Welcome, Guest.
Please login or register.
Fishy Forum Fishy Boards Archive › Darlington FC
Users Browsing Forum
AdSense, Googlebot and 414 Guests

Darlington FC

  This thread currently has 5,720 views. Print
2 Pages 1 2 All Recommend Thread
TheRonRaffertyFanClub
May 22, 2020, 2:18pm
Special Brew Drinker
Posts: 7,638
Posts Per Day: 1.35
Reputation: 79.65%
Rep Score: +43 / -11
Location: Norfolk
Approval: +8,658
Gold Stars: 23
Came across this piece in the Times by Martin Hardy  this morning. Good luck to these fans, hope they make it.





Have you actually listened to Mott the Hoople?” It was late by the time the question came, in a Tyneside bar back in 2012, trying to make sense of a truly dramatic day at the 25,000 all-seater Darlington Arena as the town’s football team disappeared after 128 years of existence, mired in debt, but was then given an 11th-hour reprieve by two blokes in a Peugeot 308.

“We’ve got the money!” they shouted, running across the car park. Later, the pair would admit they had been blasting the rock band Mott the Hoople on the stereo as they made a ten-minute journey in six. It was better than a last-minute winner.

Earlier a fan had placed a ceremonial Darlington FC scarf outside the stadium’s main entrance to signify its death. The receiver had said all avenues had been exhausted.

It transpired that was not quite the case. The heroes arrived, genuinely with money, the locks were taken off and the youth team coach Craig Liddle, who was in temporary charge and has a beer named after him for service to the club, spoke exhaustedly inside what always felt like a white elephant of a stadium. The drama masked the truth, everything was out of place. The stadium, built by the eccentric owner George Reynolds, was crazily big, the debt, at £1.8 million, unmanageable, the goodwill (and the cash), as it turned out, insufficient to pluck victory from the jaws of defeat.

The club went into administration, had to change its name, becoming Darlington 1883, and had to start life in the Northern League, the ninth tier of English football.

“It was touch and go for a period of time if that was it or we would start again,” says David Steel, a lifelong Darlington fan and now a member of the DFC Supporters’ Group (of which there are 12).

“It was heartbreaking but it wasn’t a huge surprise. We had been mismanaged by a number of self serving owners. You know when you see someone running and they stumble for half a minute and then fall over? The previous 15 years was the stumble and 2012 was the fall.

“Eight years ago we were clueless, homeless and we had no players, we appointed a manager, Martin Gray, who literally had a clean sheet of paper.

“I’m in the camp of what happened was the best thing that could have happened. We had a blast in the Northern league, it was fantastic. We had the weird feeling of being a big fish in a small pond.

“We realised pretty quickly we were onto something and the fan model was interesting and there was a collective spirit again. The crowd was there, the team, was good and were were winning.

“The club has two boards, the Supporters’ Group board and we represent the owners, which is the fans who have 80 per cent of the stake of the club. We work with the operating board (who have five members), which is the chief exec, who runs the club day to day and realises our vision.”

There are now around 800 owners of Darlington FC (who were allowed to change their name back). The drive is to be clever. In 2017, they started the “Boost The Budget” fund, where fans could pay any amount to help fund the signing and wages of players. In year one, it raised £40,000, that was doubled the following year, last season reached £103,000, and after worrying about the impact of Covid-19, of members being furloughed or losing their jobs, David and his fellow members went for an ambitious £100,000. As of Friday morning, the pot for manager Alun Armstrong next season in National League North (tier 6) had £87,470 in it. Five days ago someone put £14 in, yesterday came £400.

“You get everything from some chucking a tenner in to a few fans who have put in significant funds,” says David. “It all counts, of course it does. We have got individual investors who put in £14 or five grand and everything in between. It’s a wonderful model. If somebody who put in £500 last year has been fired from their job this year and they’re struggling, they don’t have to do it and the club won’t fold as a result.

“This is the optimum example of the fans owning the club. The fans love the current manager Alun Armstrong and he did a wonderful job with the £103,000 last year, plus the rest of the money that was his budget.

“Alun came in and said he would put a bit of North East spirit back into the squad and get local lads who will fight for the shirt. We’re a good team to watch too.”

The club has moved ground twice, first to share with Bishop Auckland and then, four years ago to Blackwell Meadows, the home of Darlington Rugby Club.

It is easy to forget how much fans care sometimes. The Tin Shed, the roof of the home end at Feethams — Darlington’s home before the decision to build the arena — was dismantled in 2004, stored and brought back in 2016. David first went with his dad, Colin, whose last game was at the Arena, before he passed away in 2013 with cancer.

“My old fella would have loved the last eight years,” adds David. “I used to text him from games and say what it was like being back on the terraces. We talked incessantly about Feethams. My mam says ‘he would be dead proud of you now’.

“The first time I went back on the Tin Shed was emotional. It is something else we have got, a part of Feethams.

