Sunday’s visit to Bristol Rovers will be the first time in ten years that we’ve played at this stage of the Emirates FA Cup, and our first as a fan-owned club.

Here are our appearances at this stage since 1999:

Second round 2010

Darlington 0 York City 2

Our previous appearance was against York City at the Arena is season 2010-11 after we’d beaten Mossley and Bristol Rovers to reach that stage.

We lost the game 2-0,  York scoring through Djoumin Sangare and Ashley Chambers.

Darlington: Russell, Miller, Hone, Brown, Brough, Gillespie (sub Moore 72), Verma, Bridge-Wilkinson, Hatch, Wright (sub Arnison 55), Senior

Subs not used: Bertram,  P Gray, J Gray, Smith, Main

Here are the highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWG3O9iDdSc

Second round 2006

Darlington 1 Swansea City 3

We were in the second round four years previous to the York game on 2^nd December 2006, when we faced Swansea City at the Arena after beating Lewes 4-2 away from home in the previous round (Martin Smith scored a volley on the turn for one of the goals of the season)

Even though we took the lead early in the game through Martin Smith, Swansea levelled before half time through Leon Britton, and after half time Andy Robinson and Adebayo Akinfenwa added further goals

Darlington: Russell, Duke (Joachim 59), Close, Collins, James, Wainwright, Cummins, Keltie, Smith (Carlos Logan 84), Johnson (Conlon 81), Armstrong.
Subs Not Used: Stockdale, Ngoma.

Second round 2002

Darlington 4 Stevenage 1

This was one of the featured games on Match of the Day, and we didn’t have many problems in disposing of the Conference club. Richard Hodgson was our man of the match, scoring one and setting up another two.

He ran through the Stevenage defence and scored in the first minute, and after Stevenage equalised, Hodgson sent Richard Offiong running through for 2-1.

Barry Conlon made it 3-1 just after half time, then Hodgson set up Offiong for the fourth.

We were drawn against another Conference club, Farnborough, in the next round, but we lost 3-2. Farnborough got Arsenal in the fourth round.

Darlington: Porter, Betts, Liddle, Clarke, Valentine, Wainwright, Keltie, Nicholls, Hodgson, Conlon, Offiong. Subs: Pearson, Clark, Maddison, Mellanby, Whitehead.

Second round 2001

Altrincham 1 Darlington 2

This was an early kick off for Match of the Day, but we came out on top.

Danny Mellanby helped on an Andy Collett clearance for Danny Chillingworth to put us into the lead, but Mark Maddox levelled in the second half. However, Neil Wainwright headed home the winner from an Ian Clark cross.

Darlington:  Collett, Brumwell, Brightwell, Betts, Heckingbottom,   Atkinson, Hodgson, Wainwright,  Clark, Chillingsworth (sub Jackson), Mellanby,

We were drawn against Peterborough in the third round. After drawing 2-2 at Feethams – the night of Barry Conlon’s missed penalty – we lost the replay at London Road by 2-0. Peterborough faced Newcastle in the next round.

Second round 2000

Darlington 0 Luton Town 0

Replay Luton Town 2 Darlington 0

After comfortably beating AFC Sudbury 6-1 in the first round (Glenn Naylor scored a hat trick), we took on Luton from a division above us, and drew 0-0 at Feethams.

Unfortunately, Luton won the replay ten days later by 2-0 at Kenilworth Road.

Collett, Liddle, Reed, Aspin, Bernard, Himsworth, Gray (sub Walklate), Elliott, Atkinson, Naylor, Hodgson (sub Brumwell), Kyle

Second round 1999

Gillingham 3 Darlington 1

Probably one of the most bizarre FA cup episodes in the club’s history. We were beaten fair and square at Gillingham in the second round – Peter Duffield scoring -- but because Manchester United had been invited to play in the World Club Championship – the FA was chasing votes to stage the 2006 World Cup – United withdrew from the competition and so there was a vacancy in the third round.

The FA decided to have a Lucky Loser, and we won the place in a draw. We couldn’t grumble at all, especially as we got Aston Villa away.

Team; Samways, Aspin, Liddle, Tutill, Heckingbottom,  Gray, Oliver, Himsworth, Nogan (sub Hjorth), Duffield, Heaney (sub Naylor)

from the Gillingham scrapbook

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWG3O9iDdSc