Our greatest night
Our greatest night
4 years ago tonight was for me and I am sure many others my best football night ever. If you aren’t aware it is the anniversary of our 7-1 demolition of Whitby to clinch the Evostik title.
Yes I know we have beaten much better teams than Whitby but it was the manner of the victory and the importance of the match that makes it stand out for me. It really was men against boys that night. We just looked invincible and roared into a 5 nil lead inside 20 mins. What a way to dispel the tension of the massive travelling army of fans. Graeme Armstrong was unplayable against his former club and bagged a 10 minute hat trick.
We could actually enjoy the rest of the game safe in the knowledge that the championship was in the bag. The pitch invasion and celebrations were unforgettable. I remember the stadium announcer saying just before the end of the game “ Please don’t invade the pitch but I’m not sure how we will stop you .” We were unstoppable that night!
Yes I know we have beaten much better teams than Whitby but it was the manner of the victory and the importance of the match that makes it stand out for me. It really was men against boys that night. We just looked invincible and roared into a 5 nil lead inside 20 mins. What a way to dispel the tension of the massive travelling army of fans. Graeme Armstrong was unplayable against his former club and bagged a 10 minute hat trick.
We could actually enjoy the rest of the game safe in the knowledge that the championship was in the bag. The pitch invasion and celebrations were unforgettable. I remember the stadium announcer saying just before the end of the game “ Please don’t invade the pitch but I’m not sure how we will stop you .” We were unstoppable that night!
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Re: Our greatest night
I would go for our 3-2 (the score doesnt do us justice) win over west ham. Bobby Moore, John Bond et al. The roof came off the place after 20 seconds. Brilliant night
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Re: Our greatest night
I might well have agreed with you but for the fact that I had been up to Darlo for a week just prior. I took in three games which we won by an aggregate score of 7-1. Traveled home on the Sunday delighted. Tuned in to DFR on Tuesday night to find the team had done in one night what I had seen over a week. Regretted ever since that I didn't shell out for an extra couple of nights.Old Git wrote: ↑Tue Apr 21, 2020 10:21 am4 years ago tonight was for me and I am sure many others my best football night ever. If you aren’t aware it is the anniversary of our 7-1 demolition of Whitby to clinch the Evostik title.
Yes I know we have beaten much better teams than Whitby but it was the manner of the victory and the importance of the match that makes it stand out for me. It really was men against boys that night. We just looked invincible and roared into a 5 nil lead inside 20 mins. What a way to dispel the tension of the massive travelling army of fans. Graeme Armstrong was unplayable against his former club and bagged a 10 minute hat trick.
We could actually enjoy the rest of the game safe in the knowledge that the championship was in the bag. The pitch invasion and celebrations were unforgettable. I remember the stadium announcer saying just before the end of the game “ Please don’t invade the pitch but I’m not sure how we will stop you .” We were unstoppable that night!
- theoriginalfatcat
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Re: Our greatest night
Whitby was absolutely brilliant.
I wasn't going to go as I was all footballed out and felt lousy with cold but I got talked into it by my son ( ) and witnessed the most amazing game of football and night out combined.
I'm not a Martin Gray fan but it was he who masterminded the end of this season and that unforgettable night.
I wasn't going to go as I was all footballed out and felt lousy with cold but I got talked into it by my son ( ) and witnessed the most amazing game of football and night out combined.
I'm not a Martin Gray fan but it was he who masterminded the end of this season and that unforgettable night.
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Feethams the Panda. 28 Jan 2012.
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Feethams the Panda. 28 Jan 2012.
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Re: Our greatest night
Yes got to agree Whitby was the best night ever. My abiding memory of the evening was the players drinking champagne on the pitch after the game with the fans. My friend drove up for Doncaster via Leeds to pick up my eldest son & he couldn't believe how we were 5-0 up after 15 mins.
Re: Our greatest night
I can't believe it's four years ago - where does time go ? It honestly only seems like yesterday when Kevin Burgess was heading home our first goal in the conference North in the beautiful August sunshine at Altrincham. Following our promotion at Whitby.
Re: Our greatest night
The play off semi final against the vibe of County Durham must be up there somewhere.A full house ,a goal down and a late,late winner.Must admit though,Whitby was an unbelievable night.One memory is the endless trail of head lights over the moors in the rear view mirror on the way home.
- theoriginalfatcat
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Re: Our greatest night
On watching the Whitby highlights just now one thing struck me, as it did on the night at the time it happened.
On our first goal, when the ball was rolling in a leisurely way towards the goal line, why didn’t the covering defender simply slide in and hook it sideways? It just looks as if he can’t be arsed, unless of course he was a secret Darlo fan!!
On our first goal, when the ball was rolling in a leisurely way towards the goal line, why didn’t the covering defender simply slide in and hook it sideways? It just looks as if he can’t be arsed, unless of course he was a secret Darlo fan!!
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Feethams the Panda. 28 Jan 2012.
Now extinct!
Feethams the Panda. 28 Jan 2012.
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Re: Our greatest night
I was just getting into West Ham at that time. Now the only team in the top 2 divisions I even bother watching on TV. Most when talking of that era plump for the Chelsea game so nice to see a different opinion.swadquaker wrote: ↑Tue Apr 21, 2020 10:52 amI would go for our 3-2 (the score doesnt do us justice) win over west ham. Bobby Moore, John Bond et al. The roof came off the place after 20 seconds. Brilliant night
Re: Our greatest night
A slightly perverse choice for me would be a damp Tuesday night in February 1983. Quakers were bottom and getting gates around 1000 - it might have been a worse team than the one David Frost watched.
