Darlington Railway Athletic F.C.

Association football club in England
Football club
Darlington Railway Athletic
Full nameDarlington Railway Athletic Football Club
Nickname(s)R. A., Railwaymen
GroundBrinkburn Road, Darlington
ManagerScott Craggs
LeagueWearside League Premier Division
2022–23Wearside League Division One, 9th of 17
Home colours

Darlington Railway Athletic Football Club is a football club based in Darlington, England. They are currently members of the Wearside League Premier Division and play at Brinkburn Road.

History

The club was formed after World War I and initially played in the Darlington & District League.[1] They joined the Northern League in 1919, but left at the end of the 1924–25 season after finishing second-from-bottom,[2] returning to the Darlington & District League. They were league champions in 1932–33 and 1963–64, and League Cup winners in 1950–51.[3] They did the double of league and League Cup in 1967–68.[1] The club subsequently joined the Teesside Football League.[4] In 1969–70 the club won the North Riding Cup.[3] They finished bottom of the Teesside League in 1986–87, but were runners-up in 1988–89.[5]

In 1990 the club joined Division Two of the Wearside League. A third-place finish in their first season saw them promoted to Division One, but they folded at the end of the 1991–92 season. After reforming, the club rejoined the Darlington & District League, winning it in 1998–99.[1] They subsequently transferred to the Auckland & District League, which they won in 2000–01.[1] The club were then promoted to the Wearside League, which was now operating with a single division. They won the League Cup in 2002–03,[3] and were league champions in 2004–05, earning promotion to Division Two of the Northern League.[2] Their first season in Division Two saw them finish third, earning promotion to Division One. However, they finished bottom of Division One in 2006–07 and were relegated back to Division Two.[2] In 2017–18 the club finished second-from-bottom of Division Two and were relegated to the Wearside League

Season-by-season

Season Division Pl W D L F A Pts Pos Notes
1919–20 Northern League 26 10 4 12 45 58 24 9/14
1920–21 Northern League 26 13 2 11 43 39 28 6/14
1921–22 Northern League 26 7 6 13 45 58 20 11/14
1922–23 Northern League 26 10 3 13 35 40 23 9/14
1923–24 Northern League 28 8 6 14 45 69 22 12/15
1924–25 Northern League 28 7 6 15 32 71 20 14/15 Left league
1967–68 Darlington & District League 1 Champions, promoted
1968–69 Teesside Football League
1969–70 Teesside Football League
1970–71 Teesside Football League
1971–72 Teesside Football League 10/16
1972–73 Teesside Football League 3/17
1973–74 Teesside Football League
1974–75 Teesside Football League
1975–76 Teesside Football League
1976–77 Teesside Football League
1977–78 Teesside Football League
1978–79 Teesside Football League 5/18
1979–80 Teesside Football League 5/18
1980–81 Teesside Football League 4/18
1981–82 Teesside Football League 11/16
1982–83 Teesside Football League 6/16
1983–84 Teesside Football League 9/18
1984–85 Teesside Football League
1985–86 Teesside Football League 16/18
1986–87 Teesside Football League 18/18
1987–88 Teesside Football League 8/18
1988–89 Teesside Football League 2/16
1989–90 Teesside Football League Transferred to Wearside League
1990–91 Wearside League Division Two 33 17 9 7 70 38 60 3/12
1991–92 Wearside League Division One 30 4 9 17 36 66 18 14/16 Folded
1993–94 Darlington & District League
1994–95 Darlington & District League
1995–96 Darlington & District League
1996–97 Darlington & District League
1997–98 Darlington & District League
1998–99 Darlington & District League 1 Champions, transferred to Auckland & District League
1999–2000 Auckland & District League
2000–01 Auckland & District League 1 Champions, promoted
2001–02 Wearside League 32 21 4 7 75 43 67 3/17
2002–03 Wearside League 34 15 10 9 75 40 55 7/18
2003–04 Wearside League 34 16 9 9 75 44 57 5/18
2004–05 Wearside League 36 28 4 4 111 28 88 1/19 Champions, promoted
2005–06 Northern League Division Two 38 23 5 10 83 46 74 3/20 Promoted
2006–07 Northern League Division One 42 6 5 31 41 119 23 22/22 Relegated
2007–08 Northern League Division Two 38 10 6 22 51 78 36 18/20
2008–09 Northern League Division Two 38 10 2 26 45 80 32 18/20
2009–10 Northern League Division Two 38 4 8 26 46 115 20 19/20
2010–11 Northern League Division Two 38 12 3 23 54 92 39 15/20
2011–12 Northern League Division Two 42 22 7 13 84 68 73 5/22
2012–13 Northern League Division Two 42 22 12 8 82 57 78 5/22
2013–14 Northern League Division Two 42 15 11 16 81 76 56 12/22
2014–15 Northern League Division Two 42 17 6 19 81 87 57 14/22
2015–16 Northern League Division Two 42 18 4 20 86 89 58 13/22
2016–17 Northern League Division Two 40 9 4 27 61 126 31 19/21
2017–18 Northern League Division Two 40 9 4 27 41 90 31 20/21 Relegated
2018–19 Wearside League 30 9 2 19 57 87 30 12/16
2019–20 Wearside League First Division 24 5 6 13 45 58 21 12/16 Season abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 Wearside League First Division 14 6 2 6 22 26 20 7/18 Season abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22 Wearside League First Division 34 9 8 17 41 54 35 13/18
2022–23 Wearside League Premier Division 32 12 8 12 79 66 44 9/17

Honours

  • Wearside League
    • Champions 2004–05
    • League Cup winners 2002–03
  • Auckland & District League
    • Champions 2000–01
  • Darlington & District League
    • Champions 1932–33, 1963–64, 1967–68, 1998–99
    • League Cup winners 1950–51, 1967–68
  • Durham Amateur Cup
    • Winners 1977–75
  • Sunderland Shipowners Cup
    • Winners 2004–05
  • North Riding Cup
    • Winners 1969–70

Records

  • Best FA Cup performance: Preliminary round, 2007–08[2]
  • Best FA Vase performance: Second round, 1978–79[2]
  • Biggest home win: 11–1 vs Glaxo, 6 January 2001; 11–1 vs Ferryhill Athletic, 2 April 2005
  • Biggest away win: 11–1 vs Byers Green 20 November 1999; 11–1 vs Wearhead United 28 October 2000
  • Heaviest home defeat: 1–7 vs Whitehaven 23 January 2010
  • Heaviest away defeat: 1–9 vs Morpeth Town 5 January 2013
  • Most goals in a season: Paul Freary, 24 (2005–06)
  • Record attendance: 585 vs Darlington 1883, friendly, 7 August 2012

See also

  • Darlington Railway Athletic F.C. players
  • Darlington Railway Athletic F.C. managers

References

  1. ^ a b c d History Darlington Railway Athletic F.C.
  2. ^ a b c d e Darlington Railway Athletic at the Football Club History Database
  3. ^ a b c Darlington Railway Athletic Northern League
  4. ^ Teesside League 1919-1978 Non-League Matters
  5. ^ Teesside League since 1978 Non-League Matters

External links

  • Official website
  • v
  • t
  • e
2023–24
clubs
Division One
Division Two
Seasons

54°32′12″N 1°34′31″W / 54.536551°N 1.5752251°W / 54.536551; -1.5752251