Here, we go back to the first round game in the Football League Cup against York City on August 16th 1971.

In its early years, the Football League Cup was a straight knockout competition with no second legs, and so it was imperative for us to perform well and hopefully draw a big club in round two. Also in those days the competition heralded the start of the season and was played before any league games. Manager Len Richley had brought in a number of new players during the summer and gave debuts to four players. York were a division above us at the time and this difference told as they scored the only goal of the game through Tommy Henderson to put them into the second round to play and beat Middlesbrough before losing to Sheffield United in round three.

Final score: Darlington 0 York City 1

Darlo team: Wealands, Peverell, Horner, Hale, Barker, Lees, Gauden, Wright (sub Sproates), Sinclair, Graham, Harding.

[caption id="attachment_12130" align="alignnone" width="218"] Geoff Barker[/caption]