friendly and real-ale focused pub follows previous winners ranging from Lincoln, Macclesfield to Lewes. Bob makes an effort with like-minded real ale pubs in the towns with visiting real ale/football fans to promote his pub before fixtures. They put on a decent BBQ, and sell copies of the Vale fanzine Derek I'm Gutted.

    The simple criteria is that the pubs must welcome visiting football fans and also serve good real ale, before we get down to the nitty-gritty and sub-catergories of crunchiest pork scratchings and Scotch egg availability.

    The shortlist 2009 was:
    Bricklayers Arms, Luton
    The Bulls Head, Burslem (Port Vale)
    Derby Tup, Chesterfield
    Magpie & Crown, Brentford
    VAT & Fiddle, Nottingham
    Waters Green Tavern, Macclesfield
    Wellington, Rotherham
    White Lion, Aldershot

    Neil Blockley, RIP

    Darlington fans have received the sad news, passed to us from the friends of Neil Blockley, a southern-based Darlo fan, who was known to DAFTS in the London area in particular. North Yorkshire-born Neil died shortly after his 61st birthday, after a long battle with bone marrow cancer.

    He had even called his house in Hertfordshire "Feethams" and his house was full of Darlo memorabilia, including prized framed shirts. He had been a member of DAFTS and in the past, the Trust. His family said in a tribute of his Darlo devotion: "Neil was devastated at their constant misfortune at play-off games and his happiest moment was when they were saved from administration earlier this year." Another personal highlight was his own guided tour around the stadium in July.

    We send his family and friends all our best wishes and condolences. Here is a brief tribute from his London friends, fans of many clubs, who adopted Darlo as their second team:

    "Our beloved friend Neil Blockley passed away last night, he succumbed to cancer. He was a lifelong supporter of the club and spread the Darlo gospel throughout London. He was a true gent, a wonderful man and Darlo through and through. He educated us southerners about the Monkey Hangers and persuaded us to go to Darlo's away games if they were close to home.

    " He will be greatly missed by many people and I cannot stress how many lives he touched. We are Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man U,Milwall etc but we all went to Darlo, because of 'Blockey'. I hope you can help his many friends celebrate the life of a great man and a great fan.

    "The friends of Darlo's number one fan."

    © www.dafts.co.uk 2010 Words and pictures used by permission. E-mail DAFTS

      DAFTS ARE a social group of exiled and far-flung fans of Darlington FC, set up in 1994, who follow the fortunes of the League Two club at home and especially away.

    As you'd expect, the contents of this website in no way express the views of the club or anyone at Darlington FC. For any queries about this site, the webmaster is Steve Duffy and about DAFTS generally, the DAFTS organiser is Neil Johnson. Thanks to Ted Blair for most of the (decent) photos. Why not use the DAFTS Travel messageboard to get in touch with other travelling fans, beg or offer lifts or discuss travel arrangements? It can also put fans in touch with others living in their area.

    Quick essential links:
    Official Darlington FC/
    QuakersWorld/ D@rlo Uncovered/ D@rlo Uncovered messageboard/Darlington Supporters' Trust/ Virtual Quakers/ Eddie Rowles' Blogspot Loidland Loidland messageboard The Tinshed messageboard/ Darlington Supporters' Club/ Darlington Disabled Supporters' Group Guide for Disabled fans Northern Echo/ Evening Gazette/ North East Football website/BBC Darlo page/ Sport Tees Online/ Darlington Fans Online Darlington Vital Football/ Quakers Mad/ Homes of Football


    Feethams Then and Now plus Farewell To Feethams exhibition, 2002 and DAFTS Travel Messageboard

    A W A Y   G U I D E S    M A P

    Click on the clubs above for links to DAFTS' away guides, including public transport and coach travel, driving directions, ticket details, and full guide to recommended pubs near the ground.

    NB: These are being updated for League 2 and Cup trips for 2009-2010 but some others are out of date or in old templates

    Carlisle Hartlepool Darlington town guide Yeovil Exeter Plymouth Torquay Bournemouth Aldershot Swansea Bristol Rovers Oxford Reading Wycombe Gillingham Southend Utd Dagenham Barnet Leyton Orient Watford Cheltenham Hereford Luton Town MK Dons Cambridge Utd Northampton Rushden Kidderminster Harriers Aston Villa Walsall Wolves Shrewsbury Town Boston Utd Notts County Stoke City Port Vale Wrexham FC Chester City Tranmere Rovers Macclesfield Town Stockport County Mansfield Town Lincoln City Peterborough Utd Morecambe York York Bradford Halifax Accrington Bury Rochdale Huddersfield Doncaster Scunthorpe Grimsby Town Barnsley Rotherham Chesterfield Burton Crewe