Get the latest Boro stories straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter Enter your email Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

It was a dark day for struggling Boro as they lost 2-1 in an FA Cup replay at division four neighbours Darlington 30 years ago.

And dark days for football too: terrace disorder and fighting in and around grounds was common.

And at Quakers’ Feethams home on that ill-fated night the disorder was among the worst examples involving Boro.

There was hell on. It was “old football”. Mob-handed posturing and outbreaks of aggro between rival “Joeys” - Fila, Sergio Tacchini, Samba, daft wedge haircuts - were routine at almost every game.

Even lower league clubs had hooligans. In fact, some of them were among the worse. And this was a very rare derby clash. For the ‘lads’ as well as the teams. It was always going to kick off.

All police leave was cancelled as every available bobby was assigned to Feethams.

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

The first match - a lively 0-0 draw - had seen chaos in the streets around Ayresome Park with mounted police (right up to match fitness during the miners’ strike) charging up and down Kensington Road and around the Cenotaph and with sporadic hand-to- hand fighting all the way along Linthorpe Road.

For the replay both sides mobilised “the lads” en masse. It was public knowledge it was all going to kick off.

On the night over 14,000 jammed into tiny Feethams - including an estimated 9,000 Boro fans.

Younger fans used to well stewarded all-seater stadiums won’t understand the context but there was only basic segregation and no fences and police couldn’t even filter fans by accent.

And with a three day turn-around there were no elaborate ticket arrangements, it was a case of turn-up, pay cash and squeeze in. It was a free-for-all.

There were two pitch invasions during the game and during the second the referee took the players off for 10 minutes while order was restored.

Boro “lads” “took” the Tin Shed, steaming into Darlo’s Kop, forcing police to move home fans around to the side terraces.

There were outbreaks of fighting before, during and after in the ground.

And outside on the adjacent cricket pitch too with medieval charges, retreats and feints between the massed ranks, slipping in the snow and over a hard to see low rope around the wicket.

There even more fisticuffs along the road from the ground to the railway station and on streets nearby where Boro fans had parked. It was crazy.

Both games attracted treble the usual gates. At Ayresome the crowd was just over 19,000.

The previous game was Boxing Day and a bumper 6,760 for a 1-0 defeat to Oxford.

The Quakers’ previous home game had seen 3,331 for a 1-1 draw with Aldershot.

They were troubled times for Boro and for the ailing game as a whole.

Paul Daniel’s Gazette match report describes the team coach journey home as “like sitting on Death Row.”

Boro limped on to a run of 10 games league games without a win and only just just avoided the drop on the final day at Shrewsbury (where there was even more aggro).

Darlington’s reward for victory was a home tie with Conference side Telford. They drew 1-1 then lost 3-0 in the replay.

The Boro team that day was: O’Hanlon, Nattrass, Hamilton (Roberts 78), Buckley, Saxby, Ward, Mowbray, Mills, Otto, Currie, McAndrew.

Read more about the 'Battle of Stamford Bridge' and view pictures here