Petty and vindictive sums them up very nicely. Even if we did get wonderful new owners with the money and the will to rebuild the club, the team, infrastructure and the ground, I wouldn't put it past them to have the whole place burnt to the ground. They really are very poor men.
Capacity 16,000 bollox. 1963 day after Boxing Day 41,000 against Millwall. I was there. (Think it was 63)
The record was 55,000 against Man United, but by the time it closed, the capacity had been limited to 16,000. In fact, I think it was less than that.
14,200 ! Last game v Darlington was 14,162 was a sell out barring a handful of seats in the Darlo section
As above 1965.... The following day, we lost 3-0 at The Den. Incredible to think that BP was earmarked as a venue for the 1966 World Cup. Sid James Park couldn't get a safety licence from the local council, so they used Roker Park, but decided to use Ayresome park over BP. BP was on the reserve list. Trivia..How many of the stadiums used for the 1966 WC are no longer standing?
Ayresome Park and White City defo gone. Wembley if you’re gonna argue that the rebuild was a total demolition and start again.
I wonder how many were really there for 'That Scarborough Game'? Official attendance quotes were way off, because Police and officials allowed fans to stand anywhere they liked.
Have been reading The Decade and it underlines my regret for not having been able to wonder around Boothferry Park if not watch a match there, sounds a magical place and a ridiculous classification in this article. And yes, at least according to that book, official capacity was 13,000 when it closed, and the crowd against Darlington was announced as such, but there was 14,000+ there.
The Darlington stadium was the venue of the first football match I attended in my early 20's back in the 60's. My previous husband came from Darlington and his dad was a committed fan. My current husband went with his dad and grandad to the first match played at Boothferry Park in 1946 a day before his 8th birthday. We booked to come over and attend the final Hull City v Darlington match at BP but last minute illness intervened.
The club lost its way after Harold Needler died in the mid 70s His dutiful son had no proactive enthusiasm for the club or indeed football. Twenty or so years on a life support machine that Needler junior kept switched on but would not contemplate selling. Here we are in the next century with another minted dad and lad keeping hogging their private toy and not doing owt with it.
I did the works part of my training for BR at Darlington North Road Works from 1957 to 1962 so whenever possible I went to Feethams football ground to see the Quakers.
For the 1966 World Cup they used Old Trafford Hillsborough Villa Park Goodison Park Ayresome Park (Gone) Roker Park (Gone) White City (Gone) Wembley (gone) but like the phoenix it rose again.
I literally cannot believe I forgot Roker Park as I stood there and watched them knock the ****er down!
I started going in 1963-64 season and I loved it. That was even before they cut down bunkers and built the south stand.
All these claims of being there since I was eight years old and now I'm ninety four and I still go. There's no special prize for you. No No1 fan trophy. There are just wonderful memories.
