Phil Brumwell was an integral part of two successful Darlington wins in play off semi finals. Here, he remembers the famous 1996 two legged play off semi final against Hereford.

One of the reasons we reached Wembley that season was our terrific away form, wasn’t it?

We were always very confident away from home that season, we only lost once on the road, at Chester. Our away form was very good, it was just a pity that we couldn’t score late in the last game of the season at Scunthorpe, where if we scored once more at 3-3, we’d have won automatic promotion. It was a hell of a dramatic game, Blakey fired just over near the end.

The expectations at the beginning of that season weren’t high at all, but we improved as it went on. Hodgy left in the autumn of that season, and that was a massive blow, but Jim picked it up well. It was an excellent performance to get to the play offs.

What was said before the first game at Edgar Street?

Jim had a unique style. He just used to tell us to go and out and express ourselves, and to enjoy our football. It worked quite well, it never seemed to bother us going to places like Preston and Plymouth that season. His words took the weight off our shoulders. We had some fantastic wins on our travels – and a snowball fight when we got stuck in the snow on the way back from Preston!

Before the game at Hereford, Jim told us to make sure that we didn’t lose and to give ourselves something to take back for the return leg a few days later.

We went an early goal down from a free kick early on, but we battled back really well.

Sean Gregan scored with a looping header from a corner – he hadn’t scored all season until then – and Blakey before half time.

Jim was relieved at half time, he told us to stay calm, and not let our nerves take over.

In the second half, we took control, and I can’t really remember being put under any strong pressure by Hereford. They had a big strong centre forward called Phil Stant, but he didn’t get a look in.

That set us up nicely for a memorable second leg, didn’t it?

It was a great feeling to be 2-1 up on the way back to Darlington on the team bus, we were on a real high – not as high as the fans though!

The town was buzzing. After all, this was a little club that had never been close to Wembley before. The build up was amazing, with everybody wanting us to win and go to Wembley. I remember went out for the warm up before the second leg, and there was already double our normal crowd inside the ground. The ground was buzzing, the Tin Shed and the Polam Lane end were ram-packed.

How did you feel after the game when we’d won?

Absolutely elated. Considering that a year previous that I’d joined Darlington from Sunderland when I was still a teenager, and now here I was in line for a game at Wembley. It was unbelievable really, considering that I hadn’t played in the Football League until that season. All my family and friends were there, which made it extra special. The celebrations went on long into the night. Imagine that – Darlington at Wembley!

The next occasion we were in the semi finals was against Hartlepool in 2000. What sort of day was the first leg at their place?

We didn’t play well in the last ten games of that season, we had been so far ahead and then we’d ended up in the play offs. The pitch was a factor, plus injuries meant that we had to change the side. There was talk of Gabbers leaving the club, possibly even for Hartlepool, because he was out of contract at the end of the season. There were a few things that unsettled us.

If ever there was a game to motivate a Darlo player, it was a game against Hartlepool. And with me being local, then I really loved it. Maybe Hodgy knew that I would be well up for the game, which is why he included me in the starting line up.

There was a giant screen that day at Feethams, and the ground was full. We gathered at the ground, and Hodgy made us walk pitchside and talk to the fans, which got us going even more.

We also had a PT instructor on the bus with us, and he went round everybody on the bus getting into us, motivating us – not that we needed motivating for a game like this. He got people focused even more on the game. I always rose to the derby games at Hartlepool especially in the hostile atmosphere.

What was Hodgy’s reaction to the win?

Straight after the game, he drummed into us that the job wasn’t complete. He instructed us that we shouldn’t go out, everybody had to do things properly. He took a really hard line, and you could understand why. He said that we had only won the first 45 minutes.

Before the return game at Feethams a few days later, he said that the score was 0-0 and not 2-0, and we had to do the hard work all over again.

What was the key factor for you in the Hartlepool game?

I think the experience we had in our side. Gabbers, Neil Aspin, Martin Gray, Lee Nogan – and remember only a couple of years previous Neil Heaney had played for Charlton against Sunderland in a play off final. There was a lot of experience in big pressure games. Gabbers and Heaney were second to none in creating chances.

What was the atmosphere like for the return game?

It was second to none, I hadn’t known anything like it, especially when Gary Strodder put my cross into his own goal early on. That put us 3-0 up on aggregate, but Hodgy kept at us to make sure we didn’t let a goal in and give them encouragement. The fans still partied and cheered all the way through. It was a great night.