Fans forum

[Vodka_Vic]

On another Twitter feed it cites Hodgy as well.

[Darlobaz79]

MacLaren and Hodgy with two others...

[grimsbyquaker]

Sad fact is that unless we're getting crowds of 4,500 plus then as a fans' club we have hit a ceiling.

[grimsbyquaker]

If the investor is linked to Hodgy though then that's different. It's not like it's a foreign venture capital type

[lo36789]

Sad fact is that unless we're getting crowds of 4,500 plus then as a fans' club we have hit a ceiling.

To be fair it said that 500 fans would be £100k extra revenue per annum.

If we can get 2,250 then we can get to NL and that is ignoring the 500 club - so that will be a boost when the are no longer non-profitable. To suggest we need 4,500 to avoid hitting a ceiling is rubbish.

It doesn't sound like we are a million miles away from promotion. If we can get a decent sponsor for the stand that will help but the responsibility falls on all fans to try and boost the attendances. Hopefully a better pitch will make the football more appealing next season.

[Radar]

Some very bold statements from MG. Sounds very much like he has an investor or investors lined up to quote "Be full time in 18 months time"

Going full time does not guarantee success, it does guarantee however, a massive increase in expenditure, so going full time needs to be looked at with extreme caution.

Fylde are full time with a mammoth wage bill. Virtually promoted this season but didn't manage it last. Time will tell on whether the other full time team in Kidderminster manage to get ported through the play offs. Nuneaton are also full time but with a much lower budget than Fylde and Kidderminster.

Next season, Harrogate and Salford are making the financial commitment of going full time, one backed by a very wealthy multimillionaire in Irving Weaver and the other backed by Peter Lin, a Singaporean billionaire.

Small steps for me, at a pace which allows us to build a sustainable football club for now and in the future.

[grimsbyquaker]

True enough, but then what? The principle of a fan-run club is great but it comes with the prospect of never returning to what people perceive as 'where we belong.' The carrot of an investment package that would undoubtedly strengthen that push will test the resolve of many. Is it 'selling our soul' or is it just cold hard reality?

[lo36789]

Who care where people perceive where we belong. If we average under 2,000 fans then we will play forever at a level that fan base provides for.

[Darlo_Dan]

We are at a real crossroads. I believe tonight is the most significant moment in the past 5 years. Half the fans want a wholly fan owned club - however this means we have basically hit the ceiling. Other half would like investment from outside to push forward - but then run the risk of it all going wrong like previous times. You could sense the conflict at the forum.

Some very difficult decisions ahead.

Financially, it would appear we are not sustainable even at this level. Do we need an investor to be competitive at this level? Would attendances drop if we are not competitive and start a viscous cycle?

The decisions taken in the next few weeks/months are going to determine the future direction of DFC.

[grimsbyquaker]

From following tonight's events prior to MG's rousing speech it seems clear that the club is knackered. This season sees us in a false position and next year the proposed budget cut (£85k) would see us unable to compete with Blyth, Spennymoor and Harrogate let alone the bigger clubs from the north west. As MG said, it'd be mid table obscurity followed by relegation pretty soon after...a big price to pay for sticking to principles. That is not sustainability

[Craig09]

Who care where people perceive where we belong. If we average under 2,000 fans then we will play forever at a level that fan base provides for.

Exactly. With out an investor we will be sitting at more fans forums each season talking about more bucket collections and how much we need to keep raising to survive

[darlo reborn]

But what would an investor get out of it

[Vodka_Vic]

My worry is BM. No guarantees of it being OK for EFL.

[SwansQuaker83]

Top of the game

Will help Gray develop as a Coach

Step forward Shteve

[Darlo_Dan]

My worry is BM. No guarantees of it being OK for EFL.

Not without moving the pipe. So investors will be needed.

[D_F_C]

I really don't know what to think after tonight. The hard working board got a rough ride from some people. Wayne Raper was impressive. Gray is potentially risking the future of the club to see out his own fantasy. Don't know where I stand tonight.

As someone has mentioned the next few weeks are going to be significant in the future of Darlington football club

[grimsbyquaker]

Dan is spot on. If we think we are currently sustainable then I think we are kidding ourselves. The novelty of being 'back home' will soon wear off if it becomes apparent that we're going nowhere fast. Ultimately I think the majority would rather see a swifter return to the FL with some benign benefactors

[Yarblockos]

We are at a real crossroads. I believe tonight is the most significant moment in the past 5 years. Half the fans want a wholly fan owned club - however this means we have basically hit the ceiling. Other half would like investment from outside to push forward - but then run the risk of it all going wrong like previous times. You could sense the conflict at the forum.

