Tonight’s match ball sponsors are DAFTS (the Darlington Away Far Travelling Supporters) in memory of Lance Ireland, a staunch fan who passed away in December 2011.

Here’s a tribute to Lance from the DAFTS website.

RIP Lance Ireland 1938-2011

It's with great sadness we pay tribute to our great friend, Lance Ireland, who died on New Year's Eve 2011 at the age of 73.

Anyone who knew him will not be able to remember him without a smile on their face. The words "a great character" don't really do him justice; you had to have been with him to appreciate fully what this means, and you soon became quite blase about those quirks and eccentricities. He was never short of a story and enjoyed the banter. Travelling with him was never dull, though prone to mishaps on occasions! He left us all with lovely memories of his tremendous and generous company.

He became a Darlington fan after tiring of Premier football in his home city Birmingham and revisited the club of his Army days near Catterick. He founded "Harbo Darlo," an off-shoot supporters' club, with two shrines to Darlington at his local pubs in Harborne. Darlington fans, if rarely passing, were particularly welcome. DAFTS' early visits for weekends saw you in a crowd of Brummies, who would chant "Darlo" at Lance's entrance - or sing his signature The Pussy Cat Song - and who were as up to date with the club's progress, as if it was Villa or Albion. Ahead of the now ubiquitous Fantasy Football competitions, he ran his own British Superleague in the pub, very much to his own rules of course, which always saw Darlington top for some reason. Lance would also badger regulars at The Sportsman in his fundraising for the club, and the Supporters' Trust, as invariably fundraising was needed. He was recognised by the Supporters Club with an award, which he received on the pitch in 2003.

Lance was a man of firm views and principle too. When the smoking ban came in, he refused to go to football stadiums which didn't have a smoking area. But it didn't stop him going on football trips, as he'd travel to games, meet up in the pub but be on his train in time for kick-off! What some thought bizzare, we all became quite used to. This was Lance of course.

His final football trip was to Wembley. Or rather Watford. He came down for the FA Trophy weekend, enjoyed the pre-match warm-up but naturally went home as the new Wembley could not accommodate someone of his ideals. He still had a good time. He had been diagnosed with cancer and faced up to the illness with remarkable fortitude. To the end he was as sharp as a tack, and only this last week was asking about Darlo's latest plight.

There was more to him than football. To everyone's delight, this fan of films from the golden (his) era fulfilled a lifelong ambition by flying to Los Angeles in early summer. Lance had been corresponding with his screen idol Rhonda Fleming for a number of years. Trivia quizzes with Lance in the chair at The Sportsman always included statutory Rhonda Fleming and Darlington questions. This lovely lady, now into her 80s, invited him to dinner at her Hollywood home and arranged a tour for him. Lance was bowled over by this; a star he could call a friend. She also called him at the hospice where he spent his final weeks, as did David Hodgson for a chat about football. This meant a lot to him, as did the many cards and letters from friends.

His funeral was attended by his many friends, including Darlington fans travelling long distances.