In the latest of his Memory Match series, Simon Weatherill looks back to the home game against Port Vale on 28^th October 1978.

The 1978/79 season would see Peter Madden begin his fourth season as manager – quite an achievement in the unpredictable world of Darlington Football Club in the seventies. (The club had gone through seven managers in the previous four seasons prior to Madden’s appointment.) Things started promisingly in the League Cup with victories over Mansfield and Fulham before a battling third round defeat to Everton, 0-1 at Goodison. The league form was less impressive though and one win from the first six games (with only two goals scored) meant that the Quakers were already struggling at the wrong end of the table.

Madden had identified the need for a centre forward and spent the summer and the early weeks of the season trying to recruit the man he wanted. He made a £15,000 bid for Terry Eccles from Huddersfield, then a £16,000 bid to Cambridge for Sammy Morgan, but both players chose to try their luck abroad. Madden then made an incredible £35,000 bid for long term target Joe Cooke from Bradford but that bid was rejected. The breakthrough in the transfer market came in October when Madden paid Middlesbrough £20,000 for Alan Walsh. A lot of money and quite a risk, to spend that kind of money on a 21 year old with only three substitute appearances for the Boro.

Walsh made his debut in the away game at Rochdale on October 21st. The game ended in a 2-1 defeat and proved to be Madden’s last game in charge. (It was Rochdale’s first win of the season.) Madden was asked to resign and was replaced by player/coach Len Walker. One of Madden’s final acts as Darlington’s manager had been to secure the signing of Walsh, who would go on to become a club legend and the clubs highest ever goal scorer.

Walker took over the reins with the club deep in re-election trouble. They sat third from bottom in the Division 4 table with 3 wins and 10 points from their 14 games. It was a difficult first week for Walker with Madden’s “resignation” leaving the club in turmoil, with several players in open revolt, Martin Burleigh, Eric Probert and John Stone openly stating that they were only at the club because of Madden and were now considering their futures. Walsh must have wondered what he had walked into!

Walker’s first game in charge, and Walsh’s home debut would be against Port Vale on October 28th. Vale were doing slightly better than the Quakers and sat in 16th place, three points better off. They had one of the better away records in the division with four victories on the road, and so would provide a stiff test. Things had calmed down slightly at Feethams by the time Saturday came around. After an appeal by Madden for the players to rally round the club, Len Walker was able to announce an unchanged eleven for the visit of Vale. His options were limited as he was still without the experienced midfield pairing of Barry Lyons and Eric Probert through injury. Derek Craig had been doubtful, but he recovered from knee and thigh injuries to keep his place in the side. 

Only 1793 people turned out to see the first game of the Len Walker era. In brilliant sunshine they saw an even start to the game with early chances created at both ends. Alan Walsh and Dennis Wann combined to send Ron Ferguson away down the left. He beat Keenan and found Jimmy Seal but his tame shot was easily saved by visiting keeper Connaughton. Wright and Keenan went close for Vale before Healey brought a good save out of Martin Burleigh. Darlington hit back and a clever overhead kick by Lloyd Maitland very nearly caught Connaughton out, but he managed to palm the ball away and it was scrambled to safety. The Quakers took the lead in the 17th minute with a superb goal by new boy Walsh, immediately endearing himself to the home fans. Full back Jimmy Cochrane cleverly broke up an attack and found Walsh in space near the half way line. Walsh showed deceptive pace as he ran fully 30 yards with the ball, leaving the Vale defenders in his wake, before coolly firing past the helpless keeper from the edge of the box. The Quakers were now fully on top as they threatened to increase their lead before half time with Ferguson twice going close. In the 40th minute he sent a header just over the top and then on the stroke of half time he latched onto a Derek Craig knock down in front of goal, but the Vale defence scrambled the ball clear before he could get a shot away. Half time 1-0.

The second half began with the visitors on top and looking likely to get back into the game. They failed to make the pressure count though and the Quakers increased their lead in the 67th minute. Ferguson was fouled 25 yards out by Graham Hawkins. John Stone rolled a short free kick to Seal who blasted home with a left foot drive. Seal almost made it 3-0 a minute later but his shot was fractionally off target. The home fans didn’t have to wait long for a third goal though and it arrived after 70 minutes. Walsh tormented the Vale defence down the left wing before unselfishly squaring the ball to Ferguson who fired home. The visitors briefly threatened when Healy fired at goal which produced a magnificent fingertip save from Burleigh, but any hopes they had of getting back into the game were ended on 79 minutes when Ken Todd was sent off. He’d been booked a minute earlier for a foul on Ferguson, then he retaliated when he himself was fouled by Wann and the referee had no hesitation in sending him off. Seal completed the victory with the fourth goal in the last minute. Again it was Walsh supplying the ammunition with a long cross to the far post that was headed down by Stone and tapped in by Seal from a couple of yards out.

The 4-0 win briefly lifted the Quakers out of the bottom four, but the season developed into one long struggle to stay away from the re-election zone. A poor end to the season with two wins from the last 12 games sealed their fate and they finished in 21st place and had to apply for re-election, along with Doncaster, Halifax and Crewe. The poor finish cost Walker his job. He was sacked in the summer and replaced by Billy Elliott.

The programme for the 78/79 season consisted of 12 pages and cost 15 pence. Regular features were the manager’s column, two pages introducing our visitors, results and statistics for the first and reserve teams and the team line-ups. Frank Tweddle wrote a column about previous encounters with our opponents and also contributed a very interesting occasional item entitled Looking Back, covering a piece of Darlington history.

Team v Port Vale : 1 Martin Burleigh 2 Clive Nattress 3 Jimmy Cochrane 4 Neil Hague 5 Derek Craig 6 John Stone 7 Lloyd Maitland 8 Alan Walsh 9 Ron Ferguson 10 Jimmy Seal 11 Dennis Wann Sub Dave Crosson (replaced Stone, 90 mins)