Some very difficult decisions ahead.

Financially, it would appear we are not sustainable even at this level. Do we need an investor to be competitive at this level? Would attendances drop if we are not competitive and start a viscous cycle?

The decisions taken in the next few weeks/months are going to determine the future direction of DFC.

I'm not sure there such a split in the fanbase, I'd say the vast majority would like to see an investor come on board. Depending on who it is of course. If someone like David Hodgson was involved it would win support from the majority.

[darlo reborn]

Pipe would have to be moved before pitch done so no chance soon

[Yarblockos]

My worry is BM. No guarantees of it being OK for EFL.

Yes, this was my major concern, can BM be developed for EFL in the long term? The answer seems to be that without major investment neither the team nor BM will be anywhere near the EFL.

[Vodka_Vic]

My worry is BM. No guarantees of it being OK for EFL.

Not without moving the pipe. So investors will be needed.

Where did you get the info from that it's about the pipe?

[grimsbyquaker]

The comment about us being 'a laughing stock in the football world...' strong stuff

[boorman]

I think it'd be a bit sad to give up on the dream of a sustainable fan-run club so easily. I'd rather the club halved the playing budget to something it can afford than go out into the marketplace and be propped up by an 'investor' (like this football club could EVER be a financial investment!!!)

I think if Darlo were patient enough they could get promotion into the Conference while still roughly breaking even. 1,000ish crowds ought to give you a higher budget than 90% of the rest of the division on any given season + there's the fact we've got the brand of being an ex-league club, so I think we'd always be able to attract half-decent players even if we might not be paying the same as we have been this season.

Once you're in the Conference, different story I'd say, but if the momentum of promotion means you're getting 2,000ish crowds (and that's possible isn't it?) then maybe we could hold our own as a semi-pro outfit and then you never know; a few things might align one year and you can have a tilt at getting back in the league.

I personally think the lower reaches of the Conference is the 'proper' level of a fan-run Darlo, but I'd rather we proved this over a number of years of trying the fan model than throwing it all away at the first hint of stagnation on the pitch.

It's just a bit Groundhog Day for me. We've already proven that the model of outside cash propping up a club doesn't work, so why go back to it so hastily?

[grimsbyquaker]

My worry is BM. No guarantees of it being OK for EFL.

Not without moving the pipe. So investors will be needed.

Where did you get the info from that it's about the pipe?

That pipe is major infrastructure. We're talking big bucks to go anywhere near it let alone divert it

[Darlo_Dan]

My worry is BM. No guarantees of it being OK for EFL.

Not without moving the pipe. So investors will be needed.

Where did you get the info from that it's about the pipe?

Mentioned at forum. To be strictly accurate no plans have been drawn up for the ground to meet EFL standards, though it was mentioned the pipe would likely have to be moved.

[lo36789]

Be interesting to see what percentage of fan base (attendees) want an investor v what percentage of our current shareholders want an investor...

[Darlo_Dan]

Investors would want 51%. Why wouldn't you?

[Vodka_Vic]

My worry is BM. No guarantees of it being OK for EFL.

Not without moving the pipe. So investors will be needed.

Where did you get the info from that it's about the pipe?

Mentioned at forum. To be strictly accurate no plans have been drawn up for the ground to meet EFL standards, though it was mentioned the pipe would likely have to be moved.

So it appears BM is a non-starter then. We were quoted a million to move the pipe. As we suspected, lack of long term planning, but as MG said, no stability through no-one in particular's fault.

[poppyfield]

For me its becoming obvious that we have come as far as we can with the fan owned model if we want to progress.
MG is right in what he says if we are to move on and up, we need to be more professional not just on the field but off it as well, our directors since 2012 have done us proud, yes there have been mistakes over the years (and my god we are quick to pan them) but without them putting there own time in we would not have a club.
I believe we have reached a crossroads, follow MG and his proposals,or loose him his staff and probably most of the team.
Lets face it after tonight who would volunteer to be a director of this club.
So would MG get my vote to take this club forward , yes he would.

[boorman]

The majority of people who are most vocal will want an investor, but this might be misleading. I reckon there are a load of people who want the club to settle at whatever level the club can actually sustain.