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Post by scoffsablue on Sept 2, 2013 17:25:08 GMT 1
Remember them?....used to be just plain old Darlington.....nicknamed the Quakers and played at Feethams Park for most of their existence a ground i visited many times following the Town.....Then some faceless investor comes along and gives them a supposed facelift and builds a new ground for them.... the Darlington Arena.....27,000 capacity suicide....................So where are they now?.....Well last season they were promoted from the Evo-Stik North 2nd Division into the Evo-Stik 1st Division....ground sharing with Bishop Auckland at Heritage Park which is around 12 miles away from the old ground.....AFC Darlington is now owned and run by the supporters with buses running the fans to the home games from Darlington....and getting around 1000 to 1500 a week   .....Keep thanking your lucky stars Town fans........and come back AFC Darlington.....All is forgiven. |
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Post by catterickterrier on Sept 2, 2013 17:27:40 GMT 1
I pass the darlo arena every day on my way to work the local rugby club now play there, horrendous waste
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Post by 3Pipe on Sept 2, 2013 17:28:28 GMT 1
I think they were in D4 with us in my first season following Town, 1979/80.
Sure I was at the home game but could be mind playing tricks.
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Post by ShortbreadPete on Sept 2, 2013 17:29:45 GMT 1
Funnily enough I've had a soft spot for Darlo for many years and occasionally go on their board to check their progress. How they've suffered and been let down but they're doing ok now. www.darlofc.co.uk/forum/ |
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Post by scoffsablue on Sept 2, 2013 17:57:13 GMT 1
Funnily enough I've had a soft spot for Darlo for many years and occasionally go on their board to check their progress. How they've suffered and been let down but they're doing ok now. www.darlofc.co.uk/forum/ Nice one....I think we need a fight club board on DATM  ....Enter at your own risk......No holds barred.........And an Uncovered Gold Board......for trips down memory lane. |
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mezz60
Tom Cowan Terrier
[M0:0]
Posts: 715
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Post by mezz60 on Sept 2, 2013 18:10:06 GMT 1
Wasn't it called the Reynold arena when it was first built named after there safe cracking chairman
Remember going there on a boxing day after we dropped into the bottom division I think that they were using 2 sides of the ground then. But it was a much better ground than we have with all the corners filled in and a proper supporters bar.
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E4b
Jimmy Glazzard Terrier
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Post by E4b on Sept 2, 2013 18:11:47 GMT 1
I remember getting 'run' coming out of Darlo Station late 70s. I was the last one to run mind you but we were outnumbered about 10 to 1. We ended up in one of the station cafes where one of he elder town nutters had a go at us all or running. "Huddersfield don't run, he said". Well we bloody did that day and we're still here today to tell the story!
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Post by duffterrier on Sept 2, 2013 18:17:16 GMT 1
went twice to Darlo in the 79/80 season....once in the FA Cup which ended 1-1 and then at Easter time in the league. Andy Rankin was going for a record number of clean sheets in a row for Town(about nine i think)but was beaten twice inside half an hour....full back Irvine Natrass of all people notching twice but we eventually won 3-2 with Brian Stanton scoring one of the best goals i've ever seen from town.
Darlo used to kick off at 3.15 aswell...never found out why!!
