View from the Board/DJ

[super_les_mcjannet]

I am assuming once the season is finished we will get a view from the Board more directly but if anyone wants to have an idea of how this last season felt from a board point of view and has missed this info then here goes.

For those who are Your Club members/Owners can watch 38 mins of the recent AGM

https://yourclub.darlingtonfc.co.uk/dfc-agm-april-2024

For those who want to listen to 8mins of DJ's views after survival

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0hqyxld

[MB86DFC]

Thanks for sharing, both are very informative and positive.

It’s easy to be critical of the boards and the pace of progress (I’m guilty of moaning about this through the season) however watching the AGM really shows the dedication and care given by those in charge.

Pleased to see a structural review is taking place to try to increase capability

[bga]

In the short reference, DJ makes to a new ground.He says "things are going well" whatever that means?

[H1987]

In the short reference, DJ makes to a new ground.He says "things are going well" whatever that means?

It’s taking the piss at this point.

[bga]

In the short reference, DJ makes to a new ground.He says "things are going well" whatever that means?

It’s taking the piss at this point.

Just listened again he is referring to Ground and Funding options "progressing well"........As we all agree a formal update is required from the Board.

[H1987]

Aye, it just rubbed me up the wrong way listening to it. To be honest, it feels like there is an air of arrogance about it. We just want to know *something*. I can even deal with it if the honest answer is we just can’t afford it as a football club. Fine. But this kind insider ‘things are going well’ is all we’ve had for two years.

[lo36789]

Aye, it just rubbed me up the wrong way listening to it. To be honest, it feels like there is an air of arrogance about it. We just want to know *something*. I can even deal with it if the honest answer is we just can’t afford it as a football club. Fine. But this kind insider ‘things are going well’ is all we’ve had for two years.

Yeh but aren't these things under NDAs with the council?

[H1987]

I have no idea but I find it incredibly strange that literally every other club manages to update their fans on this kind of stuff and the majority aren’t fan owned!

[lo36789]

I have no idea but I find it incredibly strange that literally every other club manages to update their fans on this kind of stuff and the majority aren’t fan owned!

How many other clubs are in our situation?

Reliant on being considered and complementary to town plans to meet a social need to determine where a new ground can be built, with a club with no assets behind them to support that move.

[H1987]

Of similar size to what we want? Dulwich Hamlet? Sheffield FC?

There’s absolutely loads if you go down the google black hole. Either new developments or current stadium works.

What marks us out is the complete lack of detail.

[bga]

Aye, it just rubbed me up the wrong way listening to it. To be honest, it feels like there is an air of arrogance about it. We just want to know *something*. I can even deal with it if the honest answer is we just can’t afford it as a football club. Fine. But this kind insider ‘things are going well’ is all we’ve had for two years.

Yeh but aren't these things under NDAs with the council?

NDAs are not gagging orders where you can say nothing at all. Clearly they exist for good bisiness reasons. However, I would suggest it unlikely it would say prevent one party from disclosing to its "Owners" how many parties they are in discussion with about parts of the project and certain timelines. Surely an NDA would not prevent a party saying "we have yet to identify a suitable site," if this was the case. Or possibly " we have identified a suitable site."

It is clear we need sme form of update please.

[eddie-rowles]

My understanding, council have no money to help, interest rates for stadium loan presently too high, a developer we were working with on a potential site (possibly Faverdale) has been beaten or gazumped by another developer who DJ will meet with shortly to see how much they want for earliest 26/27 season (2 years) . Other sites are still a long way from progressing five years and out of town sites (Houchen Teeside airport etc) unlikely but on the back burner. We are at BM for atleast 2 years minimum if SW does the unbelievable and gets us promoted via playoffs next season for 25/26 we have to spend +£100k to upgrade BM unless the NL allow us to delay things if spades in the ground on new stadium. Lots of ifs and buts ! I believe interest rates have to fall considerably before an investor loans us £5-£8 million.

[Magical Quakers]

I can understand that people want to know what is happening and also want things to happen fast.

To say that we are unique in not providing updates is well wide of the mark. Living in Nottingham then I can put forward my '2nd team' Forest as an example of another club where information about stadium developments/moves is also shrouded in secrecy. Even though they came out with plans 5 years ago nothing has happened and what will happen no-one knows.

