Darlo's Poet Laureate Gavin Ellis continues his story of the 2019-20 season in prose.

The first part of this series can be found here:

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/gavin-ellis-the-season-when-time-stood-still-part-1

WEST YORKSHIRE WOE

Warm summer sunshine is buzzing away

As we head down to Farsley on the season’s first day

Hundreds of fans are scattered around

The tidy and compact Throstlenest ground

The game begins at a furious pace

The Darlo defence is all over the place

Our new stars are finding it tricky to pass

When did the home team last cut the grass?

We watch in dismay at another mistake

The Quakers are trailing three nil at the break

With our defending so absurd

Our ex-striker Cartman has scored the third

Some Darlo fans down far too many beers

This is going to end in tears

You can tell some supporters are going to be banned

As objects are thrown from the visitors’ stand

Hundreds from Darlo are attending the game

But just a small handful bring the club shame

‘Same old Darlo’ the fans all groan

First game or not they all like a moan

That first half performance has knocked us off-track

At least Adam Campbell pulls a goal back

We think our team might be much over-rated

We head for our coach feeling rather deflated

HEEDS UP

Gateshead almost died this year destroyed by corporate wreckers

Their fans arrive at Blackwell in two dodgy double deckers

Almost two thousand in the ground, electric atmosphere

Defensive howler yet again, the Gateshead fans all cheer

The Tynesiders are leading at the half way stage

We’ve really got to up our game, we’ve got to turn the page

A second half renaissance sees a much improved display

A goal from an unlikely source helps us on our way

Michael Liddle blasts it and like a Jumbo Jet

The crowd all go ecstatic as it hits the Gateshead net

Although the crowd were all tensed up and not without good reason

Finally we’ve equalised, our first point of the season