Craig Stoddart looks back at old team pics -- today's it's season 2001-02.

Season 2000-01 had not been a stellar year for Darlington, and the following campaign was not a great deal better.

While Quakers finished the previous campaign in 20th position after six straight defeats, they began 2001-02 with another; 1-0 at Southend United when Barry Conlon and Neil Maddison made their debuts.

Danny Mellanby also signed that summer and he was on target in an early-season 2-1 win at Hartlepool United, but it would soon unravel for Gary Bennett, who was replaced as manager by Tommy Taylor in late October.

Ian Clark joined not long afterwards from Pools, and he would end the campaign as top scorer with 13 goals, five of them from the spot.

Conlon infamously failed spectacularly from the spot, however, in an FA Cup tie with Peterborough United. The game ended 2-2 and, with a televised game against Newcastle United in the next round awaiting the winners, Posh won the replay.

Clark netted against his former club in a 1-1 draw at Feethams in February in the midst of a ten-game run without a win, but Taylor’s Quakers would the season with a flourish, four wins out of the last six fixtures – against Hull, Halifax, Scunthorpe and Oxford – to finish 15th.

Back row, left to right: Peter Darke (kit man), Martin Gray, Steven Harper, Paul Campbell, David Brightwell, Graham Liddle, Andy Collett, Frank van der Geest, Keith Finch, Craig Liddle, Adam Reed, Kirk Jackson, Neil Maddison, Barry Conlon and Jimmy Montgomery (coach).

Front row, l-r: Mark Ford, Richard Hodgson, Paul Heckingbottom, Alex Jeannin, Adam Marsh, Mick Tait (assistant manager), Gary Bennett (manager), Mark Convery, Phil Brumwell, Brian Atkinson and Clint Marcelle.