Darlington Football Club, an English association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, was founded in 1883. They entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1885–86,^[1] were founder members of the Northern League in 1889,^[2] turned professional in 1908 and joined the North Eastern League,^[1] which they won in 1913 and 1921.^[2] The latter win preceded election to the Football League as members of its newly formed Third Division North.^[1] Runners-up in their first season, Darlington were Northern Section champions three years later, thus winning promotion to the Second Division. Their 15th-place finish in 1926 remains their best League performance, and they were relegated back to the Third Division the following year. After 68 years of continuous membership, they were relegated from the Football League in 1988–89. Having made an immediate return as Conference champions, they remained in the League until 2010, when they again dropped into the Conference.^[2] After Darlington failed to exit administration in a manner acceptable to the Football Association, that body treated it as a new club, required it to change its name (to Darlington 1883), and placed its team in the Northern League, the ninth tier of English football, for the 2012–13 season.^[3] Five years later, the FA approved the club's request to resume its traditional name.^[4]

The club's first team have competed in numerous nationally organised competitions, and all players who have played in 100 or more such matches, either as a member of the starting eleven or as a substitute, are listed below. Each player's details include the duration of his Darlington career, his typical playing position while with the club, and the number of games played and goals scored in domestic league matches and in all senior competitive matches. Where applicable, the list also includes the national team for which the player was selected, and the number of senior international caps he won.

Introduction

Of the more than 150 men who made 100 or more appearances in nationally organised league competition for Darlington, Alan Walsh and Jerry Best are first and second in the club's all-time scorers list. Davie Brown scored a club record 39 league goals in a single season, from 40 matches in 1924–25 as Darlington were promoted to the Second Division for the only time in their history.^[5][6] Frank Gray, Ken Hale and Billy Horner went on to manage the club, while Craig Liddle and Neil Maddison had several spells as caretaker manager.^[7]

Other players took part in significant matches in the history of the club. On the opening day of the 1921–22 season, Tommy Winship crossed for Bill Hooper to score Darlington's first Football League goal, against Halifax Town; the goal came so quickly that the Northern Echo reported how Hooper could "in all probability, lay claim to the honour of being the first player to score a goal in the Northern Section of the Third Division".^[6] Hughie Dickson scored the second with a penalty kick to make the score 2–0,^[8] and George Malcolm, the club's first Football League captain, and Tommy Greaves also played in the match.^[6][9] Dan Cassidy scored the last-seconds winner to defeat Stockport County in the inaugural Northern Section Cup final in 1934.^[10] Dave Carr and Keith Morton scored two of the goals that earned Darlington a draw with Chelsea, League champions only three seasons earlier, in the fourth round of the 1958–59 FA Cup, and Carr scored again as Darlington won the replay 4–1 to progress to the last 16 of the competition for only the second time in their history.^[11] Ray Yeoman captained the team to promotion from the Fourth Division in 1965–66,^[12] and Ian Miller was captain and Paul Arnison, Liam Hatch and Sam Russell also played as Darlington won the 2011 FA Trophy Final.^[13]

Ten men listed here – goalkeeper Mark Prudhoe, defenders Ron Greener, Liddle, Kevan Smith and John Peverell, midfielders Andy Toman, Alan Sproates and David McLean, and forwards Walsh and Colin Sinclair – were voted by supporters into a "Dream Team" as part of the 2003 Farewell to Feethams celebrations, when the club left its long-time home. The eleventh man, Marco Gabbiadini, played only 98 times for Darlington. Ron Ferguson's goal that eliminated Sheffield Wednesday from the 1976–77 FA Cup was chosen best goal ever scored at the ground.^[14]

Key

• The list is ordered first by number of appearances in total, then by number of League appearances, and then if necessary by date of debut.
• Appearances as a substitute are included.
• Statistics are correct up to 3 July 2023. Where a player left the club permanently after this date, his statistics are updated to his date of leaving.

Player

Players marked * were registered for the club as at the date specified above.

Players with name in italics and marked † were on loan from another club for the duration of their Darlington career. The loaning club is noted in the Notes column, and sourced to Neil Brown's Player Database,^[15] to the English National Football Archive, or individually.

Position

Playing positions are listed according to the tactical formations that were employed at the time. Thus the change in the names of defensive and midfield positions reflects the tactical evolution that occurred from the 1960s onwards.^[16][15]

Club career

Club career is defined as the first and last calendar years in which the player appeared for the club in any of the competitions listed below.

