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1885 - Hartlepool Rovers v Darlington

What we know about this image :

Formed in 1863, the Darlington club is one of the oldest Rugby Clubs in the world and has been part and parcel of the town club’s fixture lists at every playing level, ever since Rugby started in this area about a decade after the Quakers.

This poster looks from its style to date from the mid 1880’s, with West putting out an “A” team for the early kick off (note).  From a note in the book “The First Half-Century” 1863-1914, the story of Darlington RFC, written by Bob Jackson, Rovers did meet West at the Friarage Field in March 0f 1885, winning by 5 goals, 2 tries and 7 minors without reply so that date will suffice!

Recent research has revealed that at this time Dr J G Robertson, a Scot, who had had Scottish Trials in the early 1870s played for Darlington, and is the first black man known to have played Rugby in Scotland,  it is possible that he may have played in Hartlepool whilst with Darlington or North Durham his first club on arrival in the area.

Date (of image) : 14/3/1885

Donor : Hartlepool Museums Service

Creator : Procter or F W Mason?

Part of the "Robert Wood" collection

Location