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Post by catterickterrier on Sept 2, 2013 18:18:05 GMT 1
Wasn't it called the Reynold arena when it was first built named after there safe cracking chairman Remember going there on a boxing day after we dropped into the bottom division I think that they were using 2 sides of the ground then. But it was a much better ground than we have with all the corners filled in and a proper supporters bar. Sure was It's had more names than ours since mind |
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Post by morleyterrier on Sept 2, 2013 18:24:19 GMT 1
Remember them?....used to be just plain old Darlington.....nicknamed the Quakers and played at Feethams Park for most of their existence a ground i visited many times following the Town.....Then some faceless investor comes along and gives them a supposed facelift and builds a new ground for them.... the Darlington Arena.....27,000 capacity suicide....................So where are they now?.....Well last season they were promoted from the Evo-Stik North 2nd Division into the Evo-Stik 1st Division....ground sharing with Bishop Auckland at Heritage Park which is around 12 miles away from the old ground.....AFC Darlington is now owned and run by the supporters with buses running the fans to the home games from Darlington....and getting around 1000 to 1500 a week .....Keep thanking your lucky stars Town fans........and come back AFC Darlington.....All is forgiven. Good post! and agree it is sad to see a good old fashioned Club like Darlo struggle. Mind you, look a Stockport, a Championship Club it must be within the last 10 years and now in the relegation zone for Blue Square North and soundly beaten by Harrogate at the weekend. I remember I think it may have been the 2003/04 season and our opening fixture was at Edgley park, we took shitloads, really sunny day and I am sure our winner for 3-2 was the in the last minute (Boothy?). It was a great away day out that. |
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Post by 3Pipe on Sept 2, 2013 18:27:40 GMT 1
went twice to Darlo in the 79/80 season....once in the FA Cup which ended 1-1 and then at Easter time in the league. Andy Rankin was going for a record number of clean sheets in a row for Town(about nine i think)but was beaten twice inside half an hour....full back Irvine Natrass of all people notching twice but we eventually won 3-2 with Brian Stanton scoring one of the best goals i've ever seen from town.
Darlo used to kick off at 3.15 aswell...never found out why!! How on earth do you remember all that? Respect! I know I was only 10 but I was at that game and all I have to remember it is the program in my parents' loft. (blue program yellow writing) My son takes the piss out of me cos I can't remember games from 2 weeks ago. |
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Post by scoffsablue on Sept 2, 2013 18:28:20 GMT 1
Remember them?....used to be just plain old Darlington.....nicknamed the Quakers and played at Feethams Park for most of their existence a ground i visited many times following the Town.....Then some faceless investor comes along and gives them a supposed facelift and builds a new ground for them.... the Darlington Arena.....27,000 capacity suicide....................So where are they now?.....Well last season they were promoted from the Evo-Stik North 2nd Division into the Evo-Stik 1st Division....ground sharing with Bishop Auckland at Heritage Park which is around 12 miles away from the old ground.....AFC Darlington is now owned and run by the supporters with buses running the fans to the home games from Darlington....and getting around 1000 to 1500 a week .....Keep thanking your lucky stars Town fans........and come back AFC Darlington.....All is forgiven. Good post! and agree it is sad to see a good old fashioned Club like Darlo struggle. Mind you, look a Stockport, a Championship Club it must be within the last 10 years and now in the relegation zone for Blue Square North and soundly beaten by Harrogate at the weekend. I remember I think it may have been the 2003/04 season and our opening fixture was at Edgley park, we took shitloads, really sunny day and I am sure our winner for 3-2 was the in the last minute (Boothy?). It was a great away day out that. I'm pretty sure the last time we played Stockport it was a sunny day and we smashed 'em for 6 at thier place........The beginning of the end for them. |
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Post by OldRastrickian on Sept 2, 2013 18:30:08 GMT 1
At least they aren't still stuk in that 2nd Division...............
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Post by scoffsablue on Sept 2, 2013 18:30:36 GMT 1
went twice to Darlo in the 79/80 season....once in the FA Cup which ended 1-1 and then at Easter time in the league. Andy Rankin was going for a record number of clean sheets in a row for Town(about nine i think)but was beaten twice inside half an hour....full back Irvine Natrass of all people notching twice but we eventually won 3-2 with Brian Stanton scoring one of the best goals i've ever seen from town. Darlo used to kick off at 3.15 aswell...never found out why!! Probably because once you paid through the turnstile you still had a 5 minute walk around the cricket gound before you got to the stadium!! |
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Post by scoffsablue on Sept 2, 2013 18:33:21 GMT 1
I remember getting 'run' coming out of Darlo Station late 70s. I was the last one to run mind you but we were outnumbered about 10 to 1. We ended up in one of the station cafes where one of he elder town nutters had a go at us all or running. "Huddersfield don't run, he said". Well we bloody did that day and we're still here today to tell the story! Locally you've got 3 chances to get your own back this season when they play at Ossett Albion, Ossett Town and Wakefield.....Ger into 'em |
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Post by duffterrier on Sept 2, 2013 18:44:54 GMT 1
went twice to Darlo in the 79/80 season....once in the FA Cup which ended 1-1 and then at Easter time in the league. Andy Rankin was going for a record number of clean sheets in a row for Town(about nine i think)but was beaten twice inside half an hour....full back Irvine Natrass of all people notching twice but we eventually won 3-2 with Brian Stanton scoring one of the best goals i've ever seen from town.
