Club Records and History

In 190 years of Darlington CC cricket, the club have had three grounds. They started out in 1826 at The Green Tree Field at the back of The Green tree Inn, Skinnergate. It now forms part of the Quaker burial ground and stretched back to Larchfield Street. The second ground was behind the slums of Victorian Park Street and the third being our present ground, Feethams. The turf from the famous park Street ground was taken up and re laid at Feethams.
After a short spell in the Durham league the club joined the North Yorkshire and South Durham cricket league in 1896. In the league's history, no club has won the league more times than Darlington and no club has won more points in league games.
Darlington 1st XI Played Won Lost Drew Points
2688 1024 499 1165 12,568
Our highest total was the 313-6 scored against Stockton in 1932 and the lowest was 17 against Middlesbrough in 1958.
John Glendennen was one of our top professionals with 16 centuries, the most by any Darlington player, Neil Riddell was next with 13 centuries. Glendennen has the highest average for a career at Darlington for batsmen who have scored more than 1000 runs with 46.26. Only CH Dent in 1897 had a highest innings score with 188. Glendo's top score was 180 in 1998.
Tim Haggie has the most career runs at the club making 10,794 mainly during the 70,80s. Neil Riddell is the only other 10,000 run man.
The leading professional run aggregate for one season is Glendennen also with 1444 runs in 1998.
The leading amateur runs aggregate for one season was John Lister with 1112 in 1984.
Harry Turner took the most wickets in a season in 1923 with 103 wickets. He again took 100 wickets in 1926. In 1913, Willie Tolson took 10 for 30, the best return in the club history.
Colin Biglin leads the 2nd team run scorers with 6,975 league runs and Nigel Fenwick has the most 3rd team runs (4228) Keith Barker is hot on his heels though!
Dick Healey played cricket for the 1st XI between 1908 and 1932. He captained the club to 7 championships in the twenties. He was club president during the heady days of success in the fities
The 1st XI leading wicket partnerships are as follows:
232* 3rd wicket C E Creek 121* & HA Johnson v Summersons 26.06.1945
213* 1st wicket J W Lister 105* & T J Haggie 95* v Guisborough 09.05.1984
199 2nd wicket J T Dobson 105* & L D Coates 101 v Billingham 01.09.2012
Hat tricks
A.C. Williams (1925), Harry Turner (1922/23) and Mike Hatch (1988 and 92) all took the hat trick with the ball on two occasions.

1826 to 2000 A Glorious History

Darlington originated as an Anglo Saxon settlement on the western banks of the River Skerne. (the market place side of the river) It marked the southern limit to the Palatinate of Durham and became a market town by the 12th century.



By the 18th and 19th centuries, entrepreneur families such as the Backhouse family and the Pease family had developed and financed woollen and worsted mills in the town and when the same families became involved in the development of rail transport the town also developed into a centre for railway engineering.



The Duke of Cleveland's XI (1751) provides the first recorded example of cricket being played in the area. (Raby Castle). Cricket is still played on the Raby Estate. The Duke of Cleveland's land stretched all the way to Darlington and included dwellings in East Raby Street, Duke Street, Cleveland Avenue and Terrace were built on his land.



Various challenge matches were held over the next 50 years or so until The Green Tree Field was used for cricket in the town. Skinnergate was the town's back lane and the western most boundary of the town around the 1820's. On Skinnergate (where Pizza Express now is) there was an Inn the Green Tree Inn, named after the giant Lime tree that grew in the street nearby. Behind the inn and extending to where Larchfield Street now stands was the original home of Darlington cricket club.



The field had been used by The Duke of Cumberland's army on its way north to battle the army of Bonnie Price Charlie in 1745 at the Battle of Culloden. The field was also used for theatre groups visiting the town, quoits and even the towns annual dog show. Eventually part of the field became the Quaker burial ground and the rest was built on.



In 1827 Darlington's first recorded game took place in a field near Middleton Spa against Yarm. In 1837 the club moved to Park Street. This was an area which grew up on the eastern bank of the River Skerne during the industrial revolution. A "notorious place" in Victorian Darlington. Great poverty, dirt and disease was rife in this area of town. Indeed the average life expectancy of residents was 22.



