Jermaine Darlington
Encyclopedia
Jermaine Mortimer Darlington (born 11 April 1974) is an English football
player who plays for Whitstable Town as a left-sided midfield
er or full-back.
, where he played two first-team games near the end of the 1991–92
season. He was released a year later and dropped out of the professional game, continuing his career on a semi-professional
basis, playing with Dover Athletic
, Hendon
and Aylesbury United
.
He got a second chance in the Football League
in 1999, when he was signed by Queens Park Rangers
from non-League
club Aylesbury United
, for £25,000.
Darlington went on to make over 80 professional appearances for the R's before then First Division
side Wimbledon
bought him for £200,000 in 2001. He made over 100 appearances for The Dons, before being released at the end of the 2003–04
season.
Brief stints at Watford
and Cardiff City
followed in 2004–05
, and 2005–06
however with a knee injury restricting his first-team chances Darlington left Cardiff in the summer of 2006, effectively retiring from professional football.
Following a trial with AFC Wimbledon
, Darlington agreed terms with the Dons in time for the game against Tonbridge Angels on 18 November 2006, making him the first ex-Wimbledon player to play competitively for AFC Wimbledon.
This move would prove costly for the Dons however as, due to an administrative error by the club in signing him, Darlington was initially ineligible to play for the club. The penalties the club received for this mistake were severe. The Dons were expelled from two cup competitions, the Surrey Senior Cup
and the FA Trophy
, for which the club was ordered to repay £12,000 in prize money, and also received a hefty penalty in the Isthmian League
with 18 league points being docked, in addition to a £400 fine & costs. This 18 point penalty was later reduced to just three points, after an appeal to The FA. Darlington was released at the end of the 2007-07 season by new Dons boss Terry Brown
.
After his release from AFC Wimbledon
Darlington did not find another semi pro club, instead opting to play local football in London. However in October 2009 and at the age of 35 he made the move back to the semi pro game, signing for Isthmian League Premier Division side Maidstone United
.
Darlington subsequently joined Isthmian League Division One South side Whitstable Town
in March 2011, providing much needed cover and experience. Manager Peter Nott was quoted on the capture of Darlington: "As you can see Jermaine brings a wealth of experience with him and I am confident he will settle in very quickly."
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...
player who plays for Whitstable Town as a left-sided midfield
Midfield
Midfield is the part of a sports pitch that lies approximately in the center. It is a term most commonly associated with football to refer to the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region, but it can be used in field hockey to describe the same area, or in...
er or full-back.
Career
Darlington began his career as a trainee at Charlton AthleticCharlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
, where he played two first-team games near the end of the 1991–92
1991-92 in English football
- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of, among others, Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David Batty, Gary Speed and Gary McAllister...
season. He was released a year later and dropped out of the professional game, continuing his career on a semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
basis, playing with Dover Athletic
Dover Athletic F.C.
Dover Athletic Football Club is an association football team based in the town of Dover, Kent, England. The club was formed in 1983 after the dissolution of the town's previous club, Dover, whose place in the Southern League was taken by the new club...
, Hendon
Hendon F.C.
Hendon Football Club are an English football club based in Hendon, in the London Borough of Barnet. They currently play in the Isthmian League Premier Division.In the 2003-04 season they finished fourth in the Isthmian League Premier Division...
and Aylesbury United
Aylesbury United F.C.
Aylesbury United are a football club based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, currently playing in the Spartan South Midlands League, nicknamed the Ducks....
.
He got a second chance in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
in 1999, when he was signed by Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
from non-League
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
club Aylesbury United
Aylesbury United F.C.
Aylesbury United are a football club based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, currently playing in the Spartan South Midlands League, nicknamed the Ducks....
, for £25,000.
Darlington went on to make over 80 professional appearances for the R's before then First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
side Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
bought him for £200,000 in 2001. He made over 100 appearances for The Dons, before being released at the end of the 2003–04
2003-04 in English football
The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
season.
Brief stints at Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
and Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
followed in 2004–05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
, and 2005–06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
however with a knee injury restricting his first-team chances Darlington left Cardiff in the summer of 2006, effectively retiring from professional football.
Following a trial with AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon is a professional English football club that traces its origins to Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. Based at Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames, the club are members of Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football....
, Darlington agreed terms with the Dons in time for the game against Tonbridge Angels on 18 November 2006, making him the first ex-Wimbledon player to play competitively for AFC Wimbledon.
This move would prove costly for the Dons however as, due to an administrative error by the club in signing him, Darlington was initially ineligible to play for the club. The penalties the club received for this mistake were severe. The Dons were expelled from two cup competitions, the Surrey Senior Cup
Surrey Senior Cup
The Surrey Senior Cup is the senior Saturday cup of the Surrey FA. It is currently competed for by teams playing in the top nine levels of the English football league system who are affiliated to the Surrey FA...
and the FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
, for which the club was ordered to repay £12,000 in prize money, and also received a hefty penalty in the Isthmian League
Isthmian League
The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area...
with 18 league points being docked, in addition to a £400 fine & costs. This 18 point penalty was later reduced to just three points, after an appeal to The FA. Darlington was released at the end of the 2007-07 season by new Dons boss Terry Brown
Terry Brown (football manager)
Terry Brown is the current manager of the English League Two football team AFC Wimbledon and is the former manager of both Aldershot Town and Hayes.-Playing career:...
.
After his release from AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon is a professional English football club that traces its origins to Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. Based at Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames, the club are members of Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football....
Darlington did not find another semi pro club, instead opting to play local football in London. However in October 2009 and at the age of 35 he made the move back to the semi pro game, signing for Isthmian League Premier Division side Maidstone United
Maidstone United F.C.
Maidstone United Football Club is an English football team from Maidstone, Kent.The current club is a continuation of the old Maidstone United, which was a member of the Football League between 1989 and 1992. The club was forced out of the league by financial ruin but the youth squad formed the...
.
Darlington subsequently joined Isthmian League Division One South side Whitstable Town
Whitstable Town F.C.
Whitstable Town F.C. is a football club based in Whitstable, Kent, England. The club was established in 1885 and joined the Kent League in 1950. In the 1996-97 season, the team reached the 5th round of the FA Vase...
in March 2011, providing much needed cover and experience. Manager Peter Nott was quoted on the capture of Darlington: "As you can see Jermaine brings a wealth of experience with him and I am confident he will settle in very quickly."