League appearances and League goals

League appearances and goals comprise those in the Football League (1921–1989 and 1990–2010), the Football Conference (1989–1990 and 2010–2012) and the National League (2016–present). Appearances in the 1939–40 Football League season, abandoned after three matches because of the Second World War, are excluded.^{[G 1]}

Total appearances and Total goals

Total appearances and goals comprise those in the Football League (including play-offs), Football Conference, National League, FA Cup, Football League Third Division North Cup, Football League Cup, Associate Members' Cup/Football League Trophy, FA Trophy and Conference League Cup. Matches in wartime competitions are excluded.^{[G 1]}

International selection

Countries are listed only for players who have been selected for international football. Only the highest level of international competition is given, except where a player competed for more than one country, in which case the highest level reached for each country is shown.

Players with 100 or more appearances

Craig Liddle made more than 300 appearances for Darlington, and was caretaker manager during their last season under the Darlington F.C. name.^[3][17]

Mark Prudhoe won the 1989–90 Football Conference and 1990–91 Fourth Division titles with Darlington.^[18]

Sean Gregan returned to Darlington as player-coach in 2012, 16 years after leaving for Preston North End.^[19]

After Andy Collett's playing career ended through injury, he stayed on with Darlington as goalkeeping coach.^[20]

Mark Convery was man of the match in Darlington's last match in the Football League, against Dagenham & Redbridge on 8 May 2010.^[21]

After Darlington's 2010 relegation to the Conference, Sam Russell returned for a third spell with the club.^[22] He was in goal, as Darlington won the 2011 FA Trophy Final.^[13]

Ian Miller captained Darlington's 2011 FA Trophy-winning team.^[13]

Table of players, including playing position, club statistics and international selection