Darlo used to kick off at 3.15 aswell...never found out why!! How on earth do you remember all that? Respect! I know I was only 10 but I was at that game and all I have to remember it is the program in my parents' loft. (blue program yellow writing) My son takes the piss out of me cos I can't remember games from 2 weeks ago. Remember that 79/80 season v well.....was 14 and went to about 10 away games as well as every home game (apart from the first one cos my mum and dad booked the family hols to come back that day...inconsiderate sods!!) You are right tho about the short term memory.....can remember more about a season that was nearly 35 yrs ago then one that was a couple of seasons back!! |
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Post by scoffsablue on Sept 2, 2013 19:20:01 GMT 1
went twice to Darlo in the 79/80 season....once in the FA Cup which ended 1-1 and then at Easter time in the league. Andy Rankin was going for a record number of clean sheets in a row for Town(about nine i think)but was beaten twice inside half an hour....full back Irvine Natrass of all people notching twice but we eventually won 3-2 with Brian Stanton scoring one of the best goals i've ever seen from town.
Darlo used to kick off at 3.15 aswell...never found out why!! How on earth do you remember all that? Respect! I know I was only 10 but I was at that game and all I have to remember it is the program in my parents' loft. (blue program yellow writing) My son takes the piss out of me cos I can't remember games from 2 weeks ago. 79/80 was far from my first season but was without doubt my favourite season supporting Town....The Darlington FA Cup replay at home was a Tuesday nite....we battered 'em scored 2 goals both disallowed and they ended up beating us 1-0, we were gutted.... I remember people wanting to go to find the ref's house up North somewhere, he was a well known ref at the time...'tho i can't remeber his name now.....I just remember him as 'You're a Bastard referee' |
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Post by onekennyirons on Sept 2, 2013 19:30:10 GMT 1
I think they play in Wakeys league dont they? Planned on paying a visit when they come to town.
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Post by duffterrier on Sept 2, 2013 19:37:39 GMT 1
How on earth do you remember all that? Respect! I know I was only 10 but I was at that game and all I have to remember it is the program in my parents' loft. (blue program yellow writing) My son takes the piss out of me cos I can't remember games from 2 weeks ago. 79/80 was far from my first season but was without doubt my favourite season supporting Town....The Darlington FA Cup replay at home was a Tuesday nite....we battered 'em scored 2 goals both disallowed and they ended up beating us 1-0, we were gutted.... I remember people wanting to go to find the ref's house up North somewhere, he was a well known ref at the time...'tho i can't remeber his name now.....I just remember him as 'You're a Bastard referee' Ha ha....the winners had drawn Bradford at home aswell....Alan Starling got sent off after the final whistle which meant we brought in Andy Rankin,on loan at first and then permanent. |
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q8terrier
Jimmy Nicholson Terrier
Posts: 1,531
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Post by q8terrier on Sept 2, 2013 20:06:16 GMT 1
How on earth do you remember all that? Respect! I know I was only 10 but I was at that game and all I have to remember it is the program in my parents' loft. (blue program yellow writing) My son takes the piss out of me cos I can't remember games from 2 weeks ago. 79/80 was far from my first season but was without doubt my favourite season supporting Town....The Darlington FA Cup replay at home was a Tuesday nite....we battered 'em scored 2 goals both disallowed and they ended up beating us 1-0, we were gutted.... I remember people wanting to go to find the ref's house up North somewhere, he was a well known ref at the time...'tho i can't remeber his name now.....I just remember him as 'You're a Bastard referee' wasn't it colin seel? my mate phoned him up the next day pretending to be a reporter to ask him why he did it. the annoying think about one of the disallowed goals was that he actually disallowed it and gave a free kick to town (if my memory isn't playing tricks on me ). didn't go on the hecky coach to the cup game up there (was on the national coach from birstall), but think that's the one where one of the lads fell off the coach in darlington and broke his arm. |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2013 20:08:35 GMT 1
The rugger club are paying peanuts for the arena. Sounds like they've got a great set up and a real ale bar that stays open into the evening on match days.
