Alan Sproates, one of Darlington’s finest midfielders and nicknamed “Quick Quaker Sproates”, has died at the age of 70.

Born on Wearside, Sproates started as an apprentice at Sunderland, and rubbed shoulders with Bobby Kerr, who famously lifted the FA Cup as Sunderland skipper in 1973. Sproates played the video of that famous final against Leeds on several occasions when he had visitors at his home in California, and every time jumped with joy when Ian Porterfield scored.

He couldn’t break into the Sunderland first team, and at the age of 19 in August 1963, he moved to Third Division Swindon Town.

But he only played five games for the Robins, one of which was a career changing game for Swindon in their 2-1 League Cup defeat at Darlington in September 1965.

Boardroom talks followed immediately after that game, and within a day, he moved to Feethams along with £8,000 in cash, with crowd favourite Jimmy Lawton going in the opposite direction. Sproates always thought that Darlington assistant manager Jack Watson, who knew North-East football inside out, played a major part in bringing him back to the region.

Sproates formed a strong midfield partnership with Ray Yeoman in which “Yogi” would win the ball in the tackle and then give it to Sproates to get the attack going. He made an instant impression, starring in his Feethams debut, a 3-0 win over Bradford City on September 25, 1965.

Quakers have found a winner in Sproates,” was the Echo headline. Reporter Bob James told people to forget about the departed Jimmy Lawton.

“Those fans mourning the departure of Jimmy Lawton can wipe away their crocodile tears, for Darlington look to have found a winner in Alan Sproates. Quick Quaker Sproates settled in straight away. He’s a player of obvious class, and fitted in like a well-worn glove.”

He was a winner all right, Sproates’ arrival was quickly followed by that of Bobby Cummings from Newcastle, and he provided some of the ammunition for Cummings to help fire Quakers to promotion that season.

The climax to the 1965-66 season came when Quakers clinched promotion for the first time in over 40 years with a goalless draw at Feethams against Torquay. “That was an amazing day when the final whistle went, all the crowd came on the pitch to celebrate. That day was probably the highlight of my career,” he said.

He was never regarded as a goalscorer, more a creator. He only scored 19 goals for Quakers in 346 appearances, but fans always remembered his consistently outstanding performances over his decade at the club.

He was also given the opportunity to become a football pioneer, playing in the USA and Australia during the English close season, and it was in the early 70s when he rubbed shoulders in the USA Major Soccer League with several football greats, including Pele and Franz Beckenbauer.

He left Darlington in 1974 following his testimonial and had two seasons at Scunthorpe, before going to live in the USA.

After he quit professional football, he continued playing and coaching up to last year, and still took an interest in what was happening at Darlington. He travelled from his California home twice in 2003; firstly for a reunion of the 1966 promotion winning team – he was taken aback by the rapturous reception he was given by the fans -- and again three months later for the Farewell to Feethams.

He and his wife Bonnie held a fundraising event in California when the club endured its first administration in 2004. He visited the Darlington Arena a few years later for a midweek league game and like many other people, was both flabbergasted and bemused by the size of it.