By Nick Richardson
June 4 2005

Darlington legend Craig Liddle has finally been forced to retire through injury. His name will not be forgotted at Darlington and his presence will be sorely missed.

THE NEWS of Craig Liddle's retirement has been long since released, but it is time for DFC Online to pay tribute to a player that will never be forgotten and will have a special place in the hearts of Darlington supporters young and old.

'Lidds' originally joined on loan from Middlesbrough in 1998 and he's never looked back since. His commanding and red-blooded performances were always a pleasure to witness, proving to us that spirit and passion still existed in football.

He faced many difficulties during his time at Darlington, including problems with former Chairman, George Reynolds and the death of his Father. Astonishingly, he continued to churn out gutless performances throughout these difficult periods and for that, the man must be commended very highly indeed. Such commitment was refreshing to see, particularly right in front of your own eyes at your very own club.

Over the last couple of years, however, Liddle's career began to fade as he picked up injury after injury. He went through various operations and played through enormous pain (at one stage playing with a broken ankle). Despite copious amounts of medical treatment, 'Lidds' never fully recovered and was forced to retire through injury in mid-may, 2005.

To pay tribute to Liddle, Darlington and Middlesbrough have joined forces to organise a testimonial (Liddle is entitled to a testimonial due to the fact he retired through injury) between the two sides at The Williamson Motors Stadium, Darlington on July 23rd. A large crowd is expected and hopefully it will be a fitting event for the two clubs involved to pay tribute to this remarkable servant to the game.

On a personal note, I would like to wish 'Lidds' well in whatever he chooses to do in the future. I consider it a great shame that it appears a coaching deal for him at Darlington now appears to be unlikely, as I would believe his passion and general love for the game would be fantastic to have behind the scenes.

On behalf of many Darlington fans, Craig, thank you and good luck.