Player	Pos	Club career	League		Total		International selection	Refs
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Ron Greener	DF	1955–1967	439	5	490	6	—
John Peverell	DF	1961–1972	419	13	465	14	—
Brian Henderson	FB	1952–1964	423	3	463	3	—
Kevan Smith	DF	1979–1985 1989–1993	382	19	440	22	—
Hughie Dickson	HB / FB	1919–1934	402	37	440	46	—
Billy Dunn	GK	1945–1956	340	0	359	0	—
Ken Furphy	HB	1953–1962	316	6	349	8	—
Clive Nattress	DF	1972–1980 1985	303	15	346	15	—
Alan Sproates	MF	1965–1974	315	17	343	19	—	[23][lower-alpha 1]
David McLean	MF	1979–1986	294	46	337	52	English schools	[24]
Craig Liddle	DF	1998–2005	285	17	322	21	—	[L 1]
Neil Wainwright	MF	2000 2001–2008 2012	264	28	292	30	—	[L 2]
Alan Walsh	FW	1978–1984	251	87	279	100	—
Bill Rutherford	HB	1952–1959	251	3	269	4	—
Tony Moor	GK	1965–1972	239	0	268	0	—
Jimmy Cochrane	DF	1975–1980	223	5	257	6	—
Jimmy Waugh	HB	1927–1933	236	10	252	11	—
Steven Gaughan	MF	1992–1996 1997–1999	218	18	252	19	—
Joe Davison	FB	1947–1954	240	7	249	8	—
Glenn Naylor	FW	1995 1996–2003	213	47	248	54	—	[L 3]
Tommy Greaves	FB	1921–1927	227	1	245	1	—
Phil Brumwell	MF	1995–2000 2000–2002	199	1	238	4	—
Billy Horner	DF	1969–1975	218	5	236	5	—
Lance Robson	FW	1960–1964 1968–1970	213	66	235	72	—	[25][lower-alpha 1]
Ryan Valentine	FB	2002–2006 2008–2009	210	4	227	4	Wales U21	[26]
Brian Atkinson	MF	1996–2002	193	12	224	15	England U21	[27]
Colin Sinclair	FW	1971–1976	203	59	223	65	Scotland youth	[28]
Derek Craig	DF	1975–1980	187	10	214	16	—
Andy Crosby	DF	1993–1998	181	3	211	4	—
Mark Prudhoe	GK	1989–1993	180	0	209	0	—
Les O'Neill	MF	1965–1970	180	35	201	43	—
Simon Shaw	DF	1992–1998	176	12	199	14	England semi-pro	[29]
Sam Russell	GK	2002 2004–2007 2010–2012	173	0	196	0	—	[L 1]
Dick Strang	HB	1933–1938	171	2	196	3	—
Garry MacDonald	FW	1984–1989	162	35	196	47	—
Clark Keltie	MF	2002–2008 2012	176	9	194	11	—
Keith Morton	FW	1955–1961	171	49	194	55	—
George Malcolm	HB	1919–1925	166	7	189	7	—
Ken Hale	FW	1968–1972	173	25	188	28	—
Joe Rayment	MF	1959–1965	173	31	187	35	—
Matt Clarke	DF	2002–2006 2006	171	13	186	13	—	[L 4]
John Eves	FB	1946–1952	176	1	184	1	—
Adam Reed	DF	1991–1995 1997 1998–2002	160	3	184	3	—	[L 5]
Andy Toman	MF	1989–1993	155	17	183	22	—
Joe Hodgson	HB	1934–1939	160	2	181	2	—
Michael Oliver	MF	1996–2000	151	14	179	15	—
Dan Cassidy	HB / FW	1927–1937	165	15	178	19	—
Brian Keeble	DF	1965–1969	154	2	176	2	—
Martin Joyce	FB	1921–1927	166	0	175	0	—
Gary Morgan	DF	1985–1989	146	3	175	3	—
Norman Parsley	HB	1945–1952	161	14	174	14	—
Mark Hine	MF	1986–1990	149	14	174	17	England semi-pro	[30]
Stephen Thompson	MF / FW	2013–2020	149	34	174	41	—
Tommy Varty	FW	1945–1950	162	32	173	33	—	[31][lower-alpha 1]
Joe Jacques	HB	1965–1969	154	5	173	6	—
Gary Himsworth	MF	1993–1996 1999–2000	142	9	171	11	—
Tommy Winship	FW	1919–1926	146	17	170	21	—
Mark Barnard	DF	1995–1999	143	4	170	5	—
Tom Alderson	FW	1933–1936 1938–1939	151	46	169	60	—
Tom Kelly	HB / FB	1938–1951	157	3	169	3	—
Ian Miller	MF	2007 2007–2011	149	9	168	10	—	[L 6]
Fred Hopkinson	HB	1928–1933	158	10	167	10	—
Jim Milner	FW	1957–1961	149	27	167	28	—
Roy Brown	FB	1947–1956	158	20	164	22	—
Fred Barber	GK	1983–1986	135	0	163	0	—
Sean Gregan	DF	1991–1996	136	4	162	5	—
Geoff Barker	DF	1971–1975	151	6	161	6	—
Terry Galbraith	DF / MF	2013–2020	135	15	159	17	—
Bill Hooper	FW	1920–1926	141	60	157	64	—
Trevor Atkinson	HB	1963–1968	139	3	156	3	—
Billy Robinson	HB	1922–1927	143	0	155	0	—
Jimmy Lawton	FW	1961–1965 1968–1969	142	63	155	71	—
Brian Albeson	DF	1967–1971	136	2	154	2	England youth	[32]
Jimmy Willis	DF	1988–1991	128	7	151	8	—
Phil Lloyd	DF	1984–1987	127	3	150	5	—
Barry Conlon	FW	2001–2004 2006	134	45	148	48	Republic of Ireland U21	[33]
Peter Carr	DF	1968–1972	135	1	147	1	—
Les McJannet	FB	1988–1992	125	6	147	11	—
David Crosson	DF	1976–1980	128	2	146	2	—
Herbert Brown	FB	1928–1932	139	7	145	7	—
