Simon Weatherill recalls several Darlington v Sunderland matches in his latest Memory Match article – how many of these names from bothsides can you remember?

The 1980’s proved to be a turbulent decade for supporters of Darlington and Sunderland. The Quakers started the decade in Division 4, then spent two seasons in Division 3 after gaining promotion under Cyril Knowles in 84/85. They finished the 80’s in the Vauxhall Conference after relegation back into the 4th was quickly followed by a drop out of the Football League in 88/89. The Black Cats started the 80’s in the old First Division (now the Premiership) but fell into Division 2 in 84/85 and fell further into the third tier in 86/87. By the end of the decade they had started their climb back under Denis Smith and sat comfortably in Division 2. The two clubs met regularly at Feethams in the 1980’s in a series of friendlies, plus a couple of Durham Senior Cup ties and a money raising game when the Quakers were in danger of going out of business and were desperate to raise funds.

The Black Cats first visit of the decade was in August 1981, just four days before the new season kicked off. Both sides played full strength teams, but it was the 4th Division Quakers who made all the early running and had the better of the first half. Cats’ keeper Chris Turner had to go full length to deny Alan Walsh, and then Kevin Arnott cleared off the line from a Kevan Smith glancing header. The Quakers grabbed the lead that their enterprising play had deserved in the 22nd minute. Stalker spotted Turner off his line and floated a superb shot from the edge of the area over the stranded keeper. David Speedie and Ian Hamilton both missed decent chances to increase the lead, then a Dave Hawker snap shot crashed back off the angle of post and bar. With Sunderland’s only worthwhile effort of the half, Tom Ritchie also fired a shot against the woodwork. As usual in a pre-season friendly, both sides made several changes in the second half and Sunderland’s subs injected more urgency into their side. The equaliser came in the 67th minute from an Arnott corner, that was flicked on by Rob Hindmarch and forced home by Ritchie. 1-1. Honours even.

Sunderland visited Feethams again in the following March to raise much needed funds. Darlington had announced an appeal in February. They needed to raise £50,000 by mid-March or the club was in danger of folding. Sunderland were one of the first clubs to respond, immediately offering to send their first team to play a fund raising friendly. A crowd of 5518 turned out on an appalling night to put about £5400 into the kitty. The attendance figure included the Sunderland players, who manager Alan Durban had insisted pay to get into the ground! In torrential rain the Black Cats ran out comfortable 3-1 winners. Their first goal was scored by a triallist striker Graham Bennett (from Bangor City) Darlington replied with an absolute cracker by Gavin Liddle but Joe Hinnigan put Sunderland back in front and a few minutes from the end Bennett scored his second of the evening and Sunderland’s third.

They visited again for a pre-season encounter the following August. The Quakers had much the better of the first half, but they missed a series of chances as they caused constant problems for a fragile Sunderland defence. Alan Walsh, Alan Kamara and Roger Wicks (3 times) all went close, but Cats keeper Chris Turner kept them out. Ally McCoist opened the scoring on the hour with a header after a mistake by home keeper Pat Cuff and McCoist scored again with the last kick of the game to complete a fortunate 2-0 victory.

The next encounter between the two sides was in August ’85, as the Quakers prepared for life in Division 3 under Cyril Knowles. Darlington shocked the Rokermen with two goals in the opening ten minutes. New left back Gary Morgan fired over a first minute cross towards Carl Airey at the far post, Gary Bennett intercepted, but only managed to head the ball into his own net past a startled Seamus McDonagh. The Quakers added a second nine minutes later. Dave McLean floated over a free kick from the right that was firmly headed home by Gary MacDonald. The visitors fought back and had three good chances in the first half. Fred Barber pulled off a great save to keep out a Dave Swindlehurst header, Nick Pickering mishit a close range shot with the goal at his mercy, then Ian Wallace fired against the post from the edge of the box. Both sides made three changes after the break, but the Darlington defence was never seriously tested, and the Quakers ran out comfortable 2-0 winners.

Exactly a year later, Sunderland again visited Feethams for a pre-season friendly, this time leaving with a 1-0 victory, courtesy of a Paul Ward own goal. Ward put a glancing header into his own net when trying to defend a Mark Proctor corner in the 32nd minute. The Quakers went close to an equaliser in the second half, but David Currie fired a 25-yard free kick inches over the bar, then a Gary Morgan header was brilliantly saved by Iain Hesford, then in the closing minutes, Currie fired another effort narrowly wide.

The following season, 87-88, saw the Black Cats visit again, but this time in a Durham Senior Cup tie. The Quakers grabbed an early lead in the 7th minute when Peter Robinson headed powerfully into the net from an Alan Roberts corner. They increased their lead on the half hour when Roberts scored with a tremendous angled drive after a neat reverse pass by David Currie. Sunderland hit back with Keith Bertschin and Eric Gates both going close, before Mark Proctor pulled a goal back on 67 minutes with a low drive through a crowded goalmouth. That was the end of the scoring, as the Quakers held out for a 2-1 win, but it wasn’t the end of the action as a fiery encounter ended with two red cards. In the last minute Steve Doyle went in late on Phil Bonnyman, who retaliated. The two players scuffled on the floor and the referee sent them both off. As it was an official Durham FA regulated game rather than a friendly, both players were suspended and missed the first two games of the new season!

The final encounter of the 80’s was in August ’89 as Darlington prepared for life outside the Football League, as Brian Little built a side to tackle the Vauxhall Conference. Again, the match was a Durham Senior Cup tie, and again the Quakers triumphed, this time 1-0. The only goal being scored by Kevan Smith, who seized on a mistake by Paul Hardyman, who tried a weak header back to his keeper Tony Norman. Smith intercepted and fired home from an acute angle. In an entertaining game there could have been more goals, with Borthwick, Cork and Coverdale going close for the home side, while Gabbiadini, Armstrong, Ord and Lemon all spurned chances for the visitors. The Quakers, with seven new faces on show, held on to secure the win, giving Darlington fans an early indication of how effective Little’s new look team would be in the following two very successful seasons.