Newton Aycliffe legend Dan Mellanby has joined Northern League new boys Darlington.
The Quakers have snapped up the 33-year-old forward as Quakers new boss Martin Gray starts to rebuild the shattered club ready for an assault back up the footballing pyramid.
Mellanby has been a central figure in Aycliffe’s meteoric rise from the parks of the Durham Alliance league to the top tier of the Ebac Northern League, playing 78 times in total for the Newtonians, scoring 19 times.
The club today wished Mellanby all the best, and thanked him for his service in the last few years.
Chairman Gary Farley said: “Dan has played a major, major part in this club’s progress in the last five years and, naturally, we’re very disappointed to lose him, he’ll be a big loss on and off the pitch.
“But he goes to Darlington with our blessing. It’s a great challenge for him and we wish him, Martin Gray and Brian Atkinson our very best wishes.”
Mellanby, who’s career started out at Bishop Auckland – Darlington’s new landlords – had a spell in the Football League with the Quakers between 2001 and 2004, netting nine goals in 50 outings.
Sadly for Mellanby, a crippling back complaint curtailed a promising career and injury forced him to retire from the professional ranks.
From the Arena, Mellanby dropped down to Northern League level where he served at Crook Town under current Newtonians boss Allan Oliver, playing an instrumental role as the Ambers reached the 2006 FA Vase quarter-finals, as a second tier club.
Mellanby followed Oliver to hometown club Aycliffe in 2008, where Oliver formed a youthful side around him, putting the town on the footballing map, culminating in the Northern League’s second division title win in 2011, when Mellanby scooped the club’s Player of the Year and Supporters Player of the Year awards.
During the Newtonians maiden season in the top division, where they finished ninth, Mellanby played a more peripheral role, but still managed 28 appearances, scoring four times.
The move reacquaints Mellanby with former Quakers’ teammates Gray and his number two Atkinson, who is also the strikers’ uncle.
