Darlington (H) \\\ Matchday Info

THIS MATCH IS SOLD OUT

EVERYONE MUST HAVE A TICKET - INCLUDING UNDER 12s - DUE TO FA CUP RULES

PLEASE DO NOT COME TO THE GROUND WITHOUT A TICKET

ARRIVE EARLY TO ENSURE ENTRY BEFORE KICKOFF

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• Saturday 14th September 2024 
• 3:00pm kickoff - gates open at 1:15pm
• Emirates FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round
• The Step Places Stadium, Brookburn Road, Chorlton, Manchester, M21 8FE
• Parking at Hardy Farm, M21 8DP
• Dogs welcome
• Food and drink available throughout the ground
• Burritos from WrapScallion

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Preview

The time has arrived and this Saturday will see West play their first ever match in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup at a sold out Brookburn Road. The opponents, on what will be a memorable afternoon in the long and proud history of the club, are Darlington of the National League North.

There is no doubting the size of the task that lies ahead. Darlington are three divisions above West and are enjoying a good run of form after a shaky start to their league season. The Quakers are unbeaten in five games and have not conceded a single goal during that spell. They currently sit three points off the play-off zone and only league leaders Scunthorpe United have conceded fewer goals.

While West have had to win three matches to reach this stage in the competition, this will be Darlington’s FA Cup entry point so it's difficult to predict the strength of the side that they will put out on Saturday. They are managed by former Everton, Newcastle and Aston Villa defender Steve Watson who, in his most recent post-match interview, was keen to state that his side “need to do well in the Cup for the club’s sake and the fans’ sake”.

Despite the relative size of the clubs, West will be full of confidence after an excellent week in which they picked up 5-1 and 4-1 wins against Longridge Town and South Liverpool respectively. Victor Abadaki is available after suspension and will be looking to extend his own personal FA Cup record by scoring in a fourth qualifying round - he is one of only six players in the 2nd Qualifying Round draw to have scored in each of the previous three rounds. New signing Connor Hughes is also available as he didn't feature in Chadderton’s FA Cup campaign, prior to joining West.

Manager Paul Marshall has told his players that they should “prepare to win” against Darlington and has commented on how his squad will rightfully see this as a Cup final. Whatever happens, getting to this stage of the competition is a huge achievement for West and, with the vocal backing of a packed out Brookburn Road, the opportunity is there for this West squad to immortalise themselves in the club’s history.

Match Sponsor: Axon Moore

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Darlington At A Glance

Will be playing in: Purple / white / white
Travelling distance: 115 miles
2023/24 position: 16th, National League North
2023/24 average attendance: 1,475

Darlington Football Club were founded in 1883 and they have a rich history which is well-documented here. In terms of their FA Cup record, the Quakers have twice made it as far as the last 16 (1910/11 and 1957/58) and they are the only club to ever have lost an FA Cup match and still progress through to the next round. This was in 2000 when Manchester United famously chose not to enter the FA Cup and Darlo won a “lucky losers” draw of all the teams who had been defeated in the second round. That meant they took Manchester United’s space in the third round, where they were defeated at Aston Villa.

Darlo went into administration in 2012 for the third time in their history and were subsequently expelled from the Football Conference (tier 5). A new club, under the fan-led ownership of DFC 1883 Limited, was admitted to the Northern League (tier 9) under the name Darlington 1883.

Three promotions were achieved in four seasons, taking the Quakers to the National League North, where they have remained since. 2016/17 was also the season that also saw Darlo leave their groundshare with Bishop Auckland to return to Darlington, moving into Blackwell Meadows on Boxing Day. The following year, the FA approved the club’s request to formally change their name back to Darlington FC. 

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Form Guide

West
Position: 15th
Form position: 6th
Last six overall: WWLWDW
Last six home: WLDWLW

Darlington
Position: 16th
Form position: 6th
Last six overall: DDWDWL
Last six away: DDLDDW

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Head to Head

This is the first time the clubs have met.

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Browse through our wonderful match galleries, from club photographers:
Nathan Ashmall, Chris Michell, Jack Todd and Christina Bowett.

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Directions

We encourage supporters to use public transport, cycle or walk if possible. 

By car:

There is no parking available at the ground for supporters, except for pre-booked disability access.

Please instead use Hardy Farm, M21 8DP.

Disability spaces must be accessed no later than one hour before kickoff and all vehicles will be unable to exit until 15 minutes after the final whistle to ensure the safety of all supporters leaving the stadium.

There is additional public car parking on Chorlton Ees opposite The Bowling Green pub, who are also allowing supporters to use the pub car park, but there is little other on-street parking.

Please also note that there is no parking available on Brookburn Road itself, nor the surrounding Chorltonville area, as they are privately maintained, exclusively for the use of residents.

By public transport:

The Step Places Stadium is one mile from Chorlton Metrolink station, on the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines. Follow Google Maps directions to find your way to the ground.

If you are travelling from outside the Greater Manchester area, the Metrolink network can be accessed from any of Manchester’s central train stations. Visit the Transport for Greater Manchester website for tram times and more information.

By cycle:

The Step Places Stadium is a perfect location for those who cycle, being located next to the River Mersey, Sale Ees and only a few minutes away from the Fallowfield Cycle Loop. We have secure bicycle racks inside the ground to lock up your bike throughout the game. Please ask a volunteer if you need assistance.

Prohibited items

Bringing pyrotechnics, drums/instruments and/or alcohol into the ground is prohibited. It is a criminal offence to bring pyrotechnics into any stadium. Stewards may conduct bag searches for prohibited items upon entrance to the stadium. Bag searches are a condition of entry and your co-operation is greatly appreciated. Spectators who break these rules may be banned from the ground and any pyrotechnics and/or alcohol will be confiscated.