Dave Carr	FW	1957–1962	132	50	145	57	—
George Stevens	FW	1920–1925	130	38	145	42	—
Andy Collett	GK	1999–2003	125	0	145	0	—
Alan Kamara	DF	1980–1983	134	1	144	1	—
Harry Clark	FW	1950–1957	141	27	143	27	—
Paul Ward	MF	1985–1988	124	9	143	11	—
Matty Appleby	DF	1993–1994 1994–1996 2005–2006	125	8	142	12	—	[L 7]
Steve Tupling	MF	1984–1987 1992	122	8	142	10	—
Eric Young	MF	1974–1978	130	15	141	15	England youth	[34]
Harry Bell	HB	1955–1959	126	19	141	23	—
Dennis Wann	MF	1976–1979	121	13	141	15	—
John Stone	DF	1976–1979	120	14	141	15	—
John Borthwick	FW	1989–1992	117	34	141	40	—
Alan Harding	MF	1970–1973	129	37	140	38	—
Allan Gauden	MF	1968–1972	127	39	140	43	—
Jimmy Seal	FW	1976–1979	122	19	140	22	—
Billy Coulthard	FB	1934–1937	119	0	137	0	—
Steve Mardenborough	MF	1990–1993	123	19	136	21	—
Robbie Painter	FW / MF	1993–1996	115	28	136	34	—
George McGeachie	MF	1964–1966	119	9	135	10	—
Alan Roberts	MF	1985–1988	119	19	135	19	—
Paul Heckingbottom	DF	1999–2002	115	5	135	6	—	[L 2]
Billy Eden	FW	1928–1929 1932–1935	119	31	134	36	—
Ian Clark	MF	2001–2005	119	26	134	27	—
Peter Graham	MF	1970–1973	119	44	131	45	—
Steve Holbrook	MF	1972–1977	116	12	131	13	English schools	[35]
Joe Wheatley	MF	2017–2022	112	2	131	3	England C	[36]
Peter Robinson	DF	1985–1988	112	5	130	7	England semi-pro	[37]
Neil Maddison	MF	2001–2006	115	4	129	4	—
John Stalker	FW	1979–1982	116	36	128	38	—
Tom Halliday	FB / HB	1929–1933	118	2	127	3	English schools	[38]
Ron Ferguson	FW	1976–1980	114	18	127	22	—
David Cork	FW	1989–1992	105	23	127	31	—
Tommy Ward	FW	1948–1953	119	32	125	34	—
Phil Owers	GK	1973–1975 1976–1980	114	0	125	0	—
Norman Lees	DF	1971–1976	120	5	124	5	—
Mark Hooper	FW	1924–1927	116	43	124	43	—
Jackie Maltby	FW	1961–1965	114	32	124	36	—
Jerry Best	FW	1933–1936	109	67	124	80	—
Jarrett Rivers *	FW	2019–present	102	8	124	14	—
Ernie Devlin	FB	1954–1957	115	1	122	1	—
Eddie Rowles	FW	1975–1977	103	21	122	25	—
Ben Hedley *	MF	2019–present	101	0	122	1	—
Don Burluraux	MF	1972–1975	112	13	120	13	—
Pat Cuff	GK	1980–1983	110	0	120	0	English schools	[39]
John Towers	FW / HB	1935–1946	107	22	120	27	—
Kevin Todd	FW	1983–1985	102	23	120	26	—	[L 7]
Bobby Baxter	FW / FB	1959–1961 1969–1970	106	31	119	33	—
Ray Yeoman	MF	1964–1967	104	2	118	2	—
Alan White	DF	2007–2009 2010 2013–2015	99	4	118	8	—	[L 8]
Richard Hodgson	MF	2000–2003	98	6	117	10	—
George Mulholland	DF	1960–1963	106	0	116	0	—
Lee Ellison	FW	1990–1994 1998–1999	100	20	115	23	—
Cliff Mason	FB	1952–1955	107	0	114	0	—
Barry Lyons	MF	1976–1979	97	10	114	12	—
Andy Greig	GK	1919–1924	95	0	114	0	—
Gordon Cattrell	MF	1973–1976	102	5	112	6	English schools	[40]
Martin Burleigh	GK	1974–1975 1977–1979	101	0	112	0	—
Darren Roberts	FW	1996–1999	96	33	112	38	—
Ian Hamilton	MF	1979–1982	103	19	110	19	—
Bobby Simpson	FW	1936–1947	96	14	110	15	—
Maurice Wellock	FW	1929–1932	104	71	109	74	English schools	[41]
Jimmy McKinnell	HB	1926–1929	101	1	109	1	—
Sandy Cochrane	FW	1926–1929	100	24	109	25	—
Mark Convery	MF	2001–2005 2009–2010	97	3	109	4	—
Peter Johnson	DF	1983–1985	89	2	108	2	—
Davie Brown	FW	1923–1926	97	74	107	77	—
Steve Foster	DF	2007–2010	92	2	107	3	—
Ray Spencer	HB	1958–1961	97	5	106	7	English schools	[42]
Andy Mitchell	FW	1929–1932	99	32	105	33	—
Dickie Davis	FW	1954–1957	93	32	105	35	English schools	[43]
David Preece	GK	1997–1999	91	0	104	0	—
Liam Hatch	FW	2008–2009 2010–2012 2014	85	22	104	29	England semi-pro	[L 9][44]
Dave Hawker	MF	1980–1982 1984	95	2	103	3	—
Frank Gray	DF	1989–1992	85	8	103	9	Scotland	[45]
Paul Arnison	DF	2009–2012	89	3	101	4	—
Paul Emson	MF	1988–1991	82	12	100	12	—

Players with fewer appearances

Notes

Player statistics include games played while on loan from:

References

Appearances and goals

Specific

Sources

• Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
• Tweddle, Frank (2000). The Definitive Darlington F.C. Nottingham: SoccerData. ISBN 978-1-899468-15-7.