George Raper rented the field near park street for the cricket club. Darlington archers also used the field. Matches in these days were arranged as a challenge. Darlington and Yarm often combined forces to take on sides from Sheffield to Edinburgh. Many challenges were played for a purse of money.By the 1840's George Rope (the father of the club) was captain and the club had two teams. Swallow Catcher Gent was the first of many legendary wicket keepers at the club. He earned the name when in a game at Cockerton he dived to take a one handed catc h in his left hand before diving again to catch a swallow in his right!



In 1848 22 of Darlington played The All England XI. Darlington won the three day game by 9 wickets. In 1861 the club appointed their first professional cricketer to tutor the players. In 1863 a rugby section joined the club and the following year William Smnith recorded the fist ever century for the club.



In 1865 the club were given notice to quit their ground. Increased population meant the field would be used for back to back dwellings. A new ground had to be found.



1866/67 saw the club do a "Hambledon" and took the turf from Park street to their new ground. The new ground was just 200 yards south west of the old Park Street ground—Feethams was a ten acre two field site separated by a stell or stream.



The Backhouse and Pease families bought tracts of land to the south and west of the town and built magnificent Victorian mansions overlooking parkland estates. Many remain to this day. Three overlooked Feethams. Southend (now bannantynes Hotel), Beechwood and Polam (now a girls private school)others were Blackwell Grange (now a hotel) Elm Ridge (now a Methodist church) Hummersknott (now Carmel college), Mowden (now the dept, for Education and Science), West Lodge (DHSS), North Lodge (teachers cenbtre), Woodlands and Pierremont.



Mr Edmund Backhouse became the clubs first President in 1866-1880. A politician and financier he was born at Polam Hall.



Regular pre league cricket was played at Feethams every Saturday from 1867. In 1873 the great Dr W.G. Grace played at Feethams for the United South of England eleven. Details of the game are well documented in Bob Hattersley's book. Darlington ran out winners by 31 runs.



From 1880 the ground was developed and more sports were introduced to Feethams. Harry Thompson was employed as the first grounds man, a pavilion was erected and new sports like athletics, a donkey derby, cycling, tennis and football all took place but the strangest had to be when the Iroquois native American Lacrosse team visited.



1887 saw the introduction of cup and league cricket. Darlington had spells in both the Darlington and District league and the Durham league before joining the North Yorkshire and South Durham league 4 years after its formation in 1896. As games were recorded properly records were being set up constantly during these early days of the NYSD league. By the turn of the century the playing strength of the club had increased. In 1901 the South Africans played at Feethams. Between the 1901 and the outbreak of the first world war Darlington Cricket Club became an opulent gentleman's club patronised by wealthy Quaker entrepreneurs. The club underwent a full refurbishment during these years a new pavilion and clubhouse was built. The league was won in 1906.



WG Grace returned to Feethams in 1907 and at the Feethams cricket festival which ran from 1908-1911.



In 1913 Dick Healey was appointed captain of the club. He held this position until 1930.He began 75 year association with the club as a9 year old schoolboy. One of the leading amateur footballers of his age he made his debut for Darlington FC as a 17 year old. He also played for Sunderland, Bishop Auckland and Middlesbrough. He gained four amateur caps for England.



It was as a cricketer though that he did the most for Darlington. He turned the clubs fortunes around and was the father of the club in the modern era. A member of the scholastic profession I had the pleasure of interviewing him as a 15 year old schoolboy for a school project. He was President of the club at the time and a brilliant person to chat with. Dick passed away in 1974 aged 85 . A friend of his said " when you were with him he made you feel like you were his best friend"



1922 saw the social club formed. Within 5 years the club had a balance of £781 at the bank. A two storey extension to the pavilion was added to the rear making the home dressing room considerably larger and allowing room for a second billiards table downstairs. The roaring twenties saw a revival of tennis to feethams and sports meets returned also..



The decade following the great war was the nest in the clubs history . 7 proud years saw the club win 14 trophies. The first team woin 7 championships in 10 yewars and the 2nds 7 in ten years. The firsts also won the Kerridge cup 3 times during that period and lost the final twice.



