Season 1995-96 saw Darlington make history by reaching the play-offs for the first time and although they suffered defeat to Plymouth Argyle at Wembley the campaign remains highly-regarded by supporters who enjoyed a fine season. Striker Robbie Painter looks backs on the squad from the memorable campaign and gives us the lowdown on his team-mates.

GOALKEEPERS

Mike Pollitt

“Mike was one of the biggest personalities in the dressing room, the joker in the pack. Never a minute went by without him making someone laugh, so he was very good for team morale.

“As a keeper, he was fantastic. Big and strong, played a lot of games and then went on to play for Wigan Athletic in some big games. He would always work hard in training and was a quality keeper. It was a big loss when we he went to Notts County, but we knew we had a good squad and managed to push on.”

Paul Newell

“Paul replaced Mike, but he was a lot quieter. He was a London lad but kept himself to himself, he wasn’t a Cockney wide boy or anything like that. A quiet, unassuming bloke. He did a good job, kept a few clean sheets and worked hard in training did Paul.”

DEFENDERS

Simon Shaw

“Simon had a very dry sense of humour, liked his one-liners. On the pitch he was technically very good, the mainstay at right-back. He would get forward from defence and he had played on the right of midfield in his earlier days under Billy McEwan.

“I remember it really well when he broke his jaw. We were out in Darlington after the Scunthorpe game, he went over to help a young lass who was crying, her boyfriend came over and smacked him one in the jaw. I went to see him in hospital the next day, he had his jaw wired up, he was drinking through a straw and he was devastated.

"He went on to do well in non-league, representing the England non-league team when he was at Doncaster Rovers.”

Phil Brumwell

“Phil was a quiet lad off the pitch, had a dry sense of humour, but he certainly liked a tackle and could play a bit. He was a decent player was Phil. I know he played a lot of games for Darlington after I left.”

Mark Barnard

“He was a good player. Another that was quiet off the pitch but quality on it. Left-footed players always look better on the ball don’t they, and he was one of them. Very good technically, not much pace but worked very hard on his game in training. He was a good lad and I think he’s into his cycling now, does a lot of long-distance biking so he’s obviously a fit lad.”

Matty Appleby

“Matty was one of the stars. He came in from Newcastle United, on loan under Alan Murray initially, and you could see the quality straight away. He could use both feet very well, played as a sweeper and would link the play, breaking from defence into midfield. He had real quality and was one of the boys who went on to play in the Premier League.”

Sean Gregan

“I used to travel in for training from Middlesbrough with Sean, Matty and Robbie Blake, so we had really good players in the car and there was loads of banter. Sean was always bubbly. But he liked a tackle and was probably the hardest at the club. I played away at Blackpool in a friendly when he had to subbed or the ref was going to send him off and that was typical Sean – whether it was training or a match he would never hold back. I reckon if he played in the garden with his kids he would probably smash them as well.

“He never shirked a tackle, was good with both feet, big and strong and he could’ve played pretty much anywhere he wanted to. I know he played centre-half with us, when he went on to Preston he played in centre midfield and he was their skipper.”

Andy Crosby

“He was a big centre-back, he became captain and led us out at Wembley, although he was another quiet guy off the field. He led by example, very professional. He was a quality player and played for a long time after Darlington and has become a very good coach I’m told.

“He didn’t really show any interest in that side of things. I travelled in with him a few times – his girlfriend was from Liverpool and before I moved to Middlesbrough I’d be travelling from Lancashire – but I didn’t see him going into that side of the game. But it doesn’t surprise me though, because he understood the game. I did my coaching badges with him and he was the real deal, he knew his stuff.”

MIDFIELDERS

Steve Gaughan

“Another joker in the pack. Always making one-liners with Mike Pollit and with those two there were always a few laughs in the changing room. He was big and strong midfielder with two great feet. He scored from very good goals from what I remember; one against Hartlepool in 95-96 he smashed in.