Should we know because we are owners of the club? If there are good commercial reasons why we can't then I am happy to wait. Lets face it we will only get one chance at another new ground, so making sure the right option of location and financing is undertaken is of paramount importance.

I think there is also a wider question of how we structure ourselves going forward. I for one never want to be beholden to a single investor again - especially if the fans end up financing a new ground, we should never let that go. I appreciate this creates a glass ceiling for funding.

[ralphb]

Darlington Council have never been a supporter of DFC, they now have no money, however they do have land, so why not give us the land with conditions on the land ownership?
As an example DBC apparently own land at Blackwell Meadows, so why not allow DFC to build a stadium alongside DRC, access from the A66/A1 is excellent
If Faverdale has gone that leaves Skerningham, access to Skerningham is a night mare, plus the supposed area for the ground is owned by the Church of England, who have openly stated they will not agree to their land being used for commercial purposes

[Darlopartisan]

Not sure what’s going on with the fields right next to the car park at BM , but there’s diggers and hight markers work going on today.
Anyone?

[Ghost_Of_1883]

My understanding, council have no money to help, interest rates for stadium loan presently too high, a developer we were working with on a potential site (possibly Faverdale) has been beaten or gazumped by another developer who DJ will meet with shortly to see how much they want for earliest 26/27 season (2 years) . Other sites are still a long way from progressing five years and out of town sites (Houchen Teeside airport etc) unlikely but on the back burner. We are at BM for atleast 2 years minimum if SW does the unbelievable and gets us promoted via playoffs next season for 25/26 we have to spend +£100k to upgrade BM unless the NL allow us to delay things if spades in the ground on new stadium. Lots of ifs and buts ! I believe interest rates have to fall considerably before an investor loans us £5-£8 million.

If that's true then I'm not sure how DJ can rate that as "things are progressing well"...

"Things have stalled, and we're waiting for however long it's going to take, and we need a big slice of luck on top of that for it all to fall into place" probably won't be what anyone wants to hear.

Also, I don't see how we build a 5,000+ stadium with all the facilities and all weather pitches etc for between 5-8 million. Leamington's new ground is going to be 13 million and wasn't Boston's a similar figure?

As for "council have no money to help" - what a surprise. How come every other council for every town with a football club always has money?

[H1987]

My understanding, council have no money to help, interest rates for stadium loan presently too high, a developer we were working with on a potential site (possibly Faverdale) has been beaten or gazumped by another developer who DJ will meet with shortly to see how much they want for earliest 26/27 season (2 years) . Other sites are still a long way from progressing five years and out of town sites (Houchen Teeside airport etc) unlikely but on the back burner. We are at BM for atleast 2 years minimum if SW does the unbelievable and gets us promoted via playoffs next season for 25/26 we have to spend +£100k to upgrade BM unless the NL allow us to delay things if spades in the ground on new stadium. Lots of ifs and buts ! I believe interest rates have to fall considerably before an investor loans us £5-£8 million.

If that's true then I'm not sure how DJ can rate that as "things are progressing well"...

"Things have stalled, and we're waiting for however long it's going to take, and we need a big slice of luck on top of that for it all to fall into place" probably won't be what anyone wants to hear.

Also, I don't see how we build a 5,000+ stadium with all the facilities and all weather pitches etc for between 5-8 million. Leamington's new ground is going to be 13 million and wasn't Boston's a similar figure?

As for "council have no money to help" - what a surprise. How come every other council for every town with a football club always has money?

It might be an unpopular update but if it’s the truth, it should be shared. I really don’t think ‘national league north football club with no investor other than the fans cannot built football league stadium’ should really surprise anyone.

[Darlobill]

Just watched video my take on it was thank god we have stayed up as it looked like DJ might have thrown the towel in. Also be interesting if we get to see his report as owners I’d like to think we would. Some good questions by fans who attended.

[onewayup]

What stood out for me was that the board owned the mistakes and in that knowledge have taken the view we have learnt by our mistakes.and are rectifying to make sure we don't fall into the same again.
That for me says an awful lot about where we go from here.
Admitting that mistakes were made. And own them was very honest from the board. Now move onto better times next season.