I wasn’t any different to any other teenager growing up in Farnham. If you were tall enough you could chance your arm trying to get served in the Wheatsheaf or The Hop Bag… or wherever. Leaving school my first job was working for the office of a steel stockholding company not far from The Hop Bag. The boss was a fat Tory man called Archie … Continue reading The lost and forgotten pubs of Farnham

Darlington’s post-war story is mostly one of serial, stubborn survival. The core of loyal fans are taking pride in past players, from Arthur Wharton, England’s first black footballer, who joined in 1885, to Craig Liddle, who played 315 matches in defence from 1998 to 2005. And at Feethams, the unique, charming ground for cricket and football, with its twin towers, which sits abandoned in the … Continue reading Trials and tribulations: The rise, fall and rise of Darlington FC