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!

Marine 0-2 Spennymoor Town, Saturday 6th December 2025

Marine 0-2 Spennymoor Town, National League North, The Marine Travel Arena, att. 1,126

What a stadium this is! I’ve seen nothing like it. Hemmed in (literally!) on all 4 sides, there’s no space to swing a cat in this place. Indeed, space is so tight, spectators aren’t even allowed down one side. There’s dugouts, then a wall that backs onto people’s gardens.

It’s not much better opposite, as there’s one step of terracing, then the wall backing onto gardens. Still, at least there’s a roof all down this touchline, and with a crowd of just over 1,100, the ground is nearly half full yet isn’t empty anywhere. I love this place!

The bulk of the capacity lies at either end, as tall structures lie behind paddocks. Just like the good old days. And there’s some kind of unofficial segregation going on too, as visitors Spenny dominate the far end, while the Mariners ensconce themselves at this end, where you enter the ground.

Mind, Kev’s done some spadework at the turnstiles. A sign says it’s £18 in. Kev swears it’s £16.50 online and duly does the business, spending 10 minutes to save three quid for the pair of us. What amazes me is how nobody else is doing it. And when we get to the turnstile, the operator takes one look at our QR code and asks if we’ve just bought them. How can he tell!?

Just as good, there’s a swanky social club on the corner, ‘1894 Bistro and Bar’, which is accessible from both inside, and outside, the ground. Thankfully, the kiosk behind the goal hasn’t got its crap lager taps going yet and we’re stuck behind a gate as the teams come out. As the gate re-opens and we’re allowed towards the corner flag, I spy a number of fans turning the corner to avoid the footie action. I know what these lads are up to, I think, and follow.

Sure enough, we’re in the ‘1894’ and wonder of wonders, they’ve got Erdinger in tap. The Klopp effect? Less wondrous, a small noise is identified as a visitors’ goal (it was, 0-1). I blame Kev for the 10 minute hold-up, but he’s even more annoyed. He hates Spenny. Then thee barman starts whooping. The big screen reports on Everton going ahead. Nobody else remarks.

Back out in the real world, we walk the touchline, trying to dodge fans and not spill our pints. After toying with a young steward that I’d dare climb the camera gantry for a better view (or, indeed, A view), we find daylight in line with the far penalty area. Hereon there be dragons, or Spennymoor fans. ‘Pride of County Durham’ (their words). ‘Spendymore’ (Kev’s). Bankrolled to their artificially high position, never let it not be said that they’re a lower league MK Dons, buying a club (Evenwood) and supplanting their position in the (Northern) League. Plus they play in black and white stripes (though not today).

Another bonus of the Marine Travel Arena is that you can balance your beer on the perimeter fence. And we do – till one of them pesky players nearly boots a ball at us. (He’s been hearing what Kev has to say about them.) These are two teams on the edge of the play-offs, but there’s only one team in it. Spenny nail a second with a goal from a narrow angle at the home end. Could the keeper have done better? Well, he couldn’t have done worse.

And that’s it for the scoring, though Ramshaw spurns the chance of a hattrick in the second half by not connecting properly. An easier chance than the one he scored. The second one he scored. I couldn’t comment on the first one.

By now we’re in the upper tier, behind the goal, with the Spenny fans. Kev has treated me to the milkiest of teas, and after spending a minute considering whether to complain, or be British, I elect for the former. I’d have hated myself otherwise. It wouldn’t be so bad, I only rea lly wanted it to warm my hands, and it couldn’t even do that. I return to the refreshment shed to see the shutter being closed, but I WILL HAVE MY WAY and politely (honest!) explain that this tea is undrinkable and I’d like a new one. She gives me a new one, with much less milk, yet still too much milk. These northerners, eh? (Me, not her.) I like my tea to taste of...tea. Strong, not much milk.

Pre-match, we are treated to a minute’s round of applause for the remarkable Roly Howard, former Marine manager, who died this week. He was the longest serving manager in English football (1972-2005) with 1,975 games under his belt. You’d think he’d have seen out another 25, but I suspect there was a very good reason for not doing so. R.I.P. Rory.

Oh, and we went to the seaside to see the Gormleys on Crosby Beach. Marvellous!

The Damage:
£16.50 ent
£2.50 programme
£5.30 Erdinger
= £24.30