Our rivals

[Spyman]

Hartlepool
Raj Singh
Trevor Kettle
The FA
The DFC Supporters Trust of the 00s

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[lo36789]

I can't help but wonder if by some of the logic on here that Forest and Notts County aren't rivals anymore, that the Southampton / Portsmouth rivalry no longer exists...and did Celtic and Rangers stop being rivals for a few years?

I mean it begs the question if Everton get relegated this season are they no longer rivals of Liverpool?

[Old Git]

I would have thought that intercity rivalry like Celtic/Rangers or Everton/ Liverpool is on a different level of intensity to Darlington/ Hartlepool which are 25 miles apart.

[MB86DFC]

Sadly a big part of the interest in the DCC match a few years ago was because every idiot in the town thought it would probably provide an opportunity for a bit of aggro. The very reason why I and other fans I know gave it a swerve. .

Sadly you’re deliberately missing the point. A big reason 1700+ turned out was because we were playing Hartlepool. And from the people who were there, they’ve said the atmosphere was one of the best we’ve had moving back to the town.

And despite your weird argument, the 1600 or so Darlo fans there didn’t turn up for a fight.

They turned up because it was the first chance in more than a decade to see us face our biggest rivals, even in a meaningless competition.

1758 in the DCC. If it was a league or FA Cup game, we’d sell out in minutes. That’s how much the rivalry means to the fanbase.

If that is what you are referring to by rivalry then you are correct. I was referring to our current local rivals not ancient history that has little relevance to our present situation.

History and tradition are all part of rivalry. Our rivalry with Hartlepool goes back more than a century, and means loads to our fanbase, including the younger fans who turned up to the 2019 DCC match.

If you don’t understand the importance of history and tradition in football, then you need to start educating yourself.

As for Gateshead, Blyth and South Shields, they are neither local nor rivals. It is funny you’re clutching at straws by trying to claim they are.

I certainly did not say that 1600 Darlington fans turned up for a fight. You accuse me of exaggeration and then pull out one of your own. I actually said every idiot in the town saw it as an opportunity for a bit of aggro, that is vastly different from saying all the Darlo fans at the game were looking for trouble. For me the idiots that turn up looking for trouble on these occasions are certainly not Darlington supporters.
As for Gateshead Blyth and South Shields they play at or near our level and are relatively local and therefore do quality as local rivals in my opinion. You can have a different opinion that is up you.

I’d say they’re local derbies, not rivalries. It’s purely a matter of geography. I have no more animosity towards Gateshead than I do Exeter. Any suggestion of rivalry is either one sided (Spennymoors view on us being a rival) or created due to our proper rival not being at our level. If Gateshead / Spenny / shields / blyth are real rivals they’d bring more than the pathetic amount of fans they normally do, regardless of the quality of the away end.

[darlo_baron]

I would have thought that intercity rivalry like Celtic/Rangers or Everton/ Liverpool is on a different level of intensity to Darlington/ Hartlepool which are 25 miles apart.

You earlier claimed teams like York, Blyth and South Shields were greater rivals than Pools and then have now minimised our rivalry with them due to location.

There's not much more to say that hasn't been said by other posters but Hartlepool are our main rivals and always will be.

[Darlogramps]

I would have thought that intercity rivalry like Celtic/Rangers or Everton/ Liverpool is on a different level of intensity to Darlington/ Hartlepool which are 25 miles apart.

And how far is it to South Shields, Blyth, York and Gateshead, who you claim are our rivals?

Not the brightest bulb in the box are you?

Time to put the shovel down and stop digging Old Git. You’re having a nightmare here.

[Old Git]

I would have thought that intercity rivalry like Celtic/Rangers or Everton/ Liverpool is on a different level of intensity to Darlington/ Hartlepool which are 25 miles apart.

And how far is it to South Shields, Blyth, York and Gateshead, who you claim are our rivals?

Not the brightest bulb in the box are you?

Time to put the shovel down and stop digging Old Git. You’re having a nightmare here.

No nightmare for me. You enjoy your obsession with Hartlepool and you never know we might even get to play them again in your lifetime. Meanwhile back in the present day I am looking forward to our derby game at Gateshead on Easter Monday. A game which will actually mean something to our current fans, old and new.

[Sussex07]

I would have thought that intercity rivalry like Celtic/Rangers or Everton/ Liverpool is on a different level of intensity to Darlington/ Hartlepool which are 25 miles apart.

"I would have thought"

[Darlogramps]

I would have thought that intercity rivalry like Celtic/Rangers or Everton/ Liverpool is on a different level of intensity to Darlington/ Hartlepool which are 25 miles apart.

And how far is it to South Shields, Blyth, York and Gateshead, who you claim are our rivals?

Not the brightest bulb in the box are you?

Time to put the shovel down and stop digging Old Git. You’re having a nightmare here.

No nightmare for me. You enjoy your obsession with Hartlepool and you never know we might even get to play them again in your lifetime. Meanwhile back in the present day I am looking forward to our derby game at Gateshead on Easter Monday. A game which will actually mean something to our current fans, old and new.

Nurse, he’s out of bed again! Fetch the big needle this time.

[Spyman]

In all seriousness, I'd probably say Hartlepool, the Spennymoor, then probably York a way behind and not much else.

Rivalries are formed usually through a combination of locality and competing for the same prizes regularly. Historically we were at a similar level to Hartlepool staving off relegation or occasionally battling for play off places. More recently we've had regular competition for promotions with Spennymoor so a rivalry has developed, especially as they spent many of those seasons trying to copy our success by signing our cast offs or trying to poach our targets by offering more money.

Gateshead? Not for a minute.

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[biccynana]

I would have thought that intercity rivalry like Celtic/Rangers or Everton/ Liverpool is on a different level of intensity to Darlington/ Hartlepool which are 25 miles apart.

And how far is it to South Shields, Blyth, York and Gateshead, who you claim are our rivals?

Not the brightest bulb in the box are you?

Time to put the shovel down and stop digging Old Git. You’re having a nightmare here.

Celtic/Rangers and Liverpool/Everton are not intercity rivalries. The word you want is intracity.

[Darlo_Pete]

I once heard that the intensity of derbies was once ranked and Darlo v poolie was in the top 10!!! I feel that the rivalry has dissipated due to us not competing against us for so long. But I am certain that one day we will find ourselves in the same league & hostilities will resume.

[Fatty eats roadkill]

https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/ ... s.amp.html

Number 16

[lo36789]

Only 9 out of 20 of those fixtures took place this season.

[Darlo_Pete]

Ok so I was wrong, but still pretty impressive to be ahead of the Bristol derby & the Forest v County derby.

[Darl-Zero]

Not wanting to show my age but...
Hartlepool,
St. Augustine's,
Middlesbrough ionopolis,
Bishop Auckland,
Middlesbrough

[Geordie Quaker]

It is Hartlepool, and only Hartlepool of course. Clearly the intensity has dissipated in recent years, but the rivalry lives longer than that. I also think it is not one-sided - you only need to look at their regular 'Darlodiedin2012' jibes on Twitter to see that.

Aside from them, I don't like Carlisle much, mainly because they always came and beat us in my formative supporting years. I do not really like Spennymoor, but I would not call it a rivalry - they are more just an irritant.

Now if we broaden the remit to clubs I just do not like for any particular reason, that'd be in the dozens. Special mentions to Fulham, MK Dons, Plymouth, Luton, Boro, Scunny, and any team Gray Brabin or Leo Fortune West played for.