Feethams
Encyclopedia
Feethams is a cricket ground and the former home of Darlington F.C.
for 120 years, from 1883 to 2003, until the club moved into a new stadium
on the outskirts of Darlington
.
town cricket
club, Darlington C.C. From the 1860s, amateur
football
had been played on the site, but it was only in 1883 that Darlington F.C.
, a professional
side made Feethams their home - and so it was for 120 years.
Unfortunately, times moved on and Feethams and Darlington were in a state of flux. It was decided to build a new stadium and the end of the Feethams era came on 3 May 2003, when the final match was played. A capacity crowd saw Darlington
come back from two goals down to draw 2–2 with Leyton Orient
.
With the move to a new stadium at The Darlington Arena
, Feethams fell into disrepair. It was finally demolished in February 2006 shortly after an arson attack. Plans to redevelop Feethams into a housing development were passed in November 2009.
era.
), spectators had to walk around a cricket
pitch in order to enter the ground. For many years the layout of Feethams also gave supporters the opportunity to change ends at half time, with home supporters often seen trooping from one end to the other in order to mass behind the goal Darlington were attacking.
matches. The ground was home to Durham's first ever home victory in the County Championship
, against Somerset in June 1992. That match also saw the ground obtain the distinction of having the largest sightscreen in first-class cricket – the back of the Tin Shed was painted a light blue to help batsmen see the ball more easily.
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
for 120 years, from 1883 to 2003, until the club moved into a new stadium
The Darlington Arena
The Darlington Arena is a football stadium in England that hosts Darlington Football Club's home fixtures.-History:...
on the outskirts of Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
.
History
Feethams was the home of the DarlingtonDarlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
town cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
club, Darlington C.C. From the 1860s, amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
had been played on the site, but it was only in 1883 that Darlington F.C.
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
, a professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
side made Feethams their home - and so it was for 120 years.
Unfortunately, times moved on and Feethams and Darlington were in a state of flux. It was decided to build a new stadium and the end of the Feethams era came on 3 May 2003, when the final match was played. A capacity crowd saw Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
come back from two goals down to draw 2–2 with Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
.
With the move to a new stadium at The Darlington Arena
The Darlington Arena
The Darlington Arena is a football stadium in England that hosts Darlington Football Club's home fixtures.-History:...
, Feethams fell into disrepair. It was finally demolished in February 2006 shortly after an arson attack. Plans to redevelop Feethams into a housing development were passed in November 2009.
Layout
The ground itself was a typical lower-league affair with terraces and benches providing the majority of accommodation for the spectators. There were four sections: the West Stand, the all-seated East Stand, Polam Lane (South) End and the Tin Shed home terrace (the Cricket Ground End). The most modern stand, the East Stand was built in 1997 and was the major cause of the club's financial difficulties, culminating in the infamous ReynoldsGeorge Reynolds
George Reynolds is a British businessman best known for his time as chairman of Darlington Football Club.Reynolds became involved in criminal activities during the 1950s, and spent six months in jail for smuggling watches from incoming ships in the 1960s...
era.
Quirks
Feethams was unusual in that after entering the turnstiles through the Twin Towers (not related to those at WembleyWembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
), spectators had to walk around a cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
pitch in order to enter the ground. For many years the layout of Feethams also gave supporters the opportunity to change ends at half time, with home supporters often seen trooping from one end to the other in order to mass behind the goal Darlington were attacking.
Cricket
Feethams has been the venue for many Durham County Cricket ClubDurham County Cricket Club
Durham County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Durham. Its limited overs team is called the Durham Dynamos. Their kit colours are blue with yellow trim and the shirt sponsor was...
matches. The ground was home to Durham's first ever home victory in the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
, against Somerset in June 1992. That match also saw the ground obtain the distinction of having the largest sightscreen in first-class cricket – the back of the Tin Shed was painted a light blue to help batsmen see the ball more easily.