Fundraising Campaign

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Darlo_Dan
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Fundraising Campaign

Post by Darlo_Dan » Sat Apr 22, 2017 12:18 pm

Community Share Issue for the pitch and 'Boost the Budget' are live.
https://fundraising.darlingtonfcsupportersgroup.org/

With all this speculation about possible investors, uptake could be slow.

Quakerz
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Re: Fundraising Campaign

Post by Quakerz » Sat Apr 22, 2017 12:24 pm

So let me get this right...

We need to raise 42k for the pitch.

We need to raise 80k so we don't have to cut the budget available to MG.

Is this right?

What about the seats that we need?
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Darlo_Dan
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Re: Fundraising Campaign

Post by Darlo_Dan » Sat Apr 22, 2017 12:25 pm

Correct. Then THREE (corrected) further pitches of 50k for the new stand.

Quakerz
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Re: Fundraising Campaign

Post by Quakerz » Sat Apr 22, 2017 12:29 pm

Will take some doing, but at least it's in stages, and I think we can probably do it.

Not sure how successful the boost the budget pitch will be though.
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“Everybody knows where that club is going now, so I’m out of the way. They can carry on, it’s their club, they can keep it." - Raj Singh, 2017

darlo2001uk
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Re: Fundraising Campaign

Post by darlo2001uk » Sat Apr 22, 2017 12:29 pm

Quakerz wrote:Will take some doing, but at least it's in stages, and I think we can probably do it.

Not sure how successful the boost the budget pitch will be though.
Nearly £5000 in there already, Q.

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Darlo_Dan
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Re: Fundraising Campaign

Post by Darlo_Dan » Sat Apr 22, 2017 12:34 pm

Small steps is the key.
i) £50,000 for ground works and preparation of site including groundwork and relocation of floodlighting by 31st July 2017
ii) £50,000 for steel work and cladding by 30th September 2017
iii) £50,000 for purchase of seating deck by 31st December 2017

This also means should we fail to meet the third 50k, for example, we can still use the previously collected 100k as they were in separate pitches.

super_les_mcjannet
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Re: Fundraising Campaign

Post by super_les_mcjannet » Sat Apr 22, 2017 7:12 pm

I guess hardly anyone is interested in putting in until the investor situation is sorted.

Guessing none of us know if the investor will be happy to clear the minimum 150k for the stand, sort the pitch out and increase Gray's budget to what he wants or are they still expecting fans to put in to this as well and match funding?

If not sorted very quickly then this summer could be a complete shambles.

al_quaker
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Re: Fundraising Campaign

Post by al_quaker » Sat Apr 22, 2017 7:31 pm

super_les_mcjannet wrote: If not sorted very quickly then this summer could be a complete shambles.
Indeed.

After MG dropped the bombshell on Friday night, his potential investors need to step forwards and make contact with the DFCSG ASAP with their plans (and motives) fully explained. We need time to consider their offer and whether it's best for our club, and the longer the uncertainty goes on, the bigger the potential mess becomes. Come forwards, make the offer, let us decide, and then we move down the path we have chosen.

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Spyman
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Re: Fundraising Campaign

Post by Spyman » Sat Apr 22, 2017 7:33 pm

The problem for me, and I'd think anyone looking to invest, is that we don't yet have plans or agreement to develop to football league standards.

Personally i don't see the point in pouring money into making us a National League team if we may never be able to progress beyond that. We might as well stay in NLN forever if we're going to stay in the NL forever anyway. Either way we end up uncompetitive.

I was really hoping we'd be told last night that the plans and approval are in place for a football league ground, even if it was going to take 20 years to fund and develop it. At least there's be a plan and an aim.

I don't really see the point in spending another penny on the ground until we know it can be developed to the point we always have a higher league to aspire to.

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On Sunday April 29, 2012 at 10:25 pm, Darlo Cockney wrote:Sadly some people have nothing better to do that invent rumours.

We will be playing at the arena again next season - fact.

Quakerz - if you actually attended games and spoke to people you might actually find our facts, rather than spreading s*** on this board.

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The Equalizer
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Re: Fundraising Campaign

Post by The Equalizer » Sat Apr 22, 2017 7:40 pm

Presumably though the share offer could be cancelled depending on the size and nature of any potential investors.

For me this puts the scale of the finances required into perspective £270k just to get ready for the conference before any additional ground improvements for cat A grading, increases in playing budget etc.

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lo36789
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Re: Fundraising Campaign

Post by lo36789 » Sat Apr 22, 2017 7:41 pm

Not sure I agree. Surely you should want to compete at the highest level you possibly can?

I am still not convinced the ground can't be developed beyond the 1400 terrace and extra seats. It will just need to be designed and approved by rugby club.

There was always talk of us being able to redevelop on another pitch at Blackwell Meadows if we could get the money together - guess we could move some of our existing assets as part of that - no idea what that would mean for grant monies mind.