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Post by rubicon on Sept 2, 2013 20:37:04 GMT 1
The arena was doomed from day one, regardless of their normally piss poor crowds. Council wouldn't give them a licence for concerts, there was little parking outside the ground, with many folks just parking on the A66 dual carriageway. Very much the proverbial white elephant. I only live 9 miles away, so pass it regularly.
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Post by togganet on Sept 2, 2013 20:50:42 GMT 1
The Feethams was great
New ground killed them (and any atmosphere when they played)
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darlo
Mini Terrier
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Post by darlo on Sept 2, 2013 21:42:14 GMT 1
Remember them?....used to be just plain old Darlington.....nicknamed the Quakers and played at Feethams Park for most of their existence a ground i visited many times following the Town.....Then some faceless investor comes along and gives them a supposed facelift and builds a new ground for them.... the Darlington Arena.....27,000 capacity suicide....................So where are they now?.....Well last season they were promoted from the Evo-Stik North 2nd Division into the Evo-Stik 1st Division....ground sharing with Bishop Auckland at Heritage Park which is around 12 miles away from the old ground.....AFC Darlington is now owned and run by the supporters with buses running the fans to the home games from Darlington....and getting around 1000 to 1500 a week .....Keep thanking your lucky stars Town fans........and come back AFC Darlington.....All is forgiven. Glad to see someone remembers us, seems like a lifetime since we were in the league now. One or two errors there but not far off. Name is actually Darlington 1883 but we would prefer if you didn't mention the 1883 bit, we are still Darlington FC. The FA wanted to kick us in the nuts one more time and made us change the name. We added the year of our formation in an attempt to stick the V's up at them and their stance that we are a new club. We were placed at the 9th level of football last season which for our location is the Northern League. Or the "Royston Vasey Invitational Clown Challenge" as we have come to know it by. We smashed it with 40 wins from 46 games, not with professionals, but with players taken from that level. Players who missed games because they were at work or at a mates stag do in Las Vegas. Just added a professional style outlook and Martin Gray, our manager got the best out of them. Now we are in the said Evo-Stik First division north (there is no 2nd division), still 4 promotions from the football league. Hoping to go through this one as well but our rise may be too rapid as our temporary home is only graded to Evo-Stik Premier level. Crazy situation in that there is a Premier League standard football ground in Darlo and it was available for £2m, but we didn't have any money and are now faced with finding much more to build a new ground. Local rugby club snapped it up and claim to be able to stomach the running costs with a tenth of the fanbase of ours. Many fans are extremely anti-arena anyway, blaming it for our situation. Certainly was the cause of our first administration, and perhaps then became a magnet for the wrong kind of owners as 2 more administrations almost killed us as chairmen thought they could develop adjoining land and offset football losses. Didn't work and lost ownership of the stadium when a mortgage was left unpaid. We'll keep plugging away but now we are fan owned and run, we have to live within our means and there is always a (un)healthy supply of bank-rolled non-league clubs with football league ambitions that will outspend us and make it difficult to get back. There's always the FA cup. Oh, hang on, they kicked us out of that for 2 years as well. |
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mezz60
Tom Cowan Terrier
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Posts: 715
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Post by mezz60 on Sept 2, 2013 22:05:53 GMT 1
