Chorley 1-2 Darlington, Saturday 24th January 2026

Chorley 1-2 Darlington, National League North, Victory Park, att. 1402 (202 away)

I’ve a rare free Satdy and Kev gives me an offer I can’t refuse: Darlo are away at Chorley. I’m not sure how I’ve missed this. Too busy looking at (even) lower league fixtures. I’d been putting off Chorley, waiting...hoping...for Darlo to play them midweek some season (given the pair seem to be entwined in National League North for the foreseeable.) Also, being a Satdy, the chance of going by rail and enjoying more than a beer. Let’s go!

We’re on the same train into Manchester Piccadilly, though it’s rammed and we meet on the platform. A change of platform, a game of Wetherspoons Top Trumps, a beer on the train and we’re in Chorley before…well, before I had time to win the game of Top Trumps. I was winning as well.

We are met with a bold statement across the way from Chorley railway station: ‘Chorley, the best of Lancashire all in one place.’ Wow. Go big or go home. Now I’ve been to Chorley, I need not bother myself with the rest of the county.

We have a beer in the first hostelry we find (not great) but further down the street is the Shepherds’ Hall, a grand place with plenty of choice. Then it’s off to the ground, and it’s a simple, if boring walk, alongside the dual carriageway. Kev’s got the (digital) tickets in, in advance. 15 quid for EFL season-ticket holders (that’s me!) whereas he, a mere ST holder of a National League North side (spoiler: Chorley’s visitors Darlington) has to pay full price, whatever that is. Needless to say nobody checks my EFL credentials at the turnstile.

The ground today is segregated. I presume Darlo’s reputation precedes them. (They once knocked down a fence at Spennymoor.) But it’s fine, we’re all together and not split around Victory Park. (The folks of Chorley are confident types, aren’t they?) There’s a tall terrace behind the goal, albeit a quarter the length of the byeline. There’s grass banking either side. Was this once terrace too? Dunno, but it’s fenced off behind cheerless mesh. Still, the stand has an old-school pitched roof and is dark and cosy. So Kev’s family (cousin, nephew, great-nephew, Kev) decide to stand at the perimeter fence, near the goal, in the cold. No amount of hint-dropping will dissuade them. Supporting Darlington is MEANT to be an endurance, right? Or perhaps they don’t want to be near the Darlo yoof with their infernal drum?

The touchline to our right also has some grass banking and an odd, small stand perched above it on the halfway line, the Dave Prescott Stand. I think this doubles as Chorley’s ‘exec area’ and it must afford some grand views. Opposite is a sizeable main stand, an old pitch roofed all-seater that straddles the halfway line, while behind the goal the terrace at this end stretches the entire width, as does the roof. Nothing here looks like it was built after 1960 and it’s all the better for it.

Being cold, we’ve procured another beer from the refreshment hatch (took ages) and a pie each. I had the last meat and potato in town (till the new batch arrived) while Kev went for local delicacy ‘butter pie’. This does not do what it says on the menu, more of a creamy mashed potato. Not for me, tho Kev lives a semi-vegan life anyway, so it’s no skin off his nose.

We’re further perked up by the score. Darlo go ahead on 23 as the winger beats the offside trap and knocks it across goal for Cedric Main to apply a simple finish. This is Darlo’s bogey ground, I’m told, and it’s true: 2 draws and 5 defeats in 7, including an 8-0 tonking a couple of seasons back that Kev was lucky to be away on holiday for. Eight nil. Against Chorley.

Normal service is resumed after the half hour mark as a scramble ends with the ball hooked into Darlo’s net, and Chorley enjoy their best spell. Cuz moans as the ref indicates 3 minutes of added-on time, but he’s not moaning after 4 minutes of it, as Will McGowan scores an improbable second for the Quakers, curling the ball in first time from 25 yards. Improbable, cos we were right behind it and it was going over all the way till it suddenly dropped over the keeper. Stick it up yer, Chorley. Have some ‘best of County Durham’!

