A First Career Thread Down At Blackwell Meadows

[Dan McCullough]

Welcome to Darlington

This is my first attempt at creating a career update thread, so firstly thanks for actually clicking on this thread. As you can see, I will be managing Vanarama National North side Darlington F.C.

I decided to open this thread as I have been enjoying documenting my progress with several teams over in the English Football League Thread and with me now wanting to start from the lowest playable league in the English pyramid, I thought it would be cool to do something here.

Why Darlington?

Well, I have quite a fondness for Non-League and so I wanted to start a fresh save there. Being from the Wigan area, I am a true Northerner and therefore I decided to start in the North rather than the South, besides we all know that the North is much better. I was originally attracted by my local club Chorley, however I had managed them on previous instalments of the game so I wanted a different challenge. Darlington were that challenge for a number of reasons. They have a very interesting recent history, which I will briefly go over. The club were relegated from League Two in the 2009/10 season after financial issues. The following season, the club would finish in 7th, but go on to win the FA Trophy beating Mansfield Town 1-0 at Wembley.

However, the dark times soon begun the following season. A little more than two months after the FA Trophy win, chairman Singh placed the club into administration for the third time in less than a decade. A number of players were released and allowed to join other clubs for minimal fees in January before interim manager Craig Liddle and the remaining playing staff had their contracts terminated by Darlington's administrator. Two days later, the club was spared from liquidation after a last-minute injection of funding by supporters' groups. Enough funds were raised for Darlington to complete the season, but relegation was confirmed with three matches remaining.

After the relegation, the club were wound up and expelled from the Football Association. The club proposed to play at a new venue and as a result, were forced to play in the Northern Premier League Division One, three tiers below the Conference they were relegated from. The club were rejected to play under the original name and therefore were renamed to Darlington 1883, the year the club were founded. Since, the club has gone on to recover some success and has found their way to the National North after promotion from the Northern Premier League in 2015, securing back-to-back promotions. Financial issues have also been resolved, with the club now being owned mostly by the fans and the club also won an appeal to win back the rights to the original name in April 2017. Despite this, the club were not allowed to compete in the playoffs last season as their ground, Blackwell Meadows, was deemed not up to standards.

The Manager

Here I am in all my glory. I have gone with the base stats given to me by the game, with the coaching badges set to reflect Darlington. 

Hopefully I can take the club back to the Football League.

The Squad

The squad is arguably very small considering some of the other clubs depth in this division. 

James Talbot and Josh Gillies are obvious stand out players, with Talbot on loan from local club Sunderland and Gilles joining from another local side in Gateshead at the start of last season, where he impressed scoring ten goals in 38 games.

Finally, we do have an international player in our ranks. Striker Reece Styche has represented Gibraltar once before, playing in a 4-1 defeat to Faroe Islands in 2014. He hasn't played since, citing 'Politics' as his reason for opting against accepting a call-up.

Leagues Loaded

England: Premier League - National North/South

France: Ligue 1 - CFA

Germany: Bundesliga - 3.Liga

Ireland: Irish Premier League - First Division

Italy: Serie A - Serie C

Northern Ireland: Danske Bank Premiership - Championship 2

Scotland: Scottish Premiership - League Two

Spain: La Liga - Segunda Division B

Wales: Welsh Premiership

 

UP THE QUAKERS! 

[warlock]

Subscribed, Dan.

Many's the cold, wet night I've spent at Feethams in the late 60s and early 70s, watching Darlington grind out draws against the likes of Lincoln and Bradford Park Avenue. And I was there in September '69 when they so nearly nicked a result against the mighty Everton in the League Cup. Yes, Alan Ball, Howard Kendall and Joe Royle once trod that hallowed turf. Been exiled down south for 40 years now, but watched with dismay as they joined the list of clubs destroyed by their chairmen while the 'authorities' punished no-one but the fans.

I've had a save with them back in beta and got them promoted via the playoffs, but the squad is rather different now. I can recommend that you unlist Galbraith - no-one will buy him but he's not a bad backup at LB. Collins, for me, was much better at CB than RB, And Syers, Wheatley and Turnbull are all solid in the middle. Good luck!

[mark1985]

Good luck with this one! Actually been to Chorley a few times as well plus the pies in Wigan are great.

[Dan McCullough]

3 hours ago, warlock said:

Subscribed, Dan.