“I wish we’d never left there. I first started going in 1989 and we won the Conference and the next season we won Division Four. It was the link back to being a kid. It was such a lovely feeling.”


“If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.”
― John Stuart Mill, On Liberty."
Logged
Private Message
AndyDarloFC
May 25, 2020, 3:46pm
Table Wine Drinker
Posts: 886
Posts Per Day: 0.17
Reputation: 92.91%
Rep Score: +17 / 0
Location: Darlington
Approval: +1,695
Gold Stars: 33
Just smashed our #BoostTheBudget target of 100k in 24 days.

Raised a total of 101k with 6 days left, can see us hitting 115k.

Thanks for the kind words on the original post. Hope to be back playing you lot soon.

UTM.


Logged Offline
Private Message Skype
Reply: 1 - 16
Iknowyoursecret
May 25, 2020, 3:53pm
Beer Drinker
Posts: 120
Posts Per Day: 0.08
Reputation: 60.18%
Rep Score: +0 / -3
Approval: -34
Gold Stars: 2
Well done to you all
Logged Offline
Private Message
Reply: 2 - 16
Lincoln Mariner 56
May 25, 2020, 8:45pm
Brandy Drinker
Posts: 2,748
Posts Per Day: 0.60
Reputation: 83.82%
Rep Score: +23 / -4
Approval: +7,510
Gold Stars: 64
Great achievement well done Darlo fan’s
Logged Offline
Private Message
Reply: 3 - 16
TheRonRaffertyFanClub
May 25, 2020, 8:56pm
Special Brew Drinker
Posts: 7,638
Posts Per Day: 1.35
Reputation: 79.65%
Rep Score: +43 / -11
Location: Norfolk
Approval: +8,658
Gold Stars: 23
Quoted from AndyDarloFC
Just smashed our #BoostTheBudget target of 100k in 24 days.

Raised a total of 101k with 6 days left, can see us hitting 115k.

Thanks for the kind words on the original post. Hope to be back playing you lot soon.

UTM.


Well played Andy. Keep it going lads.



“If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.”
― John Stuart Mill, On Liberty."
Logged
Private Message
Reply: 4 - 16
KingstonMariner
May 25, 2020, 11:49pm
Meths Drinker
Posts: 22,096
Posts Per Day: 6.12
Reputation: 79.33%
Rep Score: +42 / -11
Approval: +23,440
Gold Stars: 218
Brilliant. Good news! Well done Darlo fans.

We don’t seem to have that spirit here, despite Op Promotion’s success. So many Grimsby people (including on this board, and including Trust members!) think that Grimsby people can’t make a success of owning their own football club. Now if that isn’t the definition of negative thinking....


Through the door there came familiar laughter,
I saw your face and heard you call my name.
Oh my friend we're older but no wiser,
For in our hearts the dreams are still the same.
Logged Offline
Private Message
Reply: 5 - 16
Madeleymariner
May 26, 2020, 10:22am

Vodka Drinker
Posts: 6,020
Posts Per Day: 1.01
Reputation: 64.28%
Rep Score: +23 / -15
Approval: +3,014
Gold Stars: 49
Quoted from KingstonMariner
Brilliant. Good news! Well done Darlo fans.

We don’t seem to have that spirit here, despite Op Promotion’s success. So many Grimsby people (including on this board, and including Trust members!) think that Grimsby people can’t make a success of owning their own football club. Now if that isn’t the definition of negative thinking....


I'm pretty sure if we went bust and restarted at semi pro level at a small ground (St Georges?) the fans could finance and run a new GTFC but that is very different to running a team with a £1.5million + payroll and an old stadium.
Logged Offline
Private Message
Reply: 6 - 16
AndyDarloFC
June 2, 2020, 1:20pm
Table Wine Drinker
Posts: 886
Posts Per Day: 0.17
Reputation: 92.91%
Rep Score: +17 / 0
Location: Darlington
Approval: +1,695
Gold Stars: 33
Just a little bump on this to give you the final total.

We ended up having a mad last surge on the last day and we reached a grand total of 131k.

Stay safe. All the best guys.


Logged Offline
Private Message Skype
Reply: 7 - 16
TheRonRaffertyFanClub
June 2, 2020, 2:23pm
Special Brew Drinker
Posts: 7,638
Posts Per Day: 1.35
Reputation: 79.65%
Rep Score: +43 / -11
Location: Norfolk
Approval: +8,658
Gold Stars: 23
Quoted from AndyDarloFC
Just a little bump on this to give you the final total.

We ended up having a mad last surge on the last day and we reached a grand total of 131k.

Stay safe. All the best guys.


Same to you Andy. Well done to you and the rest of the fans, great total.



“If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.”
― John Stuart Mill, On Liberty."
Logged
Private Message
Reply: 8 - 16
chipsandgravy
June 2, 2020, 3:13pm
Fine Wine Drinker
Posts: 1,076
Posts Per Day: 0.19
Reputation: 72.37%
Rep Score: +8 / -4
Approval: +3,538
Gold Stars: 34
Quoted from KingstonMariner
Brilliant. Good news! Well done Darlo fans.