Gray couldn't have chosen a worse time to announce his investor plan. He could have let the share issue progress and take its natural course and then behind the scenes an investor could be sought and it becomes an option. The way it has been delivered has basically left us potentially without a paddle.

Vodka_Vic
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Re: Fundraising Campaign

Post by Vodka_Vic » Sat Apr 22, 2017 7:50 pm

Spyman wrote:The problem for me, and I'd think anyone looking to invest, is that we don't yet have plans or agreement to develop to football league standards.

Personally i don't see the point in pouring money into making us a National League team if we may never be able to progress beyond that. We might as well stay in NLN forever if we're going to stay in the NL forever anyway. Either way we end up uncompetitive.

I was really hoping we'd be told last night that the plans and approval are in place for a football league ground, even if it was going to take 20 years to fund and develop it. At least there's be a plan and an aim.

I don't really see the point in spending another penny on the ground until we know it can be developed to the point we always have a higher league to aspire to.

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I'm one of the people who was ready to invest as a result and was expecting some guidance on how to get BM up to the 5000 capacity with 2000 seats, only to find that there is no plan about it, and yes, I am holding back until I know what's going to happen for all the reasons that you mention. I would say I'm a typical Darlo fan, so there must be plenty like me.

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Re: Fundraising Campaign

Post by super_les_mcjannet » Sat Apr 22, 2017 7:52 pm

Spyman wrote:The problem for me, and I'd think anyone looking to invest, is that we don't yet have plans or agreement to develop to football league standards.

Personally i don't see the point in pouring money into making us a National League team if we may never be able to progress beyond that. We might as well stay in NLN forever if we're going to stay in the NL forever anyway. Either way we end up uncompetitive.

I was really hoping we'd be told last night that the plans and approval are in place for a football league ground, even if it was going to take 20 years to fund and develop it. At least there's be a plan and an aim.

I don't really see the point in spending another penny on the ground until we know it can be developed to the point we always have a higher league to aspire to.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
No point doing anything until MG and his investors contact the Board & DFCSG and put a proposal in place.

So at the moment Gray needs to plan for an 85k budget cut as the finance won't come in from the fans until this is sorted, the board can't allow him to budget for any higher in the current situation until some kind of path forward is planned.

meadowlark
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Re: Fundraising Campaign

Post by meadowlark » Sat Apr 22, 2017 7:55 pm

Highly unlikely that any agreement with investor(s) will be sorted out in the short term, I think we should press on with raising funds for the pitch as the clock is already ticking on . Cash needs to be raised by end of May to allow time for work to be carried out. After that, there isa bit of breathing space before the next round of fundraising for the stand, and by then we might know more about the investment plan. Now for the wild speculation. The investors are showing interest because they have faith in MG. It is hard to see how they could ever hope to own the ground or the land, so maybe they are planning on funding the team, and the fans will continue to raise money for the infrastructure. Not cheap I know, but if there is some agreement regarding a split of gate receipts between supporters group and investors we can progress on and off the field with the fans still having a measure of control and influence.

super_les_mcjannet
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Re: Fundraising Campaign

Post by super_les_mcjannet » Sat Apr 22, 2017 7:58 pm

Vodka_Vic wrote: I'm one of the people who was ready to invest as a result and was expecting some guidance on how to get BM up to the 5000 capacity with 2000 seats, only to find that there is no plan about it, and yes, I am holding back until I know what's going to happen for all the reasons that you mention. I would say I'm a typical Darlo fan, so there must be plenty like me.
Yep I had a number in mind that I would invest, however I will be honest if a private investor comes in I won't put any money in and I won't whilst this is undecided.

That's not a protest against an investor just that if they want to control the club then they take that responsibility on, which I assume they would anyhow.

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dfc4me
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Re: Fundraising Campaign

Post by dfc4me » Sat Apr 22, 2017 8:21 pm

Surely at the moment the money is just a pledge until such time as the DFCSG decide to collect it. If an investor comes in they decide either not to bother or collect it and keep hold of it rather than pass it on to the club. By the time of the first deadline the DFCSG board will hopefully have an idea if the investor move is good or bad for us.

super_les_mcjannet
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Re: Fundraising Campaign

Post by super_les_mcjannet » Sat Apr 22, 2017 8:23 pm

dfc4me wrote:Surely at the moment the money is just a pledge until such time as the DFCSG decide to collect it. If an investor comes in they decide either not to bother or collect it and keep hold of it rather than pass it on to the club. By the time of the first deadline the DFCSG board will hopefully have an idea if the investor move is good or bad for us.
Happy for others to do that but I won't pledge if I am not willing to see it through, at the moment I wouldn't be willing to.

m62exile
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Re: Fundraising Campaign

Post by m62exile » Sat Apr 22, 2017 9:14 pm

Martin has played his hand now so must realise that he's put the hand brake on the DFCSG existing plans. On the other hand you have to say he must feel confident he can get an offer together and also that it will have a chance of success. Otherwise what was the point last night?

Can't help but think we're just in a holding pattern now until something is presented, hopefully not for too long.

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