Remember them?....used to be just plain old Darlington.....nicknamed the Quakers and played at Feethams Park for most of their existence a ground i visited many times following the Town.....Then some faceless investor comes along and gives them a supposed facelift and builds a new ground for them.... the Darlington Arena.....27,000 capacity suicide....................So where are they now?.....Well last season they were promoted from the Evo-Stik North 2nd Division into the Evo-Stik 1st Division....ground sharing with Bishop Auckland at Heritage Park which is around 12 miles away from the old ground.....AFC Darlington is now owned and run by the supporters with buses running the fans to the home games from Darlington....and getting around 1000 to 1500 a week .....Keep thanking your lucky stars Town fans........and come back AFC Darlington.....All is forgiven. Glad to see someone remembers us, seems like a lifetime since we were in the league now. One or two errors there but not far off. Name is actually Darlington 1883 but we would prefer if you didn't mention the 1883 bit, we are still Darlington FC. The FA wanted to kick us in the nuts one more time and made us change the name. We added the year of our formation in an attempt to stick the V's up at them and their stance that we are a new club. We were placed at the 9th level of football last season which for our location is the Northern League. Or the "Royston Vasey Invitational Clown Challenge" as we have come to know it by. We smashed it with 40 wins from 46 games, not with professionals, but with players taken from that level. Players who missed games because they were at work or at a mates stag do in Las Vegas. Just added a professional style outlook and Martin Gray, our manager got the best out of them. Now we are in the said Evo-Stik First division north (there is no 2nd division), still 4 promotions from the football league. Hoping to go through this one as well but our rise may be too rapid as our temporary home is only graded to Evo-Stik Premier level. Crazy situation in that there is a Premier League standard football ground in Darlo and it was available for £2m, but we didn't have any money and are now faced with finding much more to build a new ground. Local rugby club snapped it up and claim to be able to stomach the running costs with a tenth of the fanbase of ours. Many fans are extremely anti-arena anyway, blaming it for our situation. Certainly was the cause of our first administration, and perhaps then became a magnet for the wrong kind of owners as 2 more administrations almost killed us as chairmen thought they could develop adjoining land and offset football losses. Didn't work and lost ownership of the stadium when a mortgage was left unpaid. We'll keep plugging away but now we are fan owned and run, we have to live within our means and there is always a (un)healthy supply of bank-rolled non-league clubs with football league ambitions that will outspend us and make it difficult to get back. There's always the FA cup. Oh, hang on, they kicked us out of that for 2 years as well. You need to use Afc Halifax or Chester as examples of what you can do remember going to watch Halifax at Osset albion about 4 yrs ago in the same division as you lot are now. They have managed to drag themselves back up to conference level while remaining part time and with home crowds of about 1200 |
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Post by Darlington Terrier on Sept 2, 2013 22:06:31 GMT 1
Hello :-)
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Post by alexdire on Sept 3, 2013 8:51:34 GMT 1
I pass the darlo arena every day on my way to work the local rugby club now play there, horrendous waste Do you live that side of Darlington? |
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Post by Malvern Tom (WAHLS) on Sept 3, 2013 9:18:17 GMT 1
Always a good day out up Darlo......went on the train one time, the station was up top of a hill and the fair was just below. Town fans got 'involved' with the fair lads and it was carnage.....also remember some Darlo lads wading across the river to escape Town fans, but they were always a game lot. First time I went it was weird cos after paying in we were confronted by this trek past the cricket pitches like Scoffa says. Late 70s......finest time to support Town....great away days.....miss 'em. The replay in the cup was horrible....we equalised in the last few mins and the ref pulled it back and gave Town a free kick just outside the box (into the open end)
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Post by otium (EPBS) on Sept 3, 2013 10:25:17 GMT 1