We don’t seem to have that spirit here, despite Op Promotion’s success. So many Grimsby people (including on this board, and including Trust members!) think that Grimsby people can’t make a success of owning their own football club. Now if that isn’t the definition of negative thinking....


FFS!
But well done Darlo!
Logged Offline
Private Message
Reply: 9 - 16
friskneymariner
June 2, 2020, 4:03pm

Champagne Drinker
Posts: 2,476
Posts Per Day: 0.56
Reputation: 79.23%
Rep Score: +15 / -4
Location: friskney
Approval: +4,136
Gold Stars: 38
What's Liam Hatch doing these days and is he still with his girlfriend(Emma I believe) who didn't want him to come to Grimsby.


Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day,teach a man to fish and you give him an excuse for him to escape from the wife and kids for the weekend and drink lots of beer.
Logged Offline
Private Message
Reply: 10 - 16
AndyDarloFC
June 2, 2020, 8:38pm
Table Wine Drinker
Posts: 886
Posts Per Day: 0.17
Reputation: 92.91%
Rep Score: +17 / 0
Location: Darlington
Approval: +1,695
Gold Stars: 33
Quoted from friskneymariner
What's Liam Hatch doing these days and is he still with his girlfriend(Emma I believe) who didn't want him to come to Grimsby.

Still up this way I believe, far as I can recall; they live in Middlesbrough.

Not sure what he’s doing footy wise though, we released him back in 2014 or 2015 after our promotion.

Speaking of ex players, rumours are we’ve offered Sam Jones a part time contract..


Logged Offline
Private Message Skype
Reply: 11 - 16
139914
June 2, 2020, 8:58pm
Guest User
Seriously? Who gives two fux about darlo.  They struggled to muster 2,000 fans when in the league.  They belong where they are, let’s move on.
Logged
E-mail
Reply: 12 - 16
Abdul19
June 2, 2020, 9:41pm

Season Ticket Holder
Posts: 20,369
Posts Per Day: 3.42
Reputation: 73.77%
Rep Score: +71 / -26
Location: Scarborough
Approval: +17,449
Gold Stars: 214
Quoted from AndyDarloFC



Speaking of ex players, rumours are we’ve offered Sam Jones a part time contract..


Already expecting to scratch my head and wonder 'what went wrong there' when he joins Bishop Auckland in January.


JESUS AT THE CENTRE
Logged
Private Message
Reply: 13 - 16
Mallyner
June 3, 2020, 8:46am
Cocktail Drinker
Posts: 1,770
Posts Per Day: 0.59
Reputation: 80.9%
Rep Score: +9 / -2
Location: New Waltham
Approval: +2,509
Gold Stars: 22
Quoted from AndyDarloFC
Just smashed our #BoostTheBudget target of 100k in 24 days.

Raised a total of 101k with 6 days left, can see us hitting 115k.

Thanks for the kind words on the original post. Hope to be back playing you lot soon.

UTM.


Well said and done Andy. It would be nice to play you again one day; and you won't have that bloody goalkeeper who saved everything; I wonder what happened to him?  


Supporting Town for 65 years.  
Logged Offline
Private Message
Reply: 14 - 16
crusty ole pie
June 3, 2020, 1:29pm

Whiskey Drinker
Posts: 3,046
Posts Per Day: 0.53
Reputation: 89.09%
Rep Score: +16 / -1
Approval: +3,311
Gold Stars: 62
Quoted from 139914
Seriously? Who gives two fux about darlo.  They struggled to muster 2,000 fans when in the league.  They belong where they are, let’s move on.


Really ? I for one would like to see Darlington back in the league along with Stockport
Logged Offline
Private Message
Reply: 15 - 16
TownSNAFU5
June 3, 2020, 2:24pm
Vodka Drinker
Posts: 5,917
Posts Per Day: 1.13
Reputation: 62.03%
Rep Score: +30 / -21
Location: York
Approval: +6,773
Gold Stars: 41
.......and York back.

What is happening at Darlington FC is what football and fans are all about.  Or what it should be about.  Grassroots passion and loyalty.  Not expecting too much back in return.

Prem football is a business first and has generally lost its close connection with the fans.  
Logged Offline
Private Message
Reply: 16 - 16
2 Pages 1 2 All Recommend Thread
Print

Fishy Forum Fishy Boards Archive › Darlington FC

Back to top of page

This is not an official forum of Grimsby Town Football Club, the opinions expressed are those of the individual authors. If you see an offensive post then click "Report" on the relevant post. Posts will be deleted at the discretion of the moderators whose decision is final. Posts should abide by the Forum Rules. IP addresses of contributors together with dates and times of access are stored. The opinions and viewpoints expressed by contributors to The Fishy are their own and not necessarily those of The Fishy. The Fishy makes no claims that information dispersed through this forum is accurate or reliable. Also The Fishy cannot be held liable for any statements made by contributors of The Fishy.