A FOOTBALL-MAD Irishman’s lifetime ambition to see Darlington FC ended up being a damp squib last Saturday after he spent more than £300 flying to the North-East with his son only to find the Quakers match rained off.

But Darlington have stepped in to thank the unlucky Dubliners for their support by offering VIP hospitality next time they come to The Northern Echo Arena, when they will watch the match from the directors’ box alongside chairman Raj Singh and meet manager Steve Staunton.

Derek Lawler, 52, recently drew up a list of things to do before he dies.

After completing numbers one and two – running a marathon and learning to ride a motorbike – Mr Lawler decided that a trip to watch Darlington with his 14-year-old son, David, was next.

He admits making a 500- mile round trip to see League Two’s bottom club may seem a bizarre desire, but explained that after developing a soft spot for the Quakers he wanted to show his support for Staunton’s struggling side.

He said: “I wanted to see a game where it was local people supporting their local team.”

It was literally a case of planes, trains and automobiles for the father and son, who flew from Dublin to Newcastle on Saturday morning, travelled by Metro to Newcastle Central Station, took the train to Darlington before jumping into a cab only 30 minutes prior to kickoff for the final leg of their journey.

“As the taxi drew closer to the arena the driver said that it seemed too quiet for a match day.

“When we saw the sign saying the game had been postponed it was a real blow considering the money we’d spent getting there.”

They missed the chance to see a trio of Irish players, Simon Madden Gary Dempsey and Tadhg Purcell, make their Darlington debuts.

Nevertheless, the Dubliners spent an enjoyable few hours sightseeing in Darlington.

“I don’t have any connection with Darlington, but they are one of the clubs I look out for because they often seem to be struggling at the wrong end of the table,” Mr Lawler said.

Shortly after running his first marathon Mr Lawler fulfilled a childhood dream last year when he bought and learnt to ride a motorbike.

Sadly, the doomed trip to watch Darlington wasn’t the first of his ambitions to end on a sour note.

“Unfortunately the motorbike was nicked about eight months ago but it was great while it lasted,” he said