Dick Healey's captaincy had a lot to do with the success. He instilled a spirit of loyalty and comradeship that permeated the who team.



During the second world war many cricket fields fell silent. Darlington in close proximity to Catterick Garrison played host to some memorable armed forces games. In 1940 and 41 England players Lieut AW Carr, Major Herbert Sutcliffe, Capt Hedley Verity. Sgt Maurice Leyland. Sgt Len Hutton and many more first class players demonstrated their talent at the club. Infact Sutcliffe and his son Billy both went on the play cricket for Darlington.



The 1950 saw another period of success for the club. Strangely enough this co incided with Dick Healey's appointment as President in 1951. It was an office he held until his death in 1974. Once again the club won 14 trophies during the decade of the fifties. 5 A division championships and 3 Kerridge cup trophies for the first team and four B division titles for the seconds along with two Haith cup titles.



The secret of the fifties team were the batsmen. P. Carey, J H Clarke, F Robson, AW Sanders and JM Camburn. The bowlers were led by Paul Carey and Harold Elsdon and William Wildsmith. In 1958 a very young wicket keeper, Bobby Cole joined the club. He was to go on to be one of the best keepers in the country.



The 1960s were a decade of frustration. One championship title came in 1962 along with 6 second or third place finishes and 3 fourth or fifth place finishes in the rest of the decade.



The social club opened it's doors to ladies in 1961 but only on a Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. The third eleven were introduced to league cricket in 1961 in the form of the Darlington and District cricket league. Arthur Sanders retired from 1st team cricket in 1965 and took on the job of leading the 3rd team youngsters.



The sixties also saw the first of the modern day professionals at Feethams in Stuart Young. Genuine pace and hard hitting left hand batsman, Stuart could have had his pick of first class counties who were queuing up for his signature. Along with Alan Johnson and Brian Dobson a formidable bowling attack dominated league cricket during this time.



The seventies saw a bit of a decline in fortunes and a transition of playing staff as players retired and new players were given their chance. Hockey came to Feethams as Darlington Hockey Club amalgamated with the cricket club in 1973. The following year saw Janet Stubbs begin her long association with the club as scorer. (more on Miss Stubbs later in this book) The sad passing of Dick Healey also occurring this year.



This truly was the end of an era and a new dawn was coming



The new dawn consisted of new players amongst whom, Tim Haggie, Neil Riddell, John Lister John Waring, Paul Romaines and Mike hatch were top play leading roles.



The firsts won the title in 1977 and were 3rd in 1980



The eighties were muc h more successful with titles won in85, 87 and 90, The batting lie up of Haggie and Lister, Riddell and Singleton was formidable and you rarely got a bat if you were number 5!



The bowling of Mike Hatch was incredible. He took 91 league wickets in 1985. Overseas pros came to the club during this period. Simon Davies, Will Johnson and Andrew Scott (all Australia) and Mushtaq Ahmed and Massood Anwar (Pakistan) were among the professionals who left an impact at Feethams. Lister, Haggier and Riddell all went on to score over 10,000 league runs for the club.



The nineties started with worries over the future, Lister, Haggie, Jonnie Johnson and hatch were to retire to retire. Riddell was to play his final season too. Tim Blackburn took over as skipper in 1991 and Gary Moody was appointed vice captain in 1992.Durham CCC became a 1st class county in 1992 and £90,000 was spent on improvements at Feethams in order for the ground to be used as a 1st class venue.



Durham gained their first championship victory at Feethams in June 1992 against Somerset.



The newly furbished Arthur Sanders Lounge was opened by Mr Leslie Crowther, president of the Lords Taverners. A dinner was held in the new lounge and a large marquee was attached to the building. The author was MC for the evening and many celebrity sportsman were at the event including Dickie Bird (umpire) and Chris Old (ex England cricketer)



With the refurbished club and ground improvements the club was ready to march into its next chapter—The new Millennium.



for the history from 2000 - go to http://www.dcchistory.com/-b-1993-2015.html