The Quakers - Northern League movers & shakers

“Do us a favour, mate, and drop the 1883.”

It was a controlled rebuke from the burly Darlington 1883 FC fan in Penrith’s main stand who’d overheard my live match updates.

Despite this newly altered name - a change required by FA regulations upon liquidated teams who re-form - Quakers supporters still very much see their club as Darlington FC.

By finishing the 2011/12 campaign in the drop-zone of the Blue Square Premier, 'Darlo' were due to compete in the Blue Square North this season.

However, with the financial fracas and resultant FA sanctions also in the equation, a relegation of one tier became a demotion of four - all the way to the Ebac Northern League.

 

 

 

Tasked with bringing about Darlington’s ascent back up through the divisions is Martin Gray - a former player, coach and caretaker manager with the club. He is flanked by two more men steeped in Quakers traditions - assistant manager Brian Atkinson and first-team coach Sean Gregan.

The team’s temporary home is Heritage Park, which belongs to their Northern League counterparts Bishop Auckland. Every square inch of that stadium’s 2,004 capacity was used when they clashed in the first game of the season – Darlington 1883 won 3-1.

And since then it’s been a case of so far, so good. Darlo sit six points clear at the top of a ladder which is infamous for being difficult to get out of. To date, they’ve posted 13 wins out of 14, their only loss at the hands of Guisborough Town.

 

 

The rain was relentless and eventually the players dissolved

 

After the 11^th win, a 4-1 victory against Penrith at Frenchfield Park, in front of 323 people, Sean Gregan spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria Sport about the management team’s intentions:

“We’ve all come in and want to get the club back up the leagues as quickly as we can. At the minute, things are going right, but it’s a long season. All credit to the players, they’re doing fantastic and everything that’s asked of them.”

The 38-year-old began his career at Darlington before moving on to greater things at the likes of Preston North End, Leeds and West Brom – for whom he was a £2 million signing, making his debut at Old Trafford.




If there's white in the strip, count Gregan in (Getty photo from BBC Sport website)


He sees value in a coaching staff with a genuine interest in what’s best for the club:

“I’m that old I don’t think many of them [current players] will remember when I was playing at Darlington, but obviously Martin played and was on the staff there when they were a league club, the same as Brian Atkinson was.

“So it’s sort of gone back to its roots with people who know the club and we’ll do our best – we’ve all played at a decent standard, so if our experience can rub off onto these guys then so be it.”

Previously with Kendal Town, Guisborough-born Gregan is registered to play for Darlington, but so far his services haven’t been required:

“I’ve not played for a long time. I had a really serious injury about 18 months ago and, to be fair to the lads, even if I was fit I wouldn’t get in.

“As long as they keep doing the job we’ll be fine - unless we get an outbreak of salmonella through the whole back four, then I won’t have to get my boots on!”

For the record, that burly Darlo fan gave me a curry sauce-smothered chip at half-time to show his affectionate side.

 

TO HEAR MY INTERVIEW WITH SEAN GREGAN FOR BBC RADIO CUMBRIA SPORT, CLICK HERE.

TO READ BBC SPORT JOURNALIST PAUL FLETCHER'S 2008 BLOG ON SEAN GREGAN, CLICK HERE.