“But he was probably the worst dressed at the club. He thought he was best-dressed, but he really wasn’t He was always bringing snide gear up from Doncaster, selling dodgy watches to the lads.”

Paul Olsson

“Paul was a funny lad, a bit of a lad. I think he was from Hull originally, he came to us from Hartlepool, he was one of Alan Murray’s players. A strong player, box-to-box, and liked a tackle did Olly.”

Gary Twynham

“Definitely a character. He’d spent a bit of time inside a youth hostel and was a bit of a hothead especially in games, sometimes in training. Once he settled in he was fine and the lads loved him. He was a bit like Steve Gaughan, big and strong. I spoke to him the other night and he’s coming up for the game from Cardiff, so he’s making a big effort.”

Gary Himsworth

“Gary was a very talented player, tended to play on the left and cut inside. He was unlucky, probably should’ve played more games than he did and he ended up finishing his career due to a knee injury. I remember Darren Moore breaking his leg when we were down in Torquay. We were waiting for hours and hours for him to come out the hospital. That was a beast of a journey back.”

Anthony Carrs

“Technically very good, left-footed and although not the fastest of players he had the ability to drift past players and cross a ball. He played for Huddersfield after us. A quiet lad, you wouldn’t know he was in the room unless you talked to him. He’s gone into coaching now, doing Huddersfield under-18s and doing very well by all accounts.”

Paul Mattison

“We called him Prince because he looked like the singer, so he got stick for that. He was a quick winger, absolutely rapid, another one that didn’t say much. Was waiting for a break but it didn’t really materialise for him.”

Pedro Paulo

“We had a friendly against Sunderland and Pedro was absolutely brilliant, it’s so sad what happened to him. Obviously he was one of Hodgy’s signings. Pedro was a great lad and what a player.”

*Pedro Paulo died in a car accident in his native Portugal in 200o.

FORWARDS

Gary Bannister

“You could see his quality as soon as he came into the club. I thought it said a lot about him that he had played at the level he had, in the top division with Sheffield Wednesday and QPR, and then came to us and still performed to a very high standard. That said something about his character. I don’t know how we signed him, I think Hodgy must’ve pulled that one out of the bag. He didn’t say a lot, but when he did everybody would listen. He linked things through midfield, a good addition to help out me and Robbie up front.”

Robbie Blake

“What a player. Could strike the ball so well, right foot or left foot, no back-lift, pure quality. He was a goal scorer, simple as that. I scored a few goals but missed more chances than I took, but give Robbie three chances and he’d score one – I needed six to score once, that’s the difference.

"I remember when I first came to the club on loan, I would watch all the reserve games and Robbie would score for fun. He scored in every game I saw him play, and I was thinking he’s definitely one for the future, it was only a matter of time. He broke into the team in 95-96, scored quite a few goals and got a move the season afterwards to Bradford City.

"He’s got to be one of the best I ever played with and I do think he could’ve played for England, he was that good. If you think of some of the strikers that have been selected for England, Robbie could definitely have done it. I don’t know, maybe if he’d knuckled down that little bit more.”

Matt Carmichael

“I didn’t know Matt personally, he kept himself to himself and I didn’t play that much with him, he came in at the end of the season as a fringe player. I played up front with him a couple of times, he was a target man who would put his head in where it hurt.”

Robbie Painter

“I was a dedicated pro, hard-working and enjoyed a good laugh with the lads. Darlington was a great club, everyone was so friendly and I made friendships which I maintain to this day. They were good times, good lads and a very good team. I left just after the Leeds game in 1996 and joined Rochdale on loan initially. Darren Roberts had joined Darlington in the summer after Wembley and I was in and out of the team.

“I had a good relationship with the fans. I’d been retired about five years when I was in Leeds Bradford Airport coming back from Ibiza and there were about ten or 15 Darlington fans who started shouting ‘Super Robbie Painter’. I’d met my wife after I’d stopped playing, and she knew I’d played football, but she was shocked. I think she secretly loved it!”