During lockdown, we've been serialising Paul Hodgson's book -- When Push comes to Shove.

Today, we look back at November 1999, when we played at Gillingham in the FA Cup.

)ur opponents for the first home match in November were Leyton Orient. As per usual, I met Mike, Ian and Simon (as well as Trevor Rutter from Sheffield) in the Dalesman.

We chatted about the season thus far, particularly about the team’s lack of goals when Marco Gabbiadini wasn’t playing. Ian said that Jesper Hjorth should be given a chance, however, from what I’d heard he hadn’t played many games recently and wasn’t fit. He’d been playing in the reserves and by all accounts was looking good. We all agreed the Craig Russell/Lee Nogan partnership would never score enough goals to achieve promotion, therefore something needed to be done. Hopefully, Hjorth would be the answer. Only time would tell.

After a couple of pints, the five of us headed for Strikers Bar. On this occasion, we managed to get in and each had a couple of pints of lager.             

Eventually we left with Simon taking me into the pitch-side disabled area, with the rest of the lads taking their usual seats.

At half time, Trevor chatted to Simon and me in Strikers. He told us that according to the man sat next to him in the East Stand, in the previous home game against Southport, their players clenched their fists when they saw that Keith Finch was going to take over from Mark Samways in goal at half time. But when Finch took to the field the Darlo players all shook his hand and patted him on the back to boost his confidence, which was an interesting piece of psychology. It worked, as mentioned in the last chapter, Finch had a blinder and Darlo won the match.

Anyway, back to Leyton Orient. Darlo won 3-1, with goals courtesy of Gabbiadini (2) and Neil Heaney in what was an excellent team performance. Gabbiadini was particularly outstanding.

After the match, Simon took me to Strikers to meet Mike before heading home with Ian.

Earl Gray, Roger Martin and Richard Jones were also there. They all seemed happy enough with the performance,   However, it was really cold in the bar, making it impossible to enjoy our drinks.

After no longer being able to stand the cold, Mike and I headed for the Dalesman where we were met by John and Richard at around eleven o’clock.

We stayed until one in the morning chatting about our forthcoming trip to Barnet. John said that he was on the six-thirty train to London. I said that he’d be drunk by the time Mike and I got to Kings Cross!

For the following match at Barnet I went on the train with Mike.

We caught the half past seven service to Kings Cross, having already bought the Apex tickets in advance. Once we had left Darlington. I accidentally knocked the panic alarm in the disabled toilet! The guard had to open the door with a key but was very understanding when I pointed out that it was just an accident.

Apart from the toilet incident, we had an uneventful journey and on our arrival, went straight to Coopers Bar in King’s Cross station. However, because it was only a quarter to ten we couldn’t be served with any alcohol so we each had a coke.

Mark Trenholme from Huntingdon was the first person to arrive, closely followed by John Wilson and Stephen Lowson. After finishing our cokes, we caught the tube to Euston from Kings Cross tube station.

John Wilson held the wheelchair whilst Mike grasped the footplates as I was manoeuvred down an escalator and then down two flights of steps to the platform. We travelled for only one stop then got off and boarded another train.

 One remark regarding the tube system in London. Almost all of the stations are very inaccessible for wheelchairs. The Metro system in Newcastle is much better. It has lifts to all the platforms, which makes life much easier for a disabled person. I appreciate that the London Underground is much older than the Metro system, but I do feel that more could be done to make it more disabled friendly. End of whinge!

Helen Coverdale, Darlo’s Commercial Manager, was on the second tube that we caught. Mike sat next to her whilst the three of us chatted. She informed us that first choice keeper Andy Collett was going to be out for the rest of the season, which would be a huge blow, particularly as I thought that his understudy Mark Samways wasn’t up to the job.

We got off the tube at High Barnet, leaving Helen Coverdale to make her way to the ground.

Our first port of call was a pub called the Firkin, where we all ordered some food.

Earl Gray, Richard Jones and Andy Munro joined us at half past one. By this time, the pub was packed with Darlo fans. We couldn’t hear what we were saying to each other due to the noise that everyone was making.

Eventually, we all moved on to the Crown and Anchor where we were served with bottles of warm Bud. This was pretty much an old man’s pub. You half-expected it to have a spittoon and sawdust strewn on the floor!

On leaving the pub, after walking about half a mile we came across the remains of a burnt-out car. The surreal thing was that someone had decorated the bonnet with conkers like some pagan ritual! I just found the whole thing bizarre.

On arrival at Underhill, Mike wheeled me round the ground, as we searched for the entrance. I had no sense of direction and no memory of where I had been the season before. We didn’t take our places to watch the game until five past three.