Good post! and agree it is sad to see a good old fashioned Club like Darlo struggle. Mind you, look a Stockport, a Championship Club it must be within the last 10 years and now in the relegation zone for Blue Square North and soundly beaten by Harrogate at the weekend. I remember I think it may have been the 2003/04 season and our opening fixture was at Edgley park, we took shitloads, really sunny day and I am sure our winner for 3-2 was the in the last minute (Boothy?). It was a great away day out that. I'm pretty sure the last time we played Stockport it was a sunny day and we smashed 'em for 6 at thier place........The beginning of the end for them. Great game that and still that little Perkins (now running the show at Barnsley) was the best player on the pitch. We should have bought him for 50k. Who remembers Darlo away in the cup in 79-80? Peter Hart and Town outnumbered the home fans about 2 to 1!! |
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Post by scoffsablue on Sept 3, 2013 11:28:07 GMT 1
Remember them?....used to be just plain old Darlington.....nicknamed the Quakers and played at Feethams Park for most of their existence a ground i visited many times following the Town.....Then some faceless investor comes along and gives them a supposed facelift and builds a new ground for them.... the Darlington Arena.....27,000 capacity suicide....................So where are they now?.....Well last season they were promoted from the Evo-Stik North 2nd Division into the Evo-Stik 1st Division....ground sharing with Bishop Auckland at Heritage Park which is around 12 miles away from the old ground.....AFC Darlington is now owned and run by the supporters with buses running the fans to the home games from Darlington....and getting around 1000 to 1500 a week .....Keep thanking your lucky stars Town fans........and come back AFC Darlington.....All is forgiven. Glad to see someone remembers us, seems like a lifetime since we were in the league now. One or two errors there but not far off. Name is actually Darlington 1883 but we would prefer if you didn't mention the 1883 bit, we are still Darlington FC. The FA wanted to kick us in the nuts one more time and made us change the name. We added the year of our formation in an attempt to stick the V's up at them and their stance that we are a new club. We were placed at the 9th level of football last season which for our location is the Northern League. Or the "Royston Vasey Invitational Clown Challenge" as we have come to know it by. We smashed it with 40 wins from 46 games, not with professionals, but with players taken from that level. Players who missed games because they were at work or at a mates stag do in Las Vegas. Just added a professional style outlook and Martin Gray, our manager got the best out of them. Now we are in the said Evo-Stik First division north (there is no 2nd division), still 4 promotions from the football league. Hoping to go through this one as well but our rise may be too rapid as our temporary home is only graded to Evo-Stik Premier level. Crazy situation in that there is a Premier League standard football ground in Darlo and it was available for £2m, but we didn't have any money and are now faced with finding much more to build a new ground. Local rugby club snapped it up and claim to be able to stomach the running costs with a tenth of the fanbase of ours. Many fans are extremely anti-arena anyway, blaming it for our situation. Certainly was the cause of our first administration, and perhaps then became a magnet for the wrong kind of owners as 2 more administrations almost killed us as chairmen thought they could develop adjoining land and offset football losses. Didn't work and lost ownership of the stadium when a mortgage was left unpaid. We'll keep plugging away but now we are fan owned and run, we have to live within our means and there is always a (un)healthy supply of bank-rolled non-league clubs with football league ambitions that will outspend us and make it difficult to get back. There's always the FA cup. Oh, hang on, they kicked us out of that for 2 years as well. It could have so easily been the same for us...and even tho' our original investor turned out to be a wolf in sheeps clothing we were fortunate enough to have a Town fan with Town at heart and willing to invest a few bob of his hard earned...As of today the future of our club looks as well as it has for the last 10 years or so............We had some good memories up at Darlo so I hope you guys emulate the efforts made by Newport, Halifax and Chester recently and get back to/towards the football league in the near future...All the best |
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.....Keep thanking your lucky stars Town fans........and come back AFC Darlington.....All is forgiven.
....Enter at your own risk......No holds barred.........And an Uncovered Gold Board......for trips down memory lane.