The second half is a bit of a no-show, to be frank. I miss the one bit of action, a Chorley player being sent off, as I’ve wandered towards the corner flag to take some photos and to confirm that the goalposts at this end were LEANING BACKWARDS. ‘Nobody even appealed it’ says a mystified Kev, as in, appealed for the sending-off. It’s not comfortable, but Darlo see it out and cement their place in 6th, a play-off place. And as la famille bid us farewell, we hook up with a couple of Darlo and hit a fantastic pub near the station, the Malt ‘n’ Hops. Busy, great beer choice, and sarnies and pies. It pays sometimes to go the wrong side of the tracks and we’ve found it: Chorley, the best of Lancashire all in one place.

The Damage
£15 ent
= £15

beer and pie on Kev!

Darlington 0-3 Chorley, Saturday 7th January 2023

Darlington 0-3 Chorley, National League North, Blackwell Meadows, att. 1,727

I’m meeting up with a mate, Kev, today, so I thought I’d treat myself. Not for me the drive to Darlo, and restriction of ale; I’m going to catch the bus, get there early and have a few ales. Well, that was the plan. Sadly, This is England, 2023. The 12:08 ‘service’ fails to arrive. The 12:28, ditto. The electronic information board gives the barest of information – the time of the buses. Indeed, periodically, it tells us to ‘refer to the timetable’. (Thus, all the electronic board does is repeat the information already available on the bus stand.) The only information it gives is when the bus is due. When the due time duly arrives, the time disappears. There is no information as to what has happened to these services, whether they’re late, whether they even set off at all (from Durham City). I am appalled, but at least I can walk the 15 minutes home and take the car. The octogenarian lady who’s been waiting at the bus stop since I got there doesn’t have that option, nor do thousands of other people in the region who’re reliant on public transport.

The 12:48 DOES run. I know this, cos I saw it from the car as I passed through town. I still needed to visit the garage for air (I’ve got a slow puncture). One looks forward all week to footie on a Satdy and then there’s this. At least I have a smooth run to Darlo, picking Kev up and parking nearer to the ground than normal, since we’re still relatively early. I know we’re early – we get beers in the social club without having to wait 20 minutes in a queue. Alcohol isn’t allowed outside though (quickly negating the advantage of non-lge football – I’d considered going to South Shields today, a far better matchday experience, but, y’know, mates are important.)

With visitors Chorley not being of sufficient rivalry, we could stand where we liked today. The ‘away’ end, a grass bank 20 yards from the touchline, or the Tin Shed, behind the opposite goal? Well, with Darlo kicking towards the Tin Shed 1st half, we headed there. Cosy and covered, we found a spot near to a bloke Kev knows. (Surely ALL Darlo fans know each other?) And for 20 minutes it was one-way traffic, as it looked a matter of time before the home side opened the scoring. Even the ref could see it. Otherwise why else would he only book the goalkeeper for deliberately handling the ball outside the area as the centre forward was about to round him for an open goal? Without knowing it at the time, this took the wind out of the Quakers’ sails.

Half-time came round, scoreless. A flick through the programme offered the nugget that Darlo were the last visitors to Hull City’s Boothferry Park (winning 1-0). What a difference the two clubs’ fortunes have been since; Hull, Premiership and 2 goals up in the FA Cup Final v Arsenal….Darlo, administration, tumbling out of the league, FA Trophy win, bankrupt…though a renaissance of sorts, having scrambled their way up to the 6th tier from the 9th level Northern League. This season’s resurgence (top of National League North, though Kings Lynn have games in hand) has come as a pleasant surprise. So perhaps today’s proverbial kick in the nads was strangely comforting. The second half reverted to type, Darlo fell apart and couldn’t get out of their own half. Still, Kev and I hadn’t moved, so at least all the action was this end…Chorley romping home 0-3 and much of the crowd having left long before the end. Still, no national headlines this week, which represents progress of sorts. Last week’s game at Scarborough was held up for 40 minutes as the ref took the teams off due to misogynistic abuse of the lineswoman. And at least I was home in good time. None of that reliance on local public transport.

The Damage:
£15 ent
£3 programme= £18*

*Kev got the beers in, which was nice. Staropramen.

The Tunes:
Vulture Prince (Arooj Aftab)