Simon Weatherill continues his excellent Memory Match series with the 4-1 FA Cup second round win over Hartlepools on 9^th December 1964.

When Darlington were drawn away to Hartlepools United in the second round of the FA Cup in the 1964/65 season, supporters of both clubs began looking forward to another clash between local rivals, but few of those supporters realised how financially significant the tie would prove to be. It would be the fifth FA Cup meeting between the sides and, with two wins each, the tie gave both clubs the chance to move ahead in the cup derby stakes. The cup tie offered the Quakers some respite from a fairly mediocre league season. Nine wins from their first 22 games saw Darlington sat in 15th place in the Division 4 table with 21 points. Pools had started the season in even worse form and sat in 21st place with 18 points. Goal scoring hadn’t proved a problem for the Quakers though and they’d scored a healthy 43 goals so far, so would start the tie as slight favourites, although Pools had home advantage, so it promised to be a keenly fought contest. Both sides had won away from home in the 1st round of the competition, Pools 3-1 at non league Corby, while the Quakers had enjoyed a 2-1 win at Division 3 Scunthorpe. The Quakers certainly meant business and travelled across on the Friday, so that they could have an overnight stay in a Seaton Carew hotel to prepare properly for the game against Pools.  

A crowd of 9027 turned out at the Victoria Ground for the tie on Saturday December 5, to see a hard fought, physical goalless draw. Darlington had slightly the better of things and could well have won the tie at the first attempt but had to reshuffle their defence after injuries to player manager Lol Morgan, playing at left back, and centre half Ron Greener. No substitutes in those days, so the Quakers effectively played most of the second half with nine men. They still went closest to winning the game with Jack Maltby hitting a post and then Ken Allison firing a fierce drive over the bar in the closing minutes. 

The replay would take place at Feethams on the following Wednesday, December 9, and the anticipation was ramped up to fever pitch on the Monday lunchtime when the draw for the third round was made and gave the victors a home tie against Arsenal. The Gunners had finished the previous season in 8th place in Division 1 and boasted several international players in their ranks such as George Eastham, Don Howe, Frank McLintock, Ian Ure and Joe Baker. The winner of Wednesday’s replay would be guaranteed a big crowd and a big payday. 

The Quakers were forced into one change for the replay. Lol Morgan’s thigh injury would keep him out of the side. His replacement at left back would be Billy Curley. Ron Greener and Ray Yeoman both passed fitness tests and would keep their place in the starting eleven. Pools also made one change. Centre forward Bobby Entwistle had missed the original tie with a bruised thigh but had declared himself fit for the replay and took the place of Neville Bannister.

14,466 people crammed into Feethams for the replay, although problems with congestion at the turnstiles meant that many of the crowd were still outside as the game kicked off. They missed a strong start from the Quakers who stormed into the lead as early as the sixth minute. A sweeping move down the right wing was started by John Peverell and continued by George McGeachie, who in turn found Jack Maltby. His cross flashed across the face of goal and was met by Jimmy Lawton, who hit the ball first time into the roof of the net.

Lawton added his second goal ten minutes later. A McGeachie corner was flicked back by Brian Conlon and the centre forward drove home from the edge of the area. The visitors had no answer to the slick passing Quakers and their defence was repeatedly torn to shreds, especially down the right hand side, where McGeachie was having an inspired evening. It came as no surprise when the home side scored a third goal in the 26th minute, and it was Lawton who was heavily involved again. His powerful header was headed up onto the bar by Pools right half Bobby Morrell and when it came back down, Morrell had to handle the ball to keep it out of the net to give away a clear penalty. Jack Maltby fired home the spot kick.

There was no further scoring in a one sided first half. The Quakers had scored three, could have had more, and all without even the vaguest hint of a reply from the visitors. The second half continued in similar fashion with Pools never really threatening to get back into the game. Their gamble of moving star player Ambrose Fogarty onto the right wing to play against the perceived weakness of Darlington’s reserve left back failed miserably as Billy Curley comfortably won their duel, and the returning Entwistle only had a couple of half chances as he was well shackled by Ron Greener. The home side very nearly added a fourth goal through McGeachie, who set off on a dazzling run that finished with a shot flashing inches wide.

Hartlepools gave themselves brief hope when they pulled a goal back in a rare attack on 75 minutes. Left winger Peter Thompson chased a ball out wide and screwed it back into the box where it was slammed home by Fogarty. Their brief hope lasted precisely two minutes as the Quakers restored their three goal lead. Ken Allison, out wide on the left, jigged past two defenders and crossed into the goalmouth where it was swept home by Maltby for his second of the night, to complete a comprehensive 4-1 victory and secure a third round tie with Arsenal, whose manager Billy Wright had been amongst the Feethams crowd, and had been mightily impressed by the Quakers’ performance, especially in the first half hour.

The third round tie, against Arsenal was played on January 9 and drew a crowd of 19,717 to Feethams, paying record receipts of £4,195. They saw The Gunners secure a 2-0 victory, courtesy of goals by George Armstrong and John Radford.

The programme for the 64/65 season consisted of 12 pages and cost 4d. The front cover showed a drawing of two players competing for the ball and was printed in a variety of colours including green, pink, white or yellow. Inside was Club Jottings (with news of what was happening around the club), an action photo from a previous game, team line-ups, half time scoreboard, fixtures and results from first and reserve teams, and pen pictures of our opponents.

Team v Hartlepools : 1 Jimmy O’Neill 2 John Peverell 3 Billy Curley 4 Ray Yeoman 5 Ron Greener 6 Trevor Atkinson 7 George McGeachie 8 Jack Maltby 9 Jimmy Lawton 10 Brian Conlon 11 Ken Allison