Many's the cold, wet night I've spent at Feethams in the late 60s and early 70s, watching Darlington grind out draws against the likes of Lincoln and Bradford Park Avenue. And I was there in September '69 when they so nearly nicked a result against the mighty Everton in the League Cup. Yes, Alan Ball, Howard Kendall and Joe Royle once trod that hallowed turf. Been exiled down south for 40 years now, but watched with dismay as they joined the list of clubs destroyed by their chairmen while the 'authorities' punished no-one but the fans.

I've had a save with them back in beta and got them promoted via the playoffs, but the squad is rather different now. I can recommend that you unlist Galbraith - no-one will buy him but he's not a bad backup at LB. Collins, for me, was much better at CB than RB, And Syers, Wheatley and Turnbull are all solid in the middle. Good luck!

Thanks, Warlock. It's great looking back on all the historic games isn't it, I love doing that with Wigan. I could never not physically 'be there' with my team, I have to travel and support them whether they may be! It's a real shame what has happened with Darlington but hopefully they're on the right track now, things seem to be looking brighter. 

All the players you named will be key to the team this season, I'm looking forward to seeing how they all fair. 

2 hours ago, mark1985 said:

Good luck with this one! Actually been to Chorley a few times as well plus the pies in Wigan are great.

Chorley is a nice little place, proper Lancashire town. That's what we're famous for after all, pies. Thanks, Mark.

 

[Dan McCullough]

Transfers

Sam Berry: Our first Summer signing, Irish defender Sam Berry joins as an option in the heart of the defence. With the ability to improve at the age of 22, he will be hoping to settle down with us after short loan spells with the likes of Welling failed, before being released by Derby.

Owen Wheeler : Liverpool academy prospect Wheeler was released by the club at the end of last season. With a lot of potential in his arsenal, he will be one of the future but for now, he will be our number two, behind loanee Ben Talbot.

Anthony Wright: The American teenager was released by Nottingham Forest but has the attacking ability to be a threat this season. Although he will be behind James Caton in the pecking order, he will be hoping to break into the first-team squad this season and certainly has the ability to do so.

Gerard Garner: The first of two Fleetwood loanees, Garner enjoyed a brilliant pre-season as he joined the club. His ability to play as both a target man and a poacher will be hugely helpful over the campaign, with his versatility perhaps helping him edge Reece Styche out of the side.

Karl Ledsham: Having made over 100 appearances in the National League prior to spells at Barrow and Stockport, helping the former club to the National North title in 2015, Ledsham has the experience we need in a squad full of new young talent. He will be a huge benefit to the squad.

Luke Jordan: Joining on loan from Morecambe, Jordan has already made six appearances for his parent club, all coming last season as the Shrimps again survived in League Two. With his employers looking to give him more regular first team football here, he will be challenging Josh Gillies this season on the right-hand side.

Ben Unsworth: Joining alongside his Fleetwood teammate Garner, Unsworth provides an attacking outlet on the right side of the defence, but having the ability to defend also. With Liam Marrs also on this side of the defence, also with a bag full of talent, it will be a real scrap between the two this season to determine who will be the regular name on the teamsheet.

James King: King was brought in as another face in defence. With limited options, it was vital we sought for another player to bring in and King has the ability to grow also, which makes him a good piece of business as we beat FC Halifax Town to his signature.

Andy Nugent: Our final signing of the window was Andy Nugent. The left-back joins after his release from Burnley and will be a regular face in the starting eleven this season, I'm sure.

Pre-Season Results

It proved to be an incredibly successful pre-season campaign from the Quakers as we seen off Edinburgh City, Arthurlie, Bishop Auckland and West Auckland, as well as credible results to Grimsby and Sunderland. The Sunderland game was one I was hugely impressed with, as we held the recently relegated side for 90 minutes, conceding to a late goal from Joel Asoro. The Black Cats fielded a strong line-up in that win, which shown how strong our back-line was in that game, as we were hugely unlucky not to hold on in the end.

Victories to Edinburgh, Arthurlie and Bishop Auckland were all routine as we were rarely threatened, only conceding a sloppy goal from a corner and a very lucky own-goal. Before we rounded pre-season off with a confidence boosting 2-0 win to local side West Auckland, we also grasped a 1-1 draw to League Two side Grimsby. I was left feeling hard done by, as we conceded an 84th minute penalty to the Mariners, in a game where we looked the better side. We did have a chance at the very end, with youngster Harvey Saunders lacking the composure to slot home with the final kick of the game. However, it was a brilliant result, holding a side two divisions higher to a draw. 

 

 

[Nobby_McDonald]

Good luck at Darlo.

[deltablue]

Good luck getting them back up the leagues.