I wished we hadn’t bothered as we sat in the freezing cold. To make matters worse it started to rain. Finally, my view of the game was poor due to it being obstructed by a railing.

Just like the match in Chapter Two of this book, Lee Harrison, the Barnet keeper, had a blinder. Again, we had a hatful of opportunities. To crown it, Craig Russell missed them all. He was clean through on three occasions and didn’t get one shot on target. This made up my mind about him, he just wasn’t good enough. 

After Russell had missed his third chance, I decided to repeat my actions from the previous trip to Underhill and leaving Mike behind I pushed myself towards the dugout where I was confronted by a steward. I managed to get past him by saying that David Hodgson was my cousin. (I later found out that we are distantly related.)

On reaching the dugout, I told Hodgy that he should get Russell off, as he couldn’t hit a barn door. Hodgy responded by saying that sometimes a striker just has an off day and that Russell would be staying on.

Seeing no reason to continue the discussion, I headed back to my place, happy in the knowledge that I had got my point across.

 Maybe the confusion over the fluorescent yellow ball didn’t help. What happened was that the referee asked for an ordinary white ball after only ten minutes of the game getting underway because of the sunny conditions. However, at half time the yellow ball made an inauspicious return.

As full time approached Mike pushed me towards the Supporters’ Club at the other end of the ground. We got in just as the final whistle blew. We’d lost 1-0 and now were fifth in the league.

Lee Nogan was in the bar, talking to his old buddy Ken Charlerey. They played together at Oxford and obviously got on well together.

When I wanted to go to the gents, Mike had to borrow John Wilson’s cigarette lighter in order that I could see what I was doing because the light was broken!

After we had left the bar, for some reason John Wilson and Mike got separated from Stephen, Mark and me. They went to the Queens’s Arms and then the Weaver. When they returned to the Queen’s Arms we were there waiting for them. Some of the Barnet lads that we got talking to wanted to stay at my house for the return match at Feethams in March. This never came to fruition.

We got the underground train back at a quarter past seven. I was bursting for the toilet after drinking so much and I was forced to use my bottle on the platform! Stephen emptied it on the track – “Don’t electrocute yourself mate”.

When we got back to Kings Cross we went to Coopers Bar again. We drank a couple of bottles of Bud and then Mike went to get us each a burger from Burger King. By the time he got served, the train was about to leave. Stephen and Mark put me on board. Mike followed, only just making it.

During the journey, the man sitting opposite us informed us that he wanted to leave the train at Doncaster. He then promptly fell asleep, so Mike considerately woke him up and eventually persuaded him to get off when the train arrived at his stop. I was tempted to leave him.

Earl Gray, Andy Munro and Richard Jones were also on the train, further towards the front. They were all rather the worse for wear through drink.

Richard told us that a steward at the match had confiscated one of the Darlo supporter’s air horns. Not to be outdone, ten of them formed themselves into a human air horn ensemble for the rest of the match! After this it was hardly surprising that the steward refused to return the confiscated item!

 John told Mike that H’angus, the Hartlepool mascot, had been spotted on the train. He said that the head of the monkey would make a good trophy!

On arrival in Darlington, after we got off the train, we saw Richard staggering off towards the station taxi rank with a carrier bag. He could hardly walk! I think a good time was had by all, apart from the result, that is.

After our trip to London, our next opponents were Torquay United at home.

For a change, I met Mike, Simon and Ian in The Hole in The Wall in Darlington town centre. 

Our main topic of conversation was the fact the forth- coming FA Cup tie at Gillingham was a one o’clock kick-off. I had arranged to meet Brian Elsey from Sheffield  at Kings Cross for this match. Luckily, he had informed me via email about the kick-off change before I’d booked my train tickets. Mike, Ian and Simon weren’t going, hence the reason for asking for Brian’s help.

Eventually, after a few pints the four of us made our way to Strikers Bar. Brian was in there and he confirmed that he’d be at Kings Cross the following week to meet me.

Simon went with me into the pitch-side disabled area and we witnessed quite a good match.

 After Marco Gabbiadini had managed to squeeze a shot past the portly frame of Neville Southall after only ten minutes we should have wrapped it up by half time. However, the Welshman made two superb saves to keep his team in the match.

The second half was a different story. Torquay resorted to a more physical approach, and their aggressive style of play was rewarded with an equaliser. Despite only managing a draw, we remained fifth in the table.

After the match Mike and I made out way into town and ended up in the Nags’ Head where I got chatting to two members of the National Front who were wearing suits. They were the acceptable face of the party and they took a shine to me, hoping that I might embrace their beliefs and become a token disabled candidate. I just wasn’t interested in what they had to say, and eventually said so. They still gave me a leaflet which I threw down the toilet when I went there next. 

Darlo’s next match was away at Gillingham in the FA Cup Second Round.

I went on my own on the seven thirty train to Kings Cross. 

Brian and I made our way to Gillingham by train. We were met there by John Wilson and Mark Trenholme.

The four of us made our way to The Will Adams for a quick drink before heading for the ground.

On arrival, despite the fact that I’d rang the club the day before, we were told that there wasn’t any room for wheelchairs. Brian demanded to see the head steward. By now there were three people in wheelchairs waiting to gain admittance to the ground. All three of us had booked our spaces. By now it was a quarter past one and we were still waiting for the head steward to make an appearance. When he did arrive he said that some seats had been taken out of the front of the stand and that we could get into the game. He asked us for £10 each, which he put into his pocket. To be honest, I was disgusted by their attitude. Brian told the steward what he thought of him in no uncertain terms!

We eventually got into the ground at twenty five past one.

Darlo were awful and were 2-0 down at half time. We were missing the suspended Marco Gabbiadini. Interestingly, Jesper Hjorth was on the bench.

Gillingham added a third just after the break, with the dangerous Bob Taylor getting his second goal of the day.

We managed a consolation through Peter Duffield. After the disappointing Lee Nogan was brought off and replaced by Jesper Hjorth midway through the second half, things livened up and we created a number of chances. However, 3-1 remained the final score and we were out of the FA Cup.

After the match Brian, John, Mark and I returned to The Will Adams for a few drinks.

At five o’clock we caught the train back to London in order for me to catch the seven o’clock home.

We arrived at Kings Cross in plenty of time for me to catch my train. We even had enough time to have a quick pint in Coopers Bar.

Fortunately, I wasn’t bothered by any weirdoes on my journey home and bought a couple of cans which I drank whilst reading my programme.

I was met at Darlington train station by Mike. Once he got me off the train we headed to the Dalesman for a quick pint.

Again due to work commitments I couldn’t attend Darlo’s next match at Swansea City.

The ever loyal Earl Gray did go and he said that the 0-0 draw was a fair result. John added that both teams finished the game with ten men. Darlo’s Steve Tutill and Swansea’s Walter Boyd were dismissed in the final ten minutes of the game.

Unlike the previous season, John remembered my programme which saved me from having to order one from the club direct. 

Our last match of the month was against Southend United away.

Again I travelled on my own to London by train, arranging to meet Stephen Lowson at Kings Cross.

I was relieved to see that on this occasion there were no weirdos sitting next to me! I therefore sat and read my newspapers in what was otherwise an unremarkable  journey.

On arrival in London, Stephen met me on the platform, as arranged. We headed to Coopers Bar where we were later joined by John Wilson and Mark Trenholme. After a couple of drinks we made our way to Southend by train, via Liverpool Street station.

Once we arrived in Southend we went along the Esplanade., visiting the Britannia where we had our lunch. It was a pity that it was November as the pub had a nice beer garden. Sensibly, we decided to give it a miss.

After lunch, we headed for Smithys, where we had a couple more pints before phoning for a cab to the ground.

Once we got there, the four of us managed to get into the away end, where we witnessed a good team performance by Darlo.

After only nine minutes we took the lead. Brian Atkinson sent Marco Gabbiadini racing clear with a thirty-yard pass which the striker instantly killed with his first touch, then beat a defender and fired past former Darlington keeper Mark Prudhoe. In fact he was not the only former Quaker on show that day, as Darlo flop Martin Carruthers played for the Shrimpers.

Neil Heaney had a free role, popping up on either wing. On thirty-five minutes he made it 2-0 with a vicious dipping volley from twenty-five yards out.

Ten minutes into the second half Southend were awarded a dubious penalty which Neil Tolson converted. Then, ten minutes from the end, Gabbiadini was sent off for his second bookable offence. The 2-1 victory was our first away win since August, the only down side being the dismissal of Gabbiadini.

After the game, we headed straight back to the train station as I was booked on the seven-thirty service from Kings Cross.

We arrived at about ten to seven and had a quick pint in Coopers Bar before Stephen and Mark put me on board the train.

During the journey, I bought myself a few cans of lager and drank them whilst reading my match programme. Just like the outwards journey, the return was uneventful.

I arrived at Darlington around ten o’clock and was met by Mike on the platform. We went for a few drinks in the Dalesman before I headed home in a cab.

Mike wished that he had come with after I told him how well we had played. Served himself right, I thought!