Historical Football Kits

 

Darlington

Formed 1883

Founder member of Division Three (North) 1921. Relegated to the Conference 1989


Promoted to Division Four 1990. Relegated to the Blue Square Conference 2010.

Kit History

darlington fc 1888

1888 w

darlington 1889

1889 w

1890-1904

darlington fc 1907-08

1904-1908 y z

darlington 1910-11 quartered shirts

1910-1911 x

1912-1913 s y

1921-1936 a j A

darlington fc 1936-37

1936-1938 y z

1938-circa 1939 a

1947-1954 k v z

1954-1957 r

darlington 1957-58

1957-1958 v

1958-1959 b y

Appeared in previous season

1959-1964

darlington fc 1964-65

1964-1965 z

darlington fc 1965-66

1965-1966 v

1966-1969 a c

1971-1972 d

1972-1975 p

Umbro

1975-1976 p

Litesome

1976-1977 early p

Bukta

1976-1977 late p

buy darlington 1977 shirt
Bukta

1977-1979 e p

Le Coq Sportif

1979-1980 p

Le Coq Sportif

1980-1981 l p

1981-1982 f

Le Coq Sportif
darlington 1982-83 kit

1982-1984 t v

Hummel

1984-1987 e m n p v

Hobott

1987-1988 l m

Hobott

1988-1989 f m

Jack Hatfield

1989-1991 c g

Jack Hatfield

1991-1993 i m

Jack Hatfield

1993-1995 b m

ICIS

1995-1996 m

ICIS

1996-1997 b m u

On Time Sportswear

1997-1998 b u

Biemme

1998-1999 b m u

Xara

1999-2000 b m

Xara

2000-2002 b m

Xara

2002-2003 b m

Xara

2003-2004 b m

Xara

2004-2005 g m

Xara

2005-2006 h m

Xara

2006-2007 h m

Vandanel

2007-2008 q

Vandanel
darlington 2008-09 home kit

2008-2009 u

Errea
darlington 2009-10

2009-2010 q

Errea
darlington fc 2010-11

2010-2011 q

Errea
darlngton fc 2011-12 home kit

2011-2012 q

 

Background

darlington fc 1910-11 team photoIn July 1883 representatives of the various amateur clubs playing in the area met at the local grammar school and decided to form a single senior club to represent the town. Two years later Darlington entered the FA Cup for the first time only to be given an 8-0 hiding by Grimsby Town. In 1889, Darlington became founder members of the Northern league, which they won in 1896 and 1900.

Darlington turned professional in 1908 and joined the North Eastern League, winning the championship in 1913. The Great War almost brought the club to extinction but they were bailed out by a works side, Darlington Forge Albion, whose chairman, JB Haw, paid off their debts and financed the completion of a new grandstand at the club’s Feethams ground.

Having finished as North Eastern League runners-up in 1920 and champions in 1921, Darlington were offered a place in the new northern section of the Football League Third Division. In 1925 they won the championship and promotion to Division Two, only to be relegated two years later. They have yet to return to this level.

The club remained rooted in the lowest division and in 1958 they became founder members of the new Fourth Division. Their first promotion darlington fc crest 1976for 40 years finally came in 1966 when they finished as runners-up and were promoted. The following season, however, they finished in 22nd place and went straight back down. Between 1970 and 1980, “Darlo” had to apply for re-election no fewer than five times and they were lucky to retain their place in the League. During this period a simple monogramme was often worn on the shirts, as was fashionable at the time. This was embroidered in red although when the club switched to Bukta late in the 1976-77 season, it appeared in black just below the collar.

During the 1980s results on the pitch improved but Darlington were in a financial mess: at one stage supporters and local people raised £50,000 in just six weeks to stave off closure. Their efforts were rewarded with promotion in 1985 and this time they stayed up for two seasons.

darlington fc crest 1987In 1987 the club adopted a new crest, which became a permanent feature from then on. The design consisted of a shield, divided diagonally white over red (red having become the favoured accent colour since 1975) supported by oak leaves (symbolising strength). The motifs on the shield are a Quaker hat, representing the important role of the Religious Society of Friends in the development of the town, and George Stephenson's Locomotive No 1, which hauled the first steam train on the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825. This excellent design sums up the importance of the Quaker movement (from whom the club takes its official nickname) and the railways in the history of the town.

In 1989 Darlington finished bottom of the League and were relegated to the Conference. They were back after only one season, having won the Conference title and the following season they won the Fourth Division championship, only to be relegated yet again after a single season. Since then, Darlington have remained in the lowest tier, occasionally challenging for promotion.

Off the field, however, things became rather more lively after former safe-cracker “Gorgeous George” Reynolds became chairman in 1999. He paid off the club’s debts, rumoured to be around £5m and financed a new all-seated stadium, which the club moved into in 2003. The costs drove Darlington into administration in December 2003 and, after a bitter struggle, Reynolds finally relinquished control to the club’s main creditors, the Sterling Consortium in September 2004.

The new stadium proved to be a costly legacy and in February 2009 Darlington entered administration again, the ten point penalty incurred costing them a place in the League Two play-offs. Ownership passed to Raj Singh but at the end of the 2009-10 season, Darlington finished bottom of League Two and were relegated to the Conference for the second time. Their fortunes appeared to improve when they won the FA Trophy in 2011 but in January 2012, Singh placed the club into administration for the third time in a decade.

Sources