The game was Tranmere at home and it was dire stuff untill about the 80th minute when Alan Walsh stopped letting a fan annoy him and put over a beautiful cross for Kevin Todd to nod home. We held on that night and clawed our way out of trouble - dear old. Billy Elliot got the sack - Cyril came and the rest is history.
It might be that poor games like this signify quite a bit and it seems right that Walshy played the only bit of decent football that night. I remember watching him suddenly remember how good.he was and turning the tide.
The game was Tranmere at home and it was dire stuff untill about the 80th minute when Alan Walsh stopped letting a fan annoy him and put over a beautiful cross for Kevin Todd to nod home. We held on that night and clawed our way out of trouble - dear old. Billy Elliot got the sack - Cyril came and the rest is history.
It might be that poor games like this signify quite a bit and it seems right that Walshy played the only bit of decent football that night. I remember watching him suddenly remember how good.he was and turning the tide.
Re: Our greatest night
Strangely Reading away in the League Cup which I know we eventually lost on penalties was a great night. Was that David Stockdale's debut for us?
- GrassrootsMatt
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Re: Our greatest night
It has to be the Whitby game for me too. Travelling along the Moors Road in what seemed like a convoy of Darlo fans eager for their Fish and Chips, followed up with a title winning performance.
As others have said, we absolutely battered them. The game was over within about fifteen minutes. Everything just seemed to come together that night.
As others have said, we absolutely battered them. The game was over within about fifteen minutes. Everything just seemed to come together that night.
Come on Darlo!
- don'tbuythesun
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Re: Our greatest night
If we're talking about games we were at then Forest away in the league cup was pretty decent.
Re: Our greatest night
Apart from getting back to Darlo to late to get a onward train so sitting on a cold station all night as the waiting room was locked.don'tbuythesun wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 11:45 amIf we're talking about games we were at then Forest away in the league cup was pretty decent.
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Re: Our greatest night
I remember playing a night game at Crewe when we won promotion & I'm sure it was an evening game. I got the train down with loads of others. After the game we were kept back at the station for what was the only direct train back to Darlo that whole day. It was a mail train so we were all crammed onto 2 coaches & got back to Darlo at about 3am.
Re: Our greatest night
Presumably Monday 6 May 1985, a 2-2 draw gave us the point we needed for promotion under Cyril. In those pre-internet days I had to wait for the sports report after the 10pm news* on the radio (Radio 2 I think) to hear the result and remember dancing around my Doncaster bedroom, celebrating my first ever DFC promotion!Darlo_Pete wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:46 pmI remember playing a night game at Crewe when we won promotion & I'm sure it was an evening game. I got the train down with loads of others. After the game we were kept back at the station for what was the only direct train back to Darlo that whole day. It was a mail train so we were all crammed onto 2 coaches & got back to Darlo at about 3am.
* actually, thinking back, didn't they used to put the results on just before the news in those days?
Last edited by biccynana on Thu Apr 30, 2020 10:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Our greatest night
That'll be the evening. I had the Chicken Pox & I was signed off work, but it didn't stop me going, haha. At the end of the game I jumped up to celebrate on the crowd barriers & then I quickly realised that the photographers were taking photos of the players celebrating in front of the barriers & fans. So I jumped down, next day photos were plastered in the Northern Echo showing the fans celebrating exactly were I had just been standing, so I dodged a bullet that evening, haha.biccynana wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:42 pmPresumably Monday 6 May 1985, a 2-2 draw gave us the point we needed for promotion under Cyril.Darlo_Pete wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:46 pmI remember playing a night game at Crewe when we won promotion & I'm sure it was an evening game. I got the train down with loads of others. After the game we were kept back at the station for what was the only direct train back to Darlo that whole day. It was a mail train so we were all crammed onto 2 coaches & got back to Darlo at about 3am.
Re: Our greatest night
And the same cavalier attitude to infectious diseases is why we are now locked down, and our lives changed for ever.Darlo_Pete wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:54 pmThat'll be the evening. I had the Chicken Pox & I was signed off work, but it didn't stop me going, haha.biccynana wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:42 pmPresumably Monday 6 May 1985, a 2-2 draw gave us the point we needed for promotion under Cyril.Darlo_Pete wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:46 pmI remember playing a night game at Crewe when we won promotion & I'm sure it was an evening game. I got the train down with loads of others. After the game we were kept back at the station for what was the only direct train back to Darlo that whole day. It was a mail train so we were all crammed onto 2 coaches & got back to Darlo at about 3am.
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Re: Our greatest night
Not really I stayed away from people ass much as I could & the infectious part of the Chicken Pox had already passed by.banktopp wrote: ↑Fri May 01, 2020 7:02 amAnd the same cavalier attitude to infectious diseases is why we are now locked down, and our lives changed for ever.Darlo_Pete wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:54 pmThat'll be the evening. I had the Chicken Pox & I was signed off work, but it didn't stop me going, haha.biccynana wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:42 pmPresumably Monday 6 May 1985, a 2-2 draw gave us the point we needed for promotion under Cyril.Darlo_Pete wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:46 pmI remember playing a night game at Crewe when we won promotion & I'm sure it was an evening game. I got the train down with loads of others. After the game we were kept back at the station for what was the only direct train back to Darlo that whole day. It was a mail train so we were all crammed onto 2 coaches & got